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Well rested I left Trinidad in great spirits into fantastic weather. Light winds and wispy clouds and temperature in the seventies. The route was pretty flat till I crossed 1-25.
Right after crossing the interstate and railroad tracks I stopped at a monument and memorial to the Ludlow Massacre. In 1914, the United Mine Workers of America decided to strike for an 8 hour workday, less company control over their lives, and safer working conditions. Southern Colorado mines were 10 times more deadly than the national average at the time. The company evicted all the workers and they had to leave all their possessions behind. The union leased some land and bought tents and provided a wage for the families striking. After months of stalemate, the Colorado state militia and other hired mine guns fired on the camp suddenly the morning after a big Easter celebration, and after the dust settled that day, 18 people had died, including 2 women and 11 children.
A few other people stopped by while I was there and the mood was solumn. No one spoke. I left after reading everything and headed right into the same hills that the miners worked in. In less than a mile I passed a marker memorializing a mine explosion that killed 121 people at a place called Hastings.
As I rode on, wind now at my back pushing me up the canyon, thought about how privileged I am to be able to make this trip of my own choice, simply to challenge myself and see the world.
To get to this point I traced roughly the route of the Trail of Tears, then the Santa Fe trail. I have now left those behind and as soon as I did am reminded so powerfully by that monument, how many people suffered along this route I have taken. Whether it was native people forced to walk away from their homeland, or pioneers blazing a trail to trade with foreigners, coal miners trying to make a decent living, people chose this route because they were forced, or out of necessity. The off the beaten path that I have been taking makes me appreciate the hardships of travelling the hard way. I am thankful that I have the luxury to choose my challenges. And thankful for all the rights I have enjoyed as a worker over the years, rights so hard fought by people with their very lives, to improve working conditions for those of us in the future. Without their sacrifices we might all have been stuck in company towns forever.
I had a great ride for the seventy miles to La Veta. I had the wind mostly behind me, skies were clear and it wasn't too hot. Had the Spanish Peaks at my left side all day as I climbed up and down the little hills on the route. Were they plunked down in Middle Georgia they would be called mountains and given names. Here they're just little bumps.
It was really neat to finally see trees again, and proper creeks with running water in them. La Veta was a very cute little town with an eclectic collection of nice houses and mostly gravel streets. The park was overrun with people enjoying the lovely Sunday afternoon, so I ended up getting water from a faucet at the country store where I got a little snack and a soda.
The landscape around me just north of town was like riding through a postcard. I headed southwest, off route to get to the San Isabel national forest. But multiple signs warned of bad burn scars and flooding. I pressed on. The going got tougher as I went further down the road. Until the road disappeared. It washed away in several places and I was able to get around. I was trying to make it through the last bit of private property and camp on public land. Finally after trudging through some really washed out parts I came across a down tree and decided to just camp in the road. Or what's left of it. It was the creekbed during the flooding. Thankfully no rain expected and I have a babbling brook to camp beside. Technically I'm still on public property since I am in the middle of the right of way. I was only about a quarter of a mile from the boundary but whatever, this is good enough and I will hate myself in the morning when I try to make my way back to the non washed out portion of the road.
By: | WTR4 |
Started in: | Trinidad, CO, US |
Distance: | 80.0 mi |
Selected: | 80.0 mi |
Elevation: | + 6693 / - 4580 ft |
Moving Time: | 06:23:55 |
Gear: | 2020 Lynskey GR300 |
Page Views: | 709 |
Departed: | Jul 11, 2021, 9:02 am |
Starts in: | Trinidad, CO, US |
Distance: | 80.0 mi |
Selected distance: | 80.0 mi |
Elevation: | + 6693 / - 4580 ft |
Max Grade: | |
Avg Grade | |
Cat | |
FIETS | |
VAM | |
Ascent time | |
Descent time | |
Total Duration: | 08:09:09 |
Selection Duration: | 29349 |
Moving Time: | 06:23:55 |
Selection Moving Time: | 06:23:55 |
Stopped Time: | 01:45:14 |
Calories: | 3748 |
Max Watts: | |
Avg Watts: | 164 |
WR Power | |
Work | |
Max Speed: | 36.0 mph |
Avg Speed: | 12.5 mph |
Pace: | 00:06:06 |
Moving Pace: | 00:04:47 |
Max HR: | 146 bpm |
Min HR: | 71 bpm |
Avg HR: | 115 bpm |
Heartrate zones: | |
Zone 1: | 2 hours 42 minutes |
Zone 2: | 39 minutes |
Zone 3: | 0 minutes |
Zone 4: | 0 minutes |
Zone 5: | 0 minutes |
Best format for turn-by-turn directions on modern Garmin Edge Devices
Best format for turn by turn directions on Edge 500, 510. Will provide true turn by turn navigation on Edge 800, 810, 1000, Touring including custom cue entries. Great for training when we release those features. Not currently optimal for Virtual Partner.
Useful for uploading your activity to another service, keeping records on your own computer etc.
Useful for any GPS unit. Contains no cuesheet entries, only track information (breadcrumb trail). Will provide turn by turn directions (true navigation) on the Edge 705/800/810/1000/Touring, but will not have any custom cues. Works great for Mio Cyclo. Find GPS specific help in our help system.
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