I am hopeful...

So far today is our second day through the Rockies and we're still going strong! It really is incredible to finally be in the mountains. I can't imagine what the pioneers felt when they first saw the great shadows in the distance.


Yesterday was our rest day in Westcliffe, Colorado. It was perfect. I woke up with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains painting the horizon and cool, crisp mountain air blowing over my face. Sandy and I took a walk to Main Street where we had a delicious breakfast at the Sugar and Spice Mountain Bakery. The store fronts along Main Street had so much character, some with a north-woods feel and others with more of a wild-west feel. My absolute favorite place was the Courtyard Bed and Breakfast. It had a wonderful garden hidden in the back. The leaves of the Birch trees were twinkling in the wind, a calico was taking a sun-bath on a bench, and Frank Sinatra was playing in the background.



As far as riding goes, I cannot believe how quickly the landscapes change. No one had any idea that Missouri could be so beautiful. I haven't decided yet whether I'm a part of the "caboose" because of my pace or because we always manage to find some way to enjoy our ride. I like to tell myself it's the latter. Missouri in particular was quite adventuresome. Nick, Jon, Sandra, and I climbed way up a spindly little look-out tower, looked over a quarry filled with crystal blue water, and stopped and fed some horses grass, all in one day. That was one part of Missouri that I really enjoyed, all of the rolling pastures, especially when I would spot a mare and foal grazing.



Next up after Missouri was Kansas. We had a little variety going up and down the Flint Hills, but after that 96 went on and on, straight and flat for three days. The only way you could tell we were making any sort of progress was by watching the grain elevators slowly approaching in the distance. I'd always pictured Kansas as being a dry and barren-looking state but I really enjoyed seeing the splashes of yellow wildflowers across the fields. There also was a beautiful contrast between the bright green grass and the golden-yellow wheat fields. I'll have to admit though, I really did not like the huge combines. I'm not sure what scared me more, the great immensity of the machines or the fact that farming in America happens on such a great scale these days.

All-in-all, I know now that I can make it and am ready to conquer even the highest mountain!