Day 42: Poncha Springs, CO to Gunnison, CO

Total Distance: 61.6 mi
Moving Avg: 9.0 mph
Moving Time: 6:49

Over the top!!! Yup, I made it over Monarch Pass, all 11,312 feet of
it. I didn't quite get up as early as I hoped, of course, but it
didn't really matter. I still got rained on on the way up. The climb
was hard, duh, but was manageable. I just kept watching the GPS and
counting the feet (I started with 3900 to go).

The last 200' were the hardest, emotionally and physically, but seeing
the top as I came around the bend was a good good feeling. I hung out
at the top for quite a while, enjoying the view and waiting for tstorm
#2 to pass. I encountered a van-load of hippies from Austin trying to
get change for gas to get home. Their van had hit an elk, and it was
not in good shape. They gave me iced tea though. Then I was off down
the mountain. It was fun, but I wasn't entirely confident, so I kept
my speed to about 20-25 mph. Still quite a clip. Then it flattened out
and I had a long-seeming couple hours into Gunnison. I arrived 20min
too late to get to the bike store (I want to have my wheels trued. I
tried to true them myself, but it is hard w/o a truing stand). On the
way down, I skirted another t-storm. But 30 min after I checked in, it
hit Gunnison. I think I might be some sort of thunderstorm magnet. 

I talked to my parents and my laptop did not arrive. Some poking
revealed it was NOT shipped next day as promised, but rather UPS
ground. Grrr!! Suck factor: high. There is no way I'll get it by
SLC. But I do have a place to stay in SLC, with old friends of my
parents who are apparently quite happy to host me. Yay. I may take a
rest day there.

Without my computer I'm not sure, but I think I'm about 2/3 of the way
there. One more big challenge to go: the Great Salt Lake Desert.