Red Rock Lookout Mountain, Indiana Pass, Del Norte - Great Divide Northbound - Bikepacking Day 15+16

Day 15+16 (June 14-15): Riding from Platoro to Del Norte via Indiana Pass - with 11,910 ft elevation the highest point on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route - was just stunning.
We ran into our Lael and Tim , with whom we started our adventure at Jeffrey Sharps bike ranch and decided to ride together for a bit. How amazing to see them again and enjoy the breathtaking scenery together. Every single mile was beautiful! We saw red mountains (from rusting iron), alpine lakes, flower meadows, rivers, mountain tops in the distance, the last snow fields melting away, and wonderful aspen trees coming down from Indiana Pass into Del Norte on what seems like an endless descent!
Trail angels stopped us on our climb and handed out bananas and encouragement - humans are so wonderful!
Coming down Schinzel flats, we met Keith doing the amazing last ride project for ‘make a wish’ foundation and living life to the fullest. It was an inspiring and humbling moment to meet Keith, learn about his story and project and share a few moments together next to the beautiful Colorado river.
And when all was just so sweet, 30 miles from Del Norte going downhill, Marion’s chain, which we put on just before starting the Divide, got loose and wrapped around her pedal like spaghetti. It took some unwrapping and a chain breaker to get it back on. However, it didn’t work anymore for the bigger gears and so Marion pedaled like a hamster on speed for 30 miles in her easiest gears. Quite a sight! Luckily there is a lot of uphill and downhill and we made it to Del Norte in good spirits and with lots of RPMs on Marion’s end. Del Norte was a treat for our souls and bikes alike. Sam of @senderobikeshop adjacent to the lovely @mellowmoonlodge got our bikes back into shape and was a lot of fun to talk to. What a wonderful place to hang out!
We enjoyed the up and coming little town of Del Norte and had delicious baked treats, beers at the brewery and got treated to a homemade feast inducing pie by Sandra, a lovely mountain biker from Del Norte who treated us to this unexpected culinary delight. Once again we are so grateful for the experiences we make and the interesting and generous people we meet.

Strava GPS:
  / strava  
.
.
#gdmbr #bikepacking #biketouring #girlsbiker #girlswhoride #t1d #t1dwarrior #opencycle #cycling #activecouple #bikecampings