6/16/13 Sun Day 33 Walden, CO to Hot Sulfur Springs, CO 62 mi

The temperature inside the tent was down to 39 degrees at 530 in the morning. By 7 in the morning it was up to 64 degrees with the sun shining.

We had some of those cantankerous Colorado crosswinds for the first 25 miles. Then going up Willow Creek Pass the temperature dropped from 73 degrees down to 44 degrees and it became dark and  the cold rain started to fall until we got over the continental at 9672 feet.

As soon as we started coming down the other side of the pass the rain cleared and  the sun came out and the temperature came back up to 74 degrees.

The shoulder of the road leading into Hot Sulfur Springs was horrible. I picked up a small piece of wire in my rear bicycle tire (the supposedly nearly invincible Schwable Marathon Plus) and that was  my first and hopefully only flat for the trip.

We met three young TransAmers:   Sebastian, Louis, and Dominic who left Yorktown, Virginia 5/1/13 and will be finishing in Florence, OR. They are English.  They told they had just sold their 15 pound tent to safe on weight so they could all stay together better.  It is going to rather severely limit their camping actions.
We also met a nice couple from Brooklyn New York who were biking from New York City to San Francisco,California and doing part of the Trans America bicycle route. Their names are Tom and Jenna.

We met another group of three TransAmers but we didn't have much time to talk because we were trying to rush to the campsite since there was some severe  weather blowing up over the mountains.

I had a tall stack of pancakes at the Moose Creek cafe this morning and was able to finish them all.  Victory on day one!

Our climb for the day was 2910 ft.

We camped at the city campground located next to the railroad tracks. It was free but it was not without the price of being awakened every 2 hours or so by the very loud train whistles.

The picture of the tent is showing Charlie attempting to set up the tent from underneath  the tent fly which would keep the tent dry when it is raining.