A beautiful sunny morning but very, very cold, below freezing. No point starting early, I need to wait for the day to warm up, it’s going to be very cold in the mountains. Being right next door to the Colorado ski resorts of Vail, Aspen and Breckenridge, there is a resort TV channel showing nothing but MTB videos, including loads of stuff I recognise from Whistler.
When I finally go outside I discover that another adventure biker has left a bottle of beer on my bike. This is the kind of thing that I love about biking. Someone who has no idea who I am has bought me a beer simply because I’m riding a bike. There is no way you can be in anything other than a great mood when something like that happens, so adjusting the wheel in the bitter cold is carried out in good spirits.
Whoever you are, cheers! Thanks not just for the kind thought and your generosity, but for bestowing upon me not your average everyday Budweiser, but rather a fine gourmet micro-brewery autumn special pumpkin ale.
There follows a really nice ride, much warmer, some nice scenery thorough the mountains, easy going. The day disappears. I cross into the wide open spaces of New Mexico and enjoy the effortless cruising as the sun sets.
Then I relax with my benefactor’s beer, perfectly chilled by the cool weather. Nice!
