We left Durango on the Million Dollar Highway, which once again was beautiful and terrifying driving through the clouds.   Approaching Silverton, we began driving through a deluge for the better part of an hour.

While we unloaded and dried out every single item in the truck bed, i cursed myself for taking the seatpost off the Heckler and tried to get an inch of water out of the frame. Alana displayed her burgeoning verbal skills, concern for others, and savant-like abilities.

Finally we were off along the Uncompahgre River Trail – G and I on the 2-bike, and Beckie running with Alana.

Alana was climbing up and down this by herself after a few tries while G and I sang Pinto’s Pretty Pony song.

she ventured into new tunnels

G remembered this from 2 years ago.   Hard to know if she could actually recall things from when she was 2.5, but she was certain she could.

minutes after this photo, another storm dropped in on top of us.   G began to panic and cry. I got her under control, told her we had to suck it up and pedal back to our cabin, that i’ve ridden through many storms, and that panicking was only going to make things worse. It was amazing to witness her get herself under control and focus on getting herself out of trouble.   Every 30 seconds I’d tell her how good she was doing, to keep pedaling, to not freak out. She kept repeating “I’m not freaking out, I’m not freaking out.” Many times over the weekend we talked her down while high on a mountain or with a storm on the horizon.   I don’t know if she did better or worse than most kids, but it sure seemed to me an accomplishment.

The next morning i launched early to climb the Portland Trail. The climb up out of town was hard from the start, but once I got on the trail it was a tuff but steady climb up to the high point at 9k

I dropped a few hundred feet down the Cascade Trail, then mostly-pushed my bike up the Chief Ouray Mine Trail 1 mile and 1300 vf. I thought I was going to puke, measuring progress 1 switchback at a time, amazed that 5 min would go by and I’d have chomped off 300 feet.   That last half mile leveled out at 10k into a very exposed traverse.

From the mine, I got a magnificent view down into Ouray, followed by a methodical dh full of super-tight switchbacks.  With few rocks and no cactus, it was no big deal after riding Tom’s Thumb.   Sure the CO climbs are brutal and humbling, but the terrain and the climate certainly compensate compared to AZ.

I met Beckie and the girls at the town pool, and was disheartened to learn that the town now required riders on the slides to be 48″ tall! FUCK!!!! Why wasn’t this on the website?!?!? I told the lifeguards that G had ridden these 2 full years ago, and that we specifically planned a few days here so she could ride the slides. They were very sympathetic and polite in hearing me out, but told me the city recently changed its policies as an insurance requirement. Fucking lawyers!

We were told G could ride if she could pass a swim test – a 25 meter lap of both free and backstroke. This was more distance than she’d ever done. She was eager to try, but I was worried about further heartbreak if she crapped out. I wasn’t worried about her fitness, but mentally I really did not think she could do it. She hopped in the water while I swam right next to her and Beckie and Alana stood at the far end. It wasn’t pretty, and I talked to her the whole way, but she made it across the pool. The backstroke was just as ugly, me telling her every stroke to just do a little more, a little more, that hours of fun were just a few strokes away.   When she finally touched the wall, it was about the happiest i’ve ever seen her.   She was even bumping rocks with the lifeguard.

We rode slides almost non-stop for the next 3 hrs. G probably hit them 50 times, and me probably 25 with her once Alana fell asleep.   Had they kept them open longer, she would have gone all night long.

Afterwards at the playground, Alana found some inspiration to push herself too.

Kenga was loaded with every bit of bike and camping gear we owned, and even slowed by child-induced gas station marathons, we made it to Durango in just 8 hours.   There was much rejoicing for fresh air and greenery.

After a night at Junction Creek Campground chilling, sleeping late, and watching Alana find new and interesting ways of filthifying and injuring herself, we loaded the 2-bike and the trailer for an afternoon along the Animas River trail.

We stopped at a playground for romping, beers, and some swimming in the river

the path was 15 miles out-and-back, a not-insignificant effort even on the pavement.   G’s longest day on the 2-bike, and she did great.

We stopped briefly at the County Fair on the way back to camp so G could ride the ferris wheel.   This was our first time doing anything more than passing through Durango, and it has a lot to offer. Easy to get around, and the campground is just outside of town.   Turns out a high school friend of mine that I’ve reconnected with on FB lives just down the street – we unfortunately were not able to hook up, but having a friend living 2 miles from camp and at the start of the Colorado Trail is reason to return.

Back at camp, we picked up Kila then headed further up the mountain for an easy hike at 9k along the Animas Valley Overlook before more marshmallows.