Aug 28
It was a cold night. There was morning frost on the grass behind the hostel. Packed my stuff on the bike and went to the supermarket, for a breakfast burrito and a few more supplies.

Tried hitchhiking for the rest of the detour out of Silverton: about 10 km/500m+. Gave up after half an hour and biked up to Molas Pass, trailhead for segment 25.

This segment had some nice sections, as well as also some crappy ones. It was a beautiful sunny day and the miles passed, one by one. Finished the segment at Celebration Lake. No reason to celebrate yet, I still had one and a half days of riding left.

Segment 26 was nicer. Less climbing, more flowy single-track. Somewhere on this segment my front tire decided to release most of its air. I don’t know exactly how to deal with tubeless problems, so I just put a tube in there and went on my way.

Camped near the end of the segment, on the descend following Blackhawk Pass. Chose this spot as it was next to a stream – my last water for 22 miles, according to the book.

It’s real cold right now. Taking breaks in writing this to heat up my hands. But it’s my last night in a tent. My last dehydrated supper (had chicken breast with mashed potatoes, btw). Happy I’m finishing and looking forward for what civilization has to offer: showers, internet, food, not freezing. But I’m also a little nostalgic for leaving these mountains behind – it’s been a great experience.