Aug 29
Found it hard to get out of the tent this morning. Too damn cold. Camped in a steep valley, so no chance of getting some sunshine anytime soon.

Dressed with everything I had, I finished the remaining kilometers of descent off segment 26. Finally managed to warm up as I started climbing up segment 27. This one was a pleasant surprise. While it still had some push biking, a lot of it was great single-track. It followed the Indian Ridge Trail, so it mostly had a rolling hill profile. It again climbed pretty high, to 3700 m elevation, granting me some awesome alpine views. And, for the first time this trip, the rows of mountains weren’t endless. Far in the distance I could see the earth leveling off. I was approaching the end of the trail.

Segment 28 is the big downhill. But it’s not just a simple roll down the mountain. The first part is a technical steep descent. Not very enjoyable. I even walked a few sections where the trail was slippery and exposed.

Midway the segment is the last climb. Another push bike. Not enjoying having to push my bike up another hill, especially as I can smell the finish line. But it’s weird to complain right now. I’ve climbed 22000 meters in the past two weeks and these are the last couple of hundred left. It’s basically nothing.

The last 10 miles were again downhill. Not as steep. Oftentimes even enjoyable. Sometimes rocky and slow. But it was too darn long. Had to take several breaks because everything was hurting. My arms, neck, back, shoulders.

Finally… finally made it to the end. Finished the Colorado Trail. Need to celebrate… with FOOD! Stopped at a Texan grill and got a taco and a bowl of something with beans. Then went to the supermarket, for some strawberries, watermelon and cheesecake. I consider my appetite satisfied.. for the moment.