Up & Down Along the Divide: Boreas Pass and faded colors

Another great pass cleared this morning: Boreas Pass between Cobo and Breckenridge. Unlike yesterday, I felt wonderful this morning, and had this song in my mind "passez votre amour a la machine, faites bouillir, voir si les couleurs d'origine peuvent revenir...". Totally out of scope, but that's how my mind seems to react to oxygen deprivation. Above 3000m, it is able to concentrate on the spinning and completely sideline any mental activity, except for the song part. So when I want to calculate how many kilometers are left to the top, I have to pause, get my breath back, and then perform the 20 - 12, ok, still 8km to go, then get back on the pedals.

Colorado is fantastic now that the thunderstorms are a memory of the past. Colors are everywhere and there is this fantastic light in the high country. I still have a few days toying in here, and after that it will go back to lower elevations, with an occasional pass. I will also leave the touristy towns behind me, meaning less occasions to connect to internet. Checking my maps let me foresee nothing but long stretches with no services for 200 or 300 km at a time. Too bad, I loved being able to pop in a restaurant for lunch and diner, now it will be back to pasta, rice and fish steaks.