On Nov 2, we camped at Lathrop State Park, west of Walsenburg, CO. We were on track to cross over the Rockies into the San Luis Valley by way of La Veta Pass the next day. It was a long ride, but doable. Overnight, the wind changed direction and started to pick up... and pick up...

The tent fly was flapping wildly for a while, and then it blew off altogether. Jon put it inside the tent as a windbreak against the gale that was now blowing through our sleeping bags. Our bikes blew over. In the morning, Jon tried to cook and his pots, pans, and ingredients took off across the campground. An egg carton was never seen again. Needless to say, it was windy. Not only that: it was a headwind!

We saddled up and fought just to make it to the park entrance. Once we got out on the road, there was a massive amount of tumbleweed on the move--coming straight at us. Dodging it was like playing a video game. Riding in our lowest gears, we moved at a walking pace. Every few hundred feet, we would either run over a clump of the stuff or simply be pushed off the road by a gust of wind. Apparently the gusts were 53 mph. By the end of the day, through a combination of riding and walking, we had made it 12 miles... not even to the start of the pass!

We camped in a nice dude's parking area and hit the mountain pass early the next morning. It was cold but beautiful, and easier than fighting the wind. By mid-afternoon we were in Fort Garland. To be clear, we have yet to cross the Continental Divide, but we have completed what is likely the highest pass of the trip at 9413 feet.