July 19th Day 36 Guffey to Fairplay, CO

We were only planning on 40 miles to Fairplay to help us acclimate anyway, so when I awoke feeling better, though still without much appetite, we decided to head out. Baked potato for me for breakfast and oatmeal for Andy we set off for another day of mostly climbing (Fairplay is about 9900). We were doing really well, the hills were pretty good to us and the Rockies just kept getting bigger and bigger and more expansive. Most of the while we rode with our mouths open, but then bugs and dryness would set in and we'd remember to keep them shut.

It was lunch where our luck changed now in Hartsel, or South Park, we stopped about halfway into our trip for lunch. For some reason I was possessed to have a strawberry milkshake and a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch (there weren't a lot of choices folks), but anyway this choice proved deadly.

We met some young fellows who were driving around and biking different trails and when the South Park General Store failed to have bananas, they kindly gave us some of theirs.

The rest of the ride was gorgeous, I think, everything just opened up so wide with lots of streams running through and again the inclines were very tame. However, my stomach was revolting, and we hadn't gone 10 miles before Andy stopped to take a picture, and I realized that nature was calling on the side of the road with no trees and some serious stomach cramps, right next to a brand new ranch home that was still under construction (when I say right next to, the actual house was still about 100 yards away). Fortunately for me the next 10 miles to Fairplay were none too short. (The Colorado DOT can't always do math properly or count their own mile markers). We stopped for a while at the gas station (the smell inside made me sooo queasy) and then headed down to the RV park and motel. We were planning on forking over the (ridiculous) $27 for camping, but when we got there and found it was really only a parking lot, with no grass, or shade, and my needs still bathroom bound, we ended up forking up the $75 (also ridiculous) for the motel room.

Andy was super sweet and went and got bagels and info and let me pass out and take naps for the rest of the day.

Before going to bed I felt slightly better, but only a little, and so I kept my fingers crossed that acclimation was on its way.