crmbt day 5 - rest day

We spent our rest day in Buena Vista. Two groups went to two different hot springs to soak for a while. That sounded good, but I didn't want to get on my bike even for a 6 or 9 mile ride. The Sports Massage Team Advised a short ride at an easy pace just to let your legs know that they weren't done. Doing nothing gives the signal to go into recovery mode, and that will have to wait. I could feel the miles, and the climbing in my legs, but more so in another body part, so I stayed off the saddle and instead, did a lot of walking around.

 Buena Vista sits along the Collegiate Peaks which means that even though its elevation is almost 8,000 feet, there are high mountain peaks all around it. Looking back to the west near where we crossed Cottonwood Pass the day before you can see some peaks we could have hiked.

 

 Tent B5 in Sherpa Ville was my home-away-from-home for the week. The canopy set up in the middle gave us a nice, shady spot to sit and read, or visit, or clean our bikes!

 In the fall or spring you might check this sign before heading back to Gunnison this way. In the winter? Forget about it.

 There's a nice little park right in the middle of town. Some kayakers were enjoying a peaceful afternoon on the lake, others were fishing or picnicking.

 When CRMBT rode through Buena Vista in '08 on our way from Frisco to Salida there was an aid station set up in the park next to K's Dairy Delite. It was sometime around noon and I thought a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake sounded better than a p,b&j. It was a great treat before continuing on the nice ride to Salida.

 

 One of the fun things about K's is the name they call when your order is ready. On your receipt is the name of somebody famous. When the guy in front of me was called, it was "Stevie Nicks". Sadly, this time I saw a garden burger on their menu, and tried to order it, but they were out. So I walked across the street to Biggies for a veggie sub that turned out to be really good.

 There were deer present in all of the quieter neighborhoods around town, and at least a few close to where we were camping, but I never had my camera with me until I took this, and I couldn't get her to stand still.

Once again, I needed to get to bed early; another long day for us tomorrow. I filled my water bottles and checked the air in my tires. I had done a little laundry and organized my stuff for the last couple of days. I was ready to be on the road by 6:00am to get a start on the 103 mile day ahead.