Date: December 3rd, 2021
Distance: 67 Kilometers
Song of the Day: Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
The road from Pitalito went up, and just kept going. It wasn't that bad a grade though. Just a gentle uphill climb. Even Scarlett seemed to be having a good time. She even asked me when the road was going to start going over the mountain. I told her we were already on our way. As the day went on though and morning dragged into afternoon she was less optimistic about things. She complained that "it just keeps going up". It was more than that though, the road was getting steeper. Our gentle grade had become a pretty good climb. Scarlett was running in some of her lowest gears. I also started getting a lot of questions about when will it end. I tried to explain the hydrology of the situation. The road we were on was travelling up a long valley with mountains on either side. The creek below us was getting smaller and smaller as we climbed. Eventually it would disappear all together and we would cross a sharp ridge to the next valley. From there we could follow that creek down and out of the mountains. This explanation didn't seem to be that comforting though.

The way down was better. Initially steep and curving. Lots of patches where the pavement had been worn away by water and heavy truck traffic. These mountain roads will keep you on your toes. Soon that had leveled out and we were travelling at a nice even pace down the mountain. It did start raining on us pretty good though. I hate riding in wet shoes, but what can you do? The broken road continued to be a problem. There was one area where a landslide had covered most of the road. One poor guy with a shovel was trying to keep the one lane open. Good luck muchacho.
Scarlett and I did eventually make it down to San Juan de Villalobos. Not much of a place really, but good enough. It will be just fine to rest in while recovering from all the climbing.
-Dravis
Date: December 2nd, 2021
Distance: 102 Kilometers
Song of the Day: Chevy Van - Pernice Brothers

Lots of ups and downs and twists ands turns. The road is following along the reservoir here. I have to say it is all just gorgeous. I don't think Scarlett likes the uphills so much. Around noon she was getting hungry and decided we should stop at the next restaurant. That turned out to be almost 10 miles down the road. She was not happy about that. We were pretty slow going the last little bit there.

The last few miles to Pitalito were also a struggle for Scarlett. She was getting tired and we needed to take more frequent rests. That is all fine, this is her first week on the road. I just worry about the mountains coming up. These little hills are nothing compared to what we will be encountering. It won't be much more than a week from now. I hope she is ready to climb over 13,000 feet. I imagine those days are going to be slow.

-Dravis
Date: December 1st, 2021
Distance: 87 Kilometers
Song of the Day: Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks

The morning was perfect. The land is mostly flat. No great climbs or descents. The roads here are lined with deciduous trees and it reminds me a lot of New England oddly enough. There were even a few places with loose stone wall delineating the fields. It was strange to see something so familiar and yet so out of place. Also, New England doesn't have the giant mountains as a backdrop.


-Dravis