Today was another tough day. The first couple miles of the ride were fairly flat, but then the 15 mile climb up to Wolf Creek Pass began. The first 5 miles of the climb were quite gradual, but still noticeable. Once we saw the sign that said, "10 miles to the summit," it seemed to get much steeper. The last 3 miles were almost unbearable with the 20+ mph winds. It had gotten cold and snowy near the top and we were being blown of the road. We also all ran out of water, so we stopped at the Wolf Creek ski patrol station to fill up. From there, we walked our bikes up the last 1/2 mile to the summit (it was just too steep and too windy). The summit of Wolf Creek Pass is also were the Great Divide runs through. We ate some food, took some photos, and happily started our descent. The first part was really cold and steep; our hands got sore from holding our brakes so tightly. We could not simply coast down because of the grade and the windiness of the road.

We stopped at a scenic view point and were amazed by what we saw. The valley below was so green and lush. There was a river snaking through in perfect "S" shapes. Snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, and obscure rock formations were all around us. A bit further down the road, we stopped again at one of the waterfalls we had seen from afar, Treasure Falls. 

Finally, we made it to the bottom. The terrain could then be described as rolling hills. Even though they were small hills, our legs were tired from the morning's previous climb. After about 10 miles or so, we reached the town of Pagosa Springs. This cute little town is famous for its natural hot springs; we were too cheap and tired though to check them out.

We tried to find Cool Pines RV Park, but had no luck. We were so tired and Michelle was feeling more and more sick, so we opted to get a cheap motel. Sky View Motel was at the west end of town and only cost $45. We didn't have air conditioning and the windows were permanently open, but it sufficed. We ordered in some pizza and promptly went to bed after our bellies were full.