Below Searle Pass
It was sunny and cool at our campsite, we were at least 11,500 I think. We began the March up to the pass, slowly in the rocks above tree line. It didn't take long to get to the pass, the views were amazing. Between Searle and Kokomo passes there is something like 3 miles. Surprisingly, it was fairly rideable. High country, alpine, above tree line, scrub plants, rocky and muddy. Kokomo was another push, but at the summit, again there were amazing views and a fun descent. The pass sign is actually below the high point, it was a nice photo opportunity, and then Kokomo Pass was just amazing, a steep fun descent with wildflowers everywhere. Maybe my favorite part of the whole trail. We dropped for a long time, down to Camp Hale. It was hot at Camp Hale, a more desert-like, sagebrush landscape. We saw the famous cement bunkers, I took a picture. And then we had a bit of a grind out of Camp Hale. Mark was starting to drag. He was in a bad mood. We got to some sort of railroad grade that was a nice consistent gradient for me. I put it into an okay gear and just turned the cranks until I was at Tennessee Pass. I waited a long time and when Mark got there he looked really bad, not himself, thousand yard stare, really fatigued, bad mood. We started to get into a fight about which direction to go on the road, not something worth fighting about. I gave him his space. After a while, we agreed to continue, it was theoretically a mostly downhill ride to Leadville, since we had a bypass for wilderness. Jason / Elmo had joined us and we talked a bit before saying goodbye. I began riding towards Leadville with Mark behind me. He would get really far behind and I would wait and we would regroup and I could tell he was in a bad way. It took a long time but we finally got to the Leadville city limits and Mark just laid down the nearest ground. He wasn't really communicative. I knew something was really wrong. Mark was probably suffering from altitude sickness. Mark reserved a room at the Rodeway Inn, nearby and we rode there slowly. We checked in, Mark really just wanted to lie down and I was really hungry. Somehow we both ended up walking across Leadville to Quincy's. Mark was dragging and we agreed that he should have stayed at the motel, but he continued. He wasn't himself, kind of lethargic and unresponsive. He had suggested riding to the steak place, which was recommended by a few people at the hospital, but I didn't feel comfortable leaving my bike outside of a restaurant. Probably would have been okay, but we walked instead, me in front, Mark way behind. We got to Quincy's, they let us in, it wasn't really well run, I'm not sure what's going on there, but they seated us. It was warm inside, kind of kitschy mountain town decor. The menu is basically steak, filet mignon some days, another kind of other days, and then you could get a salad with it. Perfect for me. Mark got a smaller one and I got a bigger one. I demolished it and two beers and felt much better. Before the food came he just lay his head on the table. The food didn't really seem to do much to put him back together. We walked back, again two different speeds. I was trying to be in a good mood but the situation between us was strained. Back at the hotel we did our usual evening routines. I don't think I slept great. Mark was certain that he wasn't ready for another ride, so he decided to just do the downhill on the road to Buena Vista the next day. I wanted to continue on the Colorado Trail. He was in a bit of a negative mindset and thought that I might be out two days, with the wilderness bypass road climb to segment 11, the segment itself and then the fairly long road section after to Buena Vista. I decided to do it anyway, and would take the night on the trail if I had to.
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