English 
Deutsch TL;DR: I spend a week of cycling in Colorado. It’s much more strenuous than I expected, I guess I was a bit naïve. On the way, I meet some wonderful people that host me. In Utah, I visit the Canyonlands National Park.
Alright, I got everything I need! It’s a logistical hassle to switch from backpacking to bikepacking. Finding used equipment was a lot of messaging and criss-crossing Denver. Additionally, sending my backpack to a contact in Los Angeles cost over 80 CHF. But I’m excited to get started. The first day, I plan to ride to a small town called Georgetown, sitting in the I-70 corridor on the ascent to Eisenhower tunnel. In the morning before, I try to book a hostel/motel/hotel. I google and check a few different booking sites, but there is nothing to be found under 200$ (160 CHF). What? In the few villages up and down the valley there’s nothing cheaper to be found. If I don’t want to sleep outside, I have no other choice than book this last room. At least, there is a nice hot tub.
The first hour I ride through the suburbs of Denver, then into the mountains. It’s awesome and I feel totally free! But very soon, it also starts to get exhausting and I realize that I am out of shape. I forgot how strenuous bike riding can be, especially upslope, especially with weight, especially in high altitude. About two thirds of today’s leg in, I can’t anymore. And take the bus. Good first day! I learnt two lessons on day one: As I am not fully used to bike riding, I need to plan short sections, 50-60 km per day. Second, I need to plan 2-3 days ahead to check out where there are cheap hotels and plan the routes accordingly, if possible.
Day two takes me over Loveland pass, over the Continental Divide. Its elevation is 3655 m and I am enjoying fantastic views. On the other hand, the altitude is absolutely killing me, causing frequent breaks. When I’m riding, my legs are burning. It’s raining intermittently. Why am I doing this again? No idea. But I continue, meter after meter, and somehow make it to the pass. The ride down to Silverthorne is easy.
The next day I ride to Alma, a tiny village on the northern edge of South Park (the real one ;) ). I almost always ride on roads as there is little bike infrastructure in the US. Drivers are very considerate and the roads mostly have wide shoulders, so it’s not a big problem. There’s an insane number of chipmunks and squirrels darting across the road and I have to dodge them many times. Unfortunately, quite often you can see something that has been squished to an unidentifiable goo. Once, I encounter a deer’s head that’s being eaten by ants. In Alma, the hostel also houses the only bar in town. Tonight is Karaoke night and I have a great time with the local Karaoke scene: Nick, Nina, Tom and Sarah. After having sung a couple of songs each, the night ends with a quintessential American experience: We all sing the Star-Spangled Banner together. It’s a stereotype, absurd and at the same time wonderful moment.
In the next few days, I slowly but steadily make my way to Grand Junction, Colorado. Another noticeable evening occurs in Crawford. Again, there’s only one restaurant/bar in town, where I go eat. A family invites me to sit with them, which I of course gladly accept. After some conversation, they start throwing food at each other. Fries, pickles and whatever is in their burgers. At the same time, they continue eating and talking. I’m so flabbergasted that I can’t say a word. After having finished, they pay for everything, including my meal, I say thank you and get up. In the next room there is a bar with – surprise – Karaoke! I sing “Teenage Dirtbag” from Wheatus, someone recognizes my Swiss accent and invites me to breakfast the next morning. Of course I go!
It's a Swiss lady – let’s call her Seraina – who’s been living in the US on a ranch for 25 years now. The living room wall features a sign saying “Due to the excessive cost of ammunition, no warning shots will be fired”. Over bacon and coffee, we talk a little bit about my trip, but very suddenly she asks if I knew Roger Köppel (a Swiss far-right journalist). That’s the best Swiss journalist, says Seraina. “I believe everything that Donald Trump says, everything that Tucker Carlson says. I am absolutely against government”. Our political views are worlds apart. Some conspiracy theories get mentioned, e.g. that 15-minute-cities are an evil government plan to strip everyone of their cars and thereby trapping them in ghettos. She also warns me not to go to San Francisco and Los Angeles because these cities are “under the influence”. This hits hard. This country is divided miles deep, and there’s no way any meaningful conversation can happen if you don’t even agree on the facts. I am glad to have had this encounter, experiencing this side of America first-hand. One of her friends arrives and before I leave, they pray for my safety.
During a rest, two ladies approach me and ask me about my trip. Theresa and Nancy are also on the way to Grand Junction where they will meet with friends. If I already booked any rooms there? No? Well, they would ask their hosts if I could come too. And three hours later I get a text that I can stay with them. So cool! This turns out to be one of the highlights of my trip. The hosts are Dayna and Mike who have been living in Germany for over 30 years and now retired in Colorado. We laugh a lot, get aperitif together, Nancy works with Mike in the yard. Mike has been working as a lawyer for the US Army and explains the basics of the American court system to me. They are all very active and we go on a hike through the Colorado National Monument. During that, the car key runs out of power and it takes a surprisingly long time for us to figure out where the physical key is hidden inside. We can’t stop laughing because everybody keeps cracking silly jokes.
During that time, I attempt to plan the next section of the trip. Utah and Nevada, however, say No. How so? Well, it’s more than 40° C, nothing but blazing sun, no water, and looong stretches between small towns. This is an actually dangerous combination and I decide not to ride through this region, but take a train to California in a couple days. Still I want to see a canyon and rent a car to drive to Moab in Utah. I leave my bike etc. in Grand Junction.
In Moab, you can’t walk, you have to drive everywhere because it’s so spread out. Another very American experience: I shop for groceries and want to go to the ATM 200 m away. But there is no way to cross the monstrous multi-lane main street by foot. So, I get into my car and drive the 200 m. The ATM is drive-in. Hahahaa, America, you’re kidding, right? Unfortunately, I lost the photos due to the robbery.
The whole next day, I explore Canyonlands National Park, more specifically the Island in the Sky district. From the trailhead, it’s a short walk before I arrive at the cliff and the full gorge opens up in front of me. What a massive crack! Just kidding - the view over the canyon is mind-blowing. It’s not comparable to anything I’ve ever seen. It is so beautiful and impressive that it triggers existential feelings. I feel that this is a place where nature shows us some borders. It’s clearly a landscape not made for human settlement. We can be guests here, but we can’t live in this place.
More photos:
