Day 7, over Independence Pass

Wow, were we given the royal treatment in Vail! Wined, dined and offered a comfy spare bedroom by our new friends Dan and Sheika, it felt like we were arriving dignitaries. Great conversation, and what a great story! Sheika's dad, Pepi Gramshammer, was an Olympic skier and one of the founding members of the Vail business community. He opened a restaurant and hotel, the Hotel Gasthof Gramshammer, just a short saunter from the ski face named after him. It features his photos, massive trophy collection and food and decor from his homeland.



Dan and Sheika, pictured here in front of a photo of Sheika's mom and pop on skis, treated us to a visit to the restaurant, a nice stroll around Vail and lots of great conversation.

They also suggested some jaw-dropping rides, including the Glenwood Canyon (who knew that an Interstate could be such an amazing ride?!) and Independence Pass.

So yesterday, we headed west on I-70, visited Dan's shop, Holthammer Cycles, in Eagle, Colorado, adjusted Julie's windscreen, replaced a couple of bulbs on R2, and got a tour of the joint, which has been getting some press lately. [The online version of this article in the Vail Daily seems to come and go for some reason.]

After saying our farewells to Dan, we headed off through Glenwood Canyon for the Pass.

Ha! Google Maps won't take us over Independence Pass, but Julie and I did, and so I'll have to share our route in two parts:

Day 7: Sheika & Dan's in Vail, CO to Buena Vista over Independence Pass (~175 miles)

Part 1:

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Part 2:

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We arrived in Buena Vista, set our our tent overlooking the Collegiate Peaks (many over 14,000 feet) and headed into town for dinner. All told, a spectacular day of riding, scenery and time with friends. More to come!