06.25.10 Royal Gorge, Co - Fairplay, Co Miles: 66 Temp: 55 in the morning 90 in the afternoon Starting elevation: 9000 Ending elevation: 10,500 We were a little concerned about today because the notes said, "this is the hardest day of the trip" (it has said that about 15 times so far). There was a bit of a climb, so I suppose the forewarning was justified. Bryn and I left early because she had to cook and we didn't want to get there too late. The morning started off really well. There was a bit of a climb within the first 12 miles and then again around the 36th mile, where we were passing through the Current Creak Pass. As we approached the pass the road opened up to a beautiful view of snow capped mountans. It was truly breathtaking. Just as we rounded the corner to start the decent, we saw Ray flagging us down and Michelle sitting on the ground. We stopped, of course. Something looked really wrong. Turns out Michelle was having a really hard day and was not feeling very well. The elevation at this point was 10,000 ft and was effecting all of us differently. Thry also found themselves15-20 miles away from the next town with no water. I gave them my water reserve, but they were still a little nervous. The first car that drove by Ray flaged down but they were already planning on stopping. A family heading to Breckenridge, the same direction as us, saw them and decided to turn around to see if they needed help. The family was so generous. They had waters for all of us and even gave us some cold grapes. It was truly fantastic! They were headed for the Avon breas cancer walk. We continued on after talking with them and after being sure Michelle was alright.  The next 30 miles or so were very enjoyable with wonderful views. The last 4 miles, however, were pretty tough. The weather turned from bright and warm to cold, gray, and , rainny. We cought headwinds I would guess up to 30 mph andcwe struggled in at a whoping 4 miles an hour. I had my fleece on and my rain coat. That's how cold it turned, from a tanktop afternoon. We finally got to camp and just relaxed over a great dinner at the Brown Burrow.