Colorado Trail V - Victory Lap

Being embraced by the San Juan Mountains was such an amazing and comforting feeling! Naturally the Trail went up and as it did the views kept improving. My head was on a swivel and the camera constantly in my hand as views spread out in every direction. Another bikepacker caught up and together we cycled and pushed our bikes in the high alpine above Lake San Cristobal and Lake City. Last night’s freezing temps have dusted the surrounding peaks with fresh fall snow. I wished to be closer to water, as I had carelessly failed to fill up my water bottles and the first water source was eight miles distant. Yet the spectacular scenery easily helped me forget my thirst.  I stopped for lunch at the first water and then continued cycling uphill. A few miles more and I paused for a picture at the Colorado Trail’s highest point at an elevation of 13,271 feet. My reward was a short steep descent into another alpine mountain valley.

Although I have cycled less than twenty miles, the scenery and challenging terrain made for slow progress, so as dusk deepened I climbed out of one valley and into another. Camp was made where darkness found me, tonight it was bivouacked in a cluster of willows sheltered from the wind. My food supply was low, so the choice of dinner was based upon what food was left in my bags. In the morning the wind had strengthened into a gale. Trying to cycle above 12,000 feet with 30-40 mile per hour gusts was frustrating. I was forced to push my bike most of the way and struggled to catch my breath. Finally, I reached Stony Pass and began the spectacular descent through historic mining ruins into Silverton. In town I ate a whole twelve-inch pizza at Avalanche Café, attempting to recover from four days of accumulated calorie deficit. I had planned to rest up in town for the evening, but winter weather is forecasted two days hence, so I decide to past onwards. So, after stocking up on lots of heavy groceries at the small store I began the climb up to Molas Pass along Highway 550. After days of peaceful solitude along the Trail the traffic along the asphalt was unsettling. I was happy to return to the single-track above Molas Pass. In camp I saw the alpine glow to the East and the dim of Durango to the South.

In the morning the wind abated, and I enjoyed spectacular single-track riding that has obviously been ridden my many mountain bikes. To try and describe the scenery that I cycled past today would be an act of futility; it is best experienced. Twelve miles into Segment 27, I made camp at a scenic overlook surrounded by mountains. For my last night on the Trail I enjoyed the comforting glow of a campfire before climbing the warmth of my sleeping bag. The next morning the sun met me early over the mountain peaks and I cycled onwards. A few miles further and I was faced with the challenge of Indian Ridge, a series of false summits, narrow ridges and talus slopes. Although short it was by far the most challenging section of trail! I was relieved to descend to Taylor Lake and then after a short climb to Kennebec Pass begin the long-awaited for six-thousand-foot descent into Durango.  I cruised downwards and then began the last thousand-foot climb of the Trail. With relief I finished the climb and ate the last of my food. The cool alpine forests gave way to Gamble Oak and Ponderosa Pines and the closer I got the Trail’s end the more excited and relieved I became. 

Twenty-one days after leaving Denver I pedaled home into Durango. It has been a fulfilment of a dream and what an adventure at it has been. Yet my stomach required food, so I rode to Home Slice Pizza where I ate a tasty sixteen-inch pizza in one sitting. I was full and satisfied.

Colorado Trail IV: Elevated Cycling

Cycling out of Leadville was like leaving home. The morning’s route took me near the mountains base, before turning South skirting ridges above the Arkansas River valley. The cycling was easier than in days past, the day’s rest has done me well. For the next two days the Colorado Trail followed Ponderosa Pine ridges and sagebrush lowlands. It was pleasant, but I wished for the rugged mountain scenery along the West Collegiate route. Another cycling detour took me into Buena Vista where I had my bike tuned-up, did laundry and stocked up on food for the long push to Silverton. The next few days there was a possibility of rain and each afternoon it became a reality. Each time I waited out the rain shower underneath the boughs of a Ponderosa Pine or outhouse eaves. Passing South of Hwy 50 I cycled into the firs and spruces along the Fosses Creek. After the dry ridges, the moisture of the forest was entrancing. As entrancing as the last few miles up to Monarch Ridge was exhausting!

 Descending to Marshall Pass I stalled for a while, before making the difficult decision to take a long detour into Salida. My rear hub began making disconcerting noises yesterday and has been getting worse.  Having called my brother Mark to consult about mechanics, it was too great a risk to travel the remote two hundred miles to Silverton with the possibility that a mechanical issue might make the difficult route harder. Descending three thousand feet in twenty-five miles was glorious, except knowing the route would be repeated the hard way returning to the trail. In Poncha Springs I had a wonderful brew at Elevation Beer Co. before heading to Absolute Bikes. Being a bit buzzed helped when the mechanic pronounced my rear hub was toast. So, I packed my things into a box and headed across town to the Simple Hostel, to await a replacement hub. The hostel was packed with thru hikers and after securing a room I walked downtown for pizza. The next three days were spent waiting, eating, and enduring watching other adventurers pack up to return to the Trail. When I got the call three days later I eagerly rushed out of town, pushing hard into the darkness up Marshall Pass.

The next day my legs were tired from last night’s physical effort, but it was great to be back on the Trail! Atop Sargents Mesa I visited a touching backcountry memorial to the fallen soldiers of Indochina. Along the Mesa I caught glimpses of the San Luis Valley below. Towards day’s end three short steep climbs sapped strength and energy I no longer had. This Trail is tough! The following day was spent riding dirt roads along the La Garita Wilderness bicycle detour. With big storm clouds looming, it was inevitable that today would be a wet one, and I took refuge multiple times under tree branches. After a long climb up Los Pinos Pass, I was rewarded with close-up views of the incredible rock cliffs along Cebola Creek. What goes down, must go up; and so the climb up Spring Creek Pass began, accompanied by heavy rain. A short break in the cloud cover revealed mountain peaks dusted with snow. I was forced by darkness to make camp in a wet grassy meadow with temps hovering near freezing. In the morning I awoke to find the night’s rain had frozen on my tarp. Braving the cold, I cycled up into the sun and was soon embraced by the incredible San Juan Mountains.

Colorado Trail III: Mountains & Mountain Towns

I slept uneasily in the eerie nightscape. In the morning it was a short ride into Breckenridge, where amidst the hustle of town I did the various rituals of necessary chores and featured enjoyments. At City Market I bought more food than planned, cycled thru town with a quart of chocolate milk in one hand, bought a huge bearclaw pastry at Daylight Donuts, sweated in my rain gear while doing laundry, listened to a local transient man chat up strangers in the town square, almost fell asleep over my beer at Breckenridge Brewery, took a nap in the town park and waking up enjoyed another beer at Broken Compass Brewery on my way out of town. A few miles up the Trail I came upon Tumbleweed and with night approaching we decided to camp together. Across the fire’s embers we traded tales of past outdoor adventures. Five days into the trip and it was nice to have someone to chat with.

The next morning the Trail continued to climb up into the Ten Mile Range. Oh gosh! in my estimation this was the worst sustained climb of the whole Trail! 3,500 feet of elevation gain and above treeline the Trail was nothing but large rocks, forcing me to push and shove my loaded bike uphill. The climb dragged on and left me exhausted. When I reached the crest, the wildfire smoke filling the valleys made the views look more like the Smokey Mountains. It was a nice downhill though to Copper Mountain where I couldn’t resist the urge for a quick detour to a nearby gas station for treats. Then I cycled past the ski resort, resisting another urge to veer off-trail two hundred yards for a burger and beer. The gentle grade up the alpine meadow along Guller Creek was incredibly scenic! I fully enjoyed it, taking a mid-day nap beside the creek, before cycling over Searle and Kokomo Passes before making camp.

The next day was a quick descent into historic Camp Hale, training grounds of the 10^th Mountain Division during WW II. Then up Tennessee Pass before a much too long three miles (by trail thirty minutes, where the road would have taken only five) before beginning the bicycle detour around Mt. Massive Wilderness. In the valley I cruised along the pavement trying to outpace the dark clouds looming overhead.  In Leadville (my first place of residence in Colorado back in 2004) I ate lunch at the infamous taco truck, before heading to the hostel. After a much-needed shower, I wandered about town, seeing the familiar sights. Later when Tumbleweed got into town we had pizza and salad at High Mountain Pies, drank beer in the historic and eclectic Silver Dollar Saloon, and finished the night at Periodic Brewery. The next day was a full day of the bike, resting and eating and enjoying this amazing mountain town. 

Colorado Trail II: Heat and Smoke

It was a typical cool mountain morning as I broke camp before the sun reached camp, eager to get an early start on the Trail. Five minutes later I was pushing the bike, sweating up a steep hill. After cresting the hill, I reached a burned-out treeless stretch and the day was already heating up. I don’t do well in heat and the next few days the forecast places temps in the mid-eighties. I finished off my first segment of the Trail, then joined by hikers and cyclists out enjoying Labor Day weekend. Still fresh to the Trail, it was nice when I left the crowds behind at the trailhead. At the end of segment 3, I stopped beside the creek and chatted with Tumbleweed from Austin, TX. It was a cool spot so I took a siesta to avoid the mid-day heat.

After the nap, I began the first bicycle detour of the trip (cyclists follow the Colorado Trail, except for detours around wilderness areas, where motorized and mechanized vehicles are prohibited). The Lost Creek Wilderness bicycle detour is the longest: seventy miles along dirt and paved roads, with over eight thousand feet of climbing. I pedaled onwards, putting in a few more hours of riding before night set in. Exhausted, I found a great camping spot near a grove of Aspens and settled down for the night.

Day two of the wilderness detour, and within a few miles I was cycling on pavement, thirty miles of it, the longest stretch of pavement the whole trip. Fortunately, traffic was light on County Rd-77 and I made good time, stopping only briefly at a campground for water and Tarryall Reservoir for scenery. Just before the route turned back to gravel I passed a small outpost and enjoyed a cold chocolate milk. It was delicious on such a hot day! Then the route climbed on the gravel roads and I was dismayed by the heavy recreational traffic that coated me with dust as vehicles sped past me. Ten miles of this and I was relieved to be back on Trail, where another mid-day siesta was in order. Awake from my nap Tumbleweed walked by, fresh out of the Wilderness area. The mid-day heat having past, I cycled above South Park Valley, a wonderful combination of high plains and surrounded by mountains. I regretted not lingering longer to take in the views; low on water and wanting to cross Kenosha Pass. Oh, the descent through the Aspen grove was surreal!

The next day began the climb up Georgia Pass, my first crossing of the Continental Divide, and where the Colorado Trail and Continental Divide Trail joined paths. The view from the top was beautiful, yet obscured by smoke from Western wildfires. After a morning toiling uphill, the seven-mile flowy descent was one of the most incredible stretches of mountain biking! It was followed up by a steep thousand-foot climb and then camp outside of Breckenridge. With smoke hanging dense in the valley the sun burned red above my camp beside the local Blair Witch Trail. The night had an eerie feel…