Stardate 2015.512

Day Six RtR

Oven-Baked

I kind of thought Day Six would be an easy 66-mile cruise down the snowmelt-swollen Arkansas River from Salida to Cañon City. We also had a short side-trip up to the Royal Gorge Bridge. Little did I know what awaited us.





Our traveling carnival filed out of Salida as the sun was warming 14,229-foot Mount Shavano, the 17th highest peak in Colorado. It's hard to see, but if you look closely at the two peaks in the upper left of the larger photo, you can make out the Angel of Shavano spreading her wings below Shavano's summit. She has been reclusive in recent years due to drought. It's nice to see her again. The Angel of Shavano has been brightened in the smaller photo.



After a scary 45-mile ride down a major highway with minimal shoulder, we turned south and began the picturesque climb to the south rim of the Royal Gorge. It started easy enough. Then, at about 50 miles, we met The Wall head-on. We riders got spanked, very hard, over a two-mile stretch of eroding cart path! Some riders climbed it non-stop, while us mortals inched along with an occasional stop. Many people pushed. Riders were murdered for small portions of shaded real estate. The Wall was a whopper. Even the strongest riders were humbled. Any sort of rider brashness was vaporized. The torture was synchronized with the sun just as it crept into the 90-degree range. I still have nightmares!



After our sweat bath, we got to play on the bridge...



...and it was a long way down to the Arkansas River.



Snowcatcher's home flag, and my favorite symbol, was flyin' high above the gorge.



As we descended from the Royal Gorge, we could see a steep road cut in the distance. As we approached we were whispering, "nah, they wouldn't, would they?"

"Why, yes, they would!"

Letting go one final sigh, I started up the narrow, one-way, 15-percent grade. Digging in, the climb wasn't too bad. The steep grade relented a half-mile later, and the narrow jaunt across the top of a hogback became quite scenic. Don't tell anyone, but I enjoyed Skyline Drive more than touristy Royal Gorge.



Colorado has a banana belt. It includes a large portion of the Arkansas River drainage, even at 9,000-foot elevations. Cañon City is the lower end of the belt. Like many higher regions of the southwest, the landscape is that of a piñon/juniper ecosystem. On this day, the Cañon City slice of the banana belt was pushing triple-digits. I like the area. The region reminds me of New Mexico. Perhaps there's some south-of-the-state-line enchantment taking place.



Cholla cactus (I think this was Cylindropuntia kleiniae) was in bloom along Skyline Drive. Did you know there are roughly 35 species of cholla?



Skyline Drive is Cañon City's version of the Great Wall of China. I might have to sneak back down there with Snowcatcher to park sometime for a romantic evening reminiscent of the '70s. ;) Snowcatcher would like to ride this baby when she's fresh and the mercury isn't so bold.



After a cold, wet and snowy spring, the mountains got the go-ahead to release their stored water. The Arkansas River was near bank-full.



Cañon City put on a pretty good post-ride meal next to the raging river. However, the large Oreo Blizzard I had upon arrival in Cañon City even was better – thanks DQ! I must say, the DQ employees more than earned their pay on this day.

Stats:
66.4 miles
4:36:08 ride time (add 2.0 hours for water stops and the Royal Gorge)

One more day of this traveling road show. See ya in Westcliffe!

Adios

Stardate 2015.501

Day Five RtR

Where's the Air

Day Five was the lengthiest day of the tour. It also was the highest day elevation-wise. The day yielded 102 miles of riding, including a lung-searing climb to 12,126-foot Cottonwood Pass. Success depended upon an individual's ability to process available air. I like to be high (not that kind of high) and mentally, for me, Day Five's 4,000-plus feet of elevation gain over 38 miles didn't quite match the difficulty of Day Two's 5,000-plus feet over 20 miles.

The tour organizer likes to throw in nice little climbs toward the end of the ride. This day was no exception. After a wonderfully long descent from 12,126 feet, we were rewarded with a nice little climb of 6 or 7 miles from the Town of Buena Vista to Mount Princeton Hot Springs. That pretty much finished my legs for the day. Thankfully, the remaining 20 miles to Salida were downhill.



Predicting a long day, Snowcatcher, as well as numerous other riders, wisely left early. However, with morning temps in the upper 30s, I was quick to break camp and swiftly get on the road myself. After a fast 17-mile descent to Almont, we turned east, heading up morning-shadowed Taylor Canyon. I was 30 miles into the ride before I stashed my jacket. At about mile 37, beautiful Taylor Park came into view, the peaks of the Sawatch Range awash in radiant morning light. Snowcatcher and I crossed paths here, which was a genuine treat.



I like riding dirt, especially high altitude dirt. I was facing about 13 miles of dirt to the summit of Cottonwood Pass. My wonderful other half knows I like to push myself, so she sent me on my way.



In time, I pedaled into the sub-alpine and took it all in.



As I approached the alpine, Cottonwood Pass played the usual tease game of looking closer than it actually was.




I never tire of the haunting siren of the Three Apostles. Ice Mountain (Middle Apostle) reigns at 13,951 feet, ranking 60th highest in the state. West Apostle rises to 13,568 feet and checks in as 210th highest. North Apostle touches the clouds at 13,860 feet, the 79th tallest peak in Colorado. The bottom photo is for comparison and was shot late August 2011.



Glancing back to the west, the distant Elk Mountains reach for the sky.



Now enter cowbells and people chanting up, up, up, to prod that last little burst of energy onto the pass.



The paved east side of Cottonwood Pass is a fast descent into Cottonwood Creek and down to Buena Vista. I should have videoed the descent because it is a bowlful of awesomeness. Awesomeness is a word, is it not? I don't see a red squiggly.



I reached Mount Princeton Hot Springs about 82 miles into the ride. At this point, I had the cat by the tail.

Stats:
102 miles
6:51:50 ride time (Add about 1 hour for water stops.)
4,500-plus feet of elevation gain

See y'all on on Day Six!

Adios

Stardate 2015.203

2015 Ride the Rockies and Cottonwood Pass

Day Six of Ride the Rockies will be a 102-mile ride with only one pass to cross - Cottonwood. The catch? The west side of Cottonwood Pass is dirt, gravel, usually pot-holed and saturated in places with dust inhibitor. It'll be a hoot! The above pic is the northerly view from the summit of Cottonwood Pass.



The pass is quite scenic and surrounded by mountains. Rising to the northwest, the Three Apostles are popular with climbers, especially Ice Mountain, the Middle Apostle. I took the above shot while "lizarding" around the west side a bit. We had pedaled up the east side early to secure a good vantage point for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. As a result, we had to wait awhile. At this point, the riders had not even left Gunnison.



The Apostles have been known to be on the shy side.



Cottonwood Pass is on the crest of the Sawatch Range, 12,126-feet above two seas. Yes, the pass sits on the Continental Divide.





The east side is paved, has seasonal moods and provides a fun descent through numerous sharp turns that continue to pop up well below treeline.



Cottonwood Pass is a popular climb with cyclists. It's occasionally crossed by Ride the Rockies, and often used as part of a Stage in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. In the above pic, we were several hours away from the expected summit time of the peloton. Being monsoon season in the high country, the weather went south several hours later.



Winter comes early here, and the pass usually is closed during the snow months. The above photo was taken in late September.



In the above pic, the view is toward the west side of the pass on a frosty fall afternoon. The pic was taken from below the final switchback before the narrow traverse to the summit.

Until next time...

...Adios

Stardate 2015.112

2015 Ride The Rockies Route

What can I say; the 2015 route is a beaut. I don't think it will top the 2010 route, but it will be close. It does contain several awesome climbs. The Grand Mesa will be a whopper. Don't let the sub-11,000-foot summit fool you. This climb hurts. Cottonwood Pass is a whopper too. Its summit sits above 12,000 feet. Yes, air molecules have a lot more space in which to dodge each breath you take.


Day One will be a short, stiff climb, followed by a cruise over the top of the Colorado National Monument. A jaw-dropping landmark adjacent to my home town, the Monument has seen my wheels countless times. Being biased, it is one of the best rides in the state - pure and simple. Another 20+ miles can be added to this 45-mile loop by riding the farmland north of Fruita and Grand Junction. The Alphabet, as it's called, is the zig-zag linking of the east/west roads that happen to be lettered instead of numbered (north/south roads are numbered).



The start of Day Two will will twist and turn through the numerous vineyards and orchards of East Orchard Mesa and Palisade. After a short ride up Plateau Canyon, the road ramps up significantly, just below the town of Mesa, then the hurt begins. Huff, Huff, Huff... I guaranty it, no matter how fit you think you are! After a fast descent, 98 miles later, you'll limp into Hotchkiss.



Hotchkiss is a delight. This is a small ranching, farming and coal mining town. Some orchards and vineyards exist as well. It's rural Colorado at its finest. It's a picture of what the majority of Colorado was not too long ago. I miss living this lifestyle. Hotchkiss also is a gateway into the West Elk Mountains. It's easy to let yourself disappear in these mountains.



Day Three will be a 78-mile ride to another favorite town, Gunnison. In fact, we've thought of retiring in this town. It still has a wild and wooly air to it.



Day Four is yet another of my favorite towns, Crested Butte. There are two options for this day, a scenic 27-mile all-pavement route along the Gunnison, East and Slate Rivers; or, a very, very scenic, 35-mile, pavement-and-gravel ride up Ohio Creek to Ohio Pass (10,033 ft). From Ohio Pass, the route drops down to Kebler Pass (9,980 ft), then continues its drop into Crested Butte. Except for some hide-a-ways in the San Juan Mountains, this is about as good as it gets!



Day Five will be another distance jewel. The 102-mile route leaves Crested Butte for Salida. The only thing in the way is a twisty, gravelly, pot-holed road up to Cottonwood Pass, which rises a measly 12,126-feet above the sea. This will be a leave-early-and-hope-to-beat-the-thunderstorms-over-Cottonwood-Pass day. Cottonwood Pass to Salida is downhill for the most part.



An easy 66-mile jaunt down scenic Arkansas River Canyon to the Royal Gorge is in store for Day Six. The tour will cross the Royal Gorge Bridge and into Cañon City for the evening. Cañon City is another small authentic Colorado town. In fact, part of our afternoon will be visiting quilt/yarn stores.



The last day bids farewell to Cañon City and heads southwest into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It'll be a tough climb back up to Westcliffe via Hardscrabble Pass. If you drop off the left side of the above ridge, scamper to the bottom, and head northeast several miles, then head north, you'll find Westcliffe. The above photo is of the summit of Humboldt Peak, touching the sky at 14,064 feet. There's also a marmot stylin' for a photo. Humboldt is the 38th highest Peak in Colorado.

Thanks for reading!
All photos, except Crested Butte, courtesy of Snowcatcher - thank you!

Adios