Leg 3: Buena Vista to Winter Park

Day 11 - July 17, 2020

I left Buena Vista this morning around 7:30 after a much needed and food filled rest day. The dirt road out of town went along the east side of the Arkansas River and was really beautiful. I got to see some rapids (the Numbers) that I hope to kayak some day and a bunch of awesome car camping spots. There were also some bolted climbs on the side of the road that looked cool! I followed the dirt road as long as I could but had to get on the highway eventually which was still beautiful and followed the clear and powerful Arkansas River up the valley. I got back on the CDT/CT at the start of Twin Lakes and cruised the smooth and rolling single track along the lake with Mt Elbert, Rinker Peak, and Mt Belford standing tall in the background.

I ascended through the lush pine forests and pristine aspen groves in the foothills of Mt Elbert and traversed north on some of the smoothest sub-treeline trail I have ridden so far. Enjoyable climbs and flying through the downhill. I wish it lasted longer! But I popped out at the Mt. Elbert trailhead and decided to keep going to Leadville.

Today’s ride went a lot faster than I expected, maybe it’s the fresh legs, maybe it was just an easy day, I don’t know. I found a cheap room in Leadville and avoided the downpour that hit this evening. I also ate a full pizza, a burger, an ice cream cone, and a milkshake.... I’m pretty much eating like I can’t get full because I need so many calories!! Hurting my bank though. Tomorrow will be a mellow day and I’ll camp below the big climb I have on Sunday over Kokomo pass.

Leadville is a cool funky little town. Definitely not quite as cool as BV but it’s got a lot of history, some awesome shops and houses, and an incredible view... Even got a rainbow this evening!

Been seeing the number 11 like crazy. Don’t know what it means but its far beyond coincidence. I definitely feel like I am being protected by something else out there and I am really thankful to get the signs from whatever it is. 

 

Day 12 - July 18, 2020

After motels, copious amounts of unhealthy food, and WiFi, I cannot begin to describe how good it feels to be back in the wilderness. Riding today reminded me why I am out here and how lucky I am to be.

I had a mellow morning, got some breakfast at a cafe in Leadville and ate it as I packed and got ready to go. I was on the road by about 9:30 and was honestly happy to get out of Leadville. I had fun staying there but the trail calls and I’m much happier sitting in the dirt than in a stinky motel room. The first eight or so miles today were on the road that leads to Tennessee pass and I was very excited when this section ended. If there is one thing I learn from this trip, it’s that road biking SUCKS - at least on busy highways - it could never compare to riding trails.

Once I connected back to the CDT/CT I had a smile ear to ear. (The dirt road that connected to the trail had some signs for a few huts, might be worth looking into for winter.) The next 10 miles of trail were an absolute joy to ride and had some killer smooth sections that made me feel like I was riding resort trails and I was pushing it a little too hard on Lucky the loaded down rig. There were some mellow climbs and exciting descents and I finally made it to Camp Hale trailhead where there were some old WW2 bunkers and signs about explosives in the area. I pedaled on.

 

After a 1500 foot vert hikeabike I made it to my camp around 1:30. Such a mellow day! I for sure could have pushed over the pass and into Copper, especially because the weather was nice all day for the first time in a few, but figured I should be able to do 35 miles tomorrow no problem and be a day ahead that way! Also I have a pretty awesome little camp spot in the trees next to a beautiful creek... not a bad place to spend the afternoon. I enjoyed relaxing, thinking, writing, and taking some pictures while I enjoyed the good weather.

I don’t know if I’m just hardened from the first part of this trip but the last few days have felt relatively mellow, I bet I’ll have some tough ones coming up but I may have pushed it the hardest in the beginning. We’ll see how tomorrow goes. The two days after that should be challenging to say the least. 

Day 13 - July 19, 2020

Today was a good day. I woke up, ate some oatmeal, and hit the trail around 8:00. The 1200 foot climb to Kokomo Pass and Elk Ridge had amazing views and was mostly rideable! I stopped at the top to eat my banana bread from Leadville and take some pictures. I continued around that elevation for a few miles and rode through some beautiful Colorado alpine country until I hit Searle Pass and began my descent. It began pretty technical and I rode right above Janet's Hut which I think I have been to before in the winter so it was cool to see it in the summer. The next 2,300 feet of vert was just dream mountain biking. Smooth trails and fun little berms and roots to rip. I was having so much fun in fact that I had a few close calls, one of which I would consider the best save I have ever had on a bicycle. I hit a rock weird and the whole bike went forward all the way until my seat hit my head! Luckily I was able to spring off the seat, get my feet under me, and even slow down the bike from hitting the ground too hard. After this I took it a little easier but still managed to fall off a bridge. I finished the epic downhill ride around 10:45 and coasted through the Copper Mountain base area where people were biking and eating. This was a big moment, though it didn't feel like it at the time, because it was my last moment on the CT. Oh I’ll miss you CT, so planned and mapped out, so much beta so easily accessible. On to the unknown and unridden northern Colorado CDT or at least the parts of it I can ride!

The bike path system in Summit County is truly remarkable. Maybe someday they’ll make the whole CDT a nicely paved sidewalk... Old Ed Abbey got a laugh out of that one! I rode bike paths from Copper all the way to Frisco and stopped to eat a delicious sandwich for lunch. Fully recharged, I made my way through the masses of Denver weekend warriors and took an unorthodox route to Keystone. By now the clouds were looking pretty mean and I could smell rain in the air so I considered stopping, but then said screw it and trucked on up towards Montezuma. A couple hours and a couple thousand vert later I made it to the Argentine Pass trailhead and set up camp.

A few cars on Peru Creek Road but it’s beautiful country! I can see Argentine pass trail where I will go tomorrow and boy does it look exposed! I’m sure the views are well worth it, but I don’t plan on actually riding my bike very much tomorrow... at least on the ascent. Some crazy old mines around here. There is one near my camp that looks like it could come down at any second! Today put me one day ahead of schedule so I’m looking good for Joe's ranch next weekend. All I can do is hope for good weather, good luck, safe riding, and enjoy my time in the mountains. I’ve got a long way to go but a lot less than I did a week ago!

Day 14 - July 20, 2020

Two weeks on the trail!! It has gone by so fast. Part of me is excited to complete this goal but even more of me doesn’t want this to end! I really am loving this lifestyle of biking and camping in such epic country everyday, but nothing last forever.

This morning at 6:29 AM I was sitting on a beach drinking Tecate with my SLO buddies, watching some perfect waves come through and talking to Spencer about whether we should go out now or wait for the tide to drop. Right as I finished my beer and got my wetsuit on to go surf, I woke up in a cold, wet tent high in the mountains of Colorado! So instead of having a warm surf sesh with my best buddies, I unzipped my bag, put on some stinky socks and got breakfast going with my cold, numb hands. But I’m not complaining! The sun was about to hit camp and boy did the mountains look beautiful.

I hit the trail just before 8:00 and started up the 2500 ft climb to Argentine Pass (elev. 13,237 ft). This trail traversed up a loose and steep ridge and was 100% unrideable, but I made the most of it and enjoyed the views along the way. It took about two and a half hours to get to the top and I was greeted not only by mind boggling views of Mt. Edwards, Grey's Peak, the distant Gore Range, and the valleys on either side of the pass, but also a curious and friendly mountain goat who walked right up to me and seemed to want to hang out and have a snack. I wished so badly to ask him all of my questions about the universe, for he looked like he’d surely know the answers, but I just watched him and took some pictures while I munched down a clif bar and enjoyed the view and company.

The descent into Georgetown was 4000 ft of vertical and took me through a beautiful valley and passed some old mines on a rough dirt road. I rode through Georgetown and spent a couple hours at a cafe/pizza spot where I ate, drank, used the groover, washed my face, did some research, and talked to my family. I took some pizza and a brownie for dinner and started the 2000 vert, 10 mile climb on bike paths next to I-70 to where camp is set up now. I am just above Herman Gulch Trailhead surrounded by peaks and next to a creek that drowns out most of the sounds from the freeway. The city folk of Denver hiking along this particular trail may have been some of the most bewildered and astonished to see a sweaty man pushing a fully loaded bike up the trail and to hear my story, not sure if they believed me or not. Tomorrow I have a 2500 vert climb back up to 13,200 feet, down and up to Berthoud Pass, and finally down to Winter Park. Should be a big day but I’m sure the views will be spectacular! So grateful to be in this amazing place and to have such good fortune thus far, may it continue and bring me home safe.

Day 15 - July 21, 2020

Today started early. I was on the trail around 7:00 with a stomach filled with oatmeal and some freezing cold hands. It’s been cold the last couple nights... frost on the ground even. I stumbled up the most root filled trail ever and kept smacking my shins and getting frustrated, but all there was to do was to keep moving so that’s what I did. I popped out above treeline around 8:30 and had a couple miles of fun single track riding as I contoured around a ridge and entered the next valley over. The views of the green sinking valley below in the crisp morning air were spectacular even from this point. Lucky for me I had 2000 more feet of verticle to climb!

 

This climb was almost entirely hikeabike, but had breathtaking views the whole way so I had no problem taking breaks to catch my breath in the thin air. I have noticed, though, the altitude has not been effecting me very much recently. After a grueling and exhausting climb I finally made it to the top of the 13,235 foot peak and was congratulated by a 360 degree view. I could see Torrey's Peak and the distant but grand Collegiates to the south, Berthoud Pass and the surrounding peaks to the east, the Never Summer and Indian Peaks ranges to the North, the Gore Range and even the backside of Parkview Mountain to the west. Boy did Parkview look far away in the distant haze of the sunny blue sky morning. But, in just 3 days I will be on top of that peak!

I followed this super exposed ridge line for a few miles and had so much fun on the rideable sections of trail. There really aren’t too many feelings like riding smooth single track on top of the world. Little bit of pucker and a whole lot of fun! I finally hit the road that would drop me back down off the CDT in order to miss the Vasquez Peak Wilderness area, but between it and me was the biggest cornice I have come up against so far! I walked around looking for the best way down and found a little traverse that looked manageable. I carefully carried my bike and set each foot mindfully but still managed to slip and slide down the lower section into the rocks. Couple bumps and bruises but overall everything is fine. I followed a dirt road from here all the way down to the bottom of Berthoud Pass.

 

The climb up Berthoud Pass kind of sucked, mostly because I had already gained all that elevation today so it just felt pointless, but there was no other way to do it with a bike, so I put my head down and played some bluegrass out loud from my phone. Dropping down Berthoud Pass had some beautiful views and required much less physical exertion, but with such a small shoulder and so much traffic it was by far the scariest ride of the day. I’ll take a slippery, super exposed cornice over a small shouldered road any day! I survived the descent but was pissed I couldn’t find a better way to maximize all of that elevation drop, especially as I rolled into Winter Park and looked up at the legendary downhill trails on the resort! There’s gotta be a better way to descend... I’ll do more research for next time.

I got a motel room here in Winter Park and ate about two pounds of meat at a BBQ joint. Not a bad little town but it’s missing soul... guess nothing compares to good old Steamboat! Riding into Winter Park did bring back a ton of memories from the competition days of my youth, rolling around town in a white SSWSC van with a bunch of reckless teammates and even more reckless coaches. Some pretty hilarious mentors... still can’t believe our parents let us do that over and over again! I sent some buddies a picture of the Beaver Village motel, looks like it’ll be torn down soon... “probably for the best” as Zach said.