Friday, July 10: It’s kind of a love/hate relationship out here in CO. I mean on one side the scenery, the lack of cars, the totally amazing terrain, it’s just spectacular. Then there’s the climbing, and that goes part and parcel here in CO. But on dirt roads it’s exponentially tougher. There are no road-cuts on the backroads - they go up and they go down - and there’s just nothing done to lessen the gradient.  So you undulate over each and every bump, ridge, hogback, and mt. It’s unrelenting and it’s slow going….very slow going! But again, the payoff…..wow, you’re just out there, and I mean WAY the hell out there all by yourself. It’s akin to meditation sometimes! So there it is, I love the area and the spectacular sights, sounds and smells, but there’s a price to be paid for all the beauty! And my legs are proof of the price - they’re pretty smoked. 

Got up at my typical 5 AM, worked a bit and then got ready to ride. Stopped at a Carls and got the proverbial egg & bacon biscuit for the on the road breakfast. We rolled out of Walsenburg at 6:30 and got to yesterday’s end point at about 7:15 - long drive just to get back to that point. Bill began riding with me today, as Judy kind of strained her back climbing yesterday. And she is super bummed about not having the chance to ride again. We were rolling at 7:30. We began at the junction of CR 560 and Rt 69. Had to do about a half mile of asphalt on 69, and then we went L, north on CR 634, and right from the get-go we were climbing, and climbing, and climbing. It was pretty constant, with a top-out followed by maybe a mile or two of steady terrain, kind of flat, and then it was right back to gradual or full on climbing. 

I wear a watch with an altimeter, and I had that fcn on as I was riding today, just watching the elevation go up and up and up. It was amazing to see how you’d just bust it and gain 200 feet, again and again. About 7 miles in we entered Pike-San Isabel National Forest, and that’s when the climbing really got serious. But the views, the scenery, the wildness out there. It was just off the charts spectacular. We eventually got up to about 8500 feet, with the road just this single lane. Now Bill had this car of hikers stop to tell him that a bear had just gone across the road behind him, in front of the their car. Very cool indeed. So we were up on this ridge, and then did a slight descent down to the first turn, a R, west on CR 634.4. I waited there for Bill, and as I was waiting I was kind of scoping out the next road, a single lane of dbl track that seemed to be gated off. 

Once Bill arrived we did the turn on 634.4 and rode just a short piece to find that there were No Trespassing signs all over the gate. And not only that but the gate was locked and there was fencing completely around the area, as far as the eye could see. I was a bit surprised to find that because as far as I knew all these CR - county roads - were public roads. Well, this was a new one, and there was a couple guys working on a cabin just past the gated area, so I wasn’t about to go barging in there and create a stir. So we just turned around. I did know that there was another way around, it’s just that it was adding more mileage to the total of that segment, which was only supposed to be 23 miles. Now we were going to have a really fun time!

So this whole area, I came to find out, is owned by a consortium of ranchers, outfitters and private home owners. That one road I guess has subsequently to a private entry-exit way. For us it would have been a significant shortcut around a mountain climb, and that’s why I had it in the itinerary. Even around all the public roads are signs warning of no trespassing, hunting etc. It’s owned by the Centennial Association, and it’s massive. So anyway, we had to stay on 634, and this puppy really went vertical, snaking up this ridge around and around and around. This was little cookie territory for a solid 2-3 miles, where I was climbing at about 4-5 mph. Finally topped out on this stellar ridge at about 9200 feet. Found our alternative road to get us to Westcliff - Gibbs Dr. Atop this ridge was a stunning view of the Sangre De Cristo mts to the west. I just stood there for about 5 minutes starring at those beautiful mts to my west. All that climbing - well worth it!

Waited a bit for Bill, and as I was waiting I talked with a logger who side we had a 5-7 mile descent back down to Rt 69. Sounded awesome to me, having already logged some 3500 feet of vertical in 20 miles of riding! It’s stupid the amount of climbing you do on the dirt. Bill arrived and was delighted to hear of the long run back down to meet Judy on Rt 69. So we got rolling, just crushing it in sections. Now there were a couple places where we had to climb up over a few poppers, and on one I dropped into the middle ring and hung it up on the front changer. It was locked in there, kind of doubled over on itself. As soon as I did it I totally unclipped and coast to a stop so as to not snap the changer off. Fiddled with it for about five minutes and then as I gently moved the rear wheel, the chain sprang back to normal, having released itself from the changer. Very relieved to see that happen. The ramifications could have been bad. 

The rest of the descent was just moderate angle and fast. Junctioned with Comanche Rd, continued descending, then junctioned with Centennial Ranch Rd and continued descending. We finally reached Judy at the Rt 69 junction with about 3 hrs of riding in for 27 miles of cycling. And I’m telling you, I’m not dogging it. I’m working those climbs and pushing the descents, and it still works out to about 8.5 mph pacing. Took a break at the van where Judy made us some chicken salad sandwiches. Knocked down a powerade and some ice water, and got us all prepped on the next section northwest to Hermit Rd. 

So what I needed to do on this segment is work my way north, paralleling Rt 69. To do this I’d have to do a good bit of zigging and zagging with north, west, north west, etc. I got going, with Judy and bill following me, hoping that the roads would be van worthy. had to do about a mile of pavement on Rt 69 to the first dirt, on CR 106. Went L, west on 106, and not more than a half mile into it, the road went to this real sketchy dbl track thing that there was no way I wanted them and the van on. So I just had them go back to 69 and meet me further up on one of the zigs. Glad I had them go back because this thing was just a jeep track that went through open graze land, with cattle running wild all over the place. Then it dead ended on CR 115, and this was even worse, just rocky, jagged dbl track. Went R, north on 115 for several miles. When I got to my next turn, Bill and Judy were there, having checked out this gravel road and decided it was good to drive on. We all went together on the next gravel, L, west on CR 130. This pup was great gravel road, but it was a steady climb to the west up into the foothills. 

Took a R, north on Colfax Rd and smoked it with a great southerly tailwind. Then I had to do a L, west on CR 140. This guy was asphalt, and I had to do that for about 3 miles - up a very long, steady climb towards the high mts. That was about 8 mph of tough uphill. Then we did a R, north on CR 141 and again, I had this smoking great tail wind. And again, another turn, this one L, west on CR 150, and this one was another tough climb even further into the foothills along the high mts. Now at this point we were both going to go R, north on CR 159, but I feared that the road would just be too rugged for the van, so I had them go back to asphalt and do a long way around to meet me on Hermit Rd, CR 160. 

The climb on 159 was again, well, another of an endless series of climbs, but I managed to get to the junction with Hermit Rd before Bill and Judy. Just waited for them at the junction. Now at this point the time was about 1:45 in the afternoon, and all I had left was to climb for 7 miles, gain 5K in elevation and top out at Hermit Pass, at 13,045 feet. I just didn’t have the gas, the time, and more importantly, the weather to try to go up into the high country so late in the day. So I decided to bag it for the day with 48 miles of riding in and a gain for the day of 4K. 

As we were deciding what to do, to kind of recon Hermit Rd for a bit in the van, I asked a fellow who was going to the pass about the road conditions. He told us that the van could probably go up to within 2 miles of the pass, and after that the road is for high clearance, 4WD vehicles. Good to know. So we headed back down the foothills, about 1K down in elevation, to Westcliff. What we were intending to do, since everything is sold out in Westcliff because of a folk festival this weekend, was to shop for food and then drive 40 miles north to Cotopaxi. There we’d booked a KOA along the Arkansas River. Now none of us were keen on driving 4o miles for the evening and then returning 40 miles tomorrow to start out again. But we had no choice. Out here, it’s slim pickings for lodging and camping. Anyway, got food for camping, and then went to the beer and wine store for some wine and beer. 

The place we shopped at is called Antler Liquor & Motel. Yea, bed and beer! So as we were buying the beverages I jokingly asked the guy if there was a chance in hell that anyone had cancelled on a room at the motel tonight. He told me the whole motel was open. I seriously thought he was joking, having been told by everyone that the town had been booked up for months for the festival. Well, he was indeed serious. Turns out that someone who had booked the whole motel had cancelled today, and all their rooms were available. We jumped on it. 

Now Bill did have to call KOA and cancel the reservation, and they gave he some run around about a 1 week ahead cancelation policy. Bill didn’t take kindly to that, and then they said we could cancel Saturday night, but that they had to fill the reservation tonight or he’d be charged. This is still pending, and I’m pretty sure that this one can be argued to our favor. Heck, he called at 2 PM in the afternoon, at a KOA for God’s sake. We’ll see what develops. But the good thing is that we do not have to roust at 4 AM to make the drive back down here to Westcliff do do a 7 mile ride. 

Went to the local park, cooked dinner on the camp stove - turkey burgers & pork chops - and had a dynamite salad that Judy prepared. And back here we are, just chilling and watching AMC 1940’s movies with Bogy. Tomorrow I just have to climb to Hermit Pass, which I plan on doing in the early morning, and then we’ll drive to the west side, where on Sunday Bill and I will hike the west side up to Hermit Pass to complete that segment. The hike is 7-8 miles on the Rio Alto Trail back up to 13,045 feet at the pass. I’m doing this rather than doing the Hermit Rd climb and then having to bike-hike that 29er down 7-8 miles of foot trail. Takes longer this way, but it’s far better physically and weather-wise. X the fingers for good weather tomorrow morning. I’ll be taking about 15 lbs of gear on my back for the weather up there. Should be interesting!