unfinished business

Clouds were hanging low in the sky as I prepared to leave Crested Butte for Cottonwood Pass and Buena Vista. As you can see, although I was ready to hit the road before 7:00am, several riders had already packed up their tents and taken their bags to the luggage truck, and were on the road. Unless you're a very strong, fast rider, leaving early would turn out to have been a good idea.

We headed south out of Crested Butte to Almont, hung a left and headed along the Taylor River towards the Taylor Park reservoir. The clouds were breaking up, making for very comfortable, cool riding weather. And, on a trip that has offered incredible scenery day after day, this day didn't disappoint. The area around Almont offers numerous opportunities for stays in a rustic cabin, trout fishing, and just being close to the best that nature has to offer.

I reached the first aid station feeling good, thoroughly enjoying the surroundings, and confident that the rest of the day would be an excellent adventure, to add to all the adventures I had enjoyed throughout the week. There were photo opportunities at every turn, and there were times when I had to pass one up simply to keep making progress on my ride.

The ride between Almont and the reservoir was on a road with some, but not too much, traffic, and we passed by several trailheads, fishing spots, and campsites. There were places to pull a small trailer in, and many more reserved for just tents. I thought to myself how fun it would be to camp along here and go out riding during the day. At this point we were climbing, but the grades were not too steep and the views made it totally worth it.

The clouds moved back in as the morning wore on, but a light jacket still felt just right. I felt a few raindrops which made it a little cooler, but made it to the reservoir in good shape. However, by the time I made the last couple of miles around the reservoir to where the second aid station was set up, the rain had gotten heavier, and the temperature had continued to drop. At the aid station is where we were scheduled to make a turn onto an unpaved road for the last 14 miles to Cottonwood Pass. We had been told that the road was hard packed and very rideable, but as the rain came down I began to have doubts about riding on a dirt road on a road bike, in the rain!!!

I asked at the aid station and was told that a SAG would be back shortly on which I could catch a ride to the third aid station at the top of the pass. I wouldn't get to climb a new (for me) highest pass, but would get to enjoy the paved descent into Buena Vista. Or so I thought.

As I loaded my bike on the trailer for the drive up, the rain came down harder. By the time I climbed in the van, I was soaked and chilled. When we reached the top the temperature was considerably lower, the rain harder, and a fog had moved in making visibility poor. Tour organizers were warning riders about the dangers, and strongly suggesting that they would prefer that  descending wasn't attempted at that time. I've got to say I wasn't crazy about the prospect of a rapid descent when I couldn't stop shivering. I had other layers with me but they didn't help much after I was already wet. There were so many people in various stages of discomfort that we huddled together under an awning in a group hug for warmth. If someone couldn't stop shivering, or had blue lips, we shuffled them to the center of the group. Finally, we were told there were some trucks to take us to Buena Vista, but we'd have to leave our bikes at the top. They wanted to get all the people off the mountain, then they would get the bikes down.

That is how 60 of us ended up in the back of a Ryder truck. Cold, wet, and tired, but generally in good spirits. Some complained of some nausea and claustrophobia from the conditions, but everyone around them did their best to help them stay calm. People were leaning on total strangers, and everyone was looking out for everyone else, making the best of a bad situation. I called my wife later and told her I had a near death, okay, near extreme discomfort experience, but had come though it in pretty good shape.

In Buena Vista I found my bags and found a piece of ground to get my tent set up. Then I went looking for my bike. Luckily, it was on the first truck, and I was able to tend to it. Trust me. that chain really needed cleaning. I wonder what it would've looked like if I had ridden on the dirt. Overall, though not what I had in mind, it was still an adventure. I was pretty pooped that night. A little bit of a cough and a headache, but for all I had voluntarily put myself through, not too bad. By the way, it doesn't have to be anywhere in the near future, but now I have to go back someday and ride up Cottonwood Pass, finish what I started.

What Happened?

welcome rest day

Thursday was a rest day in Crested Butte. I had never been there, but I had heard that it's a cool town. Crested Butte has an eclectic, artsy feel to it. It's small enough to walk across town and back in less than 30 minutes. I would guess the whole town is less than 1 square mile, and it located about 3 miles from the ski area of Mt. Crested Butte. Many of the houses are decorated in a funky style, and art is part of the scenery. I found a lot of cool shops and restaurants, and if you're a skier, you really should check this place out.

As you walk around Crested Butte, the snow-capped peaks are always in the background. I wanted to see what the town looked like from that higher vantage point so I rode the free shuttle to Mt. Crested Butte and hiked up.......to the ski lift for a ride to the top. Like seemingly every day in Colorado, the views were spectacular!

The next couple of shots are of the village of Mt. Crested Butte.

After a ride back to Crested Butte, I spent part of the afternoon walking around town, and part of it in the park enjoying the Fat Tire Bike Week bike expo. There were booths by Trek, Specialized, Zipp Wheels, and others who sold clothing, lube, racks, tires, and more. There were food vendors, many from local restaurants, so finding lunch was easy. And there was a dj playing music and announcing winners for a raffle for BTC riders. About mid-afternoon a live band played for a few hours. They were pretty good. Unfortunately, laying in the grass enjoying the experience I felt the first of many raindrops. I made my way back to my tent and enjoyed a nap while the rain cooled things off. Being only about a block away from the park, I could still here the band as I lay in my tent. Nice.

After the rain the world had a nice, clean smell to it, and I walked through town again to a place I had seen earlier. I think it was called Fantastic Pita. I had some hummus and a gyro sandwich, and watched ESPN on the first TV I had seen in about a week. Then it was back to try to get organized for another day on the road. I read a little in my tent and listened to the sounds of those around me. It's amazing on a tour like this how there's so much noise and activity each evening, but by 9:00pm, everything goes pretty quiet. They'll start serving breakfast at 5:00am and the first riders will be gone about the same time. Goodnight Crested Butte.

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back in the saddle

Wednesday morning I was on the road before 7:00 with another near 100 mile day ahead of me. The route followed highway 50 again, but the ride between Montrose and Gunnison is once again part of the West Elk Loop of the scenic byway. Once I reached Gunnison it would be a north turn for the last 25 miles to Crested Butte and a welcome rest day. First there were climbs from Montrose at 5794 feet over Cerro Summit at 7950' and Blue Mesa Summit at 8704' before a final 1300' climb from Gunnison to Crested Butte.

There were so many places visited by the BTC this year that had me thinking "this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen". Somewhere near Cimarron there were cabins for rent with fishing spots nearby, horseback riding available, and views that seem to stretch out forever.

I've got to bring Beth here and spend some time soaking this up.

The climbs were challenging, but not nearly so as the rides already behind us. The roads were good, shoulders pretty clean, and not too much traffic to contend with mid-week. And the sun was shining all of the morning and most of the afternoon. We actually made it into Crested Butte without rain, though the clouds gathered and threatened for the last 20 miles.

Early in the morning we were near Morrow Point Reservoir and after the 2 summits we rode along Blue Mesa Reservoir for the rest of the morning. As we passed the small town of Sapinero there was a hand-painted sign at the foot of a driveway for "fajitas". If that driveway hadn't been straight up a hill, I would have been there. At this point in the day, with 3-4 hours of riding ahead of me, I was ready for a real meal. The aid stations offerings of pb&j, fruit, cookies and crackers are great for a quick pick-me-up, and just what you need to keep you going most days, I needed something more to re-fuel. I knew that if I could get to Gunnison I would be able to find a Subway, Dairy Queen, or McDonalds to satisfy my hunger. I kind of hoped I wouldn't have to go too far out of the way, though. As luck would have it, before our turn to the north, I saw a Pizza Hut advertising the lunch buffet, AND 4 bikes sitting right by the door. Three riders from BTC were already enjoying lunch, as well as an America by Bicycle rider. (Their tour mirrored ours for the morning. ) Five or six slices and a couple of sodas later, I was back on the road to Crested Butte.

Highway 135 runs northerly from Gunnison through Almont to Crested Butte, along the Gunnison River. The route is lined with resorts offering trout fishing and rafting. Stopping for pictures I saw one group of rafters resting, either by choice, or stuck in an eddy. Still, a pretty good place for a rest.

The peaks around Crested Butte are visible from quite a distance. It gives you a glimpse of what awaits you when you arrive. It's a gradual incline from Gunnison, but climbing nonetheless, especially after 70 miles, including 2 early summits. Crested Butte was a welcome sight, and the school that would be our home for a couple days was right on the edge of town, so the tent city was right there like a welcome mat. Crested Butte is a small town, easy to walk around. Tonight I would worry only about finding something good to eat, maybe getting a massage, and getting a good night's sleep. Tomorrow I could see more of what Crested Butte has to offer.