can I get to estes park?

On the fifth day......we get to rest. CRMBT has stopped in Estes Park a couple times. Once in 2010 when we did this route in the other direction, starting in Edwards, we also had a rest day here. And in 2013, when we started in Loveland, we spent the first night here. Both years I was challenged on the way to Estes Park.

In 2010 we rode up the Peak-to-Peak Highway from Golden, challenged by some steep rollers, but enjoying a beautiful Colorado morning. The challenges were enough to make me want to stop in Nederland for an early lunch 30 miles into the 74 mile ride. While lunch at Katmandu Restaurant was delicious, I would regret the time I lost later. The beautiful morning turned into a wonderful afternoon. Temperatures were cool but comfortable.

Then a few clouds moved in, but the day was still pleasant. Over the next couple hours the clouds grew darker, the temps cooler, and it became more and more obvious that the light jacket I had in my pocket was not enough to keep me warm or dry. What started as a light rain became a downpour, and when the temperatures tumbled into the 30's, being on the road, on a bike, became miserable. It couldn't get any worse. Then it did. It began to hail. I would say that "golf ball" sized hail would not be an exaggeration, "quarter sized" is a certainty. I spotted a group of cyclists that had pulled off the road to take shelter under the canopy on a porch of a closed business. The hail was hard enough that cars were pulling off the road as we huddled together for warmth. My ride ended 16 miles outside of Estes Park that day.

The SAG van and some volunteers with bike racks shuttled back and forth from town to get us all in to Estes Park where a warm shower and dry sleeping bag awaited me. The rest of the evening and all the next day were gorgeous, and by the time we left I had been able to explore quite a bit of this place.

In 2013 we rode from Loveland to Estes Park and it was a short, hot day that still managed to kick me in the butt just a little. As we neared the high point for the day the heat, altitude, and maybe a little dehydration combined to make me dizzy and nauseous. One of the mechanics stopped to check on me as I stood on the side of the road. He gave me some powdered Gatorade and had me sit in the shade for a few minutes. That was enough to get me back on the bike for a push through the last few switchbacks and descent into town.

So I know it will be a challenge to get to Estes Park. But I will get there, and I'll have a rest day to look forward to in a great Colorado mountain town.

trail ridge road

Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved road in America. It spans Rocky Mountain National Park from Grand Lake in the west, to Estes Park in the east, a 48 mile journey through the park. It's highest point is 12,183 feet, but even more amazing is that it remains above treeline (near 11,550') for 11 miles!

We'll be heading north form Grand Lake  on our way to a rest day in Estes Park. I will want to leave early to be able to stop for lots of pictures.

If you've never been to RMNP, you should go if you get the chance. A drive on Trail Ridge Road would be a memorable experience. And if you get to experience it on a bike, it will be a day you'll never forget!

gore pass

On the third day of this year's CRMBT the only pass to climb is Gore Pass, 9524'. The climb from the west side is only about 5 miles long, gaining about 700 feet. But to get to that point we'll need to get over a couple summits, climbing for about 10 miles each, not too steep, gaining about 1300' and 1800', respectively. The good news on this century day is that those climbs are early in the day. We did this route in reverse in 2010 and hitting those climbs from the other side 75 or 80 miles into the ride was brutal.

This year, once we've gone over Gore Pass at mile 57, the climbing is over, save for a little bump in the road at mile 85. We'll pass through Kremmling 3/4 of the way to Granby; might be a good place to stop for lunch.

 Our home for the night will be Granby. In the morning we'll ride about 15 miles to Grand Lake, and the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Organizers call this the first of two "Queen Stages". A good night's sleep at 8,000 feet will be just what we need to be ready for what tomorrow brings.

fremont, tennessee, battle mountain

Day 2 of the 2016 CRMBT takes a wonderful bike path from Breckenridge to Frisco, and Frisco to Copper Mountain. Then it follow two-thirds of a quintessential Colorado ride called the Copper Triangle. This ride takes place the first Saturday of August to raise funds for the Davis Phinney Foundation For Parkinson's. The route leaves Copper Village and head up Fremont Pass, 11,318 feet. From Copper it's about 11 miles of climbing, half in the 2-3% range, half with some spikes over 7%. I've climbed this pass a few times and though it deserves the Cat 1 rating that Peter gives it, I never thought it was that hard. It's relatively straight forward, some traffic, but not too much. And clean, wide shoulders that leave you to worry about nothing but keeping the crank turning.

One drawback is the lack of an awesome descent. It's kind of like the mountain just dumps you off of itself. There's one big sweeping switchback, and before too long you're still going slightly downhill, but you're pedaling to keep up your speed. You really don't lose all that much altitude because the next leg of the triangle is from Leadville to Minturn, and Leadville, at 10,152 feet is the highest incorporated city in the US.

The next part is among my favorite to ride in Colorado. Yes, it's beautiful, but there are dozens?, hundreds? of beautiful places to ride there. I love this section because for a little climbing you get a lot of descending. You're still trending downward the first few miles out of Leadville. Then you've got a little 5 mile climb up Tennessee Pass, 10,424 feet, gaining about 500 feet, with grades in the mid 2% range. You are then rewarded with a descent about 12 miles long, giving back about 1700 feet of elevation.

 Now you face another short climb, this time up Battle Mountain Summit with grades in the mid 4% range, gaining another 500 feet in under 2 miles. Your reward after this climb is another great descent, this one lasting about 15 miles, and taking you almost all the way to Minturn and past to I-70. All that will be left this day is a few miles on the frontage road up to Edwards. I'll turn in early on this night because the next day is a century day with no really high passes, but lots of varied terrain, and enough challenges on the way to make it a big day.

loveland pass

The first day of the 2016 edition of the Colorado Rocky Mountain Bike Tour will have riders heading west from Idaho Springs toward Loveland Pass. On his website, mybicycleroutes, Mark Andrysiak rates the east side ascent of Loveland as moderately difficult based upon altitude and some sections of 9% grade. He also claims it's the "easiest" moderate climb in Colorado. However, he bases that on starting from the Loveland Ski Area parking lot, leaving only 4 miles and about 1000' of elevation gain to the summit. CRMBT's tour director, Peter Duffy, rates the climb from Idaho Springs as a Category 1, based on 4200' of climbing over 28 miles. Only an HC (for the French term: beyond categorization) would be more difficult. What does all of this mean? It means that I'll be climbing all morning, but the first 24 miles will be a more gradual elevation gain, with the real push to the top coming in the last 4 miles. I can do that.

Assuming I make it to the top, my reward will be a nice long descent down the west side of Loveland Pass; 8 miles of twists and turns, and then slightly downhill for the next 15 miles. The only thing left between me and Breckenridge, our home for the night, will be Swan Mountain. It's only 500' over 3 miles, but near the end of the ride I'm sure it will live up to its nickname, the "horrible hump". The top affords some nice views of Frisco and the Dillon Reservoir before  a short descent and  a few miles left to Breckenridge.

Some serious altitude, but only 50 miles or so makes this opening day seem do-able. It's kind of like going from base camp to camp 2 to acclimatize, and back down to base camp. I'm looking forward to climbing Loveland Pass from the east side so I'll know what to expect when I eventually return for the Triple Bypass. Overall I think this is an excellent first day's route on the best bike tour in Colorado.  Day 2 will be a little longer, a little less altitude, but containing some of my favorite descents. I have some serious training to do.