We had such a great ride today. I can't understand why all of America isn't living in Colorado. It is such a beautiful state.
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| Georgetown Loop Railroad |
Loveland Pass was nothing short of spectacular, another highlight to add to the trip. From Georgetown we climbed up to the Georgetown Loop Railroad, with its short, steep inclines that make me more tired than a steady, long gradient. We were escorted by Larry, who was a local out on a 7 day bike tour, traveling light on his carbon fibre roadie with only a small bag on his back rack.
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| That mountain ahead is what we climbed! |
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| The start of the Loveland Bike Trail with Larry |
Loveland Pass starts with 5 miles on the Bakerville-Loveland Bike Trail which was also steeply rolling, tiring my legs out before we even got to the pass proper. But it was nice to be riding on a dedicated bike path through the forest and off the busy highway.
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| Cycling on the new Loveland Bike Trail |
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| Looking down Loveland Pass |
The Pass began in earnest about 4 miles from the summit but luckily by this time my legs were warmed up and ready for the steady, slow grind to the peak. The views from this climb looking out to the surrounding mountains, down into the valley below where you had come from and the road winding around the mountainside underneath were unreal.
It was also pretty cool to be passing all the ski resorts sans snow on our bikes - Loveland Ski Resort, Arapaho Basin Ski Area.
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| Loveland Ski Area |
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| More of the windy pass |
But it was the view from the top of Loveland Pass that was so spectacular, again our reward for torturing ourselves for just under an hour to get to the top.
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| Maybe our 10th crossing (losing count!) |
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| There are a heap of hiking trails at the top of the Pass |
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| View from the summit |
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| On the descent |
Then we had the best descent of this odyssey so far. About 8 miles of sweet downhill, windy for the first couple of miles so we had to make sure we controlled our speed round all the bends, then straight, wider curves where you didn't have to ride the brakes so much. I was woo-hooping out loud as I came screaming down the mountain just soaking in the views with the wind rushing around my ears. Steve says he was giggling like a kid and singing out loud on his way down, he was having so much fun too!
We stopped at a gas station in the Keystone ski resort area for lunch and this is where Larry left us as he was heading off to Vail and we were headed to Breckenridge.
The rest of our ride was also a heap of fun too, the majority of it on a bike path that wound around the Dillon Reservoir, providing more beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the beginnings of the changing fall / autumn foliage of the aspens.
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| Dillon Reservoir |
More short, steep rolling sections along the bike path finally got us to the ski resort town of Breckenridge, where I would love to stay for the remainder of my time in the States. This is such a cute, historic mountain town with a lot of things to do in the area. Dreaming of winter snowboarding right now!
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| Looking out to Breck Ski Resort |
Again, no campgrounds here so we are staying at the very plush "The Bivouac" hostel, locally known as "The Bivvi". At $30pp per night for a dorm bed this upmarket hostel has several Great Divide mountain bikers staying here and a tonne of hikers.
Of course, we couldn't miss out on dinner at the Breckenridge Brewery.
CRANKING ODYSSEY STATS
Total Odyssey miles: 2,096
Overall Fastest Speed: Steve (46 miles per hour) Mandy (36.3 miles per hour)
Bludge Days: 2
Bonks: nil
Dog chases: 3
Dummy Spits: Steve (4) Day 10 - because it rained; Day 16 - because the rocks in the river were slippery; Day 29 - because it takes me so long to get ready in the morning; Day 36 - because I was blogging and Steve was dieing of starvation
Mandy (2.5) 0.5 Day 14 - those freakin' wreckless Idaho drivers!; Day 26 - because my bike computer had a meltdown; Day 28 - because Steve wouldn't help hold my bike up in the wind after watching it nearly fall over 3 times whilst I tried to put my clothes away in the panniers because it looked like rain ahead
Flats: Katie (4)
Wrong turns: 8
Beer of the day: Breckenridge Brewery Oatmeal Stout
Lesson of the day: it is possible to climb a mountain pass with all our load faster than a senior citizen on a carbon roadie
No. of days with no shower: 13
No. of days in a hotel: 10
Starting weight: Steve (90kg) Mandy (51.5kg)
Day 30 Rawlins weigh in: Steve (183 pds / 83kg). Mandy (110 pds / 50kg)
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