From: canderso@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chuck Anderson)
Subject: Boulder to Crested Butte (Colorado) by Bicycle
Keywords: includes Loveland Pass, Breckenridge, and Buena Vista (on an MTB) 
Organization: Center for Life Fulfillment
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 92 02:12:42 GMT

A year ago I got the idea to tour the brewpubs in central Colorado.    The
plan was to go from Boulder to Breckenridge to Crested Butte to Aspen  and
back to Boulder.   On August 17th of this year I finally  gave  it  a  go.
Unfortunately,  a number  of  factors  prevented  me  from  completing  my
intended circuit (knees,  time,  knees, weather, and knees).  I decided to
cut the ride short in Crested Butte (Aprox.  250 miles).  My intent herein
is to document the route in case others find it useful. 

This was a good way to break in my new bike.    My  Bridgestone  MB-6  was
stolen in July and about 5 weeks later,  with the help of insurance moneys
(the bike was stolen from my house),  I was able to move  up  and  get  an
MB-3.  The trouble was, when I left I hadn't ridden in over a month. 

I carried a tent,  sleeping bag,  and pads.  The complete list is attached
to the end of this article. 

I've also appended a summary of mileages and altitudes along the route. 

-------------------------------------------- 

DAY 1 - (Monday) Boulder to Empire (56 miles) 

After stopping at the grocery store for a small breakfast I  was  away  at
about 11:00 AM.   I headed south on Highway 93 to Golden.  This road is in
much better shape than it has been  in  the  past.    There  is  a  decent
shoulder along most of it,  but still a few spots that have  NO  shoulder.
The road is manageable and has a generous mix of hills and flats. 

Just before getting to Golden I felt an odd bump in  my  rear  tire.    My
first thought was a flat,  but that wasn't it.  After careful inspection I
found a 3/4 inch roofing nail sticking  into  the  tread  diagonally  (not
straight in).  With a little effort I pulled it out.   No flat.   Amazing.
(Specialized Crossroads II tires.) 

The first intersection in Golden is highway 6.   Highway 6 is a  two  lane
road (the "old" road) that goes all the way to Idaho Springs  and  beyond.
Bicycles are prohibited on this stretch of highway 6  due  to  the  narrow
tunnels. 

A couple that I saw on the way (he towing  a  Burley  with  supplies)  and
later in Idaho Springs said that they had  followed  it  anyway.    A  few
truckers had hollered at them, but that was about it. 

The intersection with highway 6 is about  20  miles  from  south  Boulder.
The "correct" route is to go straight through this intersection,   through
another one,  and take a right turn at the third to go towards  interstate
70.    This  turn  is  marked.    After  riding  uphill  through  a  condo
development  you  make  a  quick  left  then  right  hand  jog  through  a
squirrelly intersection,  then a short  (less  than  mile  climb)  to  the
intersection with highway 40. 

I was unable to find a map that  clearly  showed  the  route  to  Loveland
Pass.   I guess the service and frontage roads pale  next  to  the  mighty
Interstate 70.  That's part of my reason for documenting this route.    It
is a little unclear in spots. 

I-70 is off limits to bicycles except in a few necessary spots.   Bicycles
must take highway 40 which parallels I-70 for about  25  miles  before  it
swings north up to Winter Park.   The turnoff  onto  highway  40  is  just
north of the turnoff to I-70.   There's a  small  gas  station/convenience
store a quarter of a mile up that is a  good  place  to  take  a  breather
(nearly 23 miles from south Boulder). 

My girlfriend had given me a bag of "Brownie Bites" and I fueled up  on  a
couple of them between Boulder and this store.   There  wasn't  much  good
food at this stop,  but being the only place,  I had a hot dog (taking  my
chances) some potatoe chips (Mmmmmm....salt) and fruit juice. 

The next 5 miles to Genesee were a hard and constant climb.   If you  look
up to the left when you get there,  across the interstate, you can see the
modernistic house that Woody Allen used in the movie "Sleeper."  This  was
a deceptively steep climb.   The grade is not apparent from the lay of the
land. 

At this point you get onto I-70  for  a  mile  or  two  (there's  no  sign
prohibiting bicycles) and get off at the El Rancho exit  (you'll  see  the
sign prohibiting bicycles just past the exit).  There is  a  great  little
convenience store at El Rancho. 

The weather had been overcast all day.   A low threatening,  ceiling.   It
looked miserable.   I was expecting rain at any time.   In El Rancho a few
big drops came down so I put my tent,  sleeping bag and pads into  garbage
bags,  put the rain covers on my panniers,   and  put  on  my  nylon  rain
jacket. 

It's another 12 or 13 miles to Idaho Springs.   This section of 40 is well
removed from I-70.   There are actually a couple of downhills mixed with a
steady gradual climb.  It was scenic and enjoyable. 

Once in Idaho Springs I headed for the  tourist  center  (about  3/4  mile
into town).   On the way I passed a sign at a motel that  said  "1  double
bed: $26.11." I was tempted.  But I was tented. 

A very helpful,  elderly gentleman at the visitor center gave me advice as
to where to camp.   "Go on to Empire,  which is on  highway  40  one  mile
northwest of I-70 [a mile out of the way].   From there it's one more mile
to a free 'government' campground. Don't forget to sign the guest book." 
   "Great. Thanks." 

I stopped at the grocery store for an afternoon snack,  the night's dinner
(sandwich,  chips,  apple,  and  milk)  and  tomorrow's  breakfast  (o.j.,
banana,  and the rest of the milk).   It began to rain, so I waited it out
since it appeared it wouldn't last long.   Some guy walked by and said, "I
guess the roof leaks on that thing, huh?" 
  "Huh? ..... Oh, I get it.  Hardee har." 

[I saw the couple that had taken highway 6.   They were going to  stay  in
Idaho Springs and climb Mt. Evans the next day.] 

The rain ceased and I commenced.   At the west end of Idaho  Springs  (the
"end" of Idaho Springs) you take the  left  fork,   under  the  interstate
that's marked Stanley Rd.   This is one of the nicest  (easy  and  pretty)
stretches of the day. 

Empire is about 12-13 miles out of Idaho Springs,  past the little trailer
park called Lawson.   There's a steep half mile (7% - 8%) into Empire.  At
a small market,  that's open  until  nine  on  weekdays  and  midnight  on
weekends,  I bought some beers and asked the woman  where  the  campground
was.   She said that about a mile out of town there  was  a  private  (you
pay) campground.   When I asked her about the "free" camping she said  I'd
have to go a couple of miles further. 

I rode on.   I'd been dodging the rain successfully all day.   I'd been in
some light drizzles,  but I hadn't gotten wet .....  yet.   About  a  half
mile from the private campground I was deluged.    I  pulled  out  my  one
gallon,  heavy duty freezer ziplocs,  put them  over  my  shoes  and  kept
going.   A fella in a pickup truck stopped,  turned around, came back, and
asked me if I needed a ride.   I'd already decided to make for the nearest
campground and said "no thanks.  I'm just going a  half  mile  more,   but
thanks anyway." 

It was a little after seven and the  grey  weather  made  it  darker  than
usual.  The manager of the campground (Mountain Meadows) said the Arapahoe
forest campground was another 3 miles down the road and  that  he  gave  a
slight discount for bicycles.   I took it.   It cost me $11.40  with  tax.
The advantage over a free campsite was that  it  was  right  here  and  it
included an indoor bathroom and hot showers ($.25 for each 5 minutes). 

I set up my tent,  ate my simple dinner,  showered,  beered,  and went  to
sleep.  It only rained one more time and I'd set my tent up in the  clear,
out from under the trees,  so I wouldn't hear latent  rain  drops  hitting
the tent all night.   I was just close enough to highway 40 that I awoke a
few times during the night to the sound of  passing  vehicles.    I  don't
know if they woke me or they just happened to go by  when  I  was  already
awake. 

I'd gone 56 miles and was at about 8600 feet.   That's 3,000  feet  higher
than where I live,  but from the pain in my rib cage as I made  that  last
climb to Empire I'm sure I'd climbed more than that during the  course  of
the day. 

The  day  before  I  had  entertained  the  notion  that  I  might  be  in
Breckenridge this night.   I hadn't know how far it was.   I had to  laugh
at that fool person that thought they could make  it  to  Breckenridge  in
one day, but it hurt my rib cage too much. 

DAY 2 - (Tuesday) Empire to Breckenridge 

I awoke to a clear sky and wet ground.   By the time I  dried  my  rainfly
and other odds and ends,  ate my breakfast, and got packed up it was 8:30.
The two miles back down from Empire were obviously quite easy.   I noticed
two or three restaurants in Empire,  but it appeared  that  only  one  was
open.   I coasted by.  My rib cage was no longer sore and  everything  was
A-OK. 

At the bottom of the Empire hill you go to the right  towards  I-70  west.
Follow the signs to the  "Handi-camp"  south  over  I-70  and  follow  the
service road (highway 6,  but not marked) to Georgetown.   This is a  nice
stretch of road with some flats and nice scenery. 

This isn't marked at all,  but when you get to Georgetown you have to  get
onto I-70.   The  turn  to  the  entrance  ramp  is  before  getting  into
"historic" Georgetown.  There're convenience stores near the turnoff. 

The next two miles is an ugly grunt up 600 feet.   You've  got  a  lot  of
shoulder (almost a whole lane),  but there's plenty of traffic.   You exit
in Silver Plume ...  ahhhh.   The woman in the little shop where I  bought
an apple told me it was 600 feet in 2 miles.   That's a only a 5.6% grade.
It felt like more. 

Stay to the north of I-70 and follow the service road (again,  this is the
old highway 6).   The last of the three miles to Bakersville  is  a  steep
climb.  Then you enter I-70 for the last time.   There are no breaks  now.
You're heading for Loveland pass. 

Five grueling miles later you leave  I-70  at  the  Loveland  Basin  exit.
Bicycles are not allowed in the Eisenhower tunnel on I-70.   It  would  be
easier in terms of altitude,  but it's a mile or two long  with  no  place
for bicycles and a lot of trapped car exhaust. 

Only a little more than 2.5 miles to go  to  the  top  of  Loveland  pass.
Patiently follow the switchbacks to 11,990 feet.   I stopped part way  up,
rested on my sleeping pad,  and had the other half of last night's  turkey
sandwich for lunch.  After a short rest I continued.   Although the  crest
of the pass kept moving further away from me I finally caught  up  to  it.
Some typical high country clouds spit on me a bit,  but the  weather  held
quite nicely.   I took a couple of pictures,  put on a shirt,  sweatshirt,
and gloves and raced down eight miles into Keystone. 

There's not much in Keystone.   Not in the summer, anyway.  I stopped at a
sporting goods shop where I refilled my water bottles and  got  directions
for finding Swan Mountain Road.   It's a little over 2 miles out  of  town
at the second light.   Take a left at the light and  then  bear  right  to
follow Swan Mountain Road along the southeast shores of Dillon  Reservoir.

After 5 miles that includes a little bit of climbing in the  first  couple
of miles,  turn left on the frontage road before highway 9.   It  deadends
into the Blue River Bikeway which goes all the way to Breckenridge.   It's
a very gradual climb to Breckenridge. 

The Breckenridge brewpub is at the south end of town.   I was not  greatly
impressed with Breckenridge or the brewpub.   There seemed to  be  nothing
but condos and tourist shops there.   At the brewpub I met a  couple  from
Omaha that were staying in a condo in Dillon.   They were trying to get  a
free beer because their last name was Breckenridge.  It didn't work. 

After a burger and a couple of brews I headed out of town to  look  for  a
campsite along the Blue River.   That was the advice I received  while  at
the Brewpub.  I would try something else next time.  Ask around. 

I got about 3 miles out of town before  I  was  able  to  find  some  land
without a house on either side of it.   It was nearly dark and I set up my
tent about 50 yards off of highway 9.  I didn't sleep well that night. 

I had bought a couple of 22 oz.  beers at the brewpub, but realized that I
hadn't brought a bottle opener.   I discovered that  the  back  end  of  a
Blackburn rack where it attaches to the end of the chainstays works  quite
well. 

DAY 3 - (Wednesday)  Breckenridge to Buena Vista (Cottonwood Hot  Springs)

I awoke early and fell back asleep.   I awoke again and decided to get out
of my tent.   After drying the small amount of dew that had accumulated on
my rain fly I packed up my gear,  wheeled out to the road,  and  continued
south.  It was about 8:20. 

I had made one large mistake.   I didn't get anything to eat for breakfast
while I was in Breckenridge.   All I had was a slice of  bread  with  some
peanut butter on it before I headed for Hoosier pass.   Three  miles  past
my campsite I began the 4 mile climb to Hoosier pass.   I  was  at  10,000
feet and the summit is at 11,554.   Not too bad a climb,  but a bit steep.
The empty stomach didn't help much either.   While climbing I noticed  the
pain of inflammation under my knee caps and on the outside  tendon  of  my
right knee. 

Once at the top of Hoosier pass I donned some warmer  clothes  and  headed
for Fairplay at the north end of South  Park.    Both  of  my  knees  were
starting to hurt now. 

South Park is a huge flat area in the middle of the Colorado Rockies,  all
at 9,000 to 10,000 feet.   I cruised downhill,  with a tailwind,   for  11
miles into Fairplay.   Once in town I met two other cyclists.  They were a
couple of young dutchmen headed in the opposite direction as I.   After  a
small conference about snow on passes (there is none at this time of  year
...  usually) we parted.   They had asked me,  so I had to tell them: they
were headed into an 11 mile climb facing a headwind. 

On the south end of town,  past all the  construction,   is  a  restaurant
called the Mustard Seed.   This is a delightful place,  owned and operated
by a couple that are smitten by the Lord.   The waitress,  Mila,  was very
sweet.   She noticed that I looked weak and  made  sure  that  I  was  fed
pronto.   As I left she reminded me to take care of myself.  Climbing that
pass with no food had left me  nearly  delirious.    I'll  never  do  that
again.   The cure was O.J,  milk,  two fried  eggs,   a  couple  of  large
pancakes,  and several glasses of ice water. The smiles and friendly winks
from Mila were soothing, as well. 

The ride from Fairplay to Buena Vista is  a  treat.    It's  downhill  for
nearly 20 miles.   In addition, I had a tailwind.  About 18 miles out from
Fairplay the road began to rise.   At 20 miles out I  had  to  climb  what
seemed to be about 500 feet over Trout Creek Pass.   Once at  the  top  of
Trout Creek Pass it's 13 miles of screaming downhill to  the  intersection
with highway 24.   The town of Buena  Vista  is  2  miles  north  of  this
intersection.  I made it into "Buenie" before 3:00. 

There's a bicycle shop at the far north  end  of  town  ("The  Trailhead")
where I got some information on the next day's ride;  Cottonwood Pass.   I
had a regular home cooked dinner at Jan's,  half of which I  took  to  the
Cottonwood Hot Springs Motel for later consumption.    The  grocery  store
didn't have a deli,  so I went to a separate deli in town,  next to  Jan's
and headed up to the Cottonwood Hot Springs Motel. 

Five and a half miles west of town,  on the way towards  Cottonwood  Pass,
there's a great little motel at the Cottonwood Hot Springs.   I stopped at
the Visitor's Center in Buena Vista and called  ahead,   but  it  was  not
necessary.   I decided to get a room there since my knees  were  bothering
me and I wanted to be able to ice them down.   I'd also been there in 1978
and didn't remember much of it.   The private,  outdoor, jacuzzi style hot
tubs were a nice plus. The room was $39, if memory serves me right. 

The hot tubs are outside by the  creek  and  are  fed  by  a  natural  hot
spring.  After icing down the old knees and having a beer or two,  I  went
out to the hot tub that I had reserved from 8 -  9:00PM.    There  weren't
many people here,  so it was easy to pick a time for soaking.   The  still
darkness,  the twinkling stars,  and the rushing of the creek below weaved
a wondrous spell.   The ice,  the hot soaks (with cool outdoor air  drying
between soaks),  then more ice,  brought some welcome relief to  my  knees
and tired body. 

Whether you bicycle to Buena Vista or not,  I recommend that you keep this
place in mind.   Some very nice people are the relatively  new  owners  of
the place,  and they are trying to turn it into more of a therapeutic spa.
Besides helping them stay in business,   you  will  enjoy  the  peace  and
comfort of this fine motel.   There's no dining there, so be sure to bring
your own dinner and breakfast (and lunch,   if  you  plan  to  cycle  over
Cottonwood Pass). 

DAY 4 - (Thursday) Cottonwood Hot Springs to Crested Butte 

After a restful evening and a good night's sleep I arose,   had  my  usual
breakfast (o.j.,  banana,  p.butter on bread,  and milk),  and was on  the
road at 8:30.   Cottonwood Pass is at 12,126 feet.  From where I started I
had to climb 4,000 feet in 14.2 miles.   Only an average  grade  of  5.3%,
but 14 miles of it. 

After shaking the "first half mile" blues I had a wonderful  climb.    The
weather was  clear,   the  temperature  moderate,   and  the  scenery  was
wonderful.   The Cottonwood Pass road is paved all the  way  to  the  top,
then it's dirt down the other side.   I stopped at Ptarmigan Lake  to  eat
my lunch (turkey sandwich,  chips,  water, and an apple).  Everything felt
fine,  meaning my knees.  I was riding at a decent pace and didn't feel as
though I was overdoing anything. 

I reached the pass at about noon,  stopped long enough to take a  picture,
and put on another layer of clothes as the weather began to look a  little
threatening.   The ride down into Taylor Park and Taylor Reservoir  was  a
bit over 14 miles on a dirt road in that is in fair  shape.    Be  on  the
lookout for the occasional washboarded spots.   [Why  does  the  smoothest
part of the road always seem to be on the left side of the road?] 

When you get  into  Taylor  Park  there  are  some  cabins  for  rent,   a
convenience store and a small restaurant.   I filled up my  water  bottles
and began heading down Taylor Canyon towards Almont  and  highway  135  to
Crested Butte.   Taylor Canyon was 24 miles of not so steep downhill.    I
had to pedal a lot.   The road has those little  cracks  coming  from  the
edge of the road every 10 or 20 feet.  The constant ba-dump .....  ba-dump
..... ba-dump, began to get on my nerves. 

[When in Crested Butte I was told that there are  MTB-only  trails  around
the  north  side  of  Taylor  Reservoir  that  require  a  little  pushing
(walking).   If you're into more of a challenge you should get a  Gunnison
National Forest Map and a Crested Butte Trails map and find a  route  that
stays in the mountains.  You may  need  to  camp  in  the  mountains  that
night.] 

Almont is a quaint little resort town,   mostly  for  whitewater  rafters.
That night they were going to have a pot luck dinner  followed  by  bingo.
I kind of wished that I had stated there.   After  leaving  Almont,   turn
right right on highway 135 and it's only 17 more miles to  Crested  Butte.
The last few miles of this ride were really a pain;  uphill grade,  slight
headwind,  and growing knee pains.   It's a beautiful ride,  but slow  and
frustrating if you like to cover miles quickly. 

By the time I made it into Crested Butte (71 miles for  the  day)  I  felt
delirious from exhaustion.   The couple I  had  met  at  the  Breckenridge
Brewpub two nights ago passed me in their jeep on 135,  waved  and  pulled
over.   As I didn't recognize them at first I  was  confused  and  thought
someone was going to offer me a ride.   We talked for a short  bit  and  I
told them about the brewpub in Crested Butte. 

I turned left up the main street to the Idle Spur/Crested  Butte  Brewery.
Since I'd ridden all the way there and also recommended the place  to  the
couple in the jeep,  who were already there,  the bartender  gave  me  the
last bottle of "Red Lady Ale" (one of my favorites).   They were  bottling
"Red Lady Ale" in the basement and didn't have it connected  to  the  tap.
The bartender was saving this one last bottle,  but decided to give it  to
me [try it, you'll like it]. 

I asked the bartender (a very amiable chap) about finding a room.   I  was
nearly delirious and my knees were really bothering me.   He suggested the
Elk Mountain Lodge.   I called them.   Fifty-eight  dollars  for  for  the
night.   I asked the bartender for another suggestion.   "Try  the  Forest
Queen just down the block." 

The Forest Queen is the place to stay in Crested Butte.    A  bunk  (there
are two in the shared room) is only $14  and  includes  a  fantastic  free
breakfast in their restaurant (the Forest Queen seems to  be  one  of  THE
places to eat breakfast in Crested Butte).   A private room  (double  bed)
with shared bath is $27 and a private room with private bath is $32.    Be
sure that you get a room on the creek side of the hotel.   I  repeat,   be
sure that you get a room on the creek side (east side) of the hotel.   The
private rooms in front are OK,  too.   If  you  can't,   consider  staying
somewhere else. 

I reserved a private room with shared bath and went back  to  the  brewpub
to finish my beer and another.   I left the jeepsters there,  after asking
them if their last name was Crested Butte tonight,  and went back  to  the
Forest Queen for a great supper (spinach pasta with vegetarian  marinara).
The cook offered me extra pasta when he heard how far I'd ridden.   I went
back to the brewpub,  bought a Red Lady Ale,  to go (they had some bottles
upstairs now), and headed up to my room to relax and get an early night. 

After consulting with the evening manager,  Mark,  a 10 year  veteran  MTB
rider and member of the local ski patrol,  my plan for the next day was to
head north out of town and go  just  over  Schofield  Pass.    This  is  a
relatively short ride (~15 miles).   I could camp there,  near timberline,
and the next day ride through Marble,  Redstone,  and Carbondale on my way
to Aspen. 

Remember,  stay on the creek side of the Forest Queen.   I got to my  room
ready for an early,  relaxed evening with ice on my knees.   As I  settled
onto the top of the bed to update my log  I  heard  the  incessant  thump,
thump,  thump,  and howling wahoos of a late night  dive  next  door.    I
closed my window.   No difference.   When I  went  into  one  of  the  two
bathrooms right across the hall,  the noise was gone and all I could  hear
was the peaceful,  constant sound of the creek running outside the window.
I was tempted to try and sleep in the bath tub.   I asked Mark if he had a
fan I could use to drown out the noise (no).   Then  I  asked  if  he  had
another room available (no).   This is the down side of the Forest  Queen.
Again,  make sure you have a room on the creek side or one of the  private
rooms toward the front. 

I sat upstairs in my room for about a half an hour,  frustrated,  and then
decided,  if you can't beat 'em,  join  'em.    So  I  wandered  over  and
commenced to drink many Bud's,  chat with the late night crowd  (I  met  a
woman that introduced herself to me as Jimmy Bob Lee) and  to  close  this
silly bar next to the hotel. 

DAY 5 - (Failure Friday) Crested Butte to Crested Butte 

The next day I putzed around until noon or so.   Because of  the  day  and
night before,  I felt like I was gonna hurl all morning (clean living).  I
started up through Mt.  Crested Butte towards Schofield Pass (6 miles) and
realized from early on that my knees were in no  shape  for  the  rest  of
this journey (to Aspen,  over Independence Pass,  Fremont Pass,  and  then
Loveland Pass.).   They were suffering from  too  much  inflammation.    I
decided to turn back and stay in Crested Butte that night. 

There was an advantage to quitting that I  wasn't  aware  of  until  later
that day.   That afternoon the remnants  of  hurricane  Lester  (from  the
pacific) engulfed the entire state of Colorado in a shroud of  gray,   wet
misery.   I'm glad that I didn't camp at Schofield Pass that night.    The
wet weather lasted through the weekend and Monday;  very  uncharacteristic
for Colorado.   By Sunday night there was snow on all the mountain passes.

That afternoon,  feeling disappointed  and  a  bit  depressed,   I  called
Elizabeth,  my loving girl friend.  She said she'd be glad to come and get
me the next day. I stayed another night in the Forest Queen. 

On Saturday she drove my pick-up truck ('78 Chevy stepside called  "Blue")
the  7  hours  down  to  Crested  Butte.    We  spent  Saturday  night  in
Kristiana's ($48 a night bed & breakfast),  since  the  Forest  Queen  was
booked.  We drove home on Sunday. 

[Kristiana's was a pretty good place to stay,  especially if you  plan  on
getting up early every morning to go riding.   There was plenty of  hustle
and bustle starting at  about  7:00  AM.    A  few  too  many  pretentious
yupsters for my taste, but that's just me.] 

I was,  to say the least,  a bit disapointed, but knew that I had probably
done the right thing.   If I'd have had a few days to rest up  In  Crested
Butte I probably could have finished my journey.   I  had  a  great  time,
though,  and all my friends that don't ride were very impressed with  what
I did accomplish. 

DAY n - (Today)  Advice and Regrets 

Before doing an extended mountain ride,  make sure  that  you're  in  good
shape.  Especially the muscles around your knees.   Since my bike had been
stolen,  I hadn't ridden in over a month.   You might be a  little  modest
about the mileage you try to cover,  too.   Gauge your mileage against how
much climbing the day holds.   My daily mileages were 56 miles,  53 miles,
67 miles, and 71 miles. 

Crested Butte is a mountain biker's paradise.   Everyone that lives  there
rides one (or so it seems).   It's like being in an old cowpoke town,  but
instead of horses in front of every store front there are mountain  bikes.
I was told that Bikes don't get stolen in Crested Butte,  although someone
will occasionaly borrow one. 

Drive to Crested Butte with your MTB.   Spend a few nights at  the  Forest
Queen (creekside!) and explore the  multitude  of  trails  around  Crested
Butte.   That's my advice and I plan to take it soon.   It appears that we
may get an indian summer this fall in CO and I think I'll  take  advantage
of it. 

I should also mention the camping in Crested Butte.  I was told that there
was lot of it available near town.   The best spot sounded like it was six 
miles northwest of town along the Slate River.  There's a lot of space and
it's free.  Just pick a spot.


-----------------------
EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES LIST
-----------------------
tent
sleeping bag
two pads (blue thinsulite and another with 1" foam)
down pillow
small stove (unused)

2 pair of riding gloves
shoes (I used an old pair of hiking sneakers)
2 pairs of shorts (unpadded hiking)
3 t-shirts
underwear
1 long sleeve shirt
1 sweatshirt
1 cheap nylon rain jacket
1 cheap pair nylon rain pants (unused)
1 cheap orange poncho
1 pair of fingered gloves
1 pair of Pearl Izumi "lobster" gloves (just in case)
1 pair of jeans (not used)
1 pair of polypro leg warmers (not used)
a small towel
sunglasses
bandannas

toiletries as deemed necessary
sunblock
lotion and other sundries (kleenex, Visine, Blistex, etc.)
lip junk
insect repellent (Cutter's)

a fork and spoon
pocketknife
one person does not need a plate

I forgot my bottle opener, but found the back of a Blackburn rack where it
attaches to the end of the chainstays works quite well.

pot scrubber

mini-mag flashlight with clip to hang in the tent
Cateye Halogen light
spare batteries

spare inner tube

(All of the following fit in my underseat pack)
cone wrenches
crank tool
free-wheel tool
chain rivet tool
multi-headed screwdriver
small vice grip (5")
allen wrenches
patch kit
2 plastic tire levers
small bottle of Tri-Flow (in a zip lock!)
a rag

a few 1 gal and 1 qt. zip locks (2 1 gal bags for my feet in the rain)
3 heavy duty garbage bags (raincovers and a pannier ground cloth)
2 small (4 gal) garbage bags


----------------------------
MILEAGE and ALTITUDE SUMMARY
----------------------------

Some mileages are approximate,  but pretty darn close.  In some cases they
include short side trips (uner 1/2  mile).    '?'  on  altitude  means  an
educated guess.   Total climbing was about 14,280 feet.

DAY 1  South Boulder to Empire  (56 miles 3000' climbed)

   19 miles - junction with highway 6 - bicycles prohibited  (~5800')
   22 miles - junction highway 40, go right past convenience store
   27 miles - Genessee and onto 70 for ~2 miles - "Sleeper" house
   29 miles - El Rancho exit - back onto 40 - another store  (7670')
   41 miles - Idaho Springs - hot springs, motels  (8100')
   54 miles - turnoff to Empire - ugh!, up a hill
   56 miles - Mt. Meadows campground  (~8600')

DAY 2  Empire to  Breckenridge  (53 miles 4000' climbed)

   11 miles   - Georgetown - get on I-70  (8500')
   14 miles   - Silver Plume - get off I-70  (9120')
   17 miles   - Bakersville - get back on I-70
   21.5 miles - Loveland Basin exit - get off I-70
   24.7 miles - Loveland Pass - feel like turning around?  (11,990')
   33 miles   - Keystone - not much here  (9200')
   49 miles   - Breckenridge - yeah! first brewpub - where to stay?  (9600')
   53 miles   - camped overnight -  I don't recommend camping here  (~9700' ?)

DAY 3  Breckenridge to Cottonwood Hot Springs  (67 miles - 2400' climbed)

   3 miles  - start of Hossier Pass climb - ate breakfast?  (9800' ?)
   7 miles  - Hoosier Pass  (11,551')
   18 miles - Fairplay - the Mustard Seed for feed  (9950')
   38 miles - start Trout Creek Pass climb  (8800' ?)
   41 miles - Trout Creek Pass - a snap from here to 'Buenie'  (9346')
   54 miles - intersect highway 24
   56 miles - Buena Vista  (7954')
   62 miles - Cottonwood Hot Springs - you'll love it here ($39) (8100' ?)

DAY 4  Cottonwood Hot Springs to Crested Butte  (71 miles - 4880' climbed)

   14.2 miles - Cottonwood Pass - pat yourself on the back  (12,126')
   29 miles   - Taylor Park - a recreational park  (????')
   54 miles   - Almont - stop for bingo and pot luck supper on Thurs (8010')
   71 miles   - Crested Butte -  yeah! another brewpb, the best (8885')
                                 did you notice you climbed 800' in
				 the last 17 miles?

--
  *************************************************************************
     Chuck Anderson                uucp    :         uunet!nyx!canderso
     Boulder, Co. (303) 494-6278   internet:         canderso@nyx.cs.du.edu
  *************************************************************************
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