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Bicycle Tour Adventure #35 |
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Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Tour Adventures
Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR - Segment):
Summitville, Stunner Pass, to Platora, Colorado;
By Bicycle Tour; July, 2011
- Cycling Summary -
Goal: Completely Ride Adventure Cycling's 'Great Divide Mountain Bike Route'.Objective: Ride as much as allowed by the Weather and Forest Fire Smoke
on an 'Independence Day (4 July) Weekend.
Highlights
- This was a 4 July, 2011, 'Independence Day', Long Weekend and we wanted to ride two days on our tandem bicycle (a mountain daVinci hybrid tandem touring bike). However, like General Patton said 'The first thing to go is the Plan' and 'It is the planning that is important, not the plan'. We had expected to ride two 20 mile loops but we achieved only one 20 mile loop (40 miles total), granted that we were visiting some of the toughest back road country in the USA; we were prepared and really had a good bike ride.
- We did not know it, but the 'Great Divide Mountain Bike Race' was occurring at the same time as our planned ride and we were lucky to meet three of the racers (one from Spain and two from South Africa - pictures inside). We saw other racers (two ladies from America, both named Sheila [learned later]) but they were flying downhill and we had our heads down for a tough climb in the other direction (they were by us before we could react). We saw two other gentlemen from a distance, one was ultra light and the other was pulling a Bob Yak (with a light load), but we do not know if either gentleman was part of the race.
- All bicycle travel was round trip. We carried the bike in a rack behind our vehicle - no camping, prepared for bad weather, we carried snacks and lunch, and all bike cleanup and chain maintenance was saved for after arrival via dusty mountain back roads.
- We stayed at the Conejos Cabins & Skyline Lodge one night at Platoro, Colorado. We didn't know it ahead of time, but the cabin was a duplex with active neighbors.
- Temperatures reached the high 80°s F (30-32 C) each day at altitude, and evening temperatures were in the low 70 °s F (20-22 C).
- Everything worked as planned, however:
- There were forest fires 300 miles away in Arizona and those fires sent smoke to our biking area; while we were in the valleys the local mountain air was pure and clear, but oddly, at around 10,000 feet altitude (3,000 m), where the air gets thin, the air was just smoky enough as to affect breathing and trigger minor asthma reactions - we really had to take it easier than planned and that robbed us of our additional planned biking distance (we thought that we would knock out this route in one day but it took a day and a half and then it rained for another half day - good for forest fire extinguishing).
- ATV Road traffic got 'more busy' (dusty) the nearer we were to the small mountain community of Platora but the drivers were always courteous to us and they deliberately slowed down in our proximity (and we appreciate that behavior).
- We did mount our (tougher) off-road tires on the tandem for this ride. The dirt roads on this segment were unusually bumpy and rocky; one had to be just as track selective going downhill as uphill. We could not ride fifteen minutes without hearing the sharp 'thwang' of a spoke vibration as a stone shot out sideways from underneath the tires.
- The town name of 'Platora' is formed by two words, Plata and Ora; Plata is Mexican/Spanish for Silver and Ora is Mexican/Spanish for Gold. We were definitely in old and new mining country. Summitville still has a working gold mine and it is also the site of a huge Superfund Environmental Cleanup (mainly to keep heavy metals out of the water supply [creeks and ground water]).
- We saw plenty of Deer and twice we saw Does with Spotted Fawns. There were numerous Striped Chipmunks (no pictures) that scurried in front of us going downhill and they would stand and laugh at us going uphill (arh arh). We caught a picture of a big fat Rock Chuck (a Wood Chuck that lives in a rocky hillside). Terry almost sat on a chipmunk and it shot away like a bullet, all we saw was a flash followed by our own laughter and jokes. Also, there were just a couple of mature Bovines on the road and they were not bothered by our presence (or visa versa).
- As always, trying to set a good example, we took out more trash than we brought in.
(Three passes above 10,500')
Above Right: New to us, a big patch of short Yellow Yarrow (looked like Dandelions at first).
Above Right: Columbine (State Flower of Colorado; it is growing out of a Geranium clump).
Above Right: Wild Rose (Primrose) - The nearby air wafted of rose, in fact we would pedal in and out of rose aromas for most of the day.
Above Right: The other view from the Stunner Pass sign (Terry and the Bee + just a little haze from smoke).
Above Right: A view down the road, Lookout Mountain, 12,448'.
Above Right: This is Luke and Marian, from South Africa, on the Great Divide Bike Race. We're guessing that this is about Day 17 or 18 of what is usually a 30 day race. We were not smart enough to ask what was taped to the lower front fork of Luke's bike. The Great Divide racers are the ultimate ultra-light packers. They shared about 5 minutes of their time and we really appreciated the opportunity.
We wish that the photo could show their faces a little better, they were very friendly. We suspect that they don't mess with sunscreen and that they pretty much just stay covered in one multi-purpose outfit (less weight = more miles per day). They did mention words to the effect that the past few days of riding [from central to southern Colorado] had been the most challenging so far - they were doing this hard race work and they were complementing us for taking the challenge, well that made our day.
Addendum: We just read online that a gal name Marian finished 39 but a guy name Luke is still on the course - I would love to know the rest of that story [9 July 2011], perhaps the information is out of date or incorrect, we can't imagine them not being together.
Above Right: Alamosa Creek near Stunner, Colorado. Alamosa is Spanish/Mexican for Cottonwood Tree(s) but the Cottonwood trees are much further down stream in the San Luis Valley.
Above Right: One of the remnant dwellings of the Stunner settlement area (now a NF Campground, behind us).
Above Right: Lunch.
Above Right: Climb, climb, climb.
Above Right: Looking at the Bee from the water fall overlook.
Above Right: A little roadside spring.
Above Right: Our turnaround point for the day, it's 1500 hrs; the elevation is about 11,200' (3,400 m). The low point of the tree line on the right side of the image is Elwood Pass (at about 12,000'). The next image (following) is a wide panorama view taken from this same spot. Summitville is still about 6 miles away.
Above Right: This is Joel Martinez (associated with Buscoa?), we are standing next to Alamosa Creek, having a snack and we're about to cross the bridge and make the big climb to Stunner Pass (again). Joel is a Great Divide Bike Trail Racer and he is from Spain. He's a writer and he brought a Mountain Bike from Spain, unfortunately a small part in the bike's derailer failed/broke (not clear about the actual mechanical issue) and he was relegated to the use of only some of his gears. It took him a while to get to the Breckenridge/Dillon area where it took a couple days to get a replacement part/piece at a local bike shop (part of the waiting time was caused by American bike shops not carrying his particular Spanish made bike parts). As we understand his explanation, an American mechanic did know of an American made part that could be substituted and they got a Next Day UPS delivery that fixed the problem. In any case, Joel was of good spirit and he was making up for lost time. We got to meet Joel again, later at a restaurant in Platora, when he was finishing a big cheese burger and fries meal more or less upon our arrival (there were only a few meal options). We wished him only good fortune.
Addendum: I just read online that Joel finished 43 of about 70 starters - very good Joel! [9 July 2011]
Above Right: A view of the Platora mountain resort area (taken upon our return).
Above Right: Elwood Pass: Dennis' watch altimeter indicates 11,800' (3,590 m, the watch altimeter has been off by as much as 300'/100m before, so it is only a relative reference tool) and the contour map indicates 12,000' (3,650 m). We made it, no matter what the official elevation is, now onto Summitville (in the direction of South Fork). That little strip of Yellow on the other side of the bushes is Dennis waving from the Bee. Technically, the actual high point of the pass road is about 100 yards to our left, we're going right; the road to the left is ugly, muddy, 4X4 road, with deep tracks.
Above Right: That stump in the back center of the clearing is a Buck in velvet. The deer show continues, but they're usually gone before Yo mismo can get the camera operating.
If a video window in not actively dislaying our tandem in motion, then try the URL listed below.
Posted on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Above: The [embeded Facebook] video is frustrating, if the video is not on display or the site is down, the URL is http://www.facebook.com/dennis.struck.9/videos/vb.100000657066772/226297337402167/ .
The Story: Dennis just happened to see a Deer walk down the slope about 1/8 of a mile (.5 k) in front of us (Terry could not see the Deer through Dennis). All of the conditions were perfect for a movie recording: it was 0630 hrs, sun to our backs, shadow of tandem in the movie, there is motion (it was the camera that was in motion), there was movement noise (tires on gravel and wind), there was a slight downhill run so no worries about braking or pedaling, just pointed and shot (and didn't run off the road - Copilot gets nervous on road edges), we're probably moving at 20 MPH. We were at about 10,000' elevation on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route between Elwood Pass and Summitville, in southern Colorado.
Above Right: Back view; picture taken right after seeing a Doe and Fawn; Sunrise on the Divide.
Above Right: Snow Plow Markers (big drifts here); Dennis and the Bee.
Above Right: It is not a clear picture, but this is where we turned around on our Del Norte to Summitville trip, in 2010. There is an old Cabin frame down there (bottom center).
Above Right: View of the Bee, from our snack break.
Above Right: Tundra Big-Root Springbeauties (shortest root to flower plant).
Above Right: I see a dragon!
It does not look like it, but in one hour it will start raining off and on for the rest of the day. The rain is welcomed by everyone, especially the Fire Fighters in Arizona. We are proud of our tour work and we decide to call it a day (6 hour drive home).
Thus ends another great bicycle adventure!
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