…having a great vacation to the high country where I joined in on the last three days of a friend’s 50th birthday ride on the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. So great reconnecting with old friends and meeting a couple of new ones while camping with bikes. I had ridden most of the CT supported in 2004 with some friends but never self-supported. It’s been a long time goal of mine and gets harder each year so making it out for the Molas to Durango sections made my year.
After ending in Durango i headed north to visit Timmy in Golden and the crew in my old town of Nederland. Always feels like going home going back there.
I joined the group at Molas Pass. Pete, Mark and Travis had started in Denver the previous week; Bjorn, JHK and Ted joined at Spring Creek Pass, and Frank started met the three at Sargents Mesa but bailed due to a Lefty issue a day later to return on Molas with a different bike.
Little Molas Lake
Ted, Frank, Travis, Mark.
Bjorn’s rig
Frank and his rig
Jeremy and his rig
Ted and his rig
Pete and his rig
Travis’ rig
Ted and the long way to go to the range in the distance
Full wildflowers at the end of August!
Two riders and a big landscape
Our Bolam Pass camp
The Molas Pass area is amazing
Coming off Kennebec pass
Travis and Jeremy are still very strong
Long trail above treeline in the background
Travis is all about sun-protection
The trail up to Indian Ridge, lots of hiking
My Tarptent at Bolam Pass
The fire circle near Taylor Lake
Leaving Taylor lake for Junction Creek
Frank and the backside of Hermosa Peak
Lizard Head and Mt. Wilson
Columbine and my rig
I (heart) the CT
Up at Taylor lake
Up to Blackhawk Pass
Pete didn’t decide till two days before the trip that he was going to go, didn’t have bike bags and still made the full tour happen.
Me waiting to eat the best freeze-dried meal out there vegan or not = Pad Thai
Indian Ridge
The finish. Some day i’ll ride it start to finish unsupported.
Your 16-year-old self would have totally approved of your 46-year-old self.