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1. (7957ft,mile00) START/FINISH2-SOUTH ALTERNATE: Parlin 2. (8592ft,mile09) Ohio 3. (9206ft,mile15) START/FINISH-SOUTH: Pitkin 4. (9671ft,mile19) Middle Fork of Quartz Creek road turns off to right, stay left 5. (10700ft,mile22) turnoff to Napoleon Pass is on right 6. (12033ft,mile27) TOP: Cumberland Pass 7. (10144ft,mile35) START/FINISH-NORTH: Tincup 8. (9391ft,mile42) START/FINISH-NORTH ALTERNATE: town of Taylor Park

Approaches

From South. The road between Parlin and Pitkin is paved and makes a pleasant valley bike ride through interesting rock formations. It's included in the profile to show a long approach that can be part of a multi day tour. Pitkin makes a convenient point to start up the southern approach of this pass for a dayride. However, from the profile you could argue that the starting point is way back in Parlin.

Past Pitkin a quiet forest road slowly, but steadfastly gains elevation. After ample peacful riding, the first abrupt 90 degree left turn indicates a change. From here long ramps connected by switchbacks are about to start, even though the slope lessens, but just momentarily. Climbing towards paradoxically named "Green Mountain" -  much of it is sheer rock, the treeline draws ever nearer. The final long traverse reaches above the trees. the best view is behind, especially in late afternoon light. The big amphitheater below Green Mountain slowly sinks into deep shadows.

At the top low hills block much of the view to the west. The view of the Sawatch Range main ridge too is truncated by a small nearby rounded hill. If time and energy remains, both sides can be quickly climbed on foot to get a complete overview of the landscape. Some of the pictures with this page are taken from these hills.

From North. (described downwards)  A long traverse gives a last chance to enjoy a far view of the Collegiate Peaks of the Sawatch Range. The more southerly part of the range is cut off from view by the ridge the road has just crossed. After a first long traverse the road switches back and Willow Creek, meandering in endless S patterns in a swampy valley slowly draws closer. More long traverses connected by switchbacks follow and the road joins the creek in a final shallow descend through a pleasant bush filled valley into Tincup.

This old historic mining town remains largely cut off from modern distractions, unless it is the fourth of July weekend, when hoards of ATVs descend onto the town. The road from Tincup to Taylor Reservoir is a wide, often sandy dirt road with plumes of dust anouncing the proximity of motorized vehicles. The right end of the profile connects to the Taylor Pass profile, and the start of the eastern end of Cottonwood Pass is not far either.

History

The Leadville Boom (<Tincup Pass|Cottonwood Pass>) Like many of Colorado's high mountain passes, Cumberland's story revolves around getting mining supplies to mining towns. The time was the late 1880s. Everything seemed possible. The sky was the limit. Riches were just around the corner - sort of like the early days of the internet. The mining town Tincup was about to strike it rich. Maybe you never heard of Tincup, even though you have surely heard of other mining towns like Aspen and Leadville. Some mining towns of the 19th century are indicated in large lettering on today's map, Aspen, Leadville, Silverton. You have to search for Tincup with a magnifying glass. Bicycling through it means rediscovering one of the greatest little isolated collection of cabins this state has to offer.

Anyway, Tincup's miners needed supplies. Over the years there were three competing roads to supply the miners of Tincup. One was short and difficult, Tincup Pass. Another one was quite a bit longer: Cottonwood Pass also crossed over the main range of the Sawatch to a railhead in Buena Vista. In The newest pass was also comparatively long and easy, but still shorter than the Cottonwood Pass option. Then around 1880, thanks to the cracy Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad and its Alpine Tunnel project, a new railhead reachted Pitkin. For Tincup all that was needed was a pass over this outrigger of the Sawatch Range, and the shortest, and this would be the shortest, most pracitical connection to the outside world. But it still had to climb to over 12000 feet, just like the Tincup and Cottonwood pass roads.

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Modern Highways.  The first report of a car crossing the pass originates from 1905. The car was pulled by horses. More conventional, later crossings apparently did not get the medias's attention. By WW1, Pitkin was already history, so to speak, and a map of 1919 does not show it. But in 1935 the road was considered important enough that the CCC was employed to imrpove it. Further improvements were made in the mid 1950s.

Cycling. An early mountain biking guide, first published in 1987 mentioned Cumberland Pass as being suitable for mountain biking in its appendix, without describing it any further (William L. Stoehr's: Bicycling the Backcountry).