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Cycling Summits and Passes
by Area
The pages linked from here include a detailed
description (click the "wordy version",
"long version" or "with
notes" link). Addtional summits/passes with
elevation profiles and pictures are linked from the
left navigation area of the pass pages.
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summits
in this area are located in an area
bounded by:
NORTH: excluding east west line
through State Bridge
EAST: excluding ridge line of the Ten
Mile Range and Gore Range north of
Vail Pass
SOUTH: including Continental Divide
with Tennesee Pass and Fremont Pass
WEST: including ridge line of Sawatch
Range, extened into a north south
line, north of the range |
-PAVED-
All of the paved summits in this area are
part of the Copper Mountain Triangle ride,
a popular day tour.
1. Vail
Pass -- the highest point on the
Copper Triangle, and also a stage on the
first pro racing challenge.
2. Fremont
Pass - Fremont never crossed this
pass. But see who did on the page.
3. Tennessee
Pass - This pass was created for a
traffic pattern where all roads lead to
Leadville, not Denver. It managed to make
the transition.
4. Battle
Hill Summit - a major bump in the
road, when riding up the south side of
Tennessee Pass.
-MTB:
trails and unpaved roads-
Popular trail rides:
All of the popular mountain
biking summits listed below are
inside of the "Copper
Mountain Triangle". For
longer rides on a variety of
surfaces, mix and match. Among
the most heavily ridden trail
rides in the area is probably
the Commando Run trail. I
haven't been able to get a
elevation profile for that ride
yet. Some other popular rides
are.
1. Shrine
Pass - This dirt road has
been mountain biked for many
years
2. FR745
Lime Creek Road s(u) - You
can do this one in combination
with Shrine Pass.
3. Colorado
Trail: m139.9 section: Camp Hale
- Tennessee Pass rd cr.(sh)
- Of course you can just keep
going on the Colorado Trail,
then you'll end up on a summit
point in the Leadville sction.
Some additional personal
favorites are:
FAV1. FR708
Resolution Mountain s(u)
This one requires a short walk,
but the views are worth it. This
is also a cross country skiing
destination, and it is
interesting to compare summer
and winter pictures.
More mountain bike rides in
this area:
MORE1: FR751:
Ptarmingan Hill(sh) This is
a variation on the FR708
Resolution Mountain s(u) ride,
and it also includes a short
bushwack hiking section to make
it into a loop.
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Summit
points in this area are
located in an area bounded
by:
NORTH: excluding the
continental divide
SOUTH: including Co82 over
Independence Pass, US24,
and Weston Pass Road
WEST: including Sawatch
Range ridge line
EAST: including Mosquito
Range ridge line |
One of the organizers of the
Leadville 100 race once said
"Leadville can't be
replicated. The altitude can't
be taken anywhere else. And it's
true, at 10280 feet it is
blissfully cool, while the Front
Range cities are baking in the
oven.
-PAVED-
Some of the passes listed under
the Vail section are actually
closer to Leadville. Here are a
few more popular paved summits:
1. Mineral
Belt bike path s(u) - a very
small summit, but maybe bigger
than you think
2. CR9
Turquoise Lake s(u) - count
trees instead of cars
3. Independence
Pass - central pass of
central Colorado mountains with
an interesting history
| -MTB:
trails of and
unpaved roads-
Popular
trail rides:
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summits
are located in an area
bounded by:
NORTH: including San
Miguel/Ouray county
boundary (ridge line in
Mount Sneffels
Wilderness area)
SOUTH: including San
Miguel/Dolores county
boundary (ridge line in
Lizard Head Wilderness)
EAST: Specie Creek Rd,
north south line after
that
WEST: including San
Miguel/Ouray county
boundary on ridgeline |
-PAVED-
Only one paved pass crosses
the mountains surrounding
Telluride, and a nice ride it
is
-MTB: trails and unpaved
roads-
The earliest high passes
crossed with a mountain
bike in this area are Imogene
Pass, Ophir
Pass and Black
Bear Pass. These
days you encounter more
bicycles on the network
of trails in and around
the ski area. Example is
the first one in this
list of popular summit
rides:
pop3: Co145
Alta Lakes to(sh):
This point on the Lizard
Head Pass road is the
summit for a popular
loop ride over the
Galloping Goose Trail.
But you can also
substitute other roads
for this trail.
A few additional
favorites that I have
been able to explore
are:
FAV1: Wasatch
Connector Trail s(u):
The top is supremely
scenic and very ridable.
But to get there
requires a bit of
walking.
FAV2: FR618
s(u): a dirt road
ride east of Telluride,
approaching the Lone
Cone area.
FAV3: Wilson
Mesa - Hughes Rd(sh):
this is not a ride
through the wilderness,
but an interesting road
tour of Telluride
lifestyles
More unpaved ride:
MORE1: Hastings
Mesa s(u): This
point is traversed
during the popular Last
Dollar Pass loop ride.
It can also be the
summit on other loops.
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