Author: wpfeiffer

Arizona Bike Tour in 2016

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Day 0 (Saturday, March 26): Mary and I drive to Tucson for the start of the six-day Trail of the Apaches bike tour with Lizard Head. To break up the drive, we do a 27-mile warmup ride in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California.

Day 1 (Sunday, March 27): Mary and I are joined by my brother Jay for the start of the tour near Tucson. We bike a 25-mile loop in Saguaro National Park and do a 7-mile round-trip hike up Wasson Peak.

Day 2 (Monday, March 28): We bike up Kitt Peak and finish with another ride through Saguaro National Park for 49 miles total. We again spend the night near Tucson.

Day 3 (Tuesday, March 29): We shuttle to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and bike 46 miles through Arivaca to Arivaca Junction. After another shuttle over a busy stretch of road, Mary and I, along with guide Emily, get on our bikes again for the last 18 miles and finish in Patagonia with 64 miles overall.

Day 4 (Wednesday, March 30): We bike 62 miles from Patagonia to Parker Canyon Lake and then back to a winery near Sonoita. After that we shuttle to Bisbee, an old mining town. During the bike ride, Jay sees a herd of pronghorns, and Mary sees a javelina. Along the way the cable breaks for the rear derailleur on Mary’s bike. Mitch, our second guide and mechanic, is unable to repair the cable, but sets the derailleur so that Mary has three reasonable gears in front to continue riding.

Day 5 (Thursday, March 31): We bike 77 miles from Bisbee in Arizona to Rodeo, just across the state line in New Mexico. The weather is cool but sunny at the start. As the day wears on, the skies become more ominous, and we are treated to rain and sleet just before we finish our ride. After the clouds depart that night, we view the Milky Way in all its glory.

Day 6 (Friday, April 1): We abandon our original plan to bike up Mount Graham because its summit of over 10,000 ft is predicted to have a high temperature in the 30s with a chance of snow. Instead, all of the guests do a short 16-mile bike ride into beautiful Cave Creek Canyon, and some of us follow that with a strenuous 9-mile round-trip hike up 8,000-ft Silver Peak.

Photos follow, and the captions include the names of a few of the many mountain ranges in Arizona.

  • Day 0: We are welcomed to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
  • Day 0: This sign on the entry monument reflects Mary’s view of the desert
  • Day 0: But that’s not right! There are ocotillos!
  • Day 0: And wind turbines!
  • Day 1: I join Mary and Jay for the start of another great adventure with saguaro cacti behind us
  • Day 1: Emily, one of our two guides, poses with us on top of Gates Pass; Emily says that the saguaros look like whiskers
  • Day 1: Wasson Peak, our 4,687-ft hiking objective; the 7-mile climb to the top and back turned out to be more challenging than the day’s 25-mile bike ride
  • Day 1: Hedgehog cactus flowers in bloom
  • Day 1: Trail near the top of Wasson Peak; we started way down in the valley to the left
  • Day 1: On top of Wasson Peak! Tucson is in the valley below
  • Day 2: Mary starts the climb up telescope-topped Kitt Peak, which is 6,883 ft high
  • Mary powers up the windy climb (photo by Mitch Clinton)
  • Day 2: I power up the climb behind her (photo by Mitch Clinton)
  • Day 2: Here are some of the 24 telescopes on top of Kitt Peak! The dome at the left is for the largest one, the 4-m Mayall telescope
  • Day 2: A welcome sign on top lists the many universities that participate in the operation of the observatory
  • Day 2: There is a great view of Baboquivari Peak from the top of Kitt Peak
  • Day 2: Mary whizzes back down; there are strong, gusty winds, and Mary and I are the only ones who bike down
  • Day 2: Mary climbs Gates Pass for the third time in two days
  • Day 3: Jay and I start the day’s ride in the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in the Altar Valley
  • Day 3: Mary climbs out of the Altar Valley to Arivaca; Mary and I lead the pack after fighting a ferocious headwind; the Baboquivari Mountains are in the distance
  • Day 3: Clumps of verbena add color along the way
  • Day 3: Jay and our guide Mitch do a climb after leaving Arivaca; the San Luis Mountains are in the distance
  • Day 3: The Stage Stop Inn, where we spend the night in Patagonia
  • Day 4: Mary rides the road to Parker Canyon Lake; the Huachuca Mountains are in the distance
  • Day 4: Jay works hard to smile on the climb to the lake; the Mustang Mountains are in the distance
  • Day 4: View of arid rangeland and the Mustang Mountains on the way back from the lake
  • Day 4: We end the ride at the Sonoita Vineyards; it is hard to believe that folks can make a living growing grapes and making wine out here
  • Day 4: We shuttle to the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, where we spend the night
  • Day 5: Our team of 11 geriatric guests and young guide Emily pose to start the day; our other guide Mitch takes the picture; seven of the guests are from Canada
  • Day 5: Colorful bike store in Bisbee
  • Day 5: The Copper Queen open-pit mine
  • Day 5: How the pit was made
  • Day 5: Mary bikes through the San Bernardino Valley on the road from Bisbee AZ to Rodeo NM; the Perilla Mountains are in the background
  • Day 5: Monument in Apache near where Geronimo surrendered
  • Day 5: Rainbow at end of the day from the Painted Pony Resort north of Rodeo NM; the Peloncilla Mountains are in the distance
  • Day 6: Mary bikes toward Silver Peak, which we hike up later; it is one of the most prominent peaks in the Chiricahua Mountains
  • Day 6: We enter Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains
  • Day 6: One of six deer that we see in the canyon
  • Day 6: Emily and Jeff (from Vancouver) lead Mary on the trail from the canyon to Silver Peak
  • Day 6: Cholla in bloom; it is known as the “jumping cactus” because of the ease with which its stems detach and stick to passersby; we give these cacti a wide berth
  • Day 6: We make it to the summit of Silver Peak, the highest point of our tour; various elevations are listed online, but the benchmark at the summit says 8,020 feet above sea level; the foundation is for a lookout that burned down during a thunderstorm in 1992
  • Day 6: Mary signs the summit register to top off a great tour!

Colorado Cols Bike Tour in 2015

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Mary and I rode the Colorado Cols bike tour with Lizard Head in June and July 2015. Over seven days we covered 540 miles, including two centuries, with 36,000 ft of climbing. Bruce from Chicago was the only other guest, and Emily was our only guide. John Humphries, who runs Lizard Head, made special arrangements so we could do this tour with only three guests. We really appreciated that 🙂

Here is what we did each day.

On Day 0 (Saturday, June 27): We drive from Colorado Springs to Grand Junction after finishing the Spanish Peaks and Great Sand Dunes tour the day before. We visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park along the way.

On Day 1 (Sunday, June 28): We shuttle to Mesa and bike 70 miles (with 6,600 ft of climbing) to Paonia over Grand Mesa. We rate this our best Lizard Head cycling day yet!

On Day 2 (Monday, June 29) We bike a shortcut from Paonia to Crested Butte over 10,007-ft Kebler Pass. It is only 47 miles (5,000 ft) compared to the 110-mile recommended route. However, 23 miles of the shortcut are dirt and gravel, which is why it is not recommended. We manage to make it on our road bikes without falling, see beautiful scenery, and get to Crested Butte early in the afternoon.

On Day 3 (Tuesday, June 30): This is the Queen Stage of the tour, i.e., the longest distance. We go 134 miles (8,000 ft) from Crested Butte to Creede. Mary and I bike all the way in 13 hours!! She is only the second woman to do this on a Colorado Cols tour. We follow several rivers and go over two high passes: Slumgullion and Spring Creek. We have perfect weather with mild temperatures and very little wind. Bruce completes the bike ride too but gets sick afterward and rides in the van for the rest of the tour 😦

On Day 4 (Wednesday, July 1): We bike 65 miles (3,100 ft) from Creede to Pagosa Springs and go over Wolf Creek Pass. This is net downhill and easy compared to the day before. Soon after we get to Pagosa Springs a spectacular thunderstorm arrives. While we are soaking in our first pool the light rain turns to heavy hail. The pools take on a new dimension as the water jumps up when the hailstones hit. Before long the pounding on our heads makes us want our bicycle helmets. That and nearby lightning prompt us to go inside until the storm passes. Afterward the hail is piled up like snow in many places.

On Day 5 (Thursday, July 2): This is nominally a rest day. However, we do an easy 31-mile loop west of town (1,900 ft). We have lunch by a lake that reminds us of Wisconsin. Afterward we soak in several pools without worrying about hail and lightning 🙂

On Day 6 (Friday, July 3): We shuttle from Pagosa Springs to Durango and then bike 72 miles (7,500 ft) from there to Ouray through the spectacular San Juan Mountains. We go over three high passes – Coal Bank, Molas, and Red Mountain – and descend one of the most incredible roads we have ever been on: the Million Dollar Highway. We spend the night in an “unusual” room at the Columbus Hotel, the last hotel in Ouray with any rooms on the holiday weekend.

On Day 7 (Saturday, July 4): We celebrate our anniversary by biking 121 miles (3,900 ft) from Ouray to Gateway. We do one more climb to nearly 9,000 feet, but the rest is mostly downhill following the San Miguel and Delores Rivers. The ride begins with cold rain as we leave the mountains and finishes in desert heat moderated by high clouds.

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 0 (Saturday, June 27): We go for a hike above the Black Canyon of the Gunnison on our drive between two bike tours.
  • Day 1 (Sunday, June 28): After a shuttle from Grand Junction, we begin biking in Mesa.
  • Mary starts the climb up Grand Mesa. The Book Cliffs on the other side of the Colorado River are in the distance.
  • We pass a beaver dam along the way.
  • We have lunch by this lake near the top of the mesa.
  • We spend the night at the Bross Hotel in Paonia. This town looks like Evansville Wisconsin, where Mary grew up.
  • Day 2 (Monday, June 29): We follow the North Fork of the Gunnison River for miles.
  • We bike up a good dirt road to Kebler Pass.
  • We reach Kebler Pass at 10,007 ft. The road is paved at the pass but is dirt on either side!
  • Crested Butte towers above the town of the same name.
  • We spend the night at Elk Mountain Lodge. Many buildings in town have bicycles in front.
  • Mary, Emily, Bruce, and I relax while we wait for dinner.
  • Day 3 (Tuesday, June 30): This is the elevation profile for today’s 134-mile Queen Stage. Slumgullion Summit is the big peak at Mile 94. The total climbing for the day is 8,000 ft.
  • We bike upstream for miles along the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River.
  • Mary climbs up Slumgullion Summit.
  • We celebrate reaching the top of Slumgullion Summit. This is the highest pass on the tour.
  • After a brief downhill, we climb again to Spring Creek Pass, which is just a bump after Slumgullion. The water on the side that we came up on drains into the Colorado River, while the water on the downhill side drains into the Rio Grande.
  • Wildflowers are in bloom along the headwaters of the Rio Grande.
  • Two happy bikers celebrate in Creede after their 134-mile ride!!
  • Day 4 (Wednesday, July 1): After we leave Creede, Mary rolls downhill along the Rio Grande.
  • The day includes one big climb up Wolf Creek Pass at 10,857 ft. There we cross back from the Rio Grande side of the Continental Divide to the Colorado River side.
  • We are treated to a delightful descent down these switchbacks on the way to Pagosa Springs.
  • We spend two nights at the Springs Resort and Spa. The San Juan River is in the foreground.
  • While we soak in the springs a thunderstorm passes overhead and piles hailstones next to this sidewalk and on the window sill.
  • Day 5 (Thursday, July 2): On our rest day we do an easy out-and-back ride to Hatcher Lake where we have lunch. This lake reminds us of Wisconsin.
  • When we get back to the springs we check out the Lobster Pot. At 112 °F it is the hottest pool and is never very busy 🙂
  • The Top O’ the Mornin’ pool is our favorite.
  • Day 6 (Friday, July 3): We begin biking in Durango after a shuttle from Pagosa Springs and see these deer just out of town. We see lots of deer on the tour, but these are the only ones who seem unconcerned about being close to people.
  • We bike along a flat country road in the Animas River valley before climbing over the San Juan Mountains in the distance.
  • We have a great view of the high country in the San Juan Mountains just after we top Coal Bank Pass.
  • Red Mountain Pass is the third and highest of the day.
  • We bike down the incredible Million Dollar Highway on our way to Ouray. The road is notched into cliffs with no guard rails, so everyone goes slowly, whether in cars or on bikes.
  • Mary poses at an overlook above Ouray.
  • Day 7 (Saturday, July 4): We bike in a cold rain as we leave Ouray but are treated to this beautiful, parting view of the San Juan Mountains after the rain stops.
  • Mary climbs Norwood “Hill” after following the San Miguel River for miles and miles.
  • Next we come to the Dolores River with its Hanging Flume in the right center.
  • This is a zoom of the flume. Most of the wooden parts are gone with just some of the iron “bents” that supported it left. This flume was built in the 1880s to move water downstream at high enough elevation to provide the pressure needed for hydraulic mining of gold.
  • Emily soaks Mary with the hose from a cold spring near the end of our ride.
  • Mary, Emily, and I celebrate the end of a great tour below the Palisade in Gateway. Mary and I biked “every fricking inch” of this tour, including two century rides of over 120 miles!

Spanish Peaks Bike Tour in 2015

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Mary and I rode the Spanish Peaks and Great Sand Dunes bike tour in Colorado with Lizard Head over six days in June 2015. There were seven guests and two guides, John and Leslie. Three guests besides Mary were engineers! One other guest was doing bioinformatics like me, and Leslie did graduate work in phylogenetics before she decided to become a guide. This was our kind of tour!

Here is our itinerary.

On Day 1 (Sunday, June 21): We shuttle from Colorado Springs to Beckwith Reservoir and then bike to Westcliffe. We cover 51 miles (with 5,800 ft of climbing) and go over four 9,000-ft passes!

On Day 2 (Monday, June 22): We bike 61 miles (1,800 ft), mostly downhill, from Westcliffe to Walsenburg.

On Day 3 (Tuesday, June 23): We do a short shuttle to Segundo and then bike 112 miles (7,300 ft) to Great Sand Dunes National Park. We go over two high passes: Cuchara (9,995 ft) and La Veta (9,413). We pass riders going the other way in the Race Across America. This is the Queen Stage of the tour, i.e., the longest ride, and we are really tired at the end.

On Day 4 (Wednesday, June 24): We hike in the park for awhile and then bike 59 miles (500 ft) against a strong headwind to Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa. We spend the night there in a yurt.

On Day 5 (Thursday, June 25): We shuttle to the Royal Gorge and then bike 55 miles (7,500 ft) to Victor. We encounter showers and a rainbow above Cripple Creek before going over Victor Pass (10,201 ft).

On Day 6 (Friday, June 26): We shuttle to the base of Pikes Peak where we begin the big climb to the top at 14,110 ft. I do the whole climb (!) but Mary shuttles the last few miles because she is not feeling well. We have an exciting descent to finish the ride and the tour. I bike 39 miles (6,900 ft) for the day, and Mary does 32 miles (4,000 ft).

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1 (Sunday, June 21): This is the view of Pikes Peak from Colorado Springs, where we start the day with a shuttle. Our objective on Day 6 is to bike to the top from the other side!
  • The shuttle takes us to Beckwith Reservoir, where we begin biking for the day.
  • We have lunch by Lake Isabel.
  • Soon afterward we get to Bishop Castle, where we climb part way up the left tower. Check out the dragon!
  • Jim Bishop, who built the castle, rests nearby.
  • After biking over four 9,000-ft passes, we finish with a great downhill to Westcliffe, where we spend the night. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains dominate the skyline.
  • Day 2 (Monday, June 22): We start biking in Westcliffe.
  • We pass some picturesque red barns.
  • We cruise downhill with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on our right. We see pronghorns, but they run too fast for me to take a picture of them.
  • Near the end of the ride, we come to one of the few climbs of the day.
  • We spend the night at La Plaza Hotel in Walsenburg. Parked in front is the Lizard Head rig that shuttles our suitcases and sometimes us.
  • Day 3 (Tuesday, June 23): After a short shuttle from Walsenburg to Segundo, we begin with some easy climbing to go around the Spanish Peaks, which are off to the right. The tan rock at the left of center is a massive dike radiating from the peaks.
  • After a steady climb we get to Cuchara Pass (9,995 ft), the first high pass of the day.
  • We pass a herd of donkeys in the valley on the other side.
  • Mary starts the climb to the second pass of the day with the Spanish Peaks behind her. We started the day on the other side of them and went over Cuchara Pass to the right.
  • Here I am at the second high pass of the day. It is mostly downhill from here to the end of the ride, but there is such a strong headwind that we have to pedal to go down!
  • Day 4 (Wednesday, June 24): This is the morning view from our lodge overlooking the Great Sand Dunes.
  • We hike across Medano Creek to get to the dunes. We see some fascinating surge flows in the creek.
  • We only hike part way up a dune to save energy for the biking ahead.
  • Mary begins biking for the day.
  • We pass a field of desert wildflowers.
  • And then we see one of the San Luis Lakes in the middle of the desert!
  • After fighting a strong headwind, we finish the day at Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa. We spend the night in the yurt on the left.
  • Day 5 (Thursday, June 25): We start the day with a shuttle to the Royal Gorge where we begin biking.
  • Mary rides on a backcountry road on our way to Cripple Creek.
  • Mary enters Cripple Creek. The pile of rubble in the upper right is from a huge gold mine. The black clouds portend rain ahead.
  • This is the huge open-pit gold mine between Cripple Creek and Victor. Those trucks are really big.
  • We bike under a rainbow during a brief shower (photo by John Humphries).
  • We go over Victor Pass. Pikes Peak is in the distance (photo by John Humphries).
  • We spend the night at the Victor Hotel. It was built of brick in 1899-1900 after all the wooden buildings in the business district burned down (photo by John Humphries).
  • Day 6 (Friday, June 26): We shuttle to the bottom of Pikes Peak and pass through the toll booth near the start of the climb.
  • The switchbacks go up and up.
  • I pop out above the clouds.
  • Mary joins me on the summit after I bike all the way to the top! We both have a thrilling descent back to the bottom and the end of the tour.

Sierra Climbing Trip in 2015

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Betsy and I spent five days backpacking and climbing in the Sierra in June 2015. We did a big clockwise loop that took us through the Evolution Basin where many peaks are named after famous scientists who did pioneering work in evolution and genetics. We climbed three mountains, packed over three passes (one without a trail), got snowed on the last two days, and did not see another person from the time we left the trailhead until just before we returned.

My blog of our wilderness adventure follows.

  • Day 1: Monday, June 1. Betsy is at North Lake for the start of our wilderness adventure.
  • Betsy packs above Lower Lamarck Lake.
  • North Lake, where we started, is the second lake far below to the northeast. Owens Valley and the White Mountains are in the distance.
  • The trail is steep as we approach camp.
  • I am still clean and wearing shorts just below camp.
  • Day 2: Tuesday, June2. We pack up to Lamarck Col on snow.
  • This is the view of Mt Lamarck north of the col.
  • Betsy is on top of Mt Lamarck at 13,417 ft with the slightly higher Peak 13,464 in back to the northwest. We climbed both.
  • Mts Wallace and Haeckel are prominent to the south. We made their first ascents of the year in 2013 when there was less snow.
  • Mts Darwin and Mendel are closer and even more prominent to the south. We decided that there was too much snow for us to climb them.
  • This is Darwin Canyon to the west of Lamarck Col.
  • This curious marmot came close as we made our camp in Darwin Canyon.
  • Day 3: Wednesday, June 3. Betsy packs through Darwin Canyon.
  • The canyon opens up to this view to the west of Darwin Bench.
  • We pack north toward our camp at the far end of the frozen lake. Mt Goethe, our afternoon climbing objective, is the rounded peak on the left.
  • We leave our packs at camp and climb Mt Goethe to the west. Betsy follows me up the summit ridge.
  • Betsy finds the summit register. We make the first ascent of the year!
  • Betsy poses on the summit of Mt Goethe at 13,264 ft. Our camp is at the isthmus between the two lakes below. We get back to camp at 8:45 pm.
  • Day 4: Thursday, June 4. We leave camp and pack north over the trail-less Alpine Col.
  • This is the view south from the col. Our camp the night before was at the far end of the lake.
  • This is the view north from the Col. We need to go down to Goethe Lake below where we will camp.
  • Packing down the huge talus blocks is tedious. A few snowflakes begin to fall to add to the drama.
  • Betsy tries the snow instead and postholes, so that is just as bad.
  • Eventually we make it to our camp at Goethe Lake after a hard day. New snow is coming.
  • Day 5: Friday, June 5. We awake to a sunny day after an inch of snow overnight. We still have more talus to traverse to the left of the lake.
  • Betsy packs out past the last of the talus as snow starts to fall again. Mt Goethe is to the left of center.
  • Mt Humphreys, Checkered Demon, and Mt Emerson are the three prominent peaks north of Muriel Lake. A good trail begins on the other side of the lake.
  • Betsy reaches Paiute Pass and the junction with the trail out. It is snowing again with occasional lightning and thunder!
  • I head down through the last of the snowflakes. Thankfully the lightning in the clouds overhead ends.
  • I touch our car back at North Lake to officially end our wilderness adventure 🙂

Zion to Santa Fe Bike Tour in 2014

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Mary and I did the bike tour of a lifetime with Lizard Head in August and September 2014! It was called Zion to Taos, but we actually biked all the way to Santa Fe. We covered nearly 900 miles in 13 days and biked EFI (every fricking inch) of the planned route plus some bonus miles without a shuttle, except for 25 miles after Mary fell and got a concussion. That required a quick trip to the ER for her to get a doctor’s OK to continue.

For the first week of the tour we had 15 guests and two guides, which was more than would fit in the single van that accompanied us after we left Zion. Three guests besides Mary and me biked EFI, which meant that there was enough room in the van for the others when they took a bump at the end of the longest day 🙂 Six guests left after the first week.

Bertrand and Ben were our guides for the first week, while Bertrand and Joe were the guides for the second week. Bertrand is a French chef, so we had some good meals along the road 🙂

Here is our itinerary for this awesome tour!

Day 1 (Sunday, August 31): Hike in the Virgin River Narrows with condors overhead, shuttle through the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel, and then bike to Mt Carmel (17 miles & 1,100 ft of climbing).
Day 2 (Monday, September 1): Mt Carmel -> Bryce Canyon (64 mi & 4,100 ft) followed by an afternoon hike
Day 3 (Tuesday, September 2): Bryce Canyon -> Boulder UT (77 mi & 4,800 ft)
Day 4 (Wednesday, September 3): Boulder UT -> Hanksville (87 mi & 5,500 ft)
Day 5 (Thursday, September 4): Hanksville -> Blanding (126 mi & 8,700 ft), the Queen Stage!!
Day 6 (Friday, September 5): Blanding -> McElmo Canyon (65 mi & 2,600 ft)
Day 7 (Saturday, September 6): McElmo Canyon -> Durango (70 mi & 5,000 ft)
Day 8 (Sunday, September 7): Durango <-> Pinkerton Hot Springs (31 mi & 1,000 ft) for a rest day bonus ride
Day 9 (Monday, September 8): Durango -> Pagosa Hot Springs (54 mi & 3,200 ft), Mary’s fall!
Day 10 (Tuesday, September 9): Pagosa Hot Springs -> Chama (48 mi & 3,600 ft)
Day 11 (Wednesday, September 10): Chama -> Ojo Caliente (94 mi & 5,300 ft)
Day 12 (Thursday, September 11): Ojo Caliente -> Taos plus a bonus out-and-back ride to Palo Flechado Pass (78 mi & 4,600 ft)
Day 13 (Friday, September 12): Taos -> Santa Fe (77 mi & 6,900 ft)

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1: Sunday, August 31. Mary and I are ready to start the tour with a warmup hike along the Virgin River in Zion National Park.
  • Condors circle overhead!
  • After shuttling through the 1.1-mile Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel on the east side of the park, we are ready to start biking for 13 days!
  • Mary climbs out of the park.
  • Day 2: Monday, September 1. We start three days of biking along Utah’s Scenic Byway 12.
  • We follow a dedicated bike path through Red Canyon.
  • When we get to Bryce Canyon National Park, we get off our bikes and go for a hike.
  • Day 3: Tuesday, September 2. We enter Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument soon after we leave Bryce Canyon.
  • Sunflowers are in bloom in a dry wash.
  • Escalante, with less than 1,000 people, is the largest town along today’s ride.
  • This is the view from Head of the Rocks. Can you find the road we will ride?
  • Mary does one of the last climbs of the day.
  • We spend the night at the Boulder Mountain Lodge, which serves us a delicious dinner and breakfast.
  • Day 4: Wednesday, September 3. Mary nears the top of the climb above 9,000 ft over the east shoulder of Boulder Mountain.
  • I get ready for a death-defying descent. I hit 49.7 mph on the way down!
  • We follow the Fremont River in Capitol Reef National Park.
  • A sheep watches warily from the bushes beside the road.
  • Irrigation makes a spectacular green oasis in the desert.
  • Factory Butte towers above the desert floor.
  • Day 5: Thursday, September 4. This is the long, lonely road that will take us 126 miles from Hanksville to Blanding for the Queen Stage of the tour. We leave in the dark before anyone else, and an owl flies beside us for awhile.
  • We wait at Hog Spring for Bertrand, who arrives in the van with a hot breakfast! We leave before any of the other guests arrive. From here until we near the end of the day’s ride, I see two outhouses, one ranch, and no services. It is really good that we have a van with us.
  • We roll downhill to the Colorado River.
  • We cross the river at Hite, the lowest elevation on the tour. We now have an uphill ride into a headwind with the temperature in the 90s.
  • We get some salvation in late afternoon when the wind dies down and a shower cools the air. This plaque at Salvation Knoll seems apt.
  • Day 6: Friday, September 5. At the first rest stop of the day, the trailer gets stuck on the drop-off by the side of the road. After disconnecting the trailer and jacking it up, we are able to put the rig back together again.
  • We cross into Colorado and stop for lunch at Sutcliffe Vineyards, which is in the irrigated bottom of McElmo Canyon.
  • We spend the night at Kelly Place in McElmo Canyon.
  • I explore one of the kivas nearby.
  • Day 7: Saturday, September 6. On our way from McElmo Canyon to Durango, we stop for lunch in Mancos. There we see the historic Bauer House.
  • Later we find this plaque commemorating the 1776 expedition of Dominguez and Escalante. These two Spanish priests and their party were the first Europeans to explore western Colorado, Utah, and northern Arizona.
  • Day 8: Saturday, September 7. On our rest day, Mary and I do a 31-mile loop ride from Durango up and down either side of the the Animas River Valley. Here Mary has just crossed the river.
  • We turn around near Pinkerton Hot Springs.
  • You can read about the springs here.
  • Day 9: Monday, September 8. Mary falls after hitting a pothole when leaving Durango and gets a concussion while cracking her helmet 😦 Bertrand drops us off at the ER and goes to Walmart to get a new helmet. After the doctor OKs Mary to continue, we rejoin the other guests for lunch by the side of the road.
  • We continue with the rest of the guests to Pagosa Springs and then do a bonus ride outside of town to make up for the miles we missed in the morning.
  • Later we soak in the hot springs. This is my favorite.
  • We regroup for dinner. Mary seems concerned but perks up when asked about what it’s like to be a rocket scientist.
  • Day 10: Tuesday, September 9. We enter New Mexico. This is a rougher place to bike. There are bullet holes in the welcome sign, and the shoulders of the roads are covered with glass from broken beer bottles. We have several flat tires on the rest of the tour.
  • We bike through some rain to finish in Chama. Bertrand prepares bouillabaisse for dinner outside our motel while Mary and Barb watch with eager anticipation.
  • Day 11: Wednesday, September 10. We bike south from Chama to Tierra Amarilla and then go east over the Brazos Summit at 10,528 ft on our way to Tres Piedras. This is the highest elevation of the tour.
  • There is little traffic on this high-country stretch of US 64.
  • We turn south at Tres Piedras and go to Ojo Caliente, where we soak in the pools and spend the night.
  • Day 12: Thursday, September 11. We bike on backroads to rejoin US 64 just before it crosses this bridge over the Rio Grande. Mary has two flats, and I have one along the way.
  • This is the impressive view of the Rio Grande Gorge from the bridge.
  • Wildflowers are still in bloom on the other side, even though it is September.
  • After a 42-mile ride to Taos, where we will spend the night, Mary and I do a 36-mile bonus ride out and back to Palo Flechado Pass.
  • Back in Taos we check out the historic plaza.
  • Day 13: Friday, September 12. On our final day of the tour we bike the High Road to Taos from Santa Fe in reverse.
  • We have great views from parts of the road that really are up high.
  • At our lunch stop, guide Joe takes a photo of the very fit team that bikes the whole 13-day tour. From left to right are guests Ron D, Barb, Dan, Liz, Mary, Wayne, Ron K, Debbie, Robert, and guide Bertrand.
  • Mary leads the team up one of our last climbs.
  • Near the end we take a detour on a dirt road to avoid some busy traffic.
  • Two happy bikers celebrate completing this awesome tour in Santa Fe!

Mount Shasta Climbing Trip in 2013

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Betsy and I climbed Mount Shasta at 14,179 ft in June 2013 for our second climbing trip of the year. Here is our itinerary for this two-day trip.

Day 1 (Saturday, June 8): Drive from Oakland to the town of Mount Shasta to eat lunch. Drive from town to the Bunny Flat trailhead at 6,950 ft. Pack 4-1/2 hours up the trail in Avalanche Gulch to Helen Lake at 10,400 ft where we camp for the night.
Day 2 (Sunday, June 9): Leave Helen Lake at dawn, and climb to the summit and back in 9 hours. Pack out in 2-1/2 hours, have dinner in town, and drive back to Oakland.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather. It was in the 50s with no wind when we were on the summit. Two days later the forecast was for a high in the 30s with gusts to 70 mph!

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1: Saturday, June 8. We enjoy this nice view of Mount Shasta from a turnout on I-5.
  • We get our wilderness permit and summit pass at the Bunny Flat trailhead.
  • We put on our packs are are ready to climb up the standard Avalanche Gulch route, which is above Betsy’s head.
  • After a short way we get to Horse Camp where Betsy fills up her water bottle from this spring coming out of a pile of rocks. This is the only running water on the climb.
  • Further up the trail these white pasqueflowers are growing out of the rocks.
  • A cloud of dust marks a rockfall, which stopped before reaching us.
  • We follow footprints in the snow as we head for Helen Lake. It is the broad rocky ridge in the right center of the picture, and the only water there is frozen as snow.
  • We camp on a flat spot with a great view of the forests far below!
  • After setting up camp we check out our climbing route for the next day. It goes up the snow to the right of The Heart and then through Red Banks to the summit ridge. You can see tracks in the snow from previous climbers.
  • Day 2: Sunday, June 9. After a restless night we are awakened by early risers who start the climb with headlamps in the dark.
  • We wait until the light of dawn before starting our climb. We won’t get lost with all of the climbers ahead of us.
  • As we approach The Heart we have this great view of the shadow of Mount Shasta to the west. I stop for awhile to catch my breath since I have not had time to acclimate to the altitude.
  • The crux of the climb is going through this notch in Red Banks, which are well named.
  • Betsy follows the trail higher up where the snow has melted.
  • Betsy poses with the summit on the upper right. The weather is great!
  • Betsy waits for me on the summit as every step I take is a struggle in the thin air. We have a lot of company.
  • We briefly have the highest point to ourselves.
  • Going down is easy, especially where we can glissade on the snow above and below Red Banks.
  • By the time we get back to camp the mountain seems deserted. We pack up and make good time going down to finish another great adventure!

Sierra Climbing Trip in 2013

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Betsy and I climbed Mounts Haeckel and Wallace in May 2013. Here is our itinerary for this three-day trip.

Day 1 (Sunday, May 26): Pack from the trailhead at Lake Sabrina (9,128 ft) to camp at Midnight Lake (10,988 ft). We go 7 miles in 5-1/2 hours.
Day 2 (Monday, May 27): Climb Mounts Haeckel (13,418 ft) and Wallace (13,377 ft). This takes us 12-1/2 hours roundtrip from camp. We make the first ascents of the year for both peaks!
Day 3 (Tuesday, May 28): Pack out 7 miles in 4 hours.

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1: Sunday, May 26. We cross the dam for Lake Sabrina at the start of our pack in and are surprised to find hardly any water in the lake!
  • This zoom photo shows our climbing objectives: Mount Haeckel in the center and Mount Wallace, the snow-topped peak to the left.
  • Higher up the trail we see that the upper part of Lake Sabrina has some water, though the white face of the dam is exposed.
  • Betsy crosses the outlet of Blue Lake on some logs.
  • Next we get to Dingleberry Lake. Mount Haeckel is the snowy peak second from the left.
  • We set up camp at Midnight Lake, which is just visible on the right. We had planned to go to Hungry Packer Lake but missed the trail junction in the snow. Two French climbers come down to our camp after failing to summit Mount Haeckel because they did not have ice axes.
  • Day 2: Monday, May 27. We wake up to a nearly full moon just before dawn.
  • Half an hour later in the alpenglow we are ready to start our climb.
  • After an hour of climbing we see the moon about to set behind the beautiful north face of Mount Haeckel.
  • We get our first glimpse of the col that we will climb. It is the low point on the east ridge of Haeckel.
  • Betsy climbs to the col.
  • When we reach the col we see the imposing southeast face of Mount Haeckel. Our route goes down to the snow and then up the red-colored rock to the south ridge, which we follow to the summit.
  • Betsy nears the summit of Haeckel.
  • I reach the summit with Evolution Basin behind me to the northwest.
  • Betsy signs the register. We make the first ascent of the year!
  • I stand on top of Mount Haeckel. Mount Wallace is the prominent peak to the south. We descend to the frozen lake and then climb Wallace by going directly up the snow and rock face.
  • Betsy nears the summit of Wallace.
  • Betsy signs the register on top of Wallace. We again make the first ascent of the year.
  • Mount Darwin is the massive peak behind Haeckel looking north from Wallace. After a cloud-free morning, storm clouds are approaching so we do not stay long up high.
  • Betsy enjoys the snow that starts to fall after we cross the col on our way back to camp.
  • A pile of rocks called a duck helps us find our way back in the falling snow.
  • Day 3: Tuesday, May 28. After light snow during the night we awake to find that most of it has melted. We pack up and head down.
  • I cross the Middle Fork of Bishop Creek on rocks.
  • When I get back to the trailhead I celebrate another successful adventure!

Redrock Canyons Bike Tour in 2013

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Mary and I did our first bike tour with Lizard Head in May 2013. It was called Redrock Canyons and was in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. In six days we covered 474 miles, including two centuries, with 30,200 ft of climbing. There were three other guests – Bob, Mary Ellen, and Charlie from Florida – and two guides – Joe and Chuck.

We had unusual, unsettled weather. On each of the last five days there was alternating sun and precipitation of some sort. Day 2 was the hardest. Not only was it long, but we had 40 miles of light rain into a headwind with the temperature in the low 40s. On the last day we briefly biked with hail stones pounding on our helmets and carpeting the road!

Here is the itinerary for the tour.

Day 1 (Sunday, May 5): Fruita -> east side of Colorado National Monument + Unaweep Canyon -> Gateway (62 miles & 4,600 ft of climbing)
Day 2 (Monday, May 6): Gateway -> Dove Creek (113 mi & 6,200 ft in under 12 hours), the Queen Stage and the longest that we had ever ridden!
Day 3 (Tuesday, May 7): Dove Creek -> Bluff (86 miles & 3,500 ft of climbing)
Day 4 (Wednesday, May 8): Blanding <-> Salvation Knoll (49 mi & 5,200 ft), a “rest day” ride
Day 5 (Thursday, May 9): Bluff -> Monument Valley (57 miles & 4,900 ft of climbing)
Day 6 (Friday, May 10): Monument Valley -> Hite (107 mi & 6,000 ft in under 10 hours), another century ride!

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1: Sunday, May 5. After a short shuttle from Grand Junction, Mary and I are ready to start biking in Fruita.
  • Soon we enter Colorado National Monument via the west entrance.
  • We climb these switchbacks to reach the rim of the canyon.
  • We follow Rim Rock Drive and eventually get to this great view of Independence Monument.
  • This closeup of Independence Monument shows two climbers on the ledge just below the summit on the left!
  • After lunch near the east entrance of the Monument, we do another shuttle to Unaweep Canyon. Many years ago it contained a river, but now there are just two creeks which are separated by this gentle divide.
  • We continue biking to Gateway, where we spend the night at the fancy Gateway Canyons Resort (not this log cabin). The Palisade is the prominent butte in the background.
  • Day 2: Monday, May 6. Mary leaves Gateway just after dawn with the Palisade in the background. We get an early start for this Queen Stage of the tour.
  • We follow the Delores River upstream for miles and eventually get to this overlook. When we get to the junction with the San Miguel River, we follow it upstream.
  • We have lunch in Naturita, after which we ride for 40 miles through cold rain! Eventually we reach the Delores River again and dry off. We cross the river there at Slick Rock and warm up as we climb on our way to Dove Creek, where we spend the night.
  • Day 3: Tuesday, May 7. John Humphries, the owner of Lizard Head, joins us briefly during our wet start from Dove Creek. After the rain stops, we have this view of Sleeping Ute Mountain across the sagebrush of the Colorado Plateau.
  • We cross into Utah and enter Hovenweep National Monument. It contains the ruins of several prehistoric villages scattered across multiple sites.
  • This ruin is called the Stronghold House.
  • Mary and I pose in our cold-weather biking attire.
  • After lunch we continue west to a rest stop at the Hatch Trading Post. Here Chuck and Joe stand by the trailer that hauls our luggage and food.
  • Mary climbs up from the trading post with the Sleeping Ute in the background. We ride to Bluff, where we spend the night.
  • Day 4: Wednesday, May 8. Mary, Charlie, Joe, and I decide to do an out-and-back bike ride on our “rest day”. After a shuttle to Blanding, we bike over Comb Ridge. Here Joe whizzes downhill from the road cut in the ridge.
  • We stop for a break at the Mule Canyon ruins.
  • We turn around at Salvation Knoll dressed in our cold- and wet-weather attire.
  • The weather finally clears as we go back through the road cut in Comb Ridge.
  • After we shuttle back from Blanding to Bluff, we find Chuck fixing a BBQ dinner for us!
  • Day 5: Thursday, May 9. We leave Bluff and bike one last time over Comb Ridge in the distance. We see four wild burros on today’s ride.
  • We stop for a break at this stunning overlook of the Goosenecks of the San Juan River.
  • We follow famous US 163 to Monument Valley.
  • We stop for lunch near the top of the climb and wait for the weather to clear.
  • This thunderstorm is pouring rain over the park at the end of our ride.
  • After waiting out the storm, we bike to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which is just across the border in Arizona. This is the spectacular view of the Mittens and Merrick Butte from our room at the View Hotel!
  • Day 6: Friday, May 10. We retrace part of our route from the day before and go past famous Mexican Hat back in Utah.
  • We bike across the Valley of the Gods and are awed by the formidable escarpment of Cedar Mesa, which awaits us ahead.
  • This sign advises us of the steep gravel road ahead. Called the Moki Dugway, it was built in the 1950s for trucks hauling uranium and vanadium ore down from the mesa. We do the 1,200 ft climb on our road bikes. The road switchbacks above and to the right of the sign!
  • We are treated to this awesome view down the switchbacks and across the valley from the top of the climb.
  • The road is straight and gently rolling on top of Cedar Mesa. The La Sal Mountains in the distance have new snow from the recent storms.
  • We stop for lunch by the van one last time at Kane Gulch Ranger Station. Soon after we leave, a black cloud passes overhead, and hailstones pound on our helmets and cover the road!
  • We bike west through the spectacular scenery of the future Bears Ears National Monument with the Henry Mountains in the distance.
  • Mary and I celebrate the end of a terrific tour on our bikes by the bridge over the Colorado River at Hite! We then do a long shuttle back to Grand Junction.

Trans Alps Challenge Bike Tour in 2012

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Mary and I did our last bike tour with Breaking Away in July 2012. Called the Trans Alps Challenge, it was 10 days of epic biking along the border between France and Italy! We biked 57 miles during two warmup days and 594 miles with 78,500 ft of climbing during the tour! There were eight guests plus three guides: Oleg Bozhor (the new owner), Mitch Clinton, and Guillaume Dassonville. We had biked before with all three guides.

Here is the itinerary for the tour.

Days -1 & 0 (Wednesday & Thursday, July 18 & 19): We arrive in Geneva on Wednesday afternoon and shuttle to Divonne-les-Bains in France, where we spend two nights. We do warmup rides of 13 miles on Wednesday and 44 miles on Thursday by Lake Geneva back and forth across the border between France and Switzerland.

Day 1 (Friday, July 20): Shuttle to St Pierre-en-Faucigny on the outskirts of Geneva in France and then bike to Crest-Voland over the Col de St Jean de Sixt (956 m), Col de la Croix Fry (1,477 m), and Col des Aravis (1,487 m) for 43 miles and 6,900 ft of climbing.

Day 2 (Saturday, July 21): Bike from Crest-Voland to Bourg-St-Maurice over the Col des Saisies (1,650 m) and Comet de Roselend (1,968 m), shuttle to Val d’Isère, and then bike to Lanslevillard over the Col de l’Iseran (2,770 m or 9,088 ft), the highest paved pass in the Alps. We bike 71 miles with 9,000 ft of climbing.

Day 3 (Sunday, July 22): Bike from Lanslevillard to Sestriere in Italy. We go over the Col du Mont Cenis (2,085 m) and Colle delle Finestre (2,176 m) and finish with the climb to Sestriere (2,035 m). We bike 55 miles with 10,000 ft of climbing.

Day 4 (Monday, July 23): Bike from Sestriere to Dronero with a short shuttle to avoid some construction. We bike 67 mi with 3,500 ft of climbing.

Day 5 (Tuesday, July 24): Bike a loop from Dronero over the Colle Fauniera (2,481 m) for 56 miles and 6,500 ft of climbing. We are the only guests to do all of this ride.

Day 6 (Wednesday, July 25): Bike from Dronero over the Colle della Lombarda (2,350 m) at the border with France and half-way up the Col de la Bonette (2,715 m) when a thunderstorm forces us to shuttle to Jausiers for the night. We bike 74 miles with 10,500 ft of climbing.

Day 7 (Thursday, July 26): Bike a loop from Jausiers over the Col de la Cayolle (2,326 m), Col de Champs (2,080 m), and Col d’Allos (2,250 m) for 85 miles and 10,700 ft of climbing. We are the only guests to do all of this ride.

Day 8 (Friday, July 27): Bike from Jausiers over the Col de Vars (2,109 m) and Col d’Izoard (2,360 m) and most of the way down to Briançon when a gusty thunderstorm forces us to shuttle the last few miles to town. We bike 53 miles with 7,800 ft of climbing.

Day 9 (Saturday, July 28): Bike from Briançon to the tops of the Col de Lauteret (2,058 m) and Col du Galibier (2,642 m), shuttle through tunnels, and then bike up the famous Alpe d’Huez (1,780 m). We bike 41 miles with 8,300 ft of climbing.

Day 10 (Sunday, July 29): Bike from Alpe d’Huez to the top of the Col de la Croix de Fer (2,067 m), over the Col du Glandon (1,924 m), and down to La Chambre for 49 miles and 5,300 ft of climbing. We shuttle back to Divonne-les-Bais to end our epic tour!

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day -1: Wednesday, July 18. We have this great view of Mont Blanc as we fly into the Geneva airport.
  • After Guillaume picks us up at the airport and shuttles us to Divonne-les-Bains, we get fitted for our bikes and go for a warmup ride. Here Mary stops by a cornfield with Mont Blanc in the distance.
  • Further along the first crop of hay has already been harvested.
  • Day 1: Friday, July 20. We get on our bikes in St Pierre-en-Faucigny to start the tour.
  • These two cols are open. When we arrive at the junction for them, we take the road to Col des Aravis.
  • We go over the easy Col de St Jean de Sixt, the first of three cols today.
  • Next we go over the Col de la Croix Fry.
  • We stop for lunch at the Col des Aravis.
  • This is the impressive view of Mont Blanc from the col (photo by Mitch Clinton). Afterward we go down the Gorges de l’Arondine, cross the river at Flumet, and climb a short way to Crest-Voland where we spend the night.
  • Day 2: Saturday, July 21. Soon after we start we go over the Col des Saisies and drop down to the valley on the other side.
  • Mary climbs the Cormet de Roselend (photo by Mitch Clinton).
  • We stop at the top of the Cormet de Roselend, the second col of the day. We then enjoy a long downhill to Bourg-St-Maurice, where we have lunch.
  • After a shuttle to Val d’Isère, we start the long climb to the Col de l’Iseran.
  • Mary approaches the top of the climb with Val d’Isère far below.
  • Mary has only 1 km more to go to the top of the climb.
  • We are on top of the Col de l’Iseran, the highest paved pass in the Alps! There are still patches of snow in July.
  • Long switchbacks take us down the other side of the col to Lanslevillard where we spend the night.
  • Day 3: Sunday, July 22. Mary is part way up the Col du Mont Cenis, the first climb of the day.
  • Mary reaches the top of the Col du Mont Cenis.
  • We bike several kilometers beside the lake near the top of the col.
  • We cross into Italy and drop down to Susa in the valley below.
  • We take the lightly travelled road on the right to the Colle delle Finestre.
  • I near the top of the Colle delle Finestre. The last 8 of 19 km are not paved. Of the eight guests on the tour, I am the only one to do the whole climb on a road bike!
  • I celebrate reaching the top of the Colle delle Finestre.
  • We drop down the other side and then begin the long climb to Sestriere at the end of the valley in the distance.
  • We spend the night in Sestriere, which is a biking destination in the summer and a ski resort in the winter.
  • Day 4: Monday, July 23. We retrace part of yesterday’s route until we get to this junction, where we go to the right toward Dronero.
  • We cross this bridge to finish the ride in Dronero where we spend two nights (photo by Mitch Clinton).
  • Here is the river that runs underneath the bridge.
  • Day 5: Tuesday, July 24. We do a loop ride that takes us over Colle Fauniera.
  • This stretch at 15% grade is the steepest of the tour.
  • Mary crosses an arched stone bridge.
  • We reach the top of Colle Fauniera in a cloud. The alternative name of Colle dei Morti is more sinister.
  • Lots of cows are grazing on the other side of the col.
  • These cowbells help keep track of the cows.
  • We stop at Hotel Village Ceaglio, which is a popular place for mountain bikers in the summer.
  • We strike up a conversation with Peter Vogt who is in charge of IT for the hotel.
  • Lots of old tools hang on a wall.
  • Day 6: Wednesday, July 25. We start the long climb up Colle della Lombarda.
  • We go up these switchbacks.
  • Mary nears the top of the climb.
  • We reach the top of the col, which is now named Col de la Lombard since we are entering France (photo by Mitch Clinton).
  • We go down these switchbacks on the other side. A ski resort is in the distance.
  • We go right at this junction to the Col de la Bonette.
  • Mary bikes past a waterfall.
  • We get off our bikes part way up the col because of a thunderstorm overhead and shuttle to Jausiers (photo by Mitch Clinton).
  • We spend two nights at the Hotel Villa Morelia in Jausiers (photo by Mitch Clinton).
  • Day 7: Thursday, July 26. We bike several miles from Jausiers to this junction where we start a big loop over three cols. First we go up Col de la Cayolle to the left.
  • We follow the Gorges du Bachelard for much of the climb.
  • We reach the top of Col de la Cayolle.
  • Fireweed is in bloom as we go down the other side.
  • We start the climb up Col des Champs.
  • The col is in the distance.
  • We reach the top of Col des Champs. The other guests are ahead of us.
  • Mary goes down the other side. We meet the other guests and our guide Guillaume at the bottom where they are finishing lunch. We have a snack and say good-bye to them as they all shuttle back to Jausiers.
  • We are on our own as we start the third climb of the day up Col d’Allos. The road is reserved for cyclists every Friday morning in July and August.
  • Mary crosses one of many stone culverts on the climb.
  • I make it to the top of Col d’Allos. Mary does too but struggles up this last climb of the day because she did not have enough to eat.
  • We have a long descent to the valley below and then a few more miles up the valley to the right to get back to Jausiers. We have a long day on our bikes: 85 miles with 10,700 ft of climbing!
  • Day 8: Friday, July 27. We leave Jausiers going north.
  • The Fort de Tournoux towers above the valley road. It was built to defend France against invasion from Italy.
  • Mary heads toward the Col de Vars.
  • We cross this river after which the climb gets steeper.
  • We reach the top of the Col de Vars.
  • We continue north a little way down these switchbacks and then turn east.
  • We ride along a road high above the Gorges du Guil.
  • Eventually we drop down to the river and see these kayakers.
  • We leave the main road to Italy and head north to the Col d’Izoard. It is 14 km to the top.
  • We bike through a small town in this valley before we get to the steep part of the climb.
  • The last couple of miles go through the otherworldly Casse Déserte.
  • This impressive monument is on top of the Col d’Izoard.
  • We follow these switchbacks down the other side. A gusty thunderstorm passes overhead, and we get a shuttle the last few miles to Briançon.
  • We walk to the old town of Briançon for dinner and cross the moat on this bridge.
  • Day 9: Saturday, July 28. We leave Briançon and start the climb to the Col du Lauteret in the rain.
  • Both cols that we will climb are open.
  • We reach the Col du Lauteret and continue up to the Col du Galibier.
  • Mary nears the top of the Col du Galibier.
  • We savor the top of the Col du Galibier, the fourth highest paved pass in France. We retrace the last part of our climb, shuttle through some tunnels, and bike to le Bourg-d’Oisans where we have lunch.
  • After lunch we start the 14-km climb up Alpe d’Huez.
  • This is the first of 21 switchbacks, which are numbered starting from the top.
  • Lots of switchbacks are behind us as we are high up the climb.
  • I near the top of the climb (photo by Mitch Clinton).
  • This banner marks the official end of the climb. Note the crosswalk underneath the banner.
  • Mary goes past the crosswalk to finish the official climb. However, we need to bike a little further to get to the hotel where we spend the night.
  • Day 10: Sunday, July 29. We proudly wear our new Alpe d’Huez jerseys that Oleg gave us the night before.
  • We go partway down by a different route and then rejoin the route that we took up the day before.
  • We bike along the valley floor until we come to this junction. There we turn right to climb the last two cols of the tour.
  • This World War I monument is partway up the climb.
  • Mary bikes along the Lac de Grand Maison.
  • We pass fireweed above the lake and head for the Col du Glandon in the distance.
  • We continue past the turn to the Col du Glandon and climb to the higher Col de la Croix de Fer along the road behind these signs.
  • We reach the top of the Col de la Croix de Fer. Bikers in a race come up the other side.
  • This is the Iron Cross for which the col is named.
  • We go back down to the Col du Glandon.
  • This big bike sculpture is at the col.
  • We go over the Col du Glandon and down these switchbacks to finish our biking at La Chambre. We shuttle back to Divonne-les-Bains to end our epic tour!