Author: wpfeiffer

Chile Bike tour in 2019

| wpfeiffer

Betsy, Gordon, Mary, and I did a seven-day bike tour with Ecotours Chile in the lake district of Chile in March 2019. This tour was on Mary’s bucket list for years, and she was thrilled when the kids and I finally went with her 🙂 Here is the itinerary for our tour.

Day 0 (Sunday, March 3): We arrive in Santiago after a 14-hour, overnight flight from Los Angeles and check into our Airbnb. In the afternoon, Betsy, Mary, and I walk to Cerro Santa Lucia and visit the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts on the way back.

Day 1 (Monday, March 4): We fly to Temuco and meet our guide David, driver Javier, and the other two guests, Jennifer and Linda, who are sisters from Pittsburg Kansas. We shuttle to Corralco Lodge at the base of Volcán Lonquimay and bike 15 miles (with 1,800 ft of climbing) to Túnel las Raíces and back in the afternoon.

Day 2 (Tuesday, March 5): We shuttle through the tunnel and then bike for 66 miles (5,200 ft) through Liucura to Paso Pino Hachado and back to Liucura, after which we shuttle back to Corralco Lodge.

Day 3 (Wednesday, March 6): We bike mostly downhill for 61 miles (2,100 ft) from Corralco Lodge to Lautero and then shuttle to Pucón on Lago Villarrica at the base of Volcán Villarrica. We spend the first of two nights at Hotel Vientos del Sur.

Day 4 (Thursday, March 7): We bike from Pucón to Lago Caburgua and then on to Termas Huife where we soak in the hot springs. We bike a little more for a total ride of 44 miles (3,500 ft) and shuttle the last few miles back to Pucón.

Day 5 (Friday, March 8): We shuttle to Panguipulli and then bike 43 miles (4,300 ft) along the east shore of Lago Panguipulli and on past Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco to Puerto Fuy on Lago Piriheico. We spend the night at the Marina Fuy Hotel.

Day 6 (Saturday, March 9): We shuttle to a Nestlé plant south of Osorno and bike 47 miles (2,400 ft) along the west shore of Lago Llanquihue to a little beyond Frutillar. We do a short shuttle to Puerto Varas on Lago Llanquihue. We spend two nights there at Casa Kalfu Hotel.

Day 7 (Sunday, March 10): We bike from Puerto Varas along the south shore of Lago Llanquihue to Volcán Osorno. Betsy and Mary do all but the last four miles of the very steep climb up Osorno, while Gordon and I go all the way to the end of the road at the ski resort for 37 miles (5,000 ft). We then shuttle back to Puerto Varas.

Day 8 (Monday, March 11): We walk around Puerto Varas, take a shuttle to Puerto Montt, and fly to Punta Arenas where we start our trekking tour the next day 🙂 We spend the night at Hotel Rey Don Felipe.

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 0 (Sunday, March 3): Mary makes friends with a llama in Santiago.
  • Betsy and Mary stand below Cerro Santa Lucia in Santiago.
  • Day 1 (Monday, March 4): In the afternoon we arrive at Corralco Lodge, the ski resort where we spend two nights. It is at the base of Volcán Longquimay (9,400 ft), which last erupted in 1990. We go for a 15-mile, out-and-back bike ride before dinner.
  • Monkey puzzle trees surround the lodge. Their tough, long-lived leaves have sharp edges and points.
  • Stray dogs are common throughout Chile. This one hung out at the lodge, where the temperature was close to freezing overnight. Mary gave it food scraps after our meals.
  • Day 2 (Tuesday, March 5): David and Javier help the guests get ready to bike.
  • Betsy starts our longest day of biking (66 miles) after we shuttle through Túnel las Raíces. That single-lane tunnel is the longest in Chile (2.8 miles) and is just below the Sierra Nevada volcano (8,379 ft), the white-capped mountain in the distance.
  • We are in the Araucanía Region. We started biking east of the tunnel and are going southeast to Paso Pino Hachado.
  • Mary climbs to the pass above the Río Biobío valley.
  • I summit Paso Pino Hachado (6,181 ft) at the border between Chile and Argentina, our turnaround for the day.
  • Mary summits too after breaking wind for Gordon on much of the climb.
  • These monuments mark the border.
  • Gordon whizzes down the thrilling descent back to Liucura in the valley below.
  • Day 3 (Wednesday, March 6): We have an easy, 60-mile ride mostly downhill from Corralco Lodge to Lautero. After that, we shuttle to Pucón, where we spend two nights at the Hotel Vientos del Sur.
  • Day 4 (Thursday, March 7): We do another easy ride for 44 miles near Pucón. There are birds and cattle on one side of the road …
  • and llamas on the other side.
  • Eventually we get to some hot springs.
  • We enjoy the pool and hot springs, which are uncrowded on a cloudy day.
  • After soaking and eating lunch, we bike a little further.
  • Gordon’s and my favorite part of the ride is stopping to eat wild blackberries 🙂
  • Day 5 (Friday, March 8): We gather for a family photo at Lago Villaricca below Volcán Villaricca before shuttling from Pucón to Panguipulli.
  • We start biking outside of Panguipulli and ride for 43 miles along the east shore of Lago Panguipulli to the other side of Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco (7,946 ft) in the distance.
  • Javier has a healthy snack ready for us along the way.
  • We go past this cool kayak course on the river below.
  • We spend the night at the Marina Fuy Hotel on Lago Piriheico.
  • Day 6 (Saturday, March 9): We shuttle south past Osorno and then bike to this restaurant, where Mary relaxes after eating a delicious buffet.
  • These llamas are in a field next to the restaurant, which has a spectacular view overlooking Lago Llanquihue with Volcán Osorno (8,701 ft) in the distance. The volcano last erupted in 1869.
  • We bike 47 miles and shuttle the last bit to Puerto Varas, where we spend two nights at bike-friendly Casa Kalfu Hotel.
  • Day 7 (Sunday, March 10): On our final day of biking, we continue around Lago Llanquihue to the base of Volcán Orsono.
  • Betsy, Gordon, and Mary approach the base of the 8-mile climb to the end of the road at the ski resort below the summer snow line. Betsy and Mary do half of that very steep climb, while Gordon, David, and I bike all the way. Some pitches are between 16 and 20% grade!
  • Gordon makes the last part of the climb look easy.
  • Gordon, David, and I celebrate the climb and the end of a successful tour at the ski resort!

West Texas Bike Tour in 2017

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Mary and I did a seven-day bike tour with Lizard Head in West Texas during April 2017, covering 382 miles on our bikes. We rode three days in the Davis Mountains and four days in the Big Bend parks on good roads with very little traffic. We did more shuttles than on previous trips but shared them with very interesting guests and our guides, John and Leslie. Here is a brief summary.

On Day 1 (Sunday, April 9): We shuttle from El Paso to just south of Kent. We then bike 38 miles into a strong headwind on the west side of the Davis Mountains and do another shuttle to our overnight stay in Marfa. This town was made famous by the movie Giant, which was filmed west of town.

On Day 2 (Monday, April 10): We shuttle to Fort Leaton just east of Presidio and then bike 59 miles to the ghost town of Terlingua. It has a population of 58, not including ghosts. This ride is up and down along the Rio Grande, mostly in Big Bend State Park. The air temperature is in the 90s, but our bike thermometers read in the 100s. We spend the first of three nights in Terlingua, which is just outside Big Bend National Park.

On Day 3 (Tuesday, April 11): We bike 48 miles from Terlingua to the Santa Elena Canyon of the Rio Grande, where we hike and wade in the river before shuttling back to our ghost town. We bike a U-shaped route, mostly in the national park, with an uphill headwind on the first leg and a downhill tailwind on the last leg.

On Day 4 (Wednesday, April 12): We bike up to the Chisos Basin, go on a hike, and bike back to Terlingua. We do 58 miles on our bikes, covering some of the same route as the day before. Mary’s GPS says that she sets a new 40-km speed record on the way back, as we go downhill with a tailwind most of the way. We see some scraggly lupine flowers, which are evidently called bluebonnets in Texas.

On Day 5 (Thursday, April 13): We shuttle to Panther Junction and then bike 68 miles out of the national park to Marathon. The scenery is pretty bleak, but are lots of small wildflowers and interesting roadkill: a deer, badger, peccary, and vulture.

On Day 6 (Friday, April 14): We shuttle to Fort Davis and the then bike the Davis Mountains loop, part of which reverses our first day’s ride. This is reportedly the best ride in Texas, and the last part of our 75-mile clockwise loop is very nice. Mary and I also add three bonus miles climbing to the top of Mt Locke where the 2.7- and 2.1-m telescopes of the McDonald Observatory are located.

On Day 7 (Saturday, April 15): We do a blazing downhill ride for 33 miles from Fort Davis to San Solomon Springs at Balmorhea State Park. There we swim with fish in the huge, freshwater pool. Afterward we shuttle back to El Paso.

Photos and commentary follow.

  • Day 1: Sawtooth Mountain in the Davis Mountains
  • Day 2: Flash flood gauge; it is hard to believe that there is ever 5 feet of water in this desert wash
  • Day 2: The Rio Grande, a strip of green across miles of desert
  • Day 2: Remains of Contrabando, a ghost town on the Rio Grande used as a set for several Western movies; most building were torn down recently
  • Day 2: The ghost town of Terlingua is on the light-colored ridge straight ahead with the Chisos Mountains in the distance
  • Day 2: Reunion in Terlingua! Remarkably, Mary and Wayne had dinner with her sister Ann and husband Dick (on the right) along with their good friends Jerry and Suzanne (on the left), who were on a separate trip to West Texas at the same time!
  • Days 2 to 5: Downtown Terlingua as seen from Mimi’s Room 6, our lodging for three nights; many ruins, such as those in the foreground, dot the area
  • Days 2 to 5: Some ruins have been repurposed, such as this one where we had breakfast each morning; there was always a line when it opened at 7:30 am
  • Days 2 to 5: Mimi’s Room 6 where we stayed at La Posada Milagro; the bedroom is another repurposed ruin, while the bathroom on the right is new
  • Day 3: Santa Elena Canyon of the Rio Grande
  • Day 3: Rio Grande where it exits Santa Elena Canyon; we waded across it here from the US to Mexico (left to right)
  • Day 4: Biking to the Chisos Basin
  • Day 4: Hiking the Chisos Basin loop
  • Day 4: Biking back from the Chisos Basin, which is in the deepest notch of the Chisos Mountains in the distance; to get there we biked around the left ridge and went up the other side
  • Day 5: Cactus flowers
  • Day 5: The Gage Hotel where we spent the night in Marathon; our guides, Leslie and John, are securing the bikes on top of the van for the next day’s shuttle to Fort Davis
  • Day 6. Drug store and hotel in Fort Davis; we stayed across the street at the Limpia Hotel
  • Day 6. Entrance to the McDonald Observatory; the 10-m telescope in the distance is on Mt Fowlkes; we climbed Mt Locke, which is 150 ft higher behind the trees to the right
  • Day 6: On top of 6,790-ft Mt Locke in front of the 2.7-m telescope; there is also a 2.1-m telescope nearby
  • Day 7: Indian paintbrush
  • Day 7: End of the biking at San Solomon Springs
  • Day 7: Huge, freshwater swimming pool at San Solomon Springs; we swam all the way around this nearly two-acre pool; the water is very clear and up to 25 feet deep with lots of fish

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 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!