Gordon, Kurt Knutson, and I had a great time riding our mountain bikes in a 24-mile loop along and near Santa Ysabel Creek on March 19, 2023. Starting at the Boden Canyon Trailhead on SR 78, we rode above the creek through Boden Canyon, along the floor of Pamo Valley, up the Black Mountain and Santa Ysabel Truck Trails, higher still on Black Canyon Road, and then back to the start on paved roads.
Photos and commentary follow.
Kurt and Gordon are at the start of the ride at the Boden Canyon Trailhead on SR 78. We briefly follow the Guejito Truck Trail on the other side of the gate.
Kurt pushes his bike up this steep single track after we leave the truck trail when it drops down to the creek.
The trail soon widens and levels out. Blue ceanothus (California wild lilac) is in bloom.
This view looks back to the trail above and the creek below.
I bike past more blue ceanothus.
Gordon bikes past blue ceanothus in the distance and yellow poppies on the right.
The canyon opens up at Pamo Valley, and we briefly follow a paved road until it crosses Santa Ysabel Creek. This is the view downstream from the bridge where the pavement ends. The creek has much more water than usual because of the wet winter.
On the other side of the bridge we ride on a trail through the ranch in Pamo Valley above Temescal Creek.
This map shows that we are more than halfway up the coast-to-crest trail along the watershed of the San Dieguito River.
We continue on the trail after it crosses the dirt road. Pamo Valley is owned by the City of San Diego and leased for cattle grazing.
Kurt stares down a steer that obviously has the right of way. Kurt eventually goes on the grass around the steer.
We leave Pamo Valley and begin a long climb up Black Mountain Truck Trail and then Santa Ysabel Truck Trail, where I am here.
We pose for a team photo with Santa Ysabel Creek far below. Remarkably, one of the few persons we encounter on the truck trail happens by and takes this photo of us 🙂
We continue on the truck trail above the creek. Black Canyon Road, which is our way out, is in the distance.
This big rock is in the middle of the road, so no trucks have gone by recently.
I stop to decide how to cross the creek.
I ford it on my bike and come out with clean shoes 🙂
When the trail reaches Black Canyon Road, we follow it uphill toward Ramona to the south. Here Gordon celebrates the top of the climb! We then have an easy downhill on dirt until we get to paved roads that take us back to the start 🙂
Here is my blog of the awesome, six-day bike tour with Lizard Head that I did in and near Death Valley in March 2022. Among the adventurous group of 14 guests and 2 guides were my son Gordon, brother Jay, and nephew Brian Cornwell, as well as friends Barb Schreiber and Mike Smolin with whom Mary and I biked in 2007!
I biked EFI (every fricking inch) of the offered rides, and the following itinerary reflects that.
Day 1 (Sunday, March 13): Red Rock Canyon -> Blue Diamond + Old Spanish Trail -> Shoshone (49 mi & 2,600 ft of climbing) Day 2 (Monday, March 14): Shoshone -> Furnace Creek (77 mi & 3,900 ft) Day 3 (Tuesday, March 15): Furnace Creek <-> Dante’s View + Furnace Creek <-> Beatty Junction (63 mi & 4,200 ft) Day 4 (Wednesday, March 16): Mile 12 -> Ubehebe Crater -> Stovepipe Wells (74 mi & 4,300 ft) Day 5 (Thursday, March 17): Stovepipe Wells <-> Emigrant Pass (46 mi & 5,400 ft) + 4-mi hike in Mosaic Canyon Day 6 (Friday, March 18): Stovepipe Wells -> Rhyolite (41 mi & 5,300 ft)
This was a very well-photographed tour by me and others, so my blog is longer than usual. Also, check out Annette’s poem at the end.
Enjoy!
Day 1: Sunday, March 13. After a short shuttle from Las Vegas, Gordon, Wayne, Jay, and Brian are ready to start riding at the entrance to Red Rock Canyon.
A long line of bikers heads for the beautiful canyon with the horizontal red stripe.
The Fab 4 take a break at a scenic overlook near the mouth of the canyon.
We bike to Blue Diamond, have lunch, and then shuttle into California to ride along the Old Spanish Trail. Here our guide Wylie prepares to unload bikes for the afternoon ride while Rebecca and Annette take pictures.
After biking over the first of the tour’s two Emigrant Passes (a small unmarked bump of elevation 2,848 ft according to my GPS), we cruise downhill to the Amargosa River. This sign seems a stretch, since there is no water to be seen.
But after a few miles we see some water. Could this be the wild and scenic river?
Our day’s ride ends in Shoshone, which has one motel, one restaurant, one store, and one gas station.
We share some stories in the courtyard of the Shoshone Inn. Clockwise from guide Peter in bright blue are Wylie, Brian (who is wiped out), myself (who can’t seem to stop talking), and patient listeners Gordon, Mike, and Barb. (Thanks to Jay for the pic.)
On our way to dinner, Barb remembers that she needs to make a call. I don’t think it went through 🙂
Day 2: Monday, March 14. The Fab 4 are all smiles after breakfast is served outdoors by our guides. The phone booth behind me looks less functional than the one Barb tried the evening before.
Gordon, myself, and Jay start the tour’s longest ride in Shoshone and soon reach the entrance to Death Valley National Park. Without his bike, Gordon will have a tough time keeping up. (Thanks to Annette for the pic.)
Jay powers up the deserted road to Salsbury Pass.
After Gordon recovers his bike, we all make it to the top of Salsbury Pass (aka Salsberry Pass on the map), the high point of the day.
After a seat-rattling descent on a very rough road, we reach the floor of Death Valley. Jay seems well attired for the ride ahead. Telescope Peak has little snow on top because of the drought.
Eventually we rejoin Brian, who shuttled ahead, and get to Badwater.
There is actually some water here but not to drink.
After lunch we hike up a short, narrow canyon, from which there is a striking view of Badwater. (Thanks to Gordon for the cool pic!)
Gordon and I (as well as Chuck, Mike, and Lou) ride the full 77 miles from Shoshone to Furnace Creek to finish the day at The Ranch at Death Valley, our home for two nights. This is a very large resort with lots of greenery, including a golf course. There must be a lot of water underground.
Day 3: Tuesday, March 15. Two rides are offered today, and Gordon and I opt for the more challenging climb to Dante’s View. We are joined by Lee, who, along with her husband Richard, is only on the tour for two days. Wylie shuttles us up the first 11 miles and 2,300 ft of the climb so we can get back to Furnace Creek in time for lunch.
That still leaves 13 miles and 3,400 ft of climbing to the top, with a 15% kicker at the end.
We look for tortoises but don’t see any.
Gordon manages a smile despite the grinding climb.
The spectacular view at the top proves worth the effort!
Here is the view without us. Relevant elevations are 5,463 ft at Dante’s View, -282 ft at Badwater, and 11,049 ft at the top of Telescope Peak.
After lunch at Furnace Creek, I do a solo 24-mile ride to Beatty Junction and back. Along the way I see a few wildflowers but no superbloom.
Later I check out the 20-mule team wagons and other machinery at the outdoor Borax Museum on the grounds of the resort.
Day 4: Wednesday, March 16. After breakfast we shuttle a couple of miles to the site of the Harmony Borax Works, which is described on this plaque.
The entire team of 14 guests and 2 guides, except for Richard and photographer Chuck, gathers for a group photo. We then hike to the ruins and wagons behind us.
Here are wagons for hauling processed borax and drinking water.
Wylie retrieves Annette’s bike so she can ride a shortcut from here to Stovepipe Wells. The rest of us shuttle to Mile 12 on Scotty’s Castle Rd.
Once we arrive at Mile 12, we are greeted with a ferocious headwind that awaits those who will get on their bikes. Gordon takes this amazing video of Wylie playing a tune on a rubber band in that wind. That persuades almost everyone to shuttle 13 miles further. (See video with sound below.)
Chuck, Mike, and I get on our bikes and take turns breaking wind for 13 brutal, uphill miles until we get to the first rest stop. Chuck decides he has had enough and gets in the van for a bump, but Mike and I soldier on. Thankfully the wind and grade ease up, and we are fine. Here Mike leads me as we approach the turnaround at Ubehebe Crater.
Mike stands on the rim of Ubehebe Crater, which was created by a volcanic steam explosion in the recent geologic past, estimated at hundreds to thousands of years ago.
Eventually we regroup in the shade at the Grapevine Ranger Station while waiting for lunch. (Thanks to Chuck for the pic.)
After lunch we reverse the morning’s route and are treated to a terrific tailwind while going downhill as well 🙂 The wind spawns lots of dust devils, such as the one ahead near the sand dunes.
Most guests end the ride at the last rest stop, but a few of us, including Gordon here, continue on our bikes to Stovepipe Wells.
Along the way we pass the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
Finally, we arrive at Stovepipe Wells, our home for the next two nights. Mike and I bike 74 miles this day. Gordon bikes all but the first 13 miles.
We enthusiastically gather for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant and place our orders only to discover that there is only one cook this evening! Nearly two hours later (after some of our bedtimes 🙂 ) our food finally arrives. (Thanks to Annette for the cheery pic.)
Day 5: Thursday, March 17. Mike and I, and eventually Chuck, begin a long out and back ride from Stovepipe Wells to the second and much higher Emigrant Pass of the tour. It is 9 miles to the turn to the pass and 14 more miles to the top.
Mike and I get to the turn just before the van arrives with most of the guests who have taken a bump to start the day. (Thanks to Jay for the pic.)
I ride the last few miles to the pass with Patti. By the time we get there the temperature has dropped to the mid 50s! (Thanks to Chuck for the nice pic.)
Soon Gordon joins me at the pass, but there is not much to see besides this sign. I started the day at 10 ft above sea level and so have climbed more than 5,300 ft. The return to Stovepipe Wells is the most incredible downhill of the tour!
After lunch we go for a 4-mile hike in Mosaic Canyon. I hiked here as a graduate student in 1966!
Soon the canyon narrows.
Jay climbs up a dry waterfall over water-polished rock.
When the canyon is blocked by a much taller dry waterfall, the way around is obvious.
Brian and Gordon are dwarfed by their surroundings at the top of that dry waterfall.
We end the day with a stargazing outing at the nearby sand dunes and see the International Space Station fly over. (Thanks to Jay for the cool pic!)
Day 6: Friday, March 18. To avoid a shuttle, I start the last day’s bike ride from Stovepipe Wells and leave before anyone else.
I scream around the turn at Beatty Junction to meet the van, which caught and passed me earlier. (Thanks to Jay for the nice pic.)
Chuck, Mike, and Lou catch me at the van’s first rest stop, and we get ready to resume our ride. Some bikes are still up top for guests who are taking a second bump. (Thanks to Jay for the pic.)
I approach the second rest stop and leave Death Valley behind. (Thanks to Gordon for the pic.)
While I grind up the road on my bike, Jay hikes to this vantage point to take a picture of the van at the second rest stop. It is called Hells Gate because of the sere canyon ahead.
Mike, Gordon, and I celebrate our arrival at Daylight Pass, the high point for the day.
After one last downhill, we cross into Nevada and reach Rhyolite, where our biking ends.
The oft-photographed Cook Bank building is a shadow of its former self.
Here is what it looked like in better times.
The train depot still looks good, but the railroad was profitable only during its first year in 1908.
You can read its sad story here.
This is the intrepid team of 12 bikers who started and finished the tour together: Jay, Brian, Wayne, Rebecca, Barb, Mike, Chuck, Annette, Steven, Patti, Lou, and Gordon.
Multi-talented Annette wrote the following poem to commemorate the tour.
A fond memory by Annette Orella
I’m here to tell you all a quick rhyme Of a trip by fourteen once upon a time To Death Valley they rode Bicycling their mode To partake of all possible sweat and grime
Of great import were the guests on the trip Not just anyone can take on this ***blip**** It takes true guts Or perhaps be a little nuts To ride through the desert at a clip
From Oregon came Mike with Barb by his side Three cross country trips a source of Mike’s pride But she’s got a new plan E-biking to catch up to her man So up the hills her legs won’t be fried
From San Diego hailed Rebecca and sweet Lou Up and down the dunes they both flew Not a pool did they miss And with push ups found bliss Through the trip their broad smiles and good karmas grew
From Kansas and San Diego came the clan Bikers all through and through to a man Wayne a true EFI Gordon sturdy and spry Jay and Brian never opting for the van (at least that’s the way I’m choosing to remember it!)
Next from New York came Patti and Steve Whose laughter was truly a reprieve She cranked up each hill Pulling others by pure will And keeping all entertained by your leave
Partway through we were joined by Richard and Lee Sadly only one biker would they be But Lee carried the flame Riding hard all the same While Dear Richard patiently did a look-see
And last but not least Chuck – none too slow Whose love for cycling continues to grow As Annette tries to catch him His sights never dim As he continues to go go go go (go go go go go)
Now this story could not be complete Without the people who enabled this feat Our guides were the best Keeping bellies full, minds at rest Peter and Wylie thanks so much – what a week!
You might ask about our intrepid guide Wylie Of whose praises we sing very highly On each road he would dash With tattoos and a stash Providing care and encouragement kindly
This poem’s not complete without mention of Peter Jersey born, a man of skills hard to beat(er) Soft hearted and kind Helping us out of many a bind Having him guide was really a treat(er)
Now before we all say goodbye And return home with a bit of a sigh We’ll pack up one last time Jump on bikes, turn on a dime And drink in the desert landscape and sky.
The last bike tour that Mary and I did together was with Lizard Head in and near Yellowstone National Park in August 2019. We biked EFI (every fricking inch) for the first four days with the following itinerary.
Day 0 (Saturday, August 17): Fly from San Diego to Seattle and on to Bozeman. Day 1 (Sunday, August 18): Shuttle to West Yellowstone and then bike to Canyon Village (40 miles & 2,500 ft of climbing); this was my best birthday ever: riding a bike with my best friend through spectacular scenery in perfect weather with a tailwind! Day 2 (Monday, August 19): Canyon Village <-> Yellowstone Lake with side trips to the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (47 miles & 2,300 ft). Day 3 (Tuesday, August 20): Canyon Village -> Grant Village (66 miles & 3,700 ft). Day 4 (Wednesday, August 21): Grant Village -> Cody (103 miles & 3,400 ft).
Mary did these challenging rides with a cold that worsened each day. By the time she got to Cody, she was exhausted and decided that she could not bike the even tougher days ahead. Thus she rested on Day 5 and flew home on Day 6 😦
I continued on, however, with the following itinerary.
Day 5 (Thursday, August 22): Out-and-back from Cody along South Fork Road (52 miles & 2,000 ft). Day 6 (Friday, August 23): Cody -> Cooke City (77 miles & 8,000 ft). Day 7 (Saturday, August 24): Cooke City -> Red Lodge (66 miles & 5,300 ft); shuttle back to Bozeman.
Photos and commentary follow.
Day 0: Saturday, August 17. I had a great view of the High Sierra during our flight to Seattle; Thousand Island Lake is at the lower left, Banner Peak and Mount Ritter are at the lower center, and Mammoth Mountain is at the upper right.
Mount Rainier towers above the clouds in this view from our flight to Bozeman.
Day 1: Sunday, August 18. After a morning shuttle, we biked from West Yellowstone to Canyon Village; we followed the Madison River upstream to its source at the junction of the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers; we whizzed along with a tailwind most of the day
At the river junction, we continued up the Gibbon River
Steam vents are prominent throughout the Norris Geyser Basin
Emerald Spring gets its beautiful color from the combination of yellow from sulphur lining the pool and reflected blue light from the sky
Steamboat Geyser is the world’s tallest! major eruptions of 300 ft are infrequent; minor eruptions of 10 to 15 ft are common; although it is just steaming here, I have a video of a minor eruption
Day 2: Monday, August 19. We biked an out-and-back from Canyon Village to Yellowstone Lake
We followed the Yellowstone River for miles; on the way back we stopped at Hayden Valley, shown here, which is prime habitat for bison
This one was on the other side of the road; we saw lone males every day in the park but no herds; they were reportedly further north in Lamar Valley, which is closed to bicycle tours
When we neared Canyon Village, we took side trips to the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone; this famous view is of the Lower Falls
The Upper Falls, though not as tall, is also impressive; we biked across the bridge above the falls
Day 3: Tuesday, August 20. We biked from Canyon Village to Grant Village and went past many more steam vents
Old Faithful was true to its name; thousands of people joined us to watch this spectacle; I also have videos of the eruption
We crossed the Continental Divide from west to east twice; this first crossing of the day at Craig Pass featured Isa Lake, a narrow little lake covered with lily pads
You can read here about this remarkable little lake
Day 4: Wednesday, August 21. We biked from Grant Village to Cody, outside the park; here are our vans and trailers at the first rest stop; the bikes on top of the blue trailer belong to guests who wanted a “bump” so they would not need to do the entire 103-mile ride
Throughout the park, we passed miles and miles of burnt trees from various fires, the most massive of which were in 1988; these trees are above Yellowstone Lake
After a steady climb, we reached Sylvan Pass at Mile 43; from here we had 60 miles of downhill to Cody! along the way, we left the park via its east entrance and encountered sporadic showers
Our long downhill followed the North Fork Shoshone River
We biked through three tunnels at Shoshone Canyon; this is the first and longest one
A weary but relieved Mary stands in front of the cabins at Buffalo Bill Village in Cody, our home for this night and the next; her face and helmet are spattered with mud from drafting me on rain-soaked roads; in the four days since we left West Yellowstone, we biked EFI (every fricking inch) without a shuttle, covering 256 miles and climbing 11,900 feet
Day 5: Thursday, August 22. This was an optional rest day, but I chose to do a relatively easy out-and-back ride on South Fork Road, which follows the valley of the South Fork Shoshone River; the lack of traffic compared to Yellowstone was a pleasant change; I got worried when my thermometer hit 93 °F before the turnaround; fortunately clouds moved in and dropped the temperature by 10 °F
The most distinctive landmark along the way was Castle Rock, shown here left of the sign
Day 6: Friday, August 23. I was one of only six or so guests who biked all 77 miles from Cody to Cooke City; most shuttled the first 17 miles to the start of the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, which covered all but 13 of the remaining miles to Cooke City
These are the long, sweeping switchbacks that I climbed at the start of the byway
Eventually I got to Dead Indian Pass (8,071 ft), which commemorates the unsuccessful 1877 flight of the Nez Perce to escape the US Army; this is the jaw-dropping view of the switchbacks I descended from the pass; at the bottom, I crossed Dead Indian Creek and had a gradual climb from there almost all the way to Cooke City
After crossing Dead Indian Creek, the byway first goes along a bench above the canyon of Clarks Fork Yellowstone River and later follows the river itself; Pilot Peak is the pointed spire in the distance
This group photo in Cooke City shows our 20 guests (without Mary) and four guides
Day 7: Saturday, August 24 The last day’s ride was entirely on the Beartooth Highway from Cooke City to Red Lodge; the first 13 miles retraced the end of the previous day’s ride except that the temperature was in the 30s most of the way and reached a low of 35 °F! fortunately it got warmer once the sun came up and we started to climb; this view back shows Pilot Peak in the morning light
Once again, there were long, sweeping switchbacks to climb; this view back above timberline is just below the summit
Here I am at Beartooth Pass, the high point of the tour!
After crossing the summit plateau, I was treated to an incredible downhill all the way to Red Lodge; long straights were broken up by these spectacular switchbacks going down; at one point I hit 43 mph in a 45 mph zone!
Four happy bikers celebrate the end of an awesome tour in Red Lodge; Bruce, Ilse, and Jeff are friends from Vancouver who biked with Mary and me in Arizona three years before; in the final three days, I biked 195 miles and climbed 15,300 feet, which gave a total of 451 miles and 27,200 feet for the week
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!
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
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!
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!
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.
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!
Wayne Pfeiffer 