What an incredible tour!
Arrived a few days early because I was worried about the altitude (being a flatlander). We got a great condo at the Vail Racquet Club to get some light training in before the tour. This is a great place to stay! A right turn out of the club and you are on the climb to Vail Pass. My first day on the bike, I rode to the top of Vail Pass and back. This is a great pass to start with because it is mostly on a bike path. The next day I rode up and over, descending to Cooper and climbing from the other side. The ascent from Cooper is the easy direction.
The official tour began on August 1, leaving from Edwards and climbing Battle Mountain Summit (9267 ft), Tennessee Pass (10,424 ft.) , and then Fremont Pass (11,318 ft.). I felt good for my first tour day in Colorado. A little overcast for the start of our tour, but I managed to beat the rain into Frisco. The next day we headed for Idaho Springs via Swan Mountain (9,550 ft.) and Loveland Pass (11,992 ft.). Loveland is a LONG climb! Very cloudy/foggy day.
And then there was Mt. Evans (14,240 ft.). If this were a Grand Tour, this would be the Queen stage. We finally got some sun for the climb. Getting to the top ranks among my favorite accomplishments on the bike. Half-mile from the summit I was feeling pretty bonky. I couldn't tell if it was from the altitude or eating, so I stopped and sucked down the rest of my bottle and was revived enough to ground out those last few switchbacks. Off the top of the world and on to Golden.
From Golden to Estes Park via the Peak to Peak highway there are no great passes, but more of the rolling terrain I'm familiar with from the Midwest. There were a few very steep sections. Enjoyed my rest day in Estes Park by previewing our next day's ride: Trail Ridge Road.
Trail Ridge Road was a great ride. Very beautiful in the early morning, with a herd of deer grazing at the park entrance. We had another wildlife encounter just as we started our descent. A pair of Elk were standing at the side of the ride (somewhat too close for my comfort). I eased my camera out and took a few shots before finishing my ride down to Granby. And then the last day, over Gore Pass (9,527 ft.) and CO 131 Summit (8,250 ft.) and the fast ride back into Edwards.
Can't wait to get back to Colorado for another tour!
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