The Scout Trail

Day 261
Boy Scout Trail
Time: 3:15:00
Distance: 23.2 miles
Avg Speed: 7.3 mph
Terrain: Classic Colorado Mountain Bike Ride
Location: 107° 17' 56.353" W, 39° 32' 36.116" N

Our quest to ride singletrack on our days off continued today with the Boy Scout Trail, a classic Colorado ride. Starting on the newly completed Rio Grande Trail, which continues through Carbondale to Aspen, we rode south along Highway 82 to access Red Canyon Rd. A couple hours of stiff climbing lay ahead of us and we settled in for the long haul. Luckily, the spectacular views of Mt Sopris distracted us while we made our way to the radio towers above Glenwood. After two hours of climbing we were rewarded with a fun and challenging singletrack descent into the city. The trail is perched on the side of Lookout Mountains and, at times, I felt as if I might fly off the trail into the canyon below. It was just as spicy as I remember.
LK

I-70 Time Trial

Day 260
Rifle Gap State Park to No Name
Time: 4:04:00
Distance: 38.3 miles
Avg Speed: 9.4
Terrain: Rolling
Location: 39˚ 33’ 34.8” N, 107˚ 17’ 42.6” W

There was just no way around it; we had to go through it. Between exits 109 and 114 on eastbound Interstate 70 we had the BOB Trailer ride of our lives. Chris called it the “I-70 Time Trial”. Nothing like pedaling all out while pulling 40lbs. of gear. “It’s all training”, as we like to say…
Day 260 started out with a pleasant ride up the Rifle Falls. We had never been there and it’s been highly recommended to us. We weren’t disappointed at all. Three huge waterfalls raged and tumbled over limestone cliffs about 60 feet tall. A fine mist from the water sparkled in the morning light. It was awesome and well worth the detour.
After the quick sightseeing trip, we retraced our route down from the falls and pedaled our way southeast toward New Castle. The hay meadows and side roll irrigation gave way to new developments and a golf course. The transition from urban to rural is ever present these days on the western slope.
After a couple of $5 footlong sandwiches at Subway (now you have that song in your head), we did the I-70 time trial and arrived in Glenwood Springs. We’ve been there a thousand times, but it was a first on a bicycle tour. It’s amazing how excited I’ve been to travel through places on my bike that I’ve been before. Simple things can make a huge difference I guess.
Glenwood Springs is probably one of the most recognized mountain towns in Colorado. It has a beautiful setting at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers. The area was first inhabited by the Ute Indians and then settled in the late 1800s. Glenwood was developed into a world class resort that catered to the wealthy. The famous Hot Springs Pool was opened in 1888 and the storied Hotel Colorado was opened in 1893, design after the Villa de Medici in Italy. Over the years we grew to love a day trip to Glenwood from Gypsum. We usually found something in the way of good food, interesting history, fascinating geology or just a relaxing atmosphere.
On our way through town, we stopped for some groceries and then finished the ride to No Name. We’ll be staying in Glenwood Canyon with some good friends for a couple of days. We’re looking forward to catching up with each other’s trips, eating, and laughing a lot.
LK