Day 48: Sapinero to Lake City - Sacramento to Loveland via 11 National Parks 2010 - CycleBlaze

June 15, 2010

Day 48: Sapinero to Lake City

Today's ride is in memory of my grandmother Ruth Tasto who died today at the age of 98. Colorado was one of her favorite places.

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Overnight was cold and calm with a heavy dew. But the sun started shining on my tent at 6AM. Still some ice in water bottles at 7 AM. Finally blue sky after 3 cloudy days. I got on the road at 8:40.

Campground view of the north wall of the Gunnison river canyon. It's the easternmost part of the national park.
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Within sight of the campground is the turnoff for a 14-mile gravel road called Blue Mesa Cutoff. Half the road is in the Ute Mountain Indian reservation. The road climbs 800 feet through a canyon up to the mesa. There are no houses. Just range land. No traffic. Sagebrush and grass persist above 8000 feet elevation before forest begins.

Climbing through a canyon to Blue Mesa.
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14 miles of gravel on Blue Mesa Cutoff road.
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Blue Mesa.
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After a few miles of rolling hills the road descends steeply to the Lake Fork Gunnison river.

Descent from Blue Mesa.
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Shangri La. Final descent to the Lake Fork Gunnison river.
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There are no services on today's route. I made lunch at a 5-site National Forest campground alongside the Lake fork Gunnison river. The gravel road continues 2 miles along the river, then connects to highway 149.

Lake Fork Gunnison river.
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I turned right, still upstream, towards Lake City. The highway has 1 or 2 cars per minute, still tranquil.

Highway 149 climbing along the river to Lake City.
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Clouds were building in the afternoon but it was mostly sunny, about 75F. Near Lake City I had to stop to repair a flat. #3 so far...another tiny wire.

Highway 149 near Lake City.
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I rode back and forth through Lake City (population 375, elevation 8658 ft.). It's a low-key tourist town with a historic district. Most of the tourists and shopkeepers are from Texas. I really like the place. A former mining town, of course. But it's rustic and small, an anti-Telluride.

Lake City.
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Lake City has a couple of grand buildings.
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The county courthouse is not so grand.
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First Baptist Church in Lake City.
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First Presbyterian Church in Lake City.
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Lake City.
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I camped at the Elkhorn RV park. $20. Nice grassy campsite with Wi-Fi. I'm surprised that my AT&T phone actually has service. Dinner was Texas-style barbeque brisket and pulled pork. Life is good.

Today I only pedaled 42.5 miles, but most of it was uphill and 14 miles was gravel.

Distance: 42.5 mi. (68 km) 14 miles on gravel

Climbing: 3100 ft. (940 m)

Today's ride: 43 miles (69 km)
Total: 2,193 miles (3,529 km)

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Kelly IniguezThe search engine here took me right to your journal. I think I finally have half a route for my zero birthday trip. I remembered you rode the Cut Off Road. Has it really been 11 years? Horrors!

I believe I have a plan that is sticking - we are leaving when school gets out, heading south to Taos, then making our way back north. We have a few new days in there - mostly it is revisiting old favorites, where we haven't gone in years. 27 riding days. 4 days off.

We would ride from Lake City to the cabins at Sapinero, then to Crawford. That makes the day to Crawford a far easier day.

Then we'll come home for a couple of days and do a loop north - I want a re-do on the trip you came out and rode. I wasn't in a good mental place, with all of my bike trouble that trip.

What are you thinking of for next summer!
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2 years ago
Wayne EstesI really enjoyed the Blue Mesa route. Big climb but not too big. Good views. Low traffic. The unpaved part was well graded.

I also really liked riding along the Lake Fork Gunnison river to Lake City. I can see why you have pedaled that route several times.

I hope your "60" tour works out. I did the Blue Mesa route when I was still camping. It would be very different as a motel tour.

Right now I'm leaning towards doing an 11 day Willamette Valley covered bridges tour from June 21 thru July 1. Then a 15 day Spokane to Boise route in mid to late September. Both route maps are at the end of my newest journal.
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2 years ago
Wayne EstesTo Kelly IniguezI wonder if you could visit Ojo Caliente on your way to Taos? They recently had a devastating fire. The soaking pools are surely intact, but the lodge and locker rooms burned down, I think.
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2 years ago
Kelly IniguezWe took the Sapinero cut off. The road surface wasn’t near as nice as what you experienced.
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1 year ago