With the town still overrun with tourists our van driver Ben and lead guide Ash went into town to fetch coffee and survey the situation. Worried the only bakery would run out of food they brought back breakfast sandwiches for everyone and we ate at the cabins. Still, with the big day looming, the group went into town for more coffee to be energized for the challenge ahead. 

 

 

The trek across the Alpine Loop was quite a saga. I earned my guide pay in spades. I don't know how many bikes I picked up, rode through the sections the riders had failed on, repaired, and coached and encouraged these guys to keep going in the difficult conditions.

 

 

The first climb was to Cinnamon Pass. There was quite a bit of ATV traffic on the trails which made progress slower. Following a long gradual climb, the trail begins a series of steep, sharp, rocky switchbacks, then climbs more steeply to the top of the pass. We didn't linger long atop the pass to stay ahead of the 4 wheeled traffic we had passed on the way up

 

 

The descent from Cinnamon Pass starts as a long gradual slope then gets steeper and rockier the lower you go culminating with more rocky switchbacks. It ultimately brings you to the ghost town of Animus Forks.

 

 

After a quick visit to the abandoned mining structures in Animus Forks, we continued on our way and started the next climb to California Pass. The crux of this climb is a sharp, steep, rocky switchback near the top that also proved problematic though we ultimately all reached the summit. The road is quite torn up through here, deeply rutted from the traffic, with the best line to ride typically right on the edge of the slopes which drop 1000 feet or more into the valleys below.

 

 

 

The descent from California Pass has some particularly rocky, loose, and very steep sections that gave a few riders fits. It's a delicate balance of maintaining enough speed to roll over the rocks while not going so fast you feel out of control. Stopping is almost impossible, the bike just slides down the hill on the loose scree. It's both exhilarating and terrifying.

 

 

By the time we reached the far side of the loop, there were a couple of riders who just were not up to doing the final descent down Corkscrew Pass. We split the group and Ash took part of them on the hard section while I took the remainder on the bailout route down to Silverton. Even then, on the way back through the Million Dollar Highway I ended up fixing yet another flat tire.

 

 

My group arrived quite late to lunch in Ouray, had to wait for seating, and we were unable to continue as a single group to Telluride. I opted to take the exhausted riders I had on the paved route rather than hit anymore dirt though I'm told we messed a spectacular ride. Other than a little rain it was an uneventful commute.

 

 

 

Arriving in Telluride we were quite pleased to find the Camel's Garden Hotel luxurious. It was a welcome relief. We were right next to one of the ski lifts and for dinner we took the gondola up and over the mountain to a very nice restaurant for an excellent meal.

 

 

The day ended well.