2009 Peak to Peak Rallye Daily Notes

First Day of Driving
Golden to Gunnison

As we leave Golden we start our journey with the only stretch of Interstate we’ll see during the entire four days on the road. I-70 was the very first Interstate project started in the United States. Its East/West trek covers a distance of nearly 2200 miles, connecting Baltimore, MD with Cove Fort, UT. Our merry little band of sports car enthusiasts will travel a mere 68 miles of this Interstate Highway.

Our departure from I-70 leaves us at the base of Copper Mountain ski area and begins our accent of Fremont Pass. As we make our way up this pass you will begin to see signs of a large mining operation. The Climax Mine sits at the summit of Fremont Pass but has ceased mining operations since 1995. In its heyday this facility was the largest producing molybdenum mine in the world but was forced into closure with a drastic drop in the value of this mineral. Initial plans to reopen the mine in 2010 have been deferred due to further declining molybdenum prices. For the time being, Climax Mine waits quietly for the opportunity to once again tap into the projected 500 million pounds of the molybdenum that remains in the massively scarred hillside.

On the south side of Fremont lies the city of Leadville, which sits at an elevation of 10,152 feet and holds the distinction of having North Americas highest airport, Lake County Airport, which sits at an elevation of 9,927 feet. Pilots who successfully land at this air strip receive a free certificate to commemorate their achievement. As we head west out of Leadville we will come face to face with the two highest points in Colorado. Mount Massive plays second fiddle to its neighbor just to the south, Mount Elbert. At 14,433’, Mount Elbert, named after a statesman who was active in the formation stage of the state, Samuel Hitt Elbert, rises 12 feet above Mount Massive, even though it may appear that Massive is the larger of the two due to its width. It’s just a hunch, but I‘m guessing that’s how it got its name.

Just south of Mouth Elbert we turn onto Hwy 82 and begin our journey towards Aspen, via Independence Pass. Twin Lakes and the imposing surrounding peaks create one of the most spectacular settings you could ever care to see. The summit of Independence Pass is a required stopping point as it has become a custom to take a Peak to Peak family portrait in front of the sign declaring we are standing on the Continental Divide at an elevation of 12,095 feet. If you make a coffee stop in Aspen don’t forget to hold your pinkie finger high in the air as it is a sign of sophistication. I hear it’s the law!

All of this and we haven’t even stopped for lunch? After enjoying a fine Italian meal in Basalt we make the scenic trek over McClure Pass and along Paonia Reservoir. A southern route through Hotchkiss directs us towards the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River. This is an exhilarating drive with spectacular overlooks. Be sure to check out Pioneer Point, but beware, it’s not for the faint of heart. Today’s journey concludes with a trip alongside, and over, Colorado’s largest body of water, the Blue Mesa Reservoir. A full day but we’ve reached our destination of Gunnison.

Second Day of Driving
Gunnison to Taos, NM

An eight mile drive east on US 50 gives us a brief opportunity to get into “drive mode” before heading south on CO 114. This stretch of road provides a variety of scenery and driving styles. A few miles into this stretch we’ll encounter a section of tight windy canyon driving. Beware of unsuspecting furry creatures lurking around each turn. The likelihood of encountering wildlife is elevated here. I know this for a fact! Once we’ve made our way through this section the road opens up nicely but you won’t want to let your guard down. Wildlife encounters can be expected anywhere along the route in the early morning hours.

Cochetopa Pass takes us once again up and over the Continental Divide. The summit of Cochetopa Pass is considered the western gate to the San Luis Valley. The word “Cochetopa” is the Ute Indian word which stands for “Pass of the Buffalo”. Our journey into the San Luis Valley will eventually take us south along the Sangre De Cristo mountain range. This range holds a number of Colorado’s “fourteener’s”, peaks that rise above the 14,000’ mark. A detour off of CO 17 will lead us to the south end of one of Colorado’s most notable tourist attractions, Great Sand Dunes National Park. This park, which covers an area of approximately 85,000 acres, is the site of the tallest sand dunes in North America. Rising 750’ above the floor of the San Luis Valley, these dunes were formed by sand deposits lifted from the Rio Grande River flood plains. The dunes are thought to be as much as 12,000 years old and continue to grow slowly.

Today’s lunch stop is at the San Luis Brewing Co., in downtown Alamosa. Located at the northeast corner of San Luis and Main, look closely as it can be easy to miss. About 25 miles south of Alamosa we’ll start making our way towards the most scenic section of today’s trip. La Manga and Cumbres Passes will be popular amongst our group. At the summit of Cumbres Pass you will see buildings associated with the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. If we’re lucky we may get to see the steam engines making their way between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO. Shortly after entering New Mexico we will pass through the town of Chama, which is the western terminus for the railway. Harry recommends a stop at the ice cream shop on the main drag. You might want to take his advice since he’s an expert on this topic.

Just before making our way into Taos for the evening we will have another “stomach in throat” viewing opportunity. The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge offers travelers a chance to walk out onto the bridge and look straight down into the gaping trench left by the mighty Rio Grande River. At 650’ the bridge is the fifth highest bridge in the country. Our destination for this evening is El Monte Sagrado. It’s a safe bet you’ll want to return to “El Monte” in the future.

Third Day of Driving
Taos, NM to Breckenridge

Regretfully, we leave Taos and El Monte Sagrado far too quickly. We barely knew you! We make our way back north towards Colorado. Shortly after reaching the border we’ll make our way through the town of San Luis. Officially established by Hispanic settlers from Taos in 1851, San Luis is Colorado’s oldest town. You’ll pass a sign on the south side of San Luis declaring this fact. Unfortunately the ground around the sign is usually littered with broken beer bottles. Not a glowing display of respect shown for this grand old lady, eh?

A scenic drive over North La Veta Pass leads us towards the town of Walsenburg. You’ll see the Spanish Peaks just to the south of us. The twin volcanic mountains form an eastern outlier for the Culebra Range, and proved an important landmark for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. West Spanish Peak, at 13,123 feet, is the easternmost 4,000 meter mountain peak in the United States. As we make our way north out of Walsenburg you will see Interstate 25, the main north/south route through Colorado. This is the closest we’ve come to an Interstate since we departed I-70 on Monday, but we will not be venturing towards the on ramp. CO 69 takes us over some gentle flowing roads and country that is considered prime ranching territory. To the west you’ll see the Sangre De Cristo Range that hides the existence of the Great Sand Dunes we witnesses just a day before. Westcliffe, which serves as county seat for Custer County, is the site of today’s lunch stop, the Westcliffe Lanes and Banquet Center.

A spirited drive up the remaining stretch of CO 69 leads us to US 50 which winds alongside the Arkansas River. Just down the road lies the Royal Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas. The Royal Gorge Bridge, at 1,053 feet, is labeled as the highest suspension-bridge in the world. But we will be heading north before reaching the Royal Gorge so why did I bring it up? Just filling the page, I suppose. CO 9 will provide one of the highlights of the trip from a driver’s point of view. Yes, there are some very scenic vistas along this route, but it’s also just plain fun to drive.

Our last stretch of the day takes us through a region known as South Park. Ring a bell? The home town of the four mischievous stars of the off the wall Comedy Central television show, South Park, is in fact the town of Fairplay. I’m guessing the towns founding fathers are turning in their graves at this notion. A trip through Alma, which up until 2006 held the distinction of being the highest incorporated municipality in the US (the top spot was taken away by Winter Park, CO through annexation of its ski area) and a journey over Hoosier Pass round off day 3 of our venture through the magnificent Rocky Mountains. Enjoy your night in one of Colorado’s premier ski destinations, Breckenridge.

Final Day of Driving
Breckenridge to Golden

DISCLAIMER: The trip through Rocky Mountain National Park is NOT for the faint of heart!

Yes, it is our plan to make the trip over Trail Ridge Road. Will Mother Nature finally accommodate our desires this year? We’re certainly hoping that our contingency plan will not have to be put into action, so, fingers crossed!

First things first though. Continuing our journey north on CO 9 we’ll quickly reach Swan Mountain Road, which offers up some really nice views of Lake Dillon. Lake Dillon is popular for camping, boating and fishing. It is also the largest water storage facility in the Denver Water system. We’ll stay with the water theme as we parallel the Blue River. This 75 mile long tributary of the Colorado River forms yet another popular large body of water, Green Mountain Reservoir. Besides a popular camping and fishing destination, Green Mountain provides hydroelectric power and irrigation water as part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. On our way to Grand Lake for lunch we pass through Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs, and Granby. Forget about satellite radio reception while going through Byers Canyon as the steep walls rise approximately 1,000 feet on either side of you. Between the towns of Granby and Grand Lake we will pass by three bodies of water. The first, and largest, is Lake Granby, followed by Shadow Mountain Reservoir, and finally, Grand Lake. Grand Lake is one of the headwaters of the Colorado River and is Colorado’s largest natural lake. The Ute Tribe called it Spirit Lake, as they believed the lake’s cold waters to be dwelling places for departed souls, and therefore avoided it.

Upon leaving Pancho & Lefty’s for lunch, we head immediately to the splendor of Rocky Mountain National Park. A 35 mph speed limit is strictly monitored throughout the park and it won’t take you long to determine why. The park is filled with wildlife and spontaneous traffic jams occur any time these protected creatures are spotted. Elk, deer, and even moose (is more than one moose called meese?) will be seen casually grazing along much of the drive over Trail Ridge Road, which tops out at an elevation of 12,183 feet. This drive is undoubtedly the most breath-taking of any that Peak to Peak has ever travelled, which is why we have attempted, unsuccessfully thus far, to travel this route numerous times before. Since mere words cannot fully capture the essence of this experience I’ll take this opportunity to put the clamps on my keyboard and let you enjoy one of God’s greatest creations with your own eyes. Have your camera ready!

Upon exiting Rocky Mountain National Park we are lead directly into the town of Estes Park. Estes Park is a very popular tourist destination in which Main Street is littered with souvenir shops of all kind. I believe this short stretch of road also boasts the largest ratio of ice cream, taffy, and cookie shops per square foot in existence. Anyone needing to satisfy a sweet tooth may not have a choice but to give into their temptations.

We finish this day, and the on road segment of Peak to Peak, with a leisurely 70 mile journey over some really nice flowing roads that lead us back to our starting point in Historic Golden. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this route as much as we had designing it!