Lucy Taken Aback

About three years ago I purchased a Trek multi track from Bicycle Village in Colorado Springs. (Remember the shocking gas price rise of 2004/2005?) Work for me, at the time, was about five miles distant, so I began to commute via the bicycle paths of Colorado Springs to work, saving commuting gas dollars and re-acquainting myself with the joys of riding.

Pi Guy and I would go on some longer rides (for him) that he enjoyed, either out the Rock Island, down the Shooks Run, or up the Fountain Creek trails. He would take the old Trek, and I would take the new one.

Pi Guy now has a new Raliegh multi track bike still enjoying riding and developing a sense of adventure and mobility of his own. These times differ from the times of my youth, so we travel together.

The whole family now has derailleur bicycles and ride to various locations within the city. Portal Park with the pool, The Dog Tooth Cafè, and Safeway at the Bon Center are some our favorites. Still, Lucy, my wife, was slightly taken aback when I treated Pi Guy’s comment so seriously. Seriously enough, that is, to start evaluating routes.

In Pi Guy’s mind was the Colorado Springs, Walsenburg, Cortez route. That is the route we usually take to Cortez when heading in that direction. It is also the route suggested by Mapquest as the most efficient. The distance listed by Mapquest is 358 miles. An alternate route, that we thought to be shorter distance wise, would be through Buena Vista, but this was 353 miles. And another choice was through Canon City. At a distance of 349 miles, it is the shortest. This will probably be our route.

All three routes require us climbing Wolfe Creek Pass at ~10,800 ft. The Canyon City route has the lowest elevation pass of the alternative passes with Poncha Pass at ~9,000 ft. Going through Walsenburg would require us to ascend La Veta Pass which is ~9,400 ft. Going through Buena Vista takes us over Wilkerson Pass at ~9,500 ft., and after Wilkerson Pass, there is still Poncha Pass at ~9,000 ft. to go over.

44 lbs.