Colorado Question

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Hey everyone .. I'm heading to Colorado this summer to ride and was
wondering if one of you locals could help a bit. Is the road between Alma
and Leadville paved or dirt/gravel. I think it must be at least partially
gravel from what I can guess from maps. If not paved, how much isn't paved
and is it rideable with a road bike? I do Mt Washington each year with is
several miles of packed dirt/gravel at 12+% so that isn't a real issue as
long as it's not loose or too rocky.

Thanks Doug

> Is the road between Alma and Leadville [Colorado] paved or dirt/gravel.

Mosquito Pass is dirt/gravel. I haven't cycled it, but here is a 4WD
web page that shows some photos: http://www.colomar.com/ColoradoPlaces/mosquito_pass.html

It sounds like the first 8 miles from Leadville are straightforward
and after that it is a rough 4WD track.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

mevermeulen@gmail.com wrote:
> > Is the road between Alma and Leadville [Colorado] paved or dirt/gravel.

> Mosquito Pass is dirt/gravel.

And HIGH. It is the highest through road in North America. If you're
from a low altitude you should plan on acclimatizing before you undertake
a strenuous activity like this at an altitude like this.

Bill

__o | Any time of the year is a time of sorrow and sadness
_`\(,_ | when we lose a loss of life.
(_)/ (_) | - George W. Bush

This would be Mosquito Pass, the highest pass in the Continental US at
13,185 feet.

I've "cycled" over it a few times in each direction. It is a four
wheel drive jeep road, dirt and rocky. On my road bike I ended up
walking for a few miles on either side (but of course mounted my bike
just before the top so I could say I "rode" over the pass). When I
rode my mountain bike over it I still had to walk some of it.

It is 17 miles from Alma to Leadville on this road, and I would guess
at least 10 miles is dirt.

I would highly recommend that you do this road, even if you walk a
good deal of it. The views are spectacular and it is an experience
you will remember for a long time.

Jeff Orum wrote:
> This would be Mosquito Pass, the highest pass in the Continental US at
> 13,185 feet.
>
> I've "cycled" over it a few times in each direction. It is a four
> wheel drive jeep road, dirt and rocky. On my road bike I ended up
> walking for a few miles on either side (but of course mounted my bike
> just before the top so I could say I "rode" over the pass). When I
> rode my mountain bike over it I still had to walk some of it.
>
> It is 17 miles from Alma to Leadville on this road, and I would guess
> at least 10 miles is dirt.
>
> I would highly recommend that you do this road, even if you walk a
> good deal of it. The views are spectacular and it is an experience
> you will remember for a long time.
>

Here's a *very* fine resource:
http://cyclepass.com/t_tpa_co_MTB_alt.html

(Seems that Mosquito Pass is not the highest ..... by all of 21 feet
..... ô¿Ô¬ )

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Nothing he's got he really needs
Twenty first century schizoid man.
***********************************

Jeff Orum wrote:
> This would be Mosquito Pass, the highest pass in the Continental US at
> 13,185 feet.
>
> I've "cycled" over it a few times in each direction. It is a four
> wheel drive jeep road, dirt and rocky. On my road bike I ended up
> walking for a few miles on either side (but of course mounted my bike
> just before the top so I could say I "rode" over the pass). When I
> rode my mountain bike over it I still had to walk some of it.
>
> It is 17 miles from Alma to Leadville on this road, and I would guess
> at least 10 miles is dirt.
>
> I would highly recommend that you do this road, even if you walk a
> good deal of it. The views are spectacular and it is an experience
> you will remember for a long time.


One's memory of the whole experience might be a little fuzzy because of
the lack of oxygen at 13,000 feet. ;-)


--

Paul D Oosterhout from Sterling, VA (altitude 285 feet above sea level)
I work for SAIC (but I don't speak for SAIC)

On Jan 8, 9:48 pm, Chuck Anderson <websiteaddr...@seemy.sig> wrote:
> Seems that Mosquito Pass is not the highest ..... by all of 21 feet

OK, I should have been a bit more specific and said that Mosquito Pass
is the highest *unpaved pass* (implying it is a road) at 13,155 in the
Continental US.

Of course the higest paved pass is Independence Pass (on the other
side of Leadville) - over 1,000 feet lower at 12,095. Perhaps the
reason they don't pave the west side of Cottonwood Pass (12,126) is
that it would take the title away from Independence and annoy the
folks in Aspen. :-)

Higher than Independence is Trail Ridge Road at 12,183, but it is not
a pass at this elevation (the pass is Milner at a mere 10,758 feet).
It is one of the few places I've cycled where you continue to climb
*after* the pass. I believe it is considered the highest paved ridge
or through road in the Continental US.

All of these are dwarfed by the road up to Mt. Evans (an out and back)
which tops out at 14,130 feet, making it the highest paved road in
North America. Bring your oxygen tanks!