Day 1 (Sunday): Rawlins to Steamboat Lake
Rawlins, WY: 6,834'
Mileage: 165
This would be a bit of the "best of Colorado" loop. We would do our version of the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route (COBDR) south to Silverton where would turn back north following the Shadow of the Rockies route (SOR). The crew would consist of Bob, Jim Shannon and myself.
We left out of Cincy two days prior and iron manned it straight through rolling into Rawlins Saturday evening. Rawlins, WY was founded in 1868 when the Union Pacific Railroad arrived and named after U.S. Army Chief of Staff General John A. Rawlins. Rawlins is now mostly a railroad division point and oil & rancher town. Fun facts about Rawlins is that local paint mines here shipped Rawlins Red pigment to be used for the Brooklyn Bridge in 1874. Rawlins is also home to the state penitentiary, Frontier Prison circa 1901 to 1981.
We checked out of the Brickyard Inn Sunday morning and headed to Cappy's Restaurant for breakfast and then south toward Bridger Pass. This was the start of our COBDR. This part of Wyoming is a bit arid. It's a harsh landscape that must have been overwhelming for settlers that first crossed this land. Even today, it is an unforgiving land that would be hard to scratch out a living in.
We turned off Sage Creek Rd. onto Bridger Pass Rd. not far outside of Rawlins. This baron landscape has an odd beauty to it. Despite it's hostile appearance this land supports a lot of cattle, pronghorn and other tough wildlife.
Even though it didn't feel like a pass, Bridger Pass was our first pass as we made our way through Wyoming toward Colorado. I stopped briefly to talk to a CDT thru-hiker. He was two months and a day into his SOBO hike, hoping to make it through Colorado ahead of the snow.
Mileage: 165
This would be a bit of the "best of Colorado" loop. We would do our version of the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route (COBDR) south to Silverton where would turn back north following the Shadow of the Rockies route (SOR). The crew would consist of Bob, Jim Shannon and myself.
We left out of Cincy two days prior and iron manned it straight through rolling into Rawlins Saturday evening. Rawlins, WY was founded in 1868 when the Union Pacific Railroad arrived and named after U.S. Army Chief of Staff General John A. Rawlins. Rawlins is now mostly a railroad division point and oil & rancher town. Fun facts about Rawlins is that local paint mines here shipped Rawlins Red pigment to be used for the Brooklyn Bridge in 1874. Rawlins is also home to the state penitentiary, Frontier Prison circa 1901 to 1981.
We checked out of the Brickyard Inn Sunday morning and headed to Cappy's Restaurant for breakfast and then south toward Bridger Pass. This was the start of our COBDR. This part of Wyoming is a bit arid. It's a harsh landscape that must have been overwhelming for settlers that first crossed this land. Even today, it is an unforgiving land that would be hard to scratch out a living in.
We turned off Sage Creek Rd. onto Bridger Pass Rd. not far outside of Rawlins. This baron landscape has an odd beauty to it. Despite it's hostile appearance this land supports a lot of cattle, pronghorn and other tough wildlife.
Even though it didn't feel like a pass, Bridger Pass was our first pass as we made our way through Wyoming toward Colorado. I stopped briefly to talk to a CDT thru-hiker. He was two months and a day into his SOBO hike, hoping to make it through Colorado ahead of the snow.
It was around the Medicine Bow National Forest that we started seeing lots of hunters. It was prong horn, elk and bear season here. We saw plenty of of prong horn, even some decent bucks. But, the elk and bear are all in the high country.
There is parking/camping where we crossed back over Sage Creek Rd. that is referred to as "Little Rawlins". Apparently this area stays pretty packed during hunting season.
There is parking/camping where we crossed back over Sage Creek Rd. that is referred to as "Little Rawlins". Apparently this area stays pretty packed during hunting season.
As we neared Colorado the landscape became more forested and started to feel like we were in the mountains. We passed through the famous "Aspen Alley" which is a short stretch of narrow dirt road that passes through an aspen grove. We would pass many other, and bigger, aspen groves. In fact, we end up riding through what is claimed to be the biggest aspen grove in the country.
After Aspen Alley we stopped for a break and had lunch. While we snacked Jeff, a bicyclist we passed earlier, stopped to chat. If memory serves me correctly Jeff was a teacher from the northeast and was heading south on the CDT. He started with another rider but the other rider had some issues with his bike arriving and they had to part ways due to time constraints. We gave Jeff some water and we all continued on our adventures.
After Aspen Alley we stopped for a break and had lunch. While we snacked Jeff, a bicyclist we passed earlier, stopped to chat. If memory serves me correctly Jeff was a teacher from the northeast and was heading south on the CDT. He started with another rider but the other rider had some issues with his bike arriving and they had to part ways due to time constraints. We gave Jeff some water and we all continued on our adventures.
Soon after crossing into Colorado we passed the Three Forks Ranch, a high-end outfitter/spa ranch that caters to the wealthy. This outfitter is an opportunity guide service not a trophy outfitter. And, while you are out fishing or hunting your wife can be treated to a spa day.
We rode for miles with the ranch on both sides of the road, occasionally seeing a side by side along the streams with guest fishing for trout. We met one of the guides at dinner later. He lived in Steam Boat Springs and typically commuted to the ranch for a 3 week stent. The ranch is a sprawling 200,000ish acre property owned by the owner of Gander Mountain and St. Louis Cardinals, David Pratt.
We rode for miles with the ranch on both sides of the road, occasionally seeing a side by side along the streams with guest fishing for trout. We met one of the guides at dinner later. He lived in Steam Boat Springs and typically commuted to the ranch for a 3 week stent. The ranch is a sprawling 200,000ish acre property owned by the owner of Gander Mountain and St. Louis Cardinals, David Pratt.
Nearing the end or the day we stopped at the Columbine General Store. We had an ice cream sandwich while we checked out the store and cabins. There is a fire tower on a peak near the store that can be viewed form a telescope on the front porch.
Before we left I had looked a Google Earth and saw a gavel/dirt road that went from the store to the cabin we planned to stay at. We inquired with the host at the store if the road was passable (mainly looking for confirmation that it did not go through private land). She said that it was and the people used the road regularly go where we had planned. With validation that our route was legit we headed out. It started out an easy gravel road and quickly turned into a pretty fun two track trail. It got progressively rougher until we eventually came to a rough downhill. With not knowing what came after the downhill coupled with this being our first day we didn't want to take any unnecessary chances. And, you never want to go down something you don't want to come back up. So, we made the decision to backtrack to the road and take that into Steamboat Lake/Hahn's Peak where Shannon had arranged to stay in someone's cabin.
Before we left I had looked a Google Earth and saw a gavel/dirt road that went from the store to the cabin we planned to stay at. We inquired with the host at the store if the road was passable (mainly looking for confirmation that it did not go through private land). She said that it was and the people used the road regularly go where we had planned. With validation that our route was legit we headed out. It started out an easy gravel road and quickly turned into a pretty fun two track trail. It got progressively rougher until we eventually came to a rough downhill. With not knowing what came after the downhill coupled with this being our first day we didn't want to take any unnecessary chances. And, you never want to go down something you don't want to come back up. So, we made the decision to backtrack to the road and take that into Steamboat Lake/Hahn's Peak where Shannon had arranged to stay in someone's cabin.
None of us knew what the cabin was like. Someone was kind enough to offer it up to Shannon and he gladly accepted the opportunity to have a cabin in Colorado on our first night. We routed to the waypoint we had and found the gated entrance to the Triple M Ranch. We proceeded through the gate and up the drive to a cabin. As we parked the bikes we were thinking we had achieved baller status staying at a cabin like this. We excitedly located the key and anxiously waited to check out our accommodations for the night.
The excitement was pretty quickly met with a slap in the face when walked in to what appeared to be headquarters for rat city. There was signs of rodents everywhere...I mean everywhere. After doing a walk through I even considered setting my tent up outside or my cot on the deck. Instead, we swept the floors and put anything we wanted protected in the refrigerator (which was off).
The excitement was pretty quickly met with a slap in the face when walked in to what appeared to be headquarters for rat city. There was signs of rodents everywhere...I mean everywhere. After doing a walk through I even considered setting my tent up outside or my cot on the deck. Instead, we swept the floors and put anything we wanted protected in the refrigerator (which was off).
We rode down to Hahn's Peak Roadhouse and had supper before returning to the mouse house to retire. Everyone went to bed early (I'm pretty sure there was snoring by 8:30) and I sat on the deck for a bit before joining. I was glad to have a cot to be up off the ground but was jealous of Shannon in his hammock!
I did not sleep well with the thought of the critters that had been taking up residence in this house climbing over me in the dark of night. And, early in the night Shannon spotted what appeared to be a squirrel climb down from the second floor and then shimmy up into the wood burning stove.
I'm not positive what the M stands for in Triple M Ranch but, I'm fairly certain it is Mouse! Despite the rodent infestation, we were grateful that someone was willing to let a group of guys they didn't know stay in their place. And, the storms that rolled in early the next morning made us even more appreciateive.
I did not sleep well with the thought of the critters that had been taking up residence in this house climbing over me in the dark of night. And, early in the night Shannon spotted what appeared to be a squirrel climb down from the second floor and then shimmy up into the wood burning stove.
I'm not positive what the M stands for in Triple M Ranch but, I'm fairly certain it is Mouse! Despite the rodent infestation, we were grateful that someone was willing to let a group of guys they didn't know stay in their place. And, the storms that rolled in early the next morning made us even more appreciateive.