43: Frost Points + Colorado Trail

WhenSeptember 1, 2025
Distance43.7 mi
Time11h 11m
Elevation Gain8189 ft
Elevation Loss10469 ft
Avg Speed5.4 mph

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43: Frost Points + Colorado Trail

Sleeping at 12,000’ Webster Pass last night wasn’t my first choice, but it was the only way that yesterday made sense. Arriving shortly after sunset, I found a somewhat sheltered and reasonably flat spot, pitched my tent, and settled in the night. Prying myself out of my quilt was quite the struggle this morning with a steady breeze and the first real frost of the trip. Once packed and pedaling , I noted with a bit of satisfaction the thin skim of ice on top of the puddles in the trail.

I enjoyed a few miles of excellent alpine riding this morning before dropping down to Georgia Pass and joining the Colorado Trail (CoT). I’ll ride the (bike-legal) Colorado Trail for the next ~250 miles.

The first 15 miles of the CoT were a rootin’, tootin’ good time—the purest Type 1 fun I’ve had on the bike since Butte. So good to be on bike friendly singletrack!

Crossing over the Tenmile Range (between Breckenridge and Copper) was more of a slog—lots of hike-a-bike up and dragging the brakes down the chunky trail down. (While stopped off in Breck and looking for dinner options in Copper, I accidentally got Google Maps directions to take the flat shared use path *around* the Tenmile Range to get to Copper in 70 minutes—not what I wanted to be thinking about while slogging for five hours *over* the range!)

The change of seasons and loss of latitude is most pronounced in the shortening days. The sun set at 7:35 pm tonight. The shortening days mean more tent time and less trail time, which is already slowing down my pace.

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42: Colorado High Country

WhenAugust 31, 2025
Distance27.4 mi
Time10h 2m
Elevation Gain9183 ft
Elevation Loss5587 ft
Avg Speed3.7 mph

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42: Colorado High Country

Colorado’s high country stands out as if a towering peak on the elevation profile of the CDT, exceeding 14,000’ (though my bike-legal route will top out at more like 13,200’).

After a second breakfast on my way out of Georgetown under blue skies and a warm sun, I steadily cranked out the 4,700’ climb up to Argentine Pass. Rejoining the CDT proper, I enjoyed the quick descent and began the next climb up with some uncertainty if I would be coming back down the same way in a few hours.

I had received contradictory information about the bike legality across this section of high terrain. Cotrex (the incredible government-sponsored one stop shop resource for all things Colorado trails) indicated that these trail sections were open to bikes. It was very much to my relief this afternoon to also find the official forced service sign post indicating that the trail was open to bikes. It actually makes perfect sense that this zone would be bike legal, given the extensive mining history and current motorized access in the area. For all that this area is a spectacular alpine zone, a pristine wilderness it is not.

The trail since Santa Fe Peak has varied among nonexistent but rideable, steep hike a bike, a few scrambling sections of carrying my bike across my shoulders, and some fun, fast downhill single track to round things out. I’m making slow progress through this section (as I expected) but am thrilled to be here. Tomorrow I will finish out the second half of this high traverse and connect to the Colorado Trail.

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41: Weather Delay

WhenAugust 30, 2025
Distance10.8 mi
Time12h 47m
Elevation Gain1217 ft
Elevation Loss2835 ft
Avg Speed6.1 mph

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41: Weather Delay

I made it to Georgetown and picked up my resupply box around 10 AM this morning. From here, it’s over 13,000’ Argentine Pass into Colorado’s high country. Given the forecast of rain and thunder, I decided to treat myself to a low-key day waiting out the weather. I have since enjoyed a delicious and restful day cleaning my bike, drying out gear, and taking a moment to enjoy being on vacation. The forecast clears out tomorrow and I am looking forward to Climbing into Colorado‘s high country over dry trails and under warm sunshine.

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40: Rollins Pass

WhenAugust 29, 2025
Distance44.3 mi
Time10h 26m
Elevation Gain6181 ft
Elevation Loss4767 ft
Avg Speed6.3 mph

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40: Rollins Pass

Stayed in Winter Park last night and found a delicious breakfast from a cozy Czech bakery.

Easy climb up Rollins (4% grade!). The chunky road made for slow progress down, though with a fun surprise, when I rounded a bend, saw a person walking up the road with two dogs and unmistakable red hair and realized it was my friend Jessie with her pups and a backpack full of beer. The sun even came out while we sat watching trains move to and from the Moffat Tunnel.

After saying farewell, made steady progress climbing back up the next climb until heavy rain set in. I stopped off to wait out the rain. When the rain let up I resumed my slow progress on rocky, slick ATV trails, and passed through the odd collection of cabins in Alice, Colorado. I’ve never in my life seen so many no trespassing signs (or felt so tempted to poach one of the many hot tubs I saw along the way.

I reconnected with the CDT around 7 pm and soon found a campsite next to a creek (unfilterably cloudy due to the rain, as it turned out). Within minutes of finishing dinner the rain picked up again, and lasted through much of the night.

This is an odd section of my route. The CDT proper is high up in the wilderness areas, and my own route is constrained by geography, wilderness, and busy highways—all of which is to say this is mostly a “survival” section to get back to the next section of CDT.

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39: Middle Park

WhenAugust 28, 2025
Distance60.0 mi
Time12h 58m
Elevation Gain5873 ft
Elevation Loss7569 ft
Avg Speed8.3 mph

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39: Middle Park

Touched the southern end of the Never Summer Range before getting diverted south by wilderness. For the next few days the CDT goes into a series of wilderness areas, and my “alt” around these areas is a bit contrived.

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