Day Five on RTR
Leadville to Aspen

(Editor's Note:  Previous articles on RTR have been posted to Mr. Robb's  page located in the administration tab.)

Today was the day!  Our big climb up Independence Pass had arrived.  We got an early start rolling down the hill from Leadville at 6:15.  We had about 25 miles of biking ahead of us to the foot of the pass.  The weather was just gorgeous.  Bright sun-filled skies made the morning ride a treat.  After a rest stop at the bottom of the pass, we started our climbing around 8:00 a.m. 

The first half of the climb was pretty gradual, along a mountain stream.  The scenery was spectacular.  Aspen and pine forests surrounded us.  Every so often a side stream would come down from an adjacent mountain and roaring water or falls would greet us.  The last four to five miles were hard uphill climbs of 6% to 7% grades that brought us above timberline and to the snowfields!  There was a lot of snow in the ditches and along the mountainsides as we got closer to the top.  After a few rest stops we could see the summit!  With renewed vigor, we climbed on up to the summit at 12,033 ft!  We crested by 11:00!  There was a lot of snow!  It was windy! And it was cold! However we were excited!  We were at the top!  WE HAD MADE IT TO OVER 12,000 ft!  The first thing we did was to get in line to have our picture taken at the summit sign.  There were a lot of people waiting to do this.  After the photo op we looked for something to eat.  There were half dozen vendors at the top trying to cook food, and hold down their canopies at the same time.  The wind was making it a challenge.  Following a quick bite, we decided it was time to head down, as it was getting crowded at the top and threatening clouds were building up in the west.  Later that day cold rains and snow showers buffeted late arriving cyclists.

The trip down the west side of the pass was another thriller.  The grades were steeper, the turns sharper and the road was narrow and broken in many places.  We were cautious!  Still, in no time we were at the bottom of the pass and the weather had warmed up so much that we had to stop and shed our jackets and cold weather gear.  The last 10 miles into Aspen were an easy downhill glide.  We were in Aspen and at our campsite at the high school before 1:00 p.m.

Aspen was ritzier than of any of the towns that we stayed in.  It was apparent that this is a resort for those with money!  The condos, vacation homes and residences were all very impressive.  The retail shops downtown were all quite high-end.  We felt somewhat out of place, being sweaty bikers pedaling through all of the opulence!  But still the people were friendly and helpful whenever we had questions.  They had a very nice aquatic center, which we put to good use. After a quick trip around town, we returned to our campsites to prepare for the next day.  One of the interesting signs greeting us as we returned to the campsite at the football field was a warning that no food could be kept in our tents because of the bears in the area!  Mr. McChristian made sure that he ate all of his caramels!  Alas, we saw no bears.