Day 2 - Buena Vista to Edwards

Main street in Leadville

With Cottonwood Pass behind us, I felt a bit better tackling today, Climbing started right away, however, in a long gradual rise that lasted over 35 miles (56 km) until we reached Tennessee Pass and Leadville, which, at elevation of 10,152 feet (3094 m), is the highest incorporated town in North America. I remembered this route well having cycled across it the opposite direction, coming up over Battle Mountain (the second pass on the profile to the right, at the 45 mile mark) while doing the Copper Triangle Century ride with Susan and two of her friends in 2006 (click here to view).

Much of the country leading out of Buena Vista had a dry, desert-like character. Susan, Dan and I rode much of the way. Unfortunately, Peter and Erica ran into mechanical difficulties with their car, forcing Peter to abandon his planned start with us. Instead, Peter and Erica took their misbehaving Volkswagen to Edmunds where Peter got on his bike and cycled up to Leadville the opposite direction and returned back down. Either way, there are some significant challenges, the biggest being, once again elevation. I did fine, however a number of other riders found getting up to Leadville to be that much harder to do. In the end, we all made it back to Edmunds. Thankfully, Peter and Erica were able to get a better functioning van.

I pitched my tent and began camping for the first time on the ride. It was nice to be tenting again... the last time I did this was my first ride in Colorado, in 2005. It seems that the ground is a bit harder than the last time I did this.

For more photos, click here.

Tomorrow, we leave for Steamboat Springs.