Independence Pass Aspen Run
4 passes in 439 km, topping out at 2220 m
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Why this ride
Scenery first, traffic last, with checkpoints that make sense on a bike. Out of Denver and back again: 439 km, roughly 7 h 59 in the saddle. On the way it passes Breckenridge and Aspen. The highest point is about 3,400 m. Much of it runs through woodland.
Roadbook
- Denver
start
Denver earns its nickname honestly: one of the steps of the State Capitol is marked as exactly one mile above sea level, and from the city the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains fills the western horizon like a jagged wall. The city spreads across the high plains at the foot of the mountains, a big, sunny, sprawling place where the snowy peaks are visible from almost every street on a clear day.
It began as a gold rush town in 1858, when prospectors found traces of gold where Cherry Creek meets the South Platte River. The real riches came later, from silver, the railways and cattle, and the mining towns in the mountains, such as Georgetown, Idaho Springs and Central City, still show their Victorian origins. Today Denver is a busy modern city with good food, craft breweries and a lively centre around Union Station and the old Larimer Square.
The rides from here climb fast. Georgetown, an old silver mining town on Interstate 70, is the starting point for Guanella Pass, a scenic byway that rises above 11,000 feet before descending toward Grant. Golden Gate Canyon State Park lies just west of Golden, with winding roads through pine forest and meadows, and the road up Mount Evans, now officially renamed Mount Blue Sky, climbs to above 14,000 feet, one of the highest paved roads in North America. It has required timed-entry reservations in recent seasons, so check before you go.
Altitude changes everything. Bikes lose power as the air thins, riders tire faster and dehydrate easily, and the sun is fierce. In summer, afternoon thunderstorms build over the mountains with lightning and hail, so the golden rule is to be up high in the morning and down by early afternoon. The high passes may be closed from autumn to late spring, and snow can fall in any month above timberline. Interstate 70 into the mountains is heavily congested at weekends, especially on Sunday afternoons heading back to the city.
Denver has fuel, food and every service, and the suburbs to the west, around Lakewood and Golden, are good places to fill up before you head into the hills. Carry water and an extra layer: a hot day on the plains can be freezing at the top of the pass, and the weather can change within an hour.
- Breckenridge
fuel
Breckenridge sits at about 2,900 metres in a high valley of the Colorado Rockies, below the Tenmile Range, and the air is thin enough to make you breathe a little harder walking up Main Street. The town began as a gold camp in 1859, when prospectors found gold in the Blue River, and it boomed and busted several times before becoming one of the most popular ski resorts in the country. Its long main street of brightly painted Victorian buildings, now full of shops, bars and restaurants, is one of the largest historic districts in Colorado.
The gold rush left its marks. The river valley north of town is lined with long piles of stones, left by dredge boats that churned through the riverbed in the early twentieth century, and one of the old dredges still floats in a pond nearby. The biggest gold nugget ever found in Colorado, a mass of crystalline gold weighing over five kilograms and known as Tom's Baby, was dug out of a mine near Breckenridge in 1887.
As a fuel stop, Breckenridge does the job, with stations in town and nearby in Frisco. Fuel is often more expensive in the mountain resorts, but there are long stretches without services ahead, so it is wise to fill up. Remember that at this altitude, your engine loses power, and you may feel tired or short of breath; drink plenty of water and take it easy.
The riding from here is spectacular. South of town, Hoosier Pass climbs to over 3,500 metres on the Continental Divide, with views of the high peaks, before descending into the wide grassland of South Park. Independence Pass, on the way to Aspen, is even higher, at over 3,600 metres, with a narrow road, tight switchbacks and sheer drop-offs, and it is closed from late autumn to late spring because of snow. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, with lightning and hail, so ride the high passes early in the day.
Breckenridge has plenty of places to eat and drink, from coffee shops to brewpubs, and it is busy in both winter and summer. Grab something warm, walk down Main Street and look up at the peaks, which keep their snow well into July.
- Aspen
food
Aspen was a silver town before it was a ski town, and the old buildings still show it. In the 1880s, miners poured into the Roaring Fork Valley after rich veins of silver were found in the hills, and the little camp became one of the biggest producers in the country in only a few years. The Hotel Jerome opened in 1889, and the streets filled with banks, opera houses and saloons. When the silver price crashed in 1893, the town went quiet for half a century, until skiers arrived after the Second World War and turned it into a resort.
Today Aspen has fewer than seven thousand year-round residents and a reputation as one of the most expensive towns in America. Boutiques and galleries sit alongside old brick buildings, and private jets fill the little airport. But the setting is genuinely lovely, with four ski mountains, dense stands of aspen trees, and the high peaks rising on all sides, among them the Maroon Bells, two perfectly shaped summits that are often called the most photographed mountains in Colorado. Hunter S. Thompson lived at nearby Woody Creek, and his shadow hangs over the local bars.
Out of town, the ride heads up the valley toward Independence Pass, which crosses the Continental Divide at over twelve thousand feet on a narrow, winding highway, with sharp curves, steep drop-offs and few guardrails. It is a spectacular road, and in summer the wildflowers on the high tundra are magnificent. The pass is closed in winter, usually from November until Memorial Day or later, and large vehicles are not permitted on the narrowest section. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, so make an early start, and take care on the descent.
Aspen has everything, from fuel stations to supermarkets, restaurants and bike shops, so take care of the basics before you go. Prices are high, so if you are on a budget, shop in Basalt or Glenwood Springs down the valley. In autumn, in late September, the aspen groves turn a vivid gold, and the road is crowded with photographers. Be considerate of other road users, and remember that the air up high is thin and cold, so layers and gloves are a good idea even in July.
- Denver finish