BTC 2011 Day 6

Today we saw more civilization and development than all of the previous five days combined, as we rode through all of the major ski towns along the Interstate 70 corridor heading back toward Denver. We left our condo in Aspen at 6am and drove to Gypsum for the start of the ride because we couldn't ride through Glenwood Canyon as originally planned due to flooding. Even with all of the development and the busy traffic on I-70 which was right alongside us for most of the day, there was even more natural beauty to enjoy. Once again, an abundance of lush green forests & meadows, high snow covered peaks, and lots of water everywhere. The Rocky Mountains in early summer are truly spectacular.

The second aid station on the West end of Vail was right on the edge of the rushing Eagle River with a beautiful bridge to enjoy the scenery.





As we passed through Vail and approached the run-up to Vail Pass, the bike path was right alongside the highway, with the pass straight ahead-- needless to say, it's pretty intimidating looking where you are going when it is so high!





The climb to the top of the pass from the West side is quite difficult-- 10 miles continuously uphill with average grade of 7-8% with several sections increasing to 10% grade and three sections getting up to 14% (really steep!). It's quite beautiful all of the way up and gets a little bit easier in the last mile at the top, where you come up to a gorgeous alpine lake at the summit at 10,600 feet.






From the top of the pass, we had a beautiful downhill along a river- all of it on nice bike path to the finish. It was a little shorter day-- "only" 70 miles but, with the big climb, it was plenty. We all managed to finish in time to have a nice and much-needed lunch by the river in Breckenridge where we are staying for the night.




Hard to believe we only have one more day!

By the way, for those of you who don't know what Bungalow Munch is, it is Jeri Howland's company that makes the world's best organic granola-- particularly amazing fuel for endurance athletes but delicious and healthy for anyone. It's a little more than a "hobby" for both her and Jerry but they both have big "day jobs" too, in addition to all of their sports endeavors. Check it out and order online at http://www.bungalow munch.com.


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Location:Gypsum to Breckenridge, CO