2017 Travels, Bicycling Dillon Reservoir, Vail Pass and Breckenridge, CO

Our view from Peak One Campground across the reservoir to Frisco.

This is our second visit to Dillon Reservoir to bicycle the bike paths. The paved paths offer great scenery and bicycling. The communities of Frisco, Dillon and Silver Thorn offer good restaurants and shopping. It's a short bike ride to Frisco if you want to eat out.

Our favorite campground is Peak One, a White River National Forest Campground right on Dillon Reservoir. A primitive respite in the middle of the bustling towns that surround the lake. There's another Forest Service campground on the north side of the lake but it's near the freeway and noisy. This one is the best and has more room and was just right for our van. There are no hookups,but flush toilets, water and dump station, and good internet. The cost was $24.45 per night or $14 with the Senior Pass. We paid a $10 transaction fee to make our reservations on line. This campground will be full on the weekends.

Peak One Campground has widely spaced sites and mountain views even though it's in the middle of lake side communities.

We planned on riding all the paved bike paths. The best ride is to Vale Pass, a 30-mile round-trip from the campground with a 1500 ft. altitude gain. The trail goes through the Copper Mountain Ski Resort.

At the beginning of the climb to Vail Pass.

Arriving at the Copper Mountain Ski Basin.

Arriving at the Copper Mountain Ski Basin. Ski runs are on the right.

After we rode through the ski resort we began encountering people of all ages from old folks to little kids riding down the mountain. Most were riding cruiser bikes. We couldn't imagine how all these people rode to the pass, especially the little kids, and were already riding back down the mountain. The answer was at the pass. There are several bike rental companies in Frisco. They rent the bikes, bus the people to Vail Pass and let them loose to cruise back down the mountain.

The section of the bike path between Copper Mountain Ski Basin and Vail Pass is the steepest and requires some bike handling ability. We saw people with varying skills. One little guy riding behind his Dad down the path was dragging his shoes for brakes. Bet those soles were well worn by the time he got back to the lodge. I was imagining the soles starting to smoke. Another girl went flying off the path when she didn't make a curve. Our bike skills came in handy trying to avoid all these people as we climbed the pass. So be forewarned if you ride the Vail Pass.  

Here we are at Vail Pass.

The next day we rode our favorite flat ride on the bike path that circumvents Dillion Reservoir. It was 32 miles starting from Peak One Campground, around the lake, a steep climb around the shoulder of Swan Mountain (not flat), up to Breckenridge and back to Peak One. It's a terrifically fun ride.

Riding around Dillion Reservoir.

The bike path to Breckenridge. 

Beautiful scenery all the way.

Lots of peaks.

The path to Breckenridge is a gradual assent and it's always fun going back down..

Lots of people ride between Dillion Reservoir and Breckenridge but the path isn't over crowded.

The mules are always at a pasture fence and appreciate a hand out of fresh grass.

We end our stay at Dillion and move on to Wyoming on our journey north.
So long for now.
Jackie

2017 Travels, Buena Vista and OHVing from St. Elmo to Tincup, CO

We rent a Polaris Razor to drive over Tincup Pass.

St. Elmo to Tincup, CO. We're visiting Tommy and Sarah in Buena Vista, CO and together we rent a 4-seat Polaris Razor to ride over Tincup Pass between the historic towns of St. Elmo and Tincup. We've never ridden in an OHV so this is a new experience and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Looking up at the pass.

The ride up to Tincup Pass.

Jim and I at Tincup Pass on the Continental Divide.

The winds are blowing pretty cold on the Divide even in July.

The Continental Divide is SOOOO BIG!

Looking down the west side of Continental Divide.

We arrive at Tin Cup on the west side of the Continental Divide.

We arrive at the historic mining town of Tin Cup. Tommy and Sarah take us to visit the cemetery, which proves to be as interesting as they told us. The cemetery is on several knolls surrounded by wetlands in the middle of a valley surrounded by high mountains. As remote as any historic town could be.

One section of the Tin Cup cemetery is on this tree covered knoll surrounded by wetlands.

Jim and Tommy walk through the main cemetery looking at the old graves.
Only residents or former residents of Tin Cup can be buried here.

Some graves are very old.

Some graves are new and marked with fancy headstones. Note the jet plane engraving. He must have been a pilot. 

Some graves are marked only with small stones but the memories are just as dear.

Some people leave mementos to honor the memory of a loved one. 

The cemetery on the little tree covered knoll is known as the cemetery for the ladies of the night.

The graves are mostly unmarked and no one remembers them.

This marker on the knoll has no inscription but nature landscaped her lonely grave .

The grave for this lady has no marker but someone placed a vine wreath in remembrance.

Rain begins and we don't take time to explore the town. The café we hoped to eat at is closed. Jim takes the wheel on the drive back over the pass.

Jim has fun driving back over the pass.

We see a big bull moose on the way back to Tincup Pass.

"Who goes there?" A marmot checks us out as we drive by.

We go over the Tincup Pass and down to St. Elmo on the east side of the Divide.

We're back in St. Elmo.

Back in St. Elmo we take time to walk the town. Lot's of people come here to drive over Tincup Pass. The old buildings are being restored and the town is beginning a revival. This is just the kind of old mining town you've wanted to experience.

The main street of St. Elmo is crowed with visitors and OHV.

The historic buildings are being renovated.

New walkways are being built and the windows of the historic building offer intriguing glimpses.  

This old house has potential.

A manikin peers out from a 2nd story window.

Curtains hand in the windows of all the old historic buildings and decorations adorn the window sills. Even though people can't enter the building at this time the décor give the town a new life and the windows are inviting and interesting to photograph.

The windows of all the historic buildings are interesting and fun to photograph.

This old building has tin siding.

Flowers decorate in the windows as if someone lives here.

What shops were these?

Old shop front windows and doors.

Our ride ends back in St. Elmo.

Tommy, Sara and Jackie enjoy downtown St. Elmo.

After your ride there are eats, snacks and ice cream in St. Elmo. They appreciate your patronage and it's a nice ending to a wonderful day high in the high Rockies.

Downtown Buena Vista, CO. Walkable and lots of nice shops and dining.

Back in Buena Vista we spend an afternoon walking around downtown visiting the many shops. There are great eateries, grills and ice cream and frozen yogurt shops.

The park in downtown Buena Vista is inviting with it's homey tile furniture.

The city park in downtown Buena Vista is inviting with its homey tile furnishings. No one is going to be rearranging the furniture.

Wouldn't this look wonderful in your garden?

Buena Vista also has a unique white water river park. The city, already well known for it's recreational rafting, has aqua-scaped the Arkansas River with large boulders to create world-class completion white water rapids. A path along the river offers viewing of completions or watching enthusiasts trying their skills in the rapids with kayaks, paddle boards and boogie boards.

This guy was doing his best on his boogie board but quickly ended up getting tossed off into the water.

This guy road the tongue of this rapid on his paddle board for at least half and hour
before he turned and went down river. He was really good.

A guy tackles a rapid in his white water kayak.

Our adventures in Buena Vista come to an end and we travel on to Dillon Reservoir for some bicycling.

Until next time.
Jackie