Colorado Trail - Day 5 Georgia ridge to Breckenridge

Colorado Trail - Day 5 Georgia ridge to Breckenridge

Segment - part of 6

Thurs Aug 30th, 2018

Start 11031
High pt  11850'
Lo pt.     9500
End Elv.  9600
Climbing ~1600?

Miles 24 ish
Total time 5:30
Ride time 3:40???

Slept in and had a leisurely break fast and break camp. No rush today, as it will be mostly downhill into Summit County after summiting Georgia Pass, and I want to enjoy and appreciate the alpine environment.
Dave the hiker is long gone when I push my bike to the trail from my campsite below.
The riding is technically easier than the previous 3 miles of climbing and not quite as steep, but rarified air pushing to nearly 12000 feet compensates for it. I soon start breaking out of the trees and approaching tree line proper. The air is clear today, and the views humbling in their gorgousness. South Park slowly is revealed as it stretches out below  me, while each turn if the crank brings Summit County's Ten Mile range closer.
I meet a CT thru hike heading to Denver, all smiles now that the last continental divide crossing is behind her.
I reach the high point, and I dwell and soak it all in.

The route goes well above the pass proper, and I think of the handful of times I have been at the pass in the past. The first was to summit Mt. Guyot with Steve and Glenda, the 2nd was a mountain bike explore from the Summit County side, and the most recent was a shake down trip with the trailer in prep for the GDR phase 1 2 years ago. Of those, I have never take the CT from the pass, so new trails forward!
I have a net 2200' of decent awaiting me. It starts off mild and flowy above tree line for a few miles and the descent starts in eanest. The trail transitons to much more techical as the rocky mountains earn their moniker. The Steed is handling it well, in fact may be more stable do to the lower load on the back. After a final tortuous mile of rock gardens, I cross the first branch of the Swan. Up and over a ridge I get to the middle fork of the Swan and meet up with Dave the hiker. I exit the CT as the next section is a long steep climb up west ridge, which I have done before. Riding down the road along Swan River and meet the CT again after exploring Muggins Gulch.
Yippee kyYea -  flowing and mostly smooth trail awaits right through to Horseshoe Gulch. A small climb on the last section that leads a good downhill and the final super tight switch backs  to Hwy 9. Finally, the bike path to the Broken Compass brewery to celebrate my completion the front range traverse.

This was 150 miles, about 50% single track, some quite challenging. It was a good test of the replacement bolts for  rear rack, which I had sheared 2 factory bolts a couple weeks earlier on the divide.
All and all, pleased with results, and I will do more, but maybe not all segments will be with a loaded bikepacking rig.

Colorado Trail - Day 4 Teepee campsite to Georgia ridge

Colorado Trail - Day 4 Teepee campsite to Georgia ridge

Segment  5 bike portion and part of 6

Wed Aug 29th, 2018

Start 9800
High pt  11031
Lo pt.     9600
End Elv.  11031
Climbing ~3200?

Miles 22.7
Total time 7:40
Ride time 4:40???

Got up to a cloudy morning, ate and broke camp. Started my day cruising down the road off of Rock Creek Ridge followed by a climb up to the Rock Creek trailhead, where I caught the CT once again. Then it was up the trail to Kenosha. Got some nice views into Lost Park, would be good to explore some time.
The leaves are turning early this year, I hear due to dry year we have had. While the aspen above are turning yellow, so be the fern undergrowth, its verdency fleeing along with long summer days, racing to autumn and winter beyond.
The riding is a mix of aspen groves, bristlecones, and open park land. The grasshoppers are abundant along the trail in the parkland and my approaching alights flocks in waves of flight
before me, my bike a prow in the ocean.

I reach Kenosha, score some water at the campground and await the arrival of lovely Glenda.
She arrives and we share lunch and company, restocking on food for the next 2 days to Breckenridge.
Then it the modest climb up from Kenosha and more great aspen groves, with pretty flowy and mostly smooth trail down to west Jefferson creek. I had contemplates camping here, at one of the FS campgrounds but is only 3 pm. It is 6 miles to Georgia pass, but the CT databook says there is water and camp sites about 3 miles in, so up up and away.
I cross the creek and meet a CT hiker Dave who is just starting to setup camp. We chat and he says he is setting up early as the next campsite and water are 6 miles away. I share with him my info from the d latest CT data book (camp sites and water at 6 AND 3 miles) and he decide to go further as well.
So up up up. The climbing starts immediately and is quite technical, with many a roots and rocks to navigate. It is mostly rideable, though there many, many occasions I have to push the bike around a rock or root when I pick a bad line, or cant get over. It is some hard riding these 3 miles, toughest bikepacking yet.
I also stop many many times just to catch  my breathe, hydrate,  and , yes, contemplate. But persistence prevails, and the grade relents a wee bit. I pass a mere trickle at close to the right odometer reading, I am hoping this is not the ."small stream with camping near by". No camping so I go on, but am eager to be done today too. Another wee trickle.of water, and there is cample 50 feet further. Well this has to be the camp spots, but is this the streem? I park my bike and hike on,  fortunately a sizeable stream 30 yards further.

Setup camp in the spruce grove, do my nightly rituals, contemplating the push up to Georgia Pass in the morn.