Lizardhead Pass

In Colorado they enjoy naming the passes between the mountains as much as naming the mountains themselves. Today we reached our highest elevation so far - 10,250 ft in Lizardhead Pass. We started at about 8,800 ft this morning and kept going uphill! The air got thinner, and the landscape only increased in beauty.



Shortly outside of Rico we already had to stop. We needed a photo. Below are some ponds and streams branching off and heading into the river. There are also sulfur hot springs down there, but we didn't go for a dip.



As we approached the top of the pass, we stopped for a short break to enjoy the mountain views. The mountains that had seemed so far away just a few days ago were now right in front of us, or behind us as the photo above is where we came from. Below is the rock formation that we think gives lizardhead its name, but we aren't positive :)











We climbed up a dirt road to get a better view. Emily enjoyed an apple while sitting in a field of flowers. That is Sheep Mountain in the background.











We reached the true peak of Lizardhead Pass and were above the snow line! There wasn't any snow close to the road, so we didn't get to make snowballs, but it was clearly visible at the base of many pine trees.

We headed downhill at a quick pace, but not to fast as the road was not in the best of conditions. We paused for a photograph of Trout Lake, seen below. There was even a person swimming in the lake!








We had a rollercoaster ride up and down the side of the mountain during our descent, or ascent - it was hard to keep the overall elevation inclination straight. But it was still a beautiful, if taxing, ride.





The receptionist at the Rico Hotel recommended the Gondola Ride from Mountain Village to Telluride as a way to get a different view of the area. She thought we would have no problem taking our bikes. It sounded like a really neat idea, so we took the turn for Mountain Village (about 10 miles from Telluride). The road was not made for any large vehicles and was full of steep ascents. This was probably the most trying part of the day. We were at an elevation of about 9,500ft and climbing 8% grades. We do not have enough red blood cells yet.



But the Gondola ride was beautiful! Our bikes were a little difficult to get on the gondolas, but manageable and the staff was very helpful. The Gondola is a free means of transportation between Mountain Village, Sophia, and Telluride. It was a fabulous look at the landscape. Sophia was actually the highest point we had been to this trip, at 10,500ft.





Above you can see Telluride, nestled in the mountains. We got off the gondola and walked out the doors to a scene of bicycles everywhere! It is definitely a bike-friendly place. There are mountain bike trails all over the mountains out here and you can take the gondola to the top and ride down. The gondolas even had bike racks on the outside. Though you can't see it in the photo above, we camped in Town Park at the edge of the city. It is a very scenic location right off of Bear Creek.
We set up camp and had a delicious dinner of macaroni and cheese!!! Chris gave the bicycles a tuning and they are even happier than before. We also met two other cyclists who are self-contained touring. An older man from Germany who started in New York and is making his way to San Francisco - sightseeing along the way. He has already covered more than 3000 miles! We also met a fellow Floridian who is just as cold as we are in this mountainous location! Mario headed out from Miami a little over a week before us and is heading to San Francisco as well (he has a blog if you'd like to take a look: fornoparticularreason.wordpress.com ). We chatted a bit, compared stories about the most unnerving places to camp and discussed our bicycles. He also has a Raleigh Sojourn, but a different year. We are thinking of grabbing breakfast together in the morning as one of the locals recommended a restaurant to him. Our socializing didn't last long as the temperature dropped dramatically as the sun went down.


Here is our tent! Currently we are curled up inside staying warm, and writing on the blog for you :)

We have started using the iPad's GPS to record our route, speed, and elevation:

(The last peak in the elevation graph is from the gondola ride).

Location:Rico, CO to Telluride, CO