Adventure Cycling Association

We begin our weeklong journey in Summit County, the heart of Colorado ski country. Kick-off meeting and overnight location is at Rainbow Park. If you arrive early, be sure to check out the historic Mint Steakhouse. Established in 1862 as Jack Ryan’s Saloon in the tiny mining town of Kokomo, the bar and bordello was moved to Frisco and then Dillon, where it became known as the Mint. After the Denver Water Board bought up all the land in Dillon in order to dam the Blue River, which would flood the town, the Mint was moved once more to its final location in nearby Silverthorne. In the 1980s, its new owners discovered the Mint’s history and sought to restore as much of it as possible to its original condition, including the oak bar. If you get to town early, consider an out-and-back ride to Keystone by way of the Dillon Reservoir.

This ride features the very popular Breckenridge Bike Path, which is away from traffic and completely paved. The elevation gain on the way to Breckenridge is approximately 600 feet over 12 miles, at less than 1 percent grade, although you will encounter a few “rollers” along the way. The “Kingdom of Breckenridge” was founded in 1859 as a mining camp. During the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, more than one million troy ounces of gold were produced by mines in the surrounding mountains. Today the town is home to a popular ski area and a wealth of other fun distractions.

Today we’ll ride up the famous Vail Pass bike path to the summit (10,666 feet). Leaving Silverthorne, we’ll wind through aspen groves to the base of the Copper Mountain Resort. From Copper Mountain, it’s approximately four and a half miles to the summit. With a relatively gentle 4 percent grade, the path is very scenic. Once we reach the top, we’ll have a thrilling 3,200-foot descent down the bike path into the Vail Valley — a wonderful reward for the dues we paid on the climb up! We’ll establish a new Vail Valley base camp in the town of Edwards.

We’ll enjoy breakfast and dinner at the campground, while portable sack lunches will be available for your day’s adventure. The list of day-off activities in the Vail/Edwards/Avon area include whitewater rafting, mountain biking, world-class shopping and dining, and more. Vail, the second-largest ski mountain in America, is just one of two major ski resorts in this area. The other, Beaver Creek, is known for its upscale, family-oriented accommodations and terrain. It is also the home of a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Golf Course.

Today we’ll leave the hustle and bustle of Vail/Edwards/Avon and take a short ride to the relaxed town of Gypsum. Today’s ride is generally downhill on a secondary road following the river as the valley opens up. Tonight we’ll camp on the lawn next to the Gypsum Rec Center. Native Americans used to call the area near town the “hole in the sky” because storms seemed to avoid it. Let’s hope the same holds true for us!

Today’s ride has a fabulous end-of-the-ride reward — the wonderful, world-famous Glenwood Springs Pool, the world’s largest outdoor hot-springs pool! We’ll leave Gypsum and ride west on a frontage road that follows the Eagle River until it meets the Colorado River at Dotsero. Then at the mouth of Glenwood Canyon, we’ll connect with a fantastic bike path that winds its way along the edge of the Colorado River and will lead us the rest of the way to the hot springs and lots of other fun diversions.

After fun in Glenwood Springs, we will shuttle back to our starting point in Silverthorne.