Ride #2 at MitM is the Valley Loop. This is a wonderful, easy, not to high drive that will take a few hours and it will take you past some wonderful scenery.

This ride leaves Copper Mountain, eastbound thru Frisco, CO. Take Hwy 9 southbound towards Breckenridge Ski Resort and continue over Hoosier Pass. (Do YOU know where the term HOOSIER came from???) Continue on to enjoy the quaint towns of Alma and Fairplay, (Home of the world famouns Burro Races...get your *** up the Pass and so on.....) then on into Buena Vista by the Colorado River. Stop and get some action shots of the people rafting the Colorado. Turn north and back towards Leadville from the south and back into Copper Mountain.

This ride will run you about 4 hours and nearly 150 miles. Plan to stop at the various mountain passes for scenic pictures (Hoosier Pass is good for that) and lunch, perhaps in Leadville on the way home...

Leadville is itself a national historic landmark...check it out. www.leadvilleusa.com and www.centralcolorado.com too.

See you there!!

JPS

 

Nancy and I are looking forward to the weekend Jonathan. Thanks for posting this information. There is so much on the schedule for Mini in the Mountains that we're going to have to think through this pretty well. Perhaps not the midnight ride before the sunrise ride.
Lloyd

 

I have not posted a ride to the Royal Gorge nor to the Florissant Fossil Beds. Yet. But I might.

Even if I don't, you may wish to consider, if you come up I-25, cutting off at Pueblo, then going thru Canyon City, doing Skyline Drive (a once in a lifetime thing) then doing the Gorge...really really scenic. The drive from there across the valley is easy to Fairplay, Breckenridge, then Copper.

Let me know if you want details, I can supply them.

JPS

 

My daughter and I mapped out this ride today. Beautiful scenery, some good curves, cool towns, etc. Almost a 3 hour drive of about 135 miles!

I highly recommend it!

Lynn

 

We went through this area this weekend and it was beautiful. Just a side note -- Buena Vista is celebrating Gold Rush Days August 12 & 13, including the third leg of the annual Rocky Mountain Championship Pack Burro Race Triple Crown. They will also have a rubber duck race, entertainment (melodrama, gunfighters, western dancers, storytellers, musicians, and gold panning), arts & crafts booths, etc. If you're doing this ride, plan for a little time in Buena Vista!