Loved These Days” beings to play, the road gets increasingly difficult
and turns from dirt to some pretty serious rock climbing and narrow
passages after a few miles. The smile on my face and my trusty Beemer,
floating me over the tougher more stomach emptying sections; like so
many mountain pass roads Rollins Pass was once part of the railroad
line. In this case, the Denver and Salt Lake Railway.
The last mile or so requires unsaddling and hiking to get to the summit
and the eye. Multiple, substantial, barriers discourage vehicles of any
size from even getting near the tunnel. Even on foot, you can no longer
go through the eyes, ever since a fire fighter lost his leg due to falling
rocks from the passageway in 1990. The only option is to hike over the
top of the tunnel, on foot, if you want to descend into the Winter Park
side. I opt for only a peek over before beginning my descent back down
to my bike.
As I walk down the hill, I feel a sense that the riding season might be
ending. There is a light snow falling, which I know will turn to rain before
I reach the bottom. Far below, at a small lake, I see fishermen. I have
no idea if there are actual fish to catch, or if they too are just playing
hooky on such a crisp October day. I suit up and continue my descent.
If I hadn’t lived here so long, I might actually believe it was the end of
my season. But as I once again turn onto pavement my phone rings
through to my helmet. Take that tethered wall phone! These are the
times I love technology! It is my good friend Bill, a fellow rider, inviting
me to ride up to the summit of Mount Evans the following day. So much
for the Last Ride of Season.
Epilogue
The next day Bill and I meet to head up the 14,240 paved feet of
Mount Evans Road. We begin our journey at the Echo Lake Lodge
over catfish and eggs. Echo Lake reflects the evergreens as the sun
shines bright. Not needing any more caffeine, but knowing it will be
in the single digits at the top we fortify ourselves with extra coffee.
As expected, the summit does not disappoint. It is cold, windy, snowy
and best of all sunny. A perfect Colorado day. The heavily bundled up
ranger informs us that the road will close tomorrow. The sky blackens,
the clouds move fast up here, passing by us on each turn and carrying
within their blackness the first big storm of the year. However, today, as
I descend I am not thinking about winterizing the bike. The skiers can
ski. I am going to continue to ride! In Colorado there is no such thing as
the last ride of the season . . . only the next one!
www.thunderroadscolorado.com
March 2016
Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 13