Off to Kebler Pass and Crested Butte.
Today started cloudy and not as hot as recent days. We hauled ourselves down the hill and rode away about 9 am, headed to a route we couldn’t get to last visit (2023) due to a bicycle race. Starting out on CO 133 north, we turned right just south of Paonia Reservoir onto CO 12 toward Kebler Pass (pronounced Kēbler).
Rt 12 is about one third paved. The rest is hard packed dirt with small gravel and a rut or two. While our bike is not an “off road” machine, we can do pretty well on maintained dirt roads. We just needed to slow down. A lot. On paved sections, we averaged about 40 mph despite some tight corners. On hard pack dirt, not so much. Using mostly 2nd and 3rd gears, we did mostly between 15 – 25 mph, which seemed plenty fast enough. Control on dirt is not really very hard. It just requires concentration, patience, keeping your head up, your hands relaxed, and have confidence in your machine.
We were passed repeatedly by cars and trucks that were in a hurry for some reason. So we let them go by. Courteously with a wave. It doesn’t hurt our feelings when someone scoots by. Our egos don’t bruise. We are just happy with what we’re doing. The only annoyance was the billows of dust each vehicle kicked up. Oh, well.
The views were stellar today. Kebler Pass is just a tad under 10,000 feet, and the ride down hill into Crested Butte is fun. Settled in about 1880, the town is located in the Elk Mountain range and the region was formerly inhabited by the Ute people. At first the city supported silver then coal mining, and boasted service by the Denver and Rio Grand. After mining companies mostly left in the 1950’s, it transformed itself into a ski resort. Today it’s a bit upscale with about 1,650 full time residents. Folks come to ski, hike, enjoy shopping in chic boutiques, and concerts in a lovely concert hall.
We stopped for coffee at a very cute cafe connected to a local bookstore. We’d packed sandwiches and ate outside, saving shekels for later use.
If I may say so, we might have been a little grubby looking, having come through the dusty ride and sporting helmet head hair. (Of course I should speak only for myself.) By contrast, many folks strolling by had immaculate hair and wearing clothes that have that studied casual look. And nice shoes.
One suggestion, if we may. Leave your bright white chinos, shorts or skirts at home. It’s not a great look here. Especially if you sit down anywhere.
We strolled along the street for a bit and met Sarah, who with her two-year old shepherd, Cedar, were gearing up for a ride over the Kebler Pass. Sarah is from near Atlanta and loves riding with her pup who has a deluxe seat behind her mom. Of course we talked about our rides and gear and whatnot. She graciously gave us permission to include her name and pic here. We love Cedar’s custom goggles!
We took off soon thereafter to return the way we came. Again, it was so much fun! I confess that I didn’t take much time to sightsee. But Connie did. Riding through Keebler Pass and the Gunnison National Forest was magical in itself. And Connie got the pics!
Tonight we’re staying up late to stargaze. We learned that tonight will have the darkest sky here. We both look forward to seeing the Milky Way in its glory. The skies are clear now, and we hope they stay that way.
Thanks for following along with us. It means so much to be able to share this experience with you.
Wandering Retirees 