DnvrFox

https://www.traillink.com/ViewTrail.aspx?AcctID=6015415

Today Nora and I rode a bit on the just completed and gorgeous 44 mile Rio Grande Rail-Trail from Glenwood Springs to Aspen, CO

This paved trail follows the Roaring Fork River. The section we were on today was from Carbondale to Basalt. The Aspen were bright gold, the river was broad and glorious, the trail was new and well-maintained.

I took some pictures with my cell phone, but, unfortunately, I forgot to bring the adapter for the mini SD card, so I can't post right now.

It is worth a trip to Glenwood - not only do you have the new trail, but you also have the option of the spectacular Glenwood Canyon Trail - 18 miles, which can continue on to Keystone, if you don't mind some miles of US 6. That would be about 150 miles or so - so going all the way on the trail from Keystone or Breckenridge through Frisco, Copper, Vail Pass, Vail and out to Edwards, then riding US 6 to Dotsero, then the Glenwood Canyon Trail, then up to Carbondale, Basalt, Snowmass and Vail, about 150 miles.

Tom Bombadil

Sounds wonderful. I was in Estes Park on this week 3 years ago. It was beautiful ... and during the week, it was empty. Busy on weekends. Would love to repeat that trip, and ride some of those trails in the Greater Denver area.

cranky old dude

Sounds great, can't wait to see the pics.

Recycle

My wife and I joined my brother and his wife for a cycling vacation out your way this summer. We spent 5 days riding around Aspen and Glenwood Springs. The Denver and Rio Grande Trail section from Aspen to Basalt was one of our favorites, especially the lunch stop at Woody Creek Tavern ... The parking area had places for bikes, horses, ATVs, motorcycles and Jeeps.

We spent another 5 days in the Frisco area. There was a lot of afternoon rain, so never did cycle up to Vail Pass, but the cycling we did between Keystone, Dillon, Frisco, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain was spectacular.

megaman

Just curious, what's the elevation of this ride?

Recycle

The Glenwood Canyon Trail runs from Dotsero (6,155) to Glenwood Springs (5,760)
The Denver and Rio Grande Trail runs from Aspen (7,820) to Glenwood Springs (5,760)

The Summit County trails are considerably higher:
Keystone 9,166
Dillon 9,087
Frisco 9,042
Breckenridge 9,602
Copper Mountain 9,700
Vail Pass 10,660

oilman_15106

Looks very nice. Did my Federal Tax $ pay for it?

DnvrFox

I do believe this was local $$, but I am not sure of that. It was built by the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority.

DnvrFox

Wife and I rode from Glenwood Springs to Carbondale and back today. Took a lot of pics with the digital camera, but my adapter to the digital memory card (different from the cell phone card) is not working either!

This section is about 50% as beautiful as the section yesterday. But it is still very nice.

We did a total of 20 miles, which is about as much as the wife can do right now, given her severe allergies. She will be 71 in November,

colorado dale

sounds like Dfox is riding round trips
one could also ride bike bus to aspen and then ride downhill to glenwood springs
https://www.aspentimes.com/article/20...ntprofile=1065

DnvrFox

The "bike bus" stops running except on weekends in September. Besides, we find the uphill enjoyable. Just 2%.

BTW, many of our trails are partly built with proceeds from our state lottery - all of the profits go into open space and the like.

This trail is a combo of funding, including lottery funds.

oldster

[QUOTE=DnvrFox;7576781]Wife and I rode from Glenwood Springs to Carbondale and back today. Took a lot of pics with the digital camera, but my adapter to the digital memory card (different from the cell phone card) is not working either!


Last time We made that trip was next to the trail...
floated the river and had some really nice flyfishing...
Highlight of the float was when I was on the oars, and high centered the raft on a big rock.
couple of locals fishing a few yards below the rock.
One guy pipes up" you guys do this often????"
Still use that saying when I am floundering about with no clue....
Had to be there....
Bud

DnvrFox

The pictures I took with the cell phone camera of the most beautiful scenery from Carbondale to Basalt on the Rio Grande Trail were bad - somehow I had it set on thumbnail, so the pics were about 1" x 2".

Here are some pictures of the 2nd day of the ride from Glenwood to Carbondale.

DnvrFox

Here are pics of todays ride on the Glenwood Canyon Trail - it borders the remarkable US I-70 - considered the finest engineering project on the entire US of A interstate highway system.

The trail is 18 miles long, the actual canyon is 12.5 miles. The cliffs are at least 1,000 feet up. The river is the Colorado River.

doctor j

That's beautiful scenery, Dnvr, thanks for posting.

Had I the time and money, I'd like to take the bike and get around to some of the various places I've seen our members ride.

colorado dale

if you want to do Dfox's route but add a few extra miles bicycle tour of colorado will include
aspen to glenwood on the last day (day 7)
https://www.bicycletourcolorado.com/i...display&pid=41

zacster

Nobody mentioned 'The Pool'. After all that riding you can soak in the largest hot tub I've ever seen, about the size of a football field. If you live there or vacation there frequently I guess it goes without saying, but I've only been through there once.

https://www.hotspringspool.com/

Ken Brown

Looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing the photos.

DnvrFox

We spent a couple of hours in "The Pool" I did some laps in about 95 degree water.

At $13.50 per person per day - it gets a bit expensive. But, it was fun.

zacster

Not as expensive as staying at the hotel, with 3 kids! This came at the end of a 2 week Northwest driving vacation that started in Seattle and ended in Denver. So many times on that trip I said to myself "I wish I had my bike." I even tried to rent one in Moab to take on one of the famous trails, but all the rentals were fully booked.

These trails make me want to go back, this time with the bike. I could probably even get my wife and kids to agree.

DnvrFox

There are bike rentals in Glenwood right at the start of the Glenwood Canyon Trail by the Yampah Hot Springs

We chose one of the cheaper "drive in" motels - Glenwood Motor Inn. Great for a base camp.

colorado dale

swan mtn path was awarded a check for $750,000 today from GOCO (Greater
Outdoor Colorado ie the lottery fund).
part of the reason was the amount of private donations/community support

this means that construction of "sapphire section" will start when the snow melts this coming spring

for those not from this area here's what we are talking about

https://www.nwc.cog.co.us/NWCCOG%20Fo...ons_6f_map.pdf

colorado dale

found the proposal for the swan mtn path
pictures on the proposal make it worth a look
i found the proposal itself a great read
https://www.nwc.cog.co.us/NWCCOG%20Fo...prospectus.pdf

here is a shameless plug
even though phase II funds have now been raised phase III will cost more than phase I and II
combined if you need a tax deduction for your taxes
https://www.swanmountainrecpath.com/


some interesting facts in proposal

SPRING, SUMMER
& FALL RECREATION

“MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF T H E S TAT E ’ S R E S I D E N T S A R E
T R A I L U S E R S A N D T H E AVERAGE FAMILY U S E S T H E M 7 8 T I M E S A
YEAR. SINCE 1990, THE NUMBER OF TRAIL USERS HAS INCREASED

1 0 P E R C E N T P E R Y E A R . ”

bvfrompc

Must suck living somewhere where you can't go out your door and bike for 100's of miles on a nice MUP. Sounds like it makes one cranky.

khan

Gotta say, I was skeptical at first when I heard of the Swam Mtn. path. I've been going up to Summit Co. for about 15 years and never had a problem riding up Swan Mtn. Rd. (some of the references in the proposal talking about it being dangerous had me scratching my head). Having said that, I had the chance to ride the trail this summer when I was out there. They did a great job of making the trail interesting and challenging. I do miss the gentle rise from hwy. 6 as you can look out over the reservoir to the right. The part of the trail I don't like is the drop right onto the road. I'm hoping they add like a "landing" there, for people to pull off out of the way and do whatever it is they do when they stop. I often came down there and had to maneuver around people waiting for others to catch up or adjusting things and there's really not room there for dawlding. It just gets bunched up and then you've got 5 or 6 people trying to pull out onto the climb at the same time. But, that's my only complaint. I didn't realize the rest of the trail would travel along the other side of the road. That should be awesome. I hope they create a couple of pull-outs because you know people will be stopping to take pictures, etc.
I'll wait to see how the West side shakes out. I liked climbing and bombing down that side. Cars usually couldn't keep up on the way down and in fact I'd usually catch up to a car and have to ease up behind them. I'll be curious to see if they cut a path in the side of the mtn. or if they "add" room on the lane for a roadside path. I've had the best vacations out there playing on and around those mtns.

Cheers!