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New Mexico Rambler |
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Dates: |
Assembly Point:
Albuquerque |
Tour
Cost: $2,695 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, support van, transfers, leaders, tour maps & narratives) |
In so many ways, the New Mexico Rambler brings together the best of bicycle touring in the Southwest. The rolling high desert of Northern New Mexico, sprawling beneath the rugged Sangre De Cristos, the vast tablelands of the San Luis Valley and South Park, the surrealism of the Great Sand Dunes, and the alpine grandeur of Hoosier and Loveland Passes — these are only a few of the scenic highlights of this epic tour from Albuquerque to Denver.
We'll ride from Albuquerque along the legendary Turquoise Trail through Madrid and on to Santa Fe where we'll spend the evening. The following morning, we're off to Taos along the backroads through the Tesuque, Pojoaque and Nambe Pueblos to Chimayo. We'll visit the Santuario de Chimayo, sample Leona's freshly-fired tortillas, and then challenge the awesome High Road as it climbs from the Rio Grande Valley to Truchas and into the Carson National Forest.
The day is a continuum of tiny villages — Ojo Sarco, Las Trampas, Chamisal, Penasco — that symbolize the spirit and culture of northern New Mexico. A 13-mile descent to Taos is a dramatic conclusion to an extraordinary day.
We’ll be ready for the layover day that follows in Taos with its opportunities to visit the Taos Pueblo and hike into the depths of the Rio Grande Gorge to the confluence of the Red and Rio Grande Rivers. Our lodge’s inviting outdoor pool and hot tub are options for those who choose to treat a layover day literally.
On day 4, we'll ride north from Taos along the Sangre de Cristos into Colorado. We'll overnight at the Sand Dunes Lodge, adjacent to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We'll visit the Dunes the following morning enroute to Salida.
As we continue northward into the heart of Colorado's Central Rockies, the changes in topography are dramatic. The mighty Collegiate Range with its snowclad "fourteeners" looms to the west as we ride to South Park and the 19th century mining camp of Fairplay. We'll spend the evening in historic Fairplay and then climb Hoosier Pass (11,541') on Day 7 before descending to Breckenridge and an early arrival at the Beaver Run Resort.
From Breckenridge, we'll ride the sparkling shores of Lake Dillon as we climb beyond timberline to the Continental Divide atop spectacular Loveland Pass (11,992'). It's downhill to Georgetown from Loveland's above-timberline summit for our final evening in this quaint 19th-century Victorian town. Our descent along Clear Creek continues into our final day and we can't resist the opportunity for one more adventure on this day. Mighty Mt. Evans, just one of Colorado's 54 "fourteeners," looms just up the road from Idaho Springs. It's 14,260-foot summit is tempting, but we'll settle for stunning Echo Lake at 10,000', crest Squaw Pass and then coast downhill to Bergen Park before shuttling the few remaining miles into Denver.
Total Mileage — 524
E-Mail: timber@earthnet.net
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Itinerary