DAY 8 – TAYLOR PARK
Sunday June 26, Gunnison to Buena Vista (67 Miles)
Today’s ride heads north out of Gunnison toward Crested
Butte. Follow the Gunnison River to Almont
and head up Taylor Canyon. Look for bighorn sheep and rock climbers on the left
as you ride up the canyon. The road rises gently up to Taylor
Reservoir where the climb over the continental divide begins. The
road over Cottonwood Pass includes a 10-mile dirt section which runs from Taylor
Park to the summit. It’s a good dirt road with a hard mag-chloride surface. If you really, really, really, don’t want to ride it, we will give you
a bump to the top. The back side of the pass is smooth pavement, downhill all
of the way to Buena Vista. We might even be able to arrange a tail wind.
The high point of the day will be Cottonwood Pass at 12,126 ft elevation.
From: Boulder to Crested Butte, CO - 1992 by Chuck Anderson:
Cottonwood Pass, 12,126 feet (3700m), west of Buena Vista, Colorado. This is a photo looking east. I climbed Cottonwood Pass on Day 4 of a ride from my home in Boulder, to Crested Butte. This is a very scenic and little used shortcut from Buena Vista, over to Taylor Park, and on to Crested Butte. The other route is much further, on a busy highway (50), over Monarch Pass, followed by a long, boring, dangerous ride into Gunnison. You can read more about this scenic, peaceful shortcut in my Boulder to Crested Butte write up.
It’s a short day and a
one-humper so take your time and enjoy the scenery. We will be staying at the
Great Western
Sumac Lodge in downtown Buena Vista. It is strategically located near Bongo
Billy’s for those
of you who need an expresso fix to get going in the morning. The evening’s
entertainment will
be a T-shirt exchange organized by Susan.
Below you will find a view from Keyhole showing the start of the day at the
bottom (with a larger pushpin) and the end of the day at the top (with a smaller
pushpin).
*** Note These Satellite Photos
and Maps are Only Suggestive of Our Route ***
*** Note These Satellite Photos
and Maps are Only Suggestive of Our Route ***
*** Note These Satellite Photos
and Maps are Only Suggestive of Our Route ***
