Most anyone can tell you how to get from Alamosa to Salida.
The route on Colorado 17 is due north through the heart of the San Luis Valley. Keep the Sangre de Cristos on your right, merge onto U.S. Highway 285, then head over Poncha Pass to the Arkansas River Valley. Nothing to it.
Unless you want to take the most scenic route, and have a whole week to do it – on a bicycle – with 2,000 friends. That’s Ride the Rockies. The route is drop-dead gorgeous, just shy of 450 miles and entails over 32,000 feet of climbing.
This is the 32nd annual run of The Denver Post Community Foundation’s signature bike tour, and Durango’s 10th appearance as a stop between stages. Ride the Rockies last visited in 2013, but as if to make amends, the cyclists, folks of all ages from 49 states and 11 countries – including a dozen locals – will be here for two nights.
Ride the Rockies, which is not a race, will start in Alamosa on Sunday, although some riders may include a New Mexico prologue stage the day before. Heading west, cyclists will spend the night in Pagosa Springs and then arrive in Durango after 68 miles in the saddle on Monday evening. Tuesday’s itinerary involves a 39-mile circle route including Hesperus, the Dry Side and Lake Nighthorse. The two-wheeled caravan then departs Wednesday morning for a monster 83-mile stage to Ridgway. The ride will finish in Salida on June 17 after additional overnight stops in Montrose and Gunnison.
Organizers estimate that local hotels, restaurants and retailers in host communities benefit from $250,000 in economic impacts each day of the tour. As mentioned, that is two nights for us. As a bonus, the foundation awards a $5,000 grant to a nonprofit in each host community. In our case, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado will receive the funds.
In return, we should do our part. Watch for riders on local highways and roads. Slow down and share the pavement. And of course, take every opportunity to welcome them to the best darn town on the tour.
