Total distance traveled - 38 miles

GPS data recorded on this day can be seen at Garmin Connect

Last night, after supper, we turned in early because the ride over Trail Ridge had taken all of our energy. Even though we were told that elk were in the area, there was only one incident we could recall of hearing them bugling in the distance. The morning came quickly enough, and we were greeted by a beautiful sunrise which shown it golden rays on the main diamond (east slope) of Longs Peak, shown in the picture above. A thick blanket of frost covered our tents, and on the picnic tables in the campground. We took our time breaking camp for the last time, knowing that the Big Thompson Canyon would not warm up until the sun rose higher in the sky. Today the bike ride would be downhill, for about twenty miles, until exiting the mouth of the canyon. The series of pictures, below were taken while stopping several times on our way down the canyon.

This last picture was taken, at the mouth of Big Thompson Canyon, where we stopped to take off our long sleeved jerseys because the temperature had risen dramatically with the loss in elevation. We were within 15 miles from arriving in Fort Collins.

Shortly after getting back on our bikes, Doug picked up a nail causing him a flat on the rear tire. We became separated while Doug fixed his bike. Fortunately we were able to reunite, after about a half an hour, and continue on towards Fort Collins. Turning north shortly after entering Loveland, we had a strong wind at our backs that helped push us along at a good rate of speed all the way into Fort Collins. We arrived in Fort Collins, shortly after one o'clock in the afternoon, which completed our tour through the Northern Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

This was a most remarkable vacation, for both of us. We will have good memories of all the people we met along the way, the near perfect fall weather, and experiencing the majestic beauty of the Rocky Mountains. By producing this web page we hope to share our experiences with our family, our friends, and others who might enjoy the adventurous spirit of bicycle touring.

Return to Early Fall Adventure Front Page or return to Dale's Tour Book