Durango, CO August, 2002

Joe Cruz and John Pollock traveled to Durano, CO, where they spent four days riding and hiking. On the evening of they day the arrived, they did a short ride in the Telegraph Hill area, just on the east edge of town. This is Durango's "Fantasy Island". On the first full day, they rode the well-known Hermosa Creek trail, 21 miles long, with about 3000 feet of descending, but an 800 foot climb at the end. On this trip John crashed and bent his derailleur hanger. He was able to remove it and straighten it by laying it on a flat rock and pounding on it with another rock. But the bike shifted progressively worse as the trip went on, and upon return to Tucson, the derailleur had to be replaced. On day two, they rode the Dutch Creek -- Jones Creek trail, which parallels the Hermosa Creek trail, but up high on the ridge line to the east. According to the profile, they climbed 2500 feet and descended 6388 feet, in 23 miles, but that is probably an exaggeration. The GPS indicated less. The ride was spectacularly beautiful. On day three they did their epic ride, from Molas Pass to Coal Bank Pass. This was only 17.4 miles long, but all at around 12,000 feet,peaking at 12,500, and it involved 3440 feet of oxygen free climbing. Although they ended at about the same altitude they began, it is amazing how much more climbing there was on the ride than descending. On day four John hiked to Kennebec Pass after dropping Joe off for a 4500 foot descent (with 1500 feet of climbing in the middle).

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