I’ve been wanting to explore the Mt. Massive and Collegiate Peaks area for some time and I finally had some time to do it. The Bustang buses here in Colorado are great, very comfortable, cheap, bring the bike for free, and they go all over Colorado into the mountains and the cities. I took the bus from Fort Collins to Denver and then from Denver to Frisco, 22 usd total including the bike.
Day 1 – Frisco to Mount Massive
I arrived in Frisco around 12 noon and started out with a sandwich. The plan was to bike to the Mount Massive trailhead and pitch the tent in that area so I could wake up and climb it the next day. The route went over a pass through Leadville so I thought it would be a good idea to get some food for the trip in Leadville to keep the weight down a bit. There’s a beautiful bike trail that runs along the main road for the first 10-15k or so and then you connect with the road. It is not the most fun biking on a narrow shoulder on the road Friday afternoon when everyone is going in the mountains, but it is not the worst either. It’s a beautiful ride and I’ve done it in the car before but being on the bike is just way different having time to really enjoy the scenery. There’s a big mining history in the Leadville area and I keep thinking about those people coming here to settle. At the very top of the pass before reaching Leadville I met this cool guy selling beef and Elk jerky. The business started in the climax mine area some years back. He was fun and I took a few pictures with him and also got some water since I ran out (I only ran out because I didn’t fill up earlier, there are plenty of options to fill from creeks and rivers). Reaching the pass was nice since from hear it was mostly downhill to Leadville. I wanted to grab a beer in Leadville but I was a little pressed for time so I did my groceries, got some extra patches from the bike store, and a beer can to go for later in camp. The way from Leadville to trailhead was really nice, no more traffic! The area around Massive is wilderness and national forest so I could basically pitch my tent wherever, so I found a great spot right on the river (don’t worry – more than 100 ft from it) close to the trailhead. So first day ended up being 69k and 986m of elevation, what a great start to my trip – and the beer was still cold and tasted amazing!
Day 2 – Mt. Massive climb
I got up already at 6:15 to make some coffee. I grinded fresh beans before I left and that paired with the MSR coffee filter is a winner every time. Best way to get good coffee on trail unless you want to bring the grinder. It was only my second night in my new tent (Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo) and generally i was very happy with it the whole trip. It stayed dry the whole trip so still have to put it to the test in rainy weather. It’s a one man tent but i can still have all of my gear inside which i like. The first part of the trail is on the Colorado Trail so I already met a bunch of people that were going all the way to Durango. The whole trail usually is 4-6 weeks. After around 6k on the CT the trail breaks off and goes up the mountain. Theres a nice big stream just before it breaks off so I took a little break and filled up my bottles. I climbed it on a Saturday so I met quit a few people on the way. To my surprise I didn’t need to cross any snow and it was not a very technical climb. I could basically walk the whole way up (it’s classified as class 2). The views where amazing as always when you climb a mountain and I met a family of mountain goats all the way on the top. It was a very cool experience since it was my first time seeing them. I got down after 24k, 1400m elevation, and almost 7h of walking, and had a really good lunch in camp. The rest of the day I was just eating and chilling in camp, another great day.
Day 3 – Mt. Massive trailhead to Turtle Rock Campground
On day 3 I decided to take it very easy, I felt it a bit after the first two days so I didn’t want to rush anything and I just wanted to take my time. I spent a loooong time drinking coffee and eating Müesli, packed up and started riding down the mountain around 9:30. I rode south in the direction of Buena Vista and there was a lot of dirt roads running along the main road so it was a really beautiful ride and mostly downhill which I truly appreciated! I thought about biking to Huron Peak and climb it on the following day but decided against it and leave that for another day. I rode past Twin Lakes and onwards to Clear Creek Reservoir where I had lunch. I had brought tomatoes and cucumbers which are super heavy but definitely makes me happy when I’m eating it in the tortilla sandwiches that I make. It’s a fine balance – my food definitely weight a lot this trip but I also packed for 5 days. After lunch I rode down the main road for a few k’s and then connected with and old dirt road running on the east side of the Arkansas River. It was so cool to ride on that with beautiful views of 14’ers to the west, amazing rock formations to the east, and the river running right next to me. I went up to Turtle Rock campground which was still free. Riding up the hill I met this cool guy Brian who was living in his car for a few months and kayaking in the area. I was out of water and thankfully he had some extra. We talked for about half an hour before I rode up the last bit to the campsite. It was a beautiful site with views of Mount Princeton, Yale, and Havard. It ended up being another amazing full day riding almost 80k.
Day 4 – Turtle Rock Campground to Buena Vista
It was time to go to Buena Vista and catch the bus early. I had an amazing sleep and felt like I was just getting used to it now. Man I could continue forever doing this! But I have a 2,5 year old son at home now that depends on me. When he gets older I can do it and bring him on some trips and introduce him to this life. When I do this for a longer period of time I feel like I can almost tap into another dimension of life. I still have big plans of doing long epic trips like this in the future, so I stay mobile and in shape, but for now it has to wait. Anyway, I packed down my stuff and went early to ride the last 5k to Buena Vista Roastery Café to get some coffee and pastry before catching the bus. The bus ride to Denver from Buena Vista took around 2,5 hours and was beautiful. It cost me 24 usd with the Bustang Outrider bus.
In Denver I had to kill a few hours before catching the bus to Fort Collins, so I went to Denver Beer Co and tasted a few of their beers. They make really good stuff. While I was sitting there I reflected on my trip and how nice it was to have had a few day with no distractions to affect my thoughts and mindset, everything came from within and that is an amazing feeling and where original thoughts and ideas are born. Sure, it can be scary to set out on your own but once I’m out there the fear is gone. I’ve never regretted it and the knowledge I get about myself facing fears and challenges is invaluable.
Maps & stats
Below is the 4 day overview screenshot from Strava (Day 2 climb was 6h 54min, not 3h 15min. My watch wouldn’t track the last two days so I plotted the route manually in ridewithgps, I guess it’s getting old).
Here’s the link to the route on google maps and below is the screenshot
Through Mountains 