3 Days, 4 Great American River watersheds, 550 miles on a fun weekend Club Adventure ride in the Rocky Mtns to the Great Sand Dunes Hot Springs pool and the Arkansas River.
JULY 26-28 2024
Watersheds
- Arkansas River
- Rio Grande
- Colorado
- South Platte
Both the Pink and red options are fun and end up at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs.
- The Majority pink Loop is the Non-Challenging portion.
- The Majority pink and red loop is the Challenging option.
- The club will portage your gear for the weekend.
- The Sand Dunes Pool has great food, a Wine bar and soaking is included with the Ride.
- The Drift-In on the Arkansas River has an excellent Bar & Grill.
- Camping at the Great Sand Dunes Hot Springs and on the Arkansas River is included.
DATE: JULY 26-28 2024
START ADDRESS: Colorado Springs Airport, COS, CO.
- The Great Sand Dunes Hot Springs Adventure starts in Colorado Springs, with staging at the secure COS municipal airport.
- If your Not local, show up on Thursday July 25 and the Club has secured discounted Lodging at the Colorado Springs Airport Radisson Hotel.
The Day 1 description is as follows:
We use an old Stagecoach road and 2 old Railroad lines to go around the east side of Pikes Peak to Victor & Cripple Creek and then head to the Arkansas River Valley.
- From Phantom Canyon, Canon City and the Arkansas River we head over a little known Pass to the Oak Creek Grade.
- To the old mining towns of Westcliffe & Silvercliff in the Wet Mountain Valley.
- From the Wet Mtn Valley you have 2 choices:
- Over 10k foot Medano Pass and onto Medano Creek road thru the back of the Great Sand Dunes.
- Or a No Sand loop over almost 10k foot Pass Creek Pass to La Veta Pass and around Mt. Blanca to the GSD.
- Both of these Loop Choices will take you into the Rio Grande River Watershed.
Day 2 of the GSD Hot Springs Adventure
Day 2 starts after a night of soaking and camping or glamping at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs Pool.
- After enjoying the tropical atmosphere of the Indoor Hot Tubs and Beer & Wine Bar at the Sand Dunes Pool.
- Or the Olympic size outdoor Hot Springs pool
- There are 3 Glamping Cabins at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs, or plenty of space to pitch a tent in the clean campsites at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs.
- After breakfast and packing up, there are 2 loop Choices on Saturday to the Drift-In campsites and Bar & Grill on the Arkansas River.
There is a semi-challenging loop and an easy loop on Day 2.
- The easier loop heads into the Colorado River watershed over 4 High Mountain Passes on smooth dirt.
- One paved pass.
- Both loops head thru Center, in the middle of The San Luis Valley.
- Toward Penatante Canyon and La Garita.
- Then over a beautiful dirt road and over 10k+ foot Canero Pass Summit to past the Storm King campsite.
- Then you’ll down to the old Sanderson Stage Line past Old Cowtown and a summit to the oldest town in the northern San Luis Valley, Saguache.
- For a snack and fuel.
From Saguache (Sawatch) are where your 2 choices deviate.
The Semi Challenging (Green) loop heads over 2 track Ute Pass to the old mining area of Bonanza.
- Explore an old mine and head over the semi-challenging Jeep road that is the built in the 1870’s Otto Mears Tollroad.
- From the Otto Mears there is a bit if fun off-road below 14k foot Mt Shavano and the Continental Divide to our campsites at the Drift-In on the Arkansas River.
The easier (Brown & Green) loop is more spectacular of the 2 choices.
The easier Loop includes 4 High Mtn Passes and a bit of pavement.
- You’ll head from Saguache thru Villa Grove over paved almost 10k foot Poncha Pass.
- From Mears Junction on Poncha Pass, you’d head in the dirt to the old Denver & Rio Grande Railroad line over 10k + foot Marshall Pass.
- To the old Railroad community of Sargents, which has a Fuel station and a Bar & Grill and sits at the base of the west side of Monarch Pass.
- From Sargents you’ll head north along Tomichi Creek to Old Monarch Pass.
- Head up Twisty Old Monarch Pass to 12k+ foot old Monarch summit on smooth dirt.
- Then head down paved Hwy 50 to a fun Off-road section below the Continental Divide.
If you don’t wish to camp, the club has asked that rooms be held at the Poncha Lodge in Poncha Springs.
- Less than 3 miles for our campsite.
Saturday night set-up camp at the Drift-In Bar & Grill and enjoy hanging out on the Arkansas River.
- Enjoy the camaraderie of your Like-minded enthusiasts and a Bonfire, and the included with the ride dinner.
- Or if you don’t wish to camp, the club has rooms held and you’ve made a reservation at the Poncha Lodge.
Day 3 of the Great San Dunes Hot Springs Adventure
The ride starts on the Arkansas River outside Salida, CO. in the Heart of the Rocky Mountains.
- After an included Breakfast & Coffee, we’ll head down a dirt road along the Arkansas river.
- Cross the river and stop at the old Smokestack on the National Historic Register at Smeltertown.
- From Smeltertown, just outside Salida you’ll have a fuel stop option.
- Then head up dirt Ute Pass, which at one time held a hillclimb, ala Pikes Peak.
- From Ute Pass we head across the beautiful high mountain plains to the West side of Pikes Peak.
- Where you’ll drop down a jeep road to the the old Colorado Midland Right-of-way along the spectacular South Platte River.
- From the South Platte you’ll take some locals only twisty dirt and pavement to Divide, CO.
- Divide is an old Railroad town, on the Divide. Of the Arkansas and Platte Rivers.
From Divide, we’re now on the North side of Pikes Peak.
- We’ll take twisty Trout Creek down to Woodland Park, and you can make a late lunch stop.
And now you have a choice.
- Ride Up Pikes Peak.
- Or up and then down Rampart Range Road to Garden of the Gods.
- Either choice is spectacular in it’s own way.
- Both choices will take you Old Colorado City.
- Where you take the old Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek Railroad right of-way that is now a dirt road.
- Thru the last few old Railroad tunnels to twisty paved Cheyenne Canyon.
Then it’s a short jaunt across town to where your truck has been securely parked at the COS airport.
- 3 Days, 4 Major American River watersheds, 550 miles on a fun weekend Club ride in the Rocky Mountains.
More Info: https://advtours.com/great-sand-dunes-loop/
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