RT 285 colorado

Quoted message said:

anyone know what rt. 285 from Denver to Fairplay or Buena Vista is like.
Is it multi lane highway or two lane rd. ? Is it scenic ? I was thinking
of taking it out of Denver on my way to Crested Butte and eventually to
the San Juan range. It looked like a pretty tame road to start a tour
with and get used to the altitude. Whats the traffic like in august?

Busy four lanes first 20-25 miles or so, then busy two/three lanes. Not what I
would call an ideal riding road, IMHO. "Turkey Creek Canyon" outside of Denver
is pretty steep. Has one real steep hill, "Crow Hill" and otherwise continuous
uphill. Once you get away from the metro area would improve considerably. I
have never seen a lot of bikers on it in the past.

Lots of car accidents.

Beautiful once you get over Kenosha Pass.

Others likely will provide alternative insights.

http://members.aol.com/foxcondorsrvtns
(Colorado rental condo)

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox
(Family Web Page)

nomd said:

anyone know what rt. 285 from Denver to Fairplay or Buena Vista is like.

Yes, I have ridden it from south of Morrison to Buena Vista - in late June.

Have you seen this page?
http://www.dot.state.co.us/BikePed/maps.htm

The State Map is a 3MB pdf (and their server acts like it's on a phone
line), but it's a pdf file and you can zoom right in for detail and
printing.

Quoted message said:

Is it multi lane highway or two lane rd.

There's some four lane spots when you are closer to Denver to handle
heavy commuter traffic (rush hours and weekends). Most of the route,
though, is two lane with shoulder (except 4 lanes near towns - like
Conifer). I'm pretty sure the shoulder disappears west of Bailey, but so
does the traffic.

Quoted message said:

? Is it scenic ?

Yes. In Denver and Lakewood, it's dreadful, but once you are west of
there you go through some interesting spots. There's some interesting
exposed topography near Morrison (Dinosaur Ridge) - and the layered
sandstone of Red Rocks.

http://www.geocities.com/jghist/Special/redrocks/red.htm

http://www.cliffshade.com/colorado/dakota_hogback/

Once past Turkey Creek Canyon, you enter the more typical lush green
mountains of Colorado.
My favorites parts begin near Conifer and especially west of Bailey.

Quoted message said:

I was thinking of taking it out of Denver on my way to Crested Butte

You've chosen the best route.

Quoted message said:

and eventually to the San Juan range.

Excellent! Cross over to Crested Butte by going to Buena Vista and then
west over Cottonwood Pass. You'll hit hard packed dirt on the way down
the pass - on the west side, but it's very manageable and this is
definitely the best way to get to Crested Butte (as opposed to highway
50 over Monarch Pass to Gunnison - a very UNdesireable route).

Quoted message said:

It looked like a pretty tame road to start a tour with and get used to the altitude.

Not entirely. Leaving from Boulder, I did 60 miles and 6000 feet by the
time I got to Grant at the base of Kenosha Pass. However, Kenosha Pass
is only 10,000+ feet - a lower pass than most, so that part is much
tamer. It's certainly easier than taking the I-70 route and climbing
Loveland Pass at 12,000 feet. There are some steep spots - like Crow Hill.

Quoted message said:

Whats the traffic like in august?

It's a main artery for returning from weekend jaunts, so on Sunday their
is lots of eastbound traffic. East of Conifer, commuting hours are very
busy. Riding between rush hours on a weekday will be fine. There's
really no other practical route, and your assumptions about being a
tamer route are basically correct.

Highlights on the route:

Hot Dog stand in Aspen Park- near Conifer.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php3?tip_AttractionNo==1532

Dropping down from Kenosha Pass you'll be in South Park (like the
cartoon). The view as you descend from Kenosha Pass is spectacular. Have
your camera ready.

Cottonwood Hot Springs west of Buena Vista.
http://www.cottonwood-hot-springs.com/
It's a little expensive to get a room there, but you can camp free
within a mile (state campground) and pay for the pools. Or $25 and you
can camp on their site and soak. These are *the finest* hot pools I've
ever been in. It is well worth a stop here, especially on a cycle tour.
There's nothing like a good mineral hot soak to cure what ales (aches?) you.

I would have recommended this route if you had asked. But ride it on a
weekday. Avoid early morning and late afternoon rush hour near Denver.

There's a friendly little tavern and grill in Grant - right at the
beginning of the final ascent of Kenosha Pass - where they let a friend
and I set up our tents for free on our first night of a ride to Buena
Vista (easily reachable on the second day. From Fairplay to Trout Creek
Pass, it is slightly downhill with and there is typically a tailwind.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.)

Let me know if you have more questions.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious.
The lack of it is common.
*****************************

nomd said:

anyone know what rt. 285 from Denver to Fairplay or Buena Vista is like.
Is it multi lane highway or two lane rd. ? Is it scenic ? I was thinking
of taking it out of Denver on my way to Crested Butte and eventually to
the San Juan range. It looked like a pretty tame road to start a tour
with and get used to the altitude. Whats the traffic like in august?

--

Others have given good information on 285, I might also consider going
out 70 to Copper, then S. on 24.
70 has a pretty good shoulder much of the way, you'ld have to climb
Loveland Pass (very little traffic) and bypass the tunnel, but once you
turn off 70 towards Leadville, it should be very nice. Not nearly as
windy as 285 can get near South Park, very nice views, more little
towns, I tend to think less traffic than 285.
I would not want to ride 285 near Denver or Conifer, and even some of
that section from Baily to Kenosha Pass, while nice, might be pretty
scary with very little shoulder and cars going pretty fast. OTOH, coming
out of the S. Park valley down towards Buena Vista would be a great ride.

It is an option

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

I agree with the comments about 285 from Denver. What worked for me is along
the i-70
corridoor, frontage roads almost all the way to the Eisenhower Tunnel.
You'll need to ride on the
I-70 shoulder for the last few miles, just before the tunnel, take the exit
for 6, go over
Loveland Pass and head towards Breckenridge, then continue on to Fairplay
over a pass (forgot
the name) and hang a right onto 285 towards Buena Vista.

From the top of Loveland pass to Buena Vista is a good days ride for me.

"Craig Brossman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

nomd said:

anyone know what rt. 285 from Denver to Fairplay or Buena Vista is like.
Is it multi lane highway or two lane rd. ? Is it scenic ? I was thinking
of taking it out of Denver on my way to Crested Butte and eventually to
the San Juan range. It looked like a pretty tame road to start a tour
with and get used to the altitude. Whats the traffic like in august?

--

Others have given good information on 285, I might also consider going
out 70 to Copper, then S. on 24.
70 has a pretty good shoulder much of the way, you'ld have to climb
Loveland Pass (very little traffic) and bypass the tunnel, but once you
turn off 70 towards Leadville, it should be very nice. Not nearly as
windy as 285 can get near South Park, very nice views, more little
towns, I tend to think less traffic than 285.
I would not want to ride 285 near Denver or Conifer, and even some of
that section from Baily to Kenosha Pass, while nice, might be pretty
scary with very little shoulder and cars going pretty fast. OTOH, coming
out of the S. Park valley down towards Buena Vista would be a great ride.

It is an option

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

A good route from Denver to Crusty Butt is south to Colorado Springs via Palmer
Park and an MUP that extends north to Monument, then to Canon City, Salida,
Monarch Pass, Gunnie, CB.