On Wednesday May 26th we biked our second mountain pass of the season. Independence Pass is the second highest (paved) mountain pass in the state of the Colorado. The pass is at the summit of a ridge of the Sawatch Range between Aspen and Leadville and it tops out at a cool 12,095 feet which is well above tree line. At this point in the season, there is ample snow abound and plenty of water running out of the high country which made the descent a little nerve racking. We rode 16 miles uphill gaining 4,200 feet with an average grade of 4.2%, maxing out at 7.0%. It was a long early season grind but we wanted to knock this one out while the pass is still closed to cars. It opened today. While we are still not in top form and this was certainly a physical challenge, mentally this was a long, long slog up to the top. After a couple of photos at the top, we got back in the saddle and navigated our way down a chilly, wet, hazard riddled descent while racing the setting sun. We made it safely back to our truck where we were happily greeted by our tail wagging pups. It was nice to see them; it was really nice to get in our vehicle, crank the heat/seat heaters and head for the house. Two down, more to come!
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