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Salsomaggiore Terme Pssshhhhh… 80 miles!
When I think of 80 miles, I think of:
- An hour and a half car ride.
- A long weekend road bike ride with more flats than steeps.
- A multi-day raft trip with a bunch of friends.
But when my friend and colleague, Kara Armano proposed that we do an 80-mile mountain bike ride over the course of two days, I thought, what the heck?
I signed up that day, ready to try a new adventure. Plus, I had never been to Durango before, so I figured it would be a great way to see/experience the area, which I certainly did (sometimes face first).
The event was the CT Jamboree, a two-day, 80-mile mountain bike ride on the Colorado Trail to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. All proceeds benefited the non-profit Heuga Center, the Colorado Trail Foundation and Trails 2000.
Shortly after signing up it become apparent that I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. Turns out that most of the Colorado Trail near Durango is well above 12,000 feet. It’s also an incredibly technical trail with steep climbs, talus field descents and tight, sandy switchbacks.
Our group consisted of five people: Kara and her husband, me and two other friends. The plan was to leave Carbondale Friday, as close to 2 p.m. as possible so that we would get to Durango at a reasonable hour. Of course, we didn’t end up leaving until after 4 p.m. And that soon became the theme of the trip; things don’t always go as planned. Continue Reading →