Epic Wheel Spins Across the West

(2018 Alaska Ep 12)

A few years ago, we became interested old train lines that have been converted to recreational bicycle trails.  Many of our camping trips, including this one, involve riding these and other recreational bike trails.

We’re not skinny tire, spandex britches, 60-miles-in-a-day sorts of riders.  Our bikes have wider tires, we wear comfortable clothes and our rides are usually 15-20 miles.  This gives us something healthy and fun to do while camping.

Our bikes and associated gear travel in the back of our truck.   Here are some rides we’ve done so far:

Austin: Ann and Roy Butler Trail at Lady Bird Lake

(RabbiTRAILS Alaska trip pt #8) We were amazed at the number of riders, walkers and runners enjoying this trail in the middle of a workday.  The trail circles Lady Bird Lake adjacent to downtown Austin (click for more).  The trail is mostly shaded and an easy ride.

This ride was a welcome diversion while our camper was being repaired.

Santa Fe: Arroyo De Los Chamisos Trail

(Map pt #13) Our ride in Santa Fe was disappointing and  brief.  Although this trail is a good connector to a number of other bike trails in Santa Fe, it was not easily accessible from our campground.  In addition, parking in Santa Fe was a challenge.

So, we enjoyed walking the streets of historic downtown Santa Fe instead.  There are many colorful shops and vendors selling jewelry and other items in the historic town square area.

Carbondale:  Rio Grande Bike Trail

(Map pt #15) The Rio Grande Trail is a 42-mile rail trail that follows the Aspen Branch of the historic Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. It parallels the beautiful Roaring Fork River in numerous places.

We rode from the campground a short distance to downtown Carbondale and loaded our bikes on a public bus.  The bus took us about 15 miles up the valley towards Aspen.  The ride back to Carbondale and our campground was mostly downhill!

The day was an 11 on a scale of 10!  Our ride took us past yellow-flowered fields and dense wooded areas in a valley between mountain ranges.  We ate a packed lunch overlooking the Roaring Fork River.

Glenwood Springs: Glenwood Canyon Trail

(Map pt #15) Interstate 70 spans Colorado east-west.  After crossing the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, the highway passes through Glenwood Canyon for 12.5 miles on its way to Grand Junction and beyond.  The highway is an amazing engineering accomplishment, with extensive viaducts and elevated roads as it winds through the steep-walled canyon.  It follows the Colorado River (that eventually reaches the Grand Canyon!), a Union Pacific rail line and includes a paved bike trail.

An outfitter in Glenwood Springs transported us and our bikes up the canyon and dropped us off for the mostly downhill 16-mile ride back to Glenwood Springs.  We got to to see I-70 engineering from the bottom, rafters on the Colorado River, an Amtrak train and much more.