Section 4 Silverthorne, CO to Platoro, CO - D23

         07/02 Day 23 Colorado  Del Norte, Platora, Chama (99 miles)

A day of 4 passes.

Leaving a dump early is easy.  We were on the road at 4:30am with the 12,000ft Indiana Pass in our cross hairs.  Del Norte (Norte pronounced without the long E at the end apparently – like snort) was quiet and dark as we turned left on Pinos Creek Rd.  The cue sheet read “4000 feet of climbing over 23 miles”.  So we did. 

After a while we passed what we recognized from description as Kevin Off’s cyclists lodging place.  It was down a really steep road and situated on Pinos Creek.  I think it had no power, and the water source was the creek.  The teepee mentioned in the cues had no cover but there was a house.  I suppose not finding it before was just as well. 

The climbing was long as expected and the top was glorious with the snow capped Greyback Mountain behind us.  We were disappointed that Indiana Pass (11,910ft), the highest point on the Tour Divide, had no marker.  So we took a picture of the GPS. 

Greyback Mountain

Summit Indiana Pass

As we rounded the next curve, Summitville came into view.  This is a super fund sight and as sad as it looked, I was excited to see it.  My brother-in-law wrote a book about mine reclamation and this site is in it.  It had been a gold mine and the site as well as all of the nearby water is contaminated with arsenic.  The cues specifically say not to consume any water in the area which is why we had started the day and this long long climb carrying so much water from town.

Summitville

The route stayed on dirt road with descents and switchbacks, crossing the Alamosa River and taking us up and over Stunner Pass (10,561ft).  And finally descending to Platoro. 

Conejos River valley

Platoro

Much like my reaction to Atlantic City, Platoro was totally not what I expected.  It is just a collection of buildings, guest cabins I think, along the Conejos River.  We pulled into the only public building – the Skyline Lodge/Miner’s Café.  There must have been 30 or more 4-wheelers in the parking lot.  Weird.

As soon as we walked in, a woman behind the desk asked if we were the Sheila’s.  Always a surprise.  She gave us printed instructions about a detour.  I felt like we were on an episode of the Amazing Race.  Wildfires had closed much of the National Forest in New Mexico and these were our re-route instructions.  A pretty good assumption that we’d stop here since it is the first service since Del Norte. 

We went into the café and ordered food.  This was definitely a family operation; I don’t think our “waiter” was more than 12 years old.  It turned out to be a really long stop. 

We left Platoro following FR 250 for 23 miles along the Conejos.  Because it was 4^th of July weekend, and even more, because of New Mexico wildfire evacuations, there were people everywhere.  Cars, travel trailers, motor homes, 4x4s…and in every bend of the river 2 or more wader clad people fly fishing.  It was a shock to the system to be crowed off the roads by all of the traffic and the dust was a killer!  Add to that, once more, terrible, terrible washboard. 

Pretty ridge to momentarily take our minds off the washboard 

We arrived at an RV park in Horca where we would turn off the GDMBR for the detour to Chama.  We stopped briefly for a some supplies and map consult, then we were off again.