Day 27 Estes Park to Allen’s Park

26 miles (42 km) – Total so far: 1,404 miles (2,260 km)

Estes Park is what it is, and the camping though expensive was functional and quiet after 9 pm, or at least I didn’t notice if there was noise. The biggest problem right now with the town is getting out of it. After the floods that Colorado suffered a few months ago the roads needed repair. Route 34 is closed in the week and open at weekends but with 10 miles of rough road with one way and a pilot car to take traffic through. Pretty much impossible on a bike. Both the other two roads, 6 and 36 (the Peak to Peak Highway, also called route 7), have warnings that bicycles should not go on them. My original plan was the Peak to Peak Highway, it is a scenic byway and is mostly in the State Forest. It is very up and down of course, and full of traffic, especially on a Saturday and with the problems on the other roads.

Directly from Estes town it is a 7 mile climb to the pass at 2788 metres. It is steep in many places, more so than the Trail Peak road, and it was a hot morning. The road is in bad condition also, so the downhill after that needs to be taken steadily. There are many potholes and cracks, and no shoulder on any of it.

It is the last weekend before the schools are back and pretty much everywhere is busy. In the Visitor’s Centre I struggled for half an hour to find any information on camping outside the Rockies Park. Everything is of course geared to having a car and being able to get off the route easily. Gone is the hiker-biker sites that always have room and at greatly reduced prices, common in Montana and Wyoming. I found a State Forest site called Olive Grove (no idea why), and headed for there. These are first come first served sites, and by chance, one was left. It seems a great site, not large, lots of shade, quiet, and a mile or so from the village of Allen’s Park.

Distance 26 miles, Ride time 2 hrs and 20 minutes, Average speed 11 mph, Max speed 33.4 mph, Departed site at 9 am, stopped for long breakfast in Estes, left 11 am, arrived 2:20 pm Altitude 2540 metres.