Sangre de Cristos & Park County, CO - Information Request (6/6 - 6/10 2007)

[Howard70]

Hello:
Heidi and I are heading up to Park County, CO from Albuquerque this week and I'm looking for some diverse information on routes, legal & realty services.
Since several of you are from CO I've pooled all the questions into one post.

Routes:

We'll be coming N on 159 to Fort Garland, then N up the San Luis Valley. Ultimately we're going to some property owned by my deceased father near Guffey on Highway 9. I'd like to find a forest service road that we could take across the Sangre de Cristos over to Highway 50 on the Arkansas River, or across to Highway 9 if we go N of the Arkansas.

We're restricted to relatively easy routes on this trip as we'll be in a 2WD completely stock 4Runner with a small trailer (the Tacoma is in the fabrication shop for the week and the '87 4runner is "resting"). I've found the following via the Colorado Delorme Atlas and I'd like to know if they are currently open and passable for a 2WD as described above:

Hayden Pass - Leave Villa Grove ENE to Forest Road 970. Up & over to Forest Road 6 then down Hayden Creek. This looks like a great route, but perhaps requires 4WD or might have snow?

Forest Road 175 - Leave Salida on Forest Road 175. Up & over (don't know the name of the pass) then down & across to Highway 9 on several roads that end up near the turnoff to Guffey. On the map this looks like an easy route?

Legal & Realty Services:

The "official" purpose of the trip involves settling part of my father's estate. We need to find a realtor to help us sell 20 acres of partially forested land 2 - 3 mi NW of Guffey. I'm looking for references for a good realtor who actively shows undeveloped land in that region.

We also need to find a lawyer, preferably in Park County, who can handle the out of state probate for the same parcel of land, so I'm looking for references for someone who will handle that paperwork for a reasonable fee in coordination with our principal probate lawyer in New Mexico.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Howard L. Snell

 

[Jacket]

Routes: I haven't seen/heard that anyone has run Hayden pass yet this year. I did Medano a few weeks ago and it was snow-free, but Hayden is more north and higher, so there could still be snow issues. It's a relatively easy trail, but it's steep and rocky on the top section. Traction could be tough in the 2wd, especially if it's wet/snowy. Medano is easier, but the water level in the river is pretty high there right now.
There's not alot of options to cross the Sangres, as they are very steep and jagged. I've never been on CO 175, but it doesn't look too bad. There's also a dirt road that I recall between cripple creek/victor and the Royal Gorge area that's perfectly suitable for a 2wd, but is kind of scenic. Can't remember the name though.

Can't help you with legal services, but I own property in Park Co near Jefferson, and we've worked with Jefferson Real Estate there, as well as Black Bear and Timberwolf in the Fairplay area (not sure if any of these service Guffey). They are all pretty much small shops with just a handful of people (or less), but all very nice and helpful in my experience.

- matt

 

[Howard70]

Thanks

Hello Matt:

Thanks for the information. We ended up getting away a day late so we weren't able to take an off-highway route across the mountains, although I hope to get back in that country with our Tacoma later this summer.

We found two realtors that seem fine and we'll settle on one or the other after the initial out of state probate proceeds far enough to list the property. We also found a real estate attorney in Guffey (that was a surprise!) who we liked and will be working with.

Once we finished the business end of the trip we arrived in Colorado Springs on Friday to get some time on the Velodrome prior to the New Mexico State Track Championships held on Saturday. Why was New Mexico's Track Championship held in Colorado Springs? Because we don't have a velodrome in New Mexico!

I hadn't raced on a velodrome before - the first lap was scary as I felt I was going to fall down the banking in the turns. Got used to that quickly and then hit the sprinter's lane at speed - and that was scarier since it felt like I was going to fly out of the turns. Took longer to get used to that, but by Saturday I was loving it. Managed to get a bronze metal for the 500 meter and won my first round of matched sprints. Missed a silver metal there by 1/2 a bike length to one of my teammates.

We then came home slowly through the NE corner of New Mexico along the Dry Cimarron River (which had as much water as the Rio Grande in August...). More great, empty country.

Howard L. Snell

 

[Ursidae69]

Any pics of the race Howard? NE NM is nice, I need to explore more.

 

[Howard70]

Pictures....

Hello Chuck:

Here's the 2nd round in the matched sprints. All three of us had won our first rounds. The winner of this second round would go on to race a final for the gold or silver medal, the 2nd placer would go on to race for bronze or 4th place and the 3rd placer would go on to race for 5th or 6th.

Photo 1 is the start. The guy in red/white (KHS Team) lost the draw and he has to lead at least 1/2 lap no slower than a walking pace. I'm the pot-bellied guy in the middle and the outside guy is my team mate Mike Gilb (we ride for High Desert Bicycles / Westside Honda) The race is two 333 meter laps. The general tactical goal for the first lap is to be second or third, be below the guy ahead of you but as high on the banking as possible and have some overlap with his rear wheel. That way you control the guy ahead so that he can't jump below you and come around. You want to be high so that when you jump you can use gravity to help you accelerate.

Photo two - we're juggling here for position. Mike has moved forward and up to get the best jump and the KHS guy has lost overlap with Mike's wheel. I'm worried that Mike will get a clean jump and I won't catch him.

Photo three - coming out of the last corner on the first lap Mike was watching the KHS guy and I was high so I jumped hoping to surprise them. At this point I'm in full sprint with 333 meters to go. Mike and the KHS guy are just off the back so they don't get a great draft and I'm hoping I can hold out. I'm on a borrowed bike with fairly low gearing (50x15 or 90 inches) so it has great acceleration but low top speed (about 35 mph at a cadence of 130 rpm).

Photo four - coming out of the final turn for the finish: Mike has crept up into my draft and is trying to come around. Because I've got the sprinter's lane he has to come above me to the outside which is a slightly longer distance. The KHS guy is safely (from out point of view) out of the draft so he's out of the race at this point.

Photo five - Mike gets me by 1/2 a bike length! I'm cooked. He goes on to lose the final and gets the silver. I go on to lose my final (no legs left) and end up fourth.

It's great fun.

Howard L. Snell

 

[DaveInDenver]

Nice work, Howard!

Great photos, love the face in #3.

 

[Ursidae69]

Whoa, that is some wild stuff!! Great job doing so well on a borrowed bike. :costumed-smiley-007