Category: Adventure
Megan Hottman Rides Bike with Two Dogs from Arvada to Colo Springs and Stays at Buffalo Lodge Bike Resort
Submitted by Bill Plock on October 5th, 2020By Megan Hottman I have always wanted to go credit card camping on a bike adventure…. By that I mean- ride somewhere cool with a credit card, clean pair of clothes and flip flops, and explore the new spot, thenRead More
Colorado; Lake City to Colorado Springs, Silver to Gold, Mountain, Road and Gravel….
Submitted by Bill Plock on September 1st, 2020Most towns in the Colorado Rockies began as mining camps and supply depots. 303 visited some of the most rugged and historical towns in Colorado looking for cycling and recreational opportunities—especially ones maybe not as well known and not on the I-70 corridor. Our journey originally started in Buena Vista.
Part two began with a climb out of Lake City over notorious Slumgullion pass. It’s not only home to the Alfred Packer grisly tale of cannibalism (did you know he missed hanging by death on a technicality, ended up in jail in Canon City and was released in the early 1900’s dying a confirmed vegetarian?), but Slumgullion pass is the steepest continuously paved road in Colorado averaging a 9% grade. No wonder it was tempting to break out the road bike and try this challenge! Read more
Sasha Underwood’s Life Changing Bike Trek on the Colorado Trail
Submitted by Bill Plock on August 28th, 2020Sasha took on the 550 mile Colorado Trail, climbing over 80,000 feet and spending 16 nights on her own in the woods. Known for her Ironman’s and Leadville 100 finishes, Sasha dug deep to overcome the challenges of overnighting alone,Read More
Colorado Trip, Part 1, Buena Vista to Lake City, Places to Explore off the Beaten Path
Submitted by Bill Plock on August 24th, 2020Gravel or road? Road or Mountain? Pavement or dirt? Colorado or……Colorado? We have it all. Recently 303 embarked on a journey to discover some new places, or at least be reacquainted with places like Buena Vista, Salida, Gunnison and Crested Butte. But some places, a bit off the beaten track offer amazing cycling options as well. Places like Lake City, Westcliffe, LaVeta, Cuchara, Mosca, Victor, Canon City and Pitkin.
If you haven’t been to Buena Vista recently, you might be surprised, like we were. Once upon a time the vibe was perhaps a bit industrious, maybe not so hip and didn’t really compare with the other “cool city” in Chaffee County—Salida. Now it’s more of a toss up with a brand new river walk neighborhood complete with a high end hotel, The Surf. There is outdoor music space and a collection of new shops and eclectic homes much different than downtown. Read more
Gravel Race and Adventure in Southern Colorado Aug 29th, Pony Express 160 – 160k and 85k courses available!
Submitted by Bill Plock on August 20th, 2020Last week 303 was near here exploring Cuchara valley and the area between La Veta and Trinidad. If you are looking for a fun getaway weekend and are wanting to do a race, check this one out. The Pony Express Gravel 160K in Trinidad. www.ColoradoGravelGrinderChampionship.com
Come enjoy Southern Colorado and be sure to check out Trinidad, Cuchara and La Veta while you are in the area. For a fun trip home, if you have time, go to Walsenburg, Westcliffe and to Salida or east down the Arkansas to the front range. Read more
550 Mile Bikepacking on Colorado Trail–Go Sasha Underwood! Learn Her Why and What She’s Most Excited About
Submitted by Bill Plock on August 6th, 2020August 6th, Littleton: Sasha Underwood started her solo bike journey today and is planning to ride the Colorado Trail in ten days. That’s over 50 miles of single track, hike-a-bike, not easy riding every day. All of that while carrying everything she needs; clothes, food, tent, sleeping bag, tools, stove, hydration supplies, and a lot of mental toughness and grit! She did mail ahead some food to a couple of towns along the way but otherwise is self supported.
What I’m most excited about: I’m ready to reset; my spiritual place and where I am centered and truly connected is on trails deep in the mountains in the middle of nowhere. No matter what time of year. To experience this for 10-14 days is going to be amazing. I’m also so excited for star-gazing! I was hoping for a full moon but that happened Aug 3rd. I’m also really excited to see if my hodgepodge bike set-up will actually work for 500+ miles haha Read more
Biking Rollins Pass, Epic, Historical and Unforgettable
Submitted by Bill Plock on July 3rd, 2020Biking over Rollins Pass was Epic, but far from historical. For thousands of years people have been traversing Rollins Pass. Native American hunting parties even built rock walls in the scree near the top to funnel game long before the first horse drawn wagons paid a toll to cross the Continental Divide in the 1870’s. In 1904 trains began to make the arduous trip passing through tunnels, twisting like a corkscrew and making their way to the top at 11,600 feet. The road grade had to be kept less than 4% to make it possible, but the biggest challenges came in the Winter when massive snow drifts would make it impassable.
On our bike ride we learned all about those drifts, but back in the day, particularly on the West side of the pass, huge snowsheds, miles long, were built in attempt to keep the tracks clear. In fact, near the top, above tree line, a small village named Corona (ironically) sprouted from the harsh landscape and housed stranded train crews and service personnel to provide brief respite from the bitter conditions. Read more
303Endurance, “Capturing Amazing People Doing Extraordinary Things”
Submitted by Bill Plock on June 28th, 2020People ask me what is 303? My answer before March might have been a little different answer than today. Different but not really. It’s always been about the endurance community; offering a place to find information, read stories about people, events and the industry that supports it all. Connecting everything.
Like everyone, Covid has made us re-look at things. It crushed our advertising support that centered around events primarily. We had already been moving to broadly expand our coverage and interest well beyond races and events. Last year we committed major capital to buying a media trailer with the intention of rolling to races and rides all summer. This trailer is hand built by Colorado Teardrops in Boulder. We can produce videos and photos with people standing on top. We can do interviews and podcasts inside So now what? Read more
Colorado’s Jennifer Blaine’s Cycling Adventure and Crash Story Helping New Pro Cambodian Team
Submitted by Bill Plock on June 19th, 2020Riding in a hot dusty, grime-covered bus through the country-side of Cambodia; I sit crammed next to some friendly locals and weary backpackers as I stare up at the shag-like tassels dancing about the tops of the bus interior. Windows rattle almost off their hinges as the bus speeds along the windy two-lane road aligned with tiny tin-roof shacks, farms and thick green jungle. I can’t help but notice and find myself a bit concerned by the smell of burning brakes and the large metal cylinder filled with, ‘who knows what’ resting beneath my feet. I try to divert my focus from the obvious red-flags surrounding me, but I find myself looking out the front window just in time to see this rolling, ‘death missile’ narrowly miss colliding head-on into the oncoming traffic.
After my near death fear subsided, I console myself by thinking how I will never forget this experience, the sounds, smells, and nail-biting fear, good or bad. These are those rare moments that push you out of your comfort zone, stimulate your senses and send your adrenaline to unknown heights; the moments that enrich your life and make traveling and seeing the world so invaluable. Read more
“Plan B” Sometimes Works Out Just Fine and We Found a New/Old Place to Refuel on a Ride
Submitted by Bill Plock on June 8th, 2020We originally had planned a 90 mile, 8,500 foot climb in a last ditch training effort for our big ride coming up on June 13th–more on that to come soon. On Saturday morning with clouds hiding the peaks we hoped to climb, we started north from Longmont to Carter Lake. Once there, we decided we would eyeball the weather and either continue towards Estes Park or do something else. What we found instead was a time machine in Masonville. Read more