Ridge of the Rockies 2011

Kalispell, Montana to Albuquerque, New Mexico

This tour was conducted in 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, and 2008. Lots of stupendous mountain scenery, with some desert plains thrown in for leavening. We started out going Mexico to Canada, but lately have been doing Canada to Mexico.

FULL

18 riding days 1,943 miles 88,000 feet of climbing
Begin in Kalispell, Montana
Fly into Kalispell, Montana on Monday, July 11th, 2011
Fly home from Albuquerque, New Mexico Saturday, July 30, 2011

Tour fee based on double occupancy

Tour fee calculated for rider registration on May 15.

$3,295 for 30 riders or less
$3,195 for 31-33 riders
$3,095 for 34-36 riders
$2,995 for 37 or more riders

Add $950 for a single room

$1000 deposit due by March 15, 2011
Final payments due May 25.

Payment Incentive Schedule For U.S. Tours
To sign up send a $500 deposit to hold your position.
All riders paying $500 before December 15 receive a PAC Tour Columbia Travel Shirt.
Riders paying $1,000 by March 15 receive a PAC Tour REI Flash UL Packable Backpack. This versatile, lightweight day pack cleverly converts into a stuff sack.

Photos.

The Ridge of the Rockies is a very mountainous route with long climbs and great descents. We will crosses many major passes and the Continental Divide in six states. This will be a wonderful time of year to ride through the mountains. There is an option to arrive 1 or 2 days early and enjoy a nice ride through Glacier National Park or to the Canadian Border on your own. The Ridge of the Rockies is the oldest PAC Tour ride that is still being offered. This tour was conducted in 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2008. This tour has grown to average about 40 riders per tour. This event is also unique because we have traveled in each direction depending on the season, sometimes starting near Mexico and sometimes beginning near Canada. This year starting near Canada in July should provide good winds and temperatures on our route south. Our tour commences in Kalispell, Montana located fifty miles south of the Canadian border. Our route follows along the valley of Flathead Lake. This will be one of our longest mileage days but also one of the flattest. The dense forests are good places to spot deer or bear crossing the road. The next several days across Montana are some of the most scenic with many postcard-quality rivers and mountain views. Each day will have some notable climbing as our route crosses the mountains of the Continental Divide region. The cycling roads are good with rideable shoulders and moderate tourist traffic. By the the fourth day we stay in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, home of Yellowstone Bear World. The following day you will have the option of three routes across Yellowstone Park with distances of 57, 70 or 105 miles. There will be plenty of time for sight seeing and to view the various animals and geysers that Yellowstone Park is famous for. We will spend the night in cabins near Yellowstone Lake on the east side of the Park. The next day we continue south to Jackson Hole, Wyoming through Grand Teton National Park. Our route will cross many famous pioneer trails from the mid 1800s. We traverse the Oregon Trail, Bozeman Trail and Lander cutoff during the first seven days of our tour. There will be plenty of roadside historic markers for history buffs. Each of our nightly stops will have points of interest and museums to learn more about the region. Day 9 is one of our toughest, but also most scenic days, going toward Vernal, Utah. We ride through the Flaming Gorge region which has dozens of steep climbs that reward riders with cliff side overlooks of the valley far below. You will be reminded of why this tour is called the Ridge of the Rockies and recommended only for riders who like to climb mountains. We might have split motel locations on this day and riders will have a choice of 120 or 149 mile routes. As we enter Colorado the mountains are taller and the passes are higher. We will average at least one major climb over 10,000 feet elevation for the each of the next six days. Some riders consider these days the best cycling of the tour. The climb over Grand Mesa heading toward Montrose is a classic ride with a good mix of mountains and farms. Equally spectacular are the passes near Ouray, Silverton and Durango. These are the heart of the Rocky Mountains with constant steep climbs and fast descents. On Day 14 we arrive in South Fork, Colorado after climbing over 10,800' Wolf Creek Pass. The next day is an optional day of either riding up and back 11,361' Slumgullion Pass or riding a loop route through the valley before returning to our base motel in South Fork. On Day 15 we retrace our route over Wolf Creek Pass and then head south to Chama, New Mexico. In 1598 Juan de Onate de Salazar traveled this region and founded Santa Fe. He came north along the Rio Grande (river) and opened the Camino Real trade route from Mexico. This was the first "Super Highway" in America traveling north from Mexico into the Indian regions of New Mexico. He would also discover the Turquoise Trail that would connect Santa Fe with Albuquerque. We will stay near the town square in Old Sante Fe and see the history of over 400 years of Spanish settlement. The terrain will change from the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the tan and brown hills of the desert southwest. This route has its share of hills and each day still contains about 4,000 feet of climbing every 100 miles. Our final day is less than 100 miles into Albuquerque. We will be staying at a hotel to make departure plans easy the next day. Our departure day is Saturday, July 30 or you can stay an extra day and visit the sites around Albuquerque.
Glacier National Park Option If you have some extra time, a nice cycling option is to arrival a few days early and tour Glacier National Park on Saturday, Sunday or Monday on your own. (Motel and other costs are at your expense.) A nice bike route is to either ride 50 miles to Glacier National Park and return in one day or to rent a car and drive into the Park and ride your bike over the "Going to the Sun Highway". There are several motels and lodges near Glacier National Park if you would like to stay closer to the Park and ride more. You should plan to be back in Kalispell by 3:00 PM Monday, July 11 for the rider meeting.
Arrival Plans Kalispell has a modern airport with a good selection of flights from all parts of the country. Everyone should be in Kalispell by Monday afternoon, July 11th. Registration will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 PM. Riders can pick up their packets and route maps at this time and assemble their bikes. We will have a rider meeting at 3:30 PM and group dinner that evening. We begin riding the next morning Tuesday, July 12th. Detailed travel plans will be included in your rider packet that you will receive three months before the tour.
Room Policy Price based on double occupancy hotels each night. Pay an additional $950 if a single room is desired or required. PAC Tour can not guarantee finding everyone roommates. Should you be the final person to register for an event and wish double occupancy, PAC Tour may not have that room available and you may be required to pay the single supplement if you wish to register. If a roommate becomes available, you will be refunded the unused portion of the single supplement.

#	Day	Date	Start	Finish	Miles
Option: Arrive in Kalispell on your own and ride in Glacier Park Saturday, Sunday and Monday
1	Tue.	July 12	Kalispell	Missoula, MT	144
2	Wed.	13	Missoula	Butte, MT	134
3	Thur.	14	Butte	Ennis, MT	90
4	Fri.	15	Ennis	West Yellowstone, MT	80
5	Sat.	16	West Yellowstone	Lake Yellowstone (in the Park)	125
6	Sun.	17	Lake Yellowstone	Jackson, WY	130
7	Mon.	18	Jackson	Montpelier	117
8	Tue.	19	Montpelier	Lyman, WY	132
9	Wed.	20	Fort Bridger	Vernal, WY	123
10	Thur.	21	Vernal	Rangely, CO	54
11	Fri.	22	Rangley	Grand Junction, CO	94
12	Sat.	23	Grand Juction	Montrose, CO	119
13	Sun.	24	Montrose	Durango, CO	112
14	Mon.	25	Durango	South Fork	100
15	Tue.	26	South Fork	Sumgillion Pass (out-back)	130
16	Wed.	27	South Fork	Chama	80
17	Thur.	28	Chama	Sante Fe, NM	120
18	Fri.	29	Sante Fe	Albuquerque, NM	100
Fly home from Abuquerque Saturday, July 30

The Historical Record

2008

Chip's Blog
Notorangelo's photos
Jim and Will Slauson Blog
David Roark Blog
Joel Goodman Blog

Kalispell, Montana to El Paso, Texas
Daily Itinerary

Day Date Start End Miles Climbing

Mon July 28 Fly in day Lodging & Evening Banquet Included

1 Tue July 29 Kalispell MT Missoula MT 148 2600'

2 Wed July 30 Missoula MT Butte MT 134 4100'

3 Thur July 31 Butte MT Bozeman MT 101 4200'

4 Fri Aug 1 Bozeman MT West Yellowstone MT 90 4000'

5 Sat Aug 2 West Yellowstone MT Jackson WY 135 6000'

6 Sun Aug 3 Jackson WY Montpelier ID 117 3650'

7 Mon Aug 4 Montpelier ID Evanston WY 93 3200'

8 Tue Aug 5 Evanston WY Vernal UT 147 8700'

9 Wed Aug 6 Vernal UT Rangely CO 52 2000'

10 Thur Aug 7 Rangely CO Grand Junction CO 94 3100'

11 Fri Aug 8 Grand Junction CO Montrose CO 119 6000'

12 Sat Aug 9 Montrose CO Durango CO 112 9200'

13 Sun Aug 10 Durango CO Chama NM 120 8600'

14 Mon Aug 11 Chama NM Espanola NM 82 3500'

15 Tue Aug 12 Espanola NM Moriarty NM 75 5300'

16 Wed Aug 13 Moriarty NM Socorro NM 105 5000'

17 Thur Aug 14 Socorro NM Truth or Consequences NM 75 4600'

18 Fri Aug 15 Truth or Consequences NM Las Cruces NM 80 2000'

19 Sat Aug 16 Las Cruces NM El Paso TX 64 1600'

Sun Aug 17 Depart for home

1943 miles, 102 miles per day, 88,000 feet of climbing

2004

A journal from Dave Smith
http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/rockies/main.html

2001

2001 Ridge of the Rockies Riders

2001 "Ridge of the Rockies" Canada to Mexico
Kalispell, Montana to El Paso, Texas
September 13 - 29 riding days (Sept. 12-30 fly in)
1,900 miles 17 days 112 miles per day

2001 Itinerary

Optional earlier arrival tour of Glacier Park Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Depart from Kalispell, MT

Day September End for day Miles Climbing

1 13 Thur Missoula MT 144 2600'

2 14 Fri Butte MT 131 2100'

3 15 Sat Bozeman MT 100 3200'

4 16 Sun West Yellowstone MT 85 4000'

5 17 Mon Jackson WY 135 6000'

6 18 Tue Montpelier ID 116 3650'

7 19 Wed Evanston WY 95 3200'

8 20 Thur Vernal UT 138 8700'

9 21 Fri Grand Junction CO 132 5100'

10 22 Sat Montrose CO 119 6000'

11 23 Sun Durango CO 115 9200'

12 24 Mon Farmington CO 59 3600'

13 25 Tue Gallup NM 134 5500'

14 26 Wed Springerville AZ 120 5300'

15 27 Thur Silver City NM 148 7000'

16 28 Fri Las Cruces NM 136 6650'

17 29 Sat El Paso TX 55 1600'

1962 miles, 115 miles per day, 83400' climbing, 4906' climb per day

Read Don Friedlander's daily journal of the 2001 trip.

2001 Ridge of the Rockies Staff

1998

Red Mountain Pass el 11018'

Read Mike Ingram's Journals and Roger Pierce's writeup on the 1998 tour at another site (includes many pictures). 19 Days, 2250 Miles, 92,000' of climbing.
Silverton, Colorado lunch break Silverton, Colorado lunch break

1998 Roster

Robert Ames
Kirsten Ames
Linda Baker
Lori Barr
Susan Barr (R)
Eric Bianchini
Ed Boecker
Phil Bohaty (C)
Barb Bohaty (C)
Greg Brown (C)
Rachel Brown
Shannon Brown
Brandon Chambers (R)
Carol Clark
Carl Clogston
Richard Davis
Bonnie Esposito (R)
Martin Fahje
Reed Finfrock
Janet Finfrock (non-rider)
Roberta Fischer
Nancy Frechette
Matthias Gehmlich
Hans Graf
Peter Graf (R)
Mark Greenwald (C)
Rebecca Haldeman (C)
Lon Haldeman (C)
Manfred Hertig
Guy Hopwood (R)
Mike Ingram

Robert Kash
Jerry Khorll
Peter Knox (R)
Rieks Koning
John Lake
Ray Latimer
Cassandra Lowe
Mac McDonald (R)
Iain McFadzen (R)
Bernd Messemer
Beatrice Meyer
Susan Notorangelo (C)
Wim Pauw
Roger Pierce (R)
Bill Roberts
Jurg Schmid
Kurt Schroeder
Doug Slack (C)
Joe Smith
Jim Smith (C)
Ruedi Spalinger
John Stoneman (C)
Elizabeth Sumption (R)
Holger Tillmanns
Harold Trease
Jeff Weible
John Wharem
Michael Wiegand (R)
Edy Wiersema
Jack Wolff
Richard Zipf

(R) = Rookie; (C) = Crew

Harold Trease Ridge rider Harold Trease upon completing RAAM six weeks after tour.

1998 Itinerary

(2001 route will be in reverse)

Begin El Paso, Texas

Day June End for day Miles Climbing

1 9 Tue Las Cruces, NM 55 1,600'

2 10 Wed Silver City, NM 136 6,650'

3 11 Thur Springerville, AZ 148 7,000'

4 12 Fri Gallup, NM 120 5,000'
5 13 Sat Farmington, NM 134 5,500'

6 14 Sun Durango, CO 59 3,600'
7 15 Mon Montrose, CO 115 9,200'

8 16 Tue Grand Jct. CO 117 6,000'

9 17 Wed Vernal, UT 147 5,000'

10 18 Thur Rock Springs, WY 109 8,700'

11 19 Fri Montpelier, ID 158 3,200'

12 20 Sat Jackson, WY 116 3,650'

13 21 Sun W. Yellowstone, MT 135 6,000'

14 22 Mon Bozeman, MT 90 4,000'

15 23 Tue Butte, MT 100 3,200'

16 24 Wed Missoula, MT 133 2,100'

17 25 Thur Kalispell, MT 144 2,600'

18 26 Fri Cardston, Canada 116 4,700'

19 27 Sat Calgary, Canada 116 1,240'

Richard Zipt on Day 3 near Silver City Richard Zipf on Day 3 (6/11/98) on the Continental Divide just west of Silver City on Hwy 180

Day	Date	Start	End	Miles	Climbing
	Mon July 28	Fly in day	Lodging & Evening Banquet Included
1	Tue July 29	Kalispell MT	Missoula MT	148	2600'
2	Wed July 30	Missoula MT	Butte MT	134	4100'
3	Thur July 31	Butte MT	Bozeman MT	101	4200'
4	Fri Aug 1	Bozeman MT	West Yellowstone MT	90	4000'
5	Sat Aug 2	West Yellowstone MT	Jackson WY	135	6000'
6	Sun Aug 3	Jackson WY	Montpelier ID	117	3650'
7	Mon Aug 4	Montpelier ID	Evanston WY	93	3200'
8	Tue Aug 5	Evanston WY	Vernal UT	147	8700'
9	Wed Aug 6	Vernal UT	Rangely CO	52	2000'
10	Thur Aug 7	Rangely CO	Grand Junction CO	94	3100'
11	Fri Aug 8	Grand Junction CO	Montrose CO	119	6000'
12	Sat Aug 9	Montrose CO	Durango CO	112	9200'
13	Sun Aug 10	Durango CO	Chama NM	120	8600'
14	Mon Aug 11	Chama NM	Espanola NM	82	3500'
15	Tue Aug 12	Espanola NM	Moriarty NM	75	5300'
16	Wed Aug 13	Moriarty NM	Socorro NM	105	5000'
17	Thur Aug 14	Socorro NM	Truth or Consequences NM	75	4600'
18	Fri Aug 15	Truth or Consequences NM	Las Cruces NM	80	2000'
19	Sat Aug 16	Las Cruces NM	El Paso TX	64	1600'
	Sun Aug 17	Depart for home

Day	September		End for day	Miles	Climbing
1	13	Thur	Missoula MT	144	2600'
2	14	Fri	Butte MT	131	2100'
3	15	Sat	Bozeman MT	100	3200'
4	16	Sun	West Yellowstone MT	85	4000'
5	17	Mon	Jackson WY	135	6000'
6	18	Tue	Montpelier ID	116	3650'
7	19	Wed	Evanston WY	95	3200'
8	20	Thur	Vernal UT	138	8700'
9	21	Fri	Grand Junction CO	132	5100'
10	22	Sat	Montrose CO	119	6000'
11	23	Sun	Durango CO	115	9200'
12	24	Mon	Farmington CO	59	3600'
13	25	Tue	Gallup NM	134	5500'
14	26	Wed	Springerville AZ	120	5300'
15	27	Thur	Silver City NM	148	7000'
16	28	Fri	Las Cruces NM	136	6650'
17	29	Sat	El Paso TX	55	1600'

Day	June		End for day	Miles	Climbing
1	9	Tue	Las Cruces, NM	55	1,600'
2	10	Wed	Silver City, NM	136	6,650'
3	11	Thur	Springerville, AZ	148	7,000'
4	12	Fri	Gallup, NM	120	5,000'
5	13	Sat	Farmington, NM	134	5,500'
6	14	Sun	Durango, CO	59	3,600'
7	15	Mon	Montrose, CO	115	9,200'
8	16	Tue	Grand Jct. CO	117	6,000'
9	17	Wed	Vernal, UT	147	5,000'
10	18	Thur	Rock Springs, WY	109	8,700'
11	19	Fri	Montpelier, ID	158	3,200'
12	20	Sat	Jackson, WY	116	3,650'
13	21	Sun	W. Yellowstone, MT	135	6,000'
14	22	Mon	Bozeman, MT	90	4,000'
15	23	Tue	Butte, MT	100	3,200'
16	24	Wed	Missoula, MT	133	2,100'
17	25	Thur	Kalispell, MT	144	2,600'
18	26	Fri	Cardston, Canada	116	4,700'
19	27	Sat	Calgary, Canada	116	1,240'