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Here it is!
2 Bridges
CME Desk at Denver Airport
Internal WarmthContinuing to Coast the Rockies
To this point it has all be downhill. Now it's time for a change of pace. The first sign of civilization comes when you round the corner and smell horses. You know you have reached Copper Mountain Resort when you see the stables. A few hundred feet more and you enter the ski resort area.
This is a great place to make a stop. Copper Mountain has a wonderful little village area with lots of shops, restaurants, and an adventure center. Lock up your bike, have a beverage and a snack and take the chair lift to the top of the mountain. The day I was there was the Copper Cup Mountain Bike Race. As I rode the free chair lift ride to the top of the mountain I could watch the riders navigate the single track back down the mountain. For the more adventurous, there is also a very easy fire road that even the beginner mountain bike rider can easily tackle. There is a paid for ticket required to put your bike on the chair lift. Every other chair has an attachment for a bike on the back. But for the simple lookieloo like me, you just pick up a coupon at any of the stores in the village, trade it in for a free ticket and hop on the chair lift. It’s a scenic and fun trip up and an even more scenic photo op (you’re pointed in the right direction) down.
Back on the bike, you continue to go through Copper Mountain Resort past golf courses, and back on to the paved trail. The next section is mainly flat to slightly downhill and it feels good to pedal after getting cramps in your calves from holding still for the 8 miles of coasting. A stiff prevailing headwind slows the progress slightly as I ride past beaver ponds on the right, a babbling creek on the left, and all along more wildflowers. Soon I’m at another downhill section and before you know it I’ve arrived at the “brown buildings” the driver told me to watch for that indicates I’ve arrived in Frisco. This could be the end of the ride. This is where the van will rendevous with you if you choose to pay the $12 fee for the return trip.
