Route Overview
Waterloo→
Denver→
Silver Thread Hwy → Ouray→
Telluride Lift MTB→
Homestake Rd (2 nights)→
14er → Taylor Park→
CB MTB Day→
Cottonwood Pass → License 1:30pm → Nails 2:30pm→
💍 Wedding
Getting There — Days 1–3
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Route: I-380 N → I-80 W → I-76 S → I-25 S → Denver. Stock up on any camping gear or supplies you need — Denver has everything and it's your last easy resupply before the mountains.
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Familiar territory — use the night to rest, eat a real meal, and get organized before the dispersed camping stretch begins. Hotel, Airbnb, or friends.
💡 Leave by 6am to arrive in Denver with evening time to spare. Denver → Ouray the next morning is 6+ hours so a proper rest matters.
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Route (take the scenic way — worth it): US-285 S from Denver → South Fork → CO-149 N (Silver Thread Scenic Byway) → Creede → Lake City → Gunnison → US-50 W → Montrose → US-550 N to Ouray. Adds ~30 min over the direct route and is dramatically better.
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Creede stop — an old silver boomtown wedged into a sheer canyon on the Rio Grande. The main street presses directly against vertical rock walls. Surreal setting, 20-min walk, worth the stop.
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Lake City lunch stop — Victorian mining town on the Lake Fork of the Gunnison, surrounded by 14ers. The gorge drive into town on CO-149 is spectacular. Good lunch options in a charming small town.
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Arrive Ouray late afternoon. The town sits at the bottom of a sheer-walled box canyon — often called the "Switzerland of America." Walk Box Canyon Falls and the Perimeter Trail. Ouray hot springs pool is open daily if legs need a soak.
⛺Camp: Uncompahgre National Forest dispersed near Ridgway (8 miles north of Ouray). Pull-offs off US-550 and Owl Creek Pass Road. Big open views of the Cimarron Range. Free.
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Morning — Million Dollar Highway road climb Road Climb #1
Ouray south to Red Mountain Pass (11,075 ft): 12 miles, ~2,500 ft gain one way. One of the most dramatic road rides in America — cliff-edge switchbacks, no guardrails on sections, abandoned mine ruins clinging to the canyon walls. Strong cyclist can push to Silverton (24 mi one-way) with a car shuttle back.
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Afternoon — Telluride lift-served MTB Lift MTB #1
30 min drive from Ouray via Ridgway → CO-62 → CO-145. Telluride Ski Resort runs the Coonskin lift for bikers in summer (verify at tellurideskiresort.com). Upper mountain trail access with the box canyon backdrop below.
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Alt if not doing both: Yankee Boy Basin hike from Ouray — one of the best wildflower hikes in Colorado in July, with views of Mt. Sneffels. Accessible without 4WD if you park low and walk the jeep road up.
⛺Camp: Second night near Ridgway/Ouray, or move to near Telluride on CO-145 south toward Lizard Head Pass for a change of scenery.
💡 Road climb in the morning while legs are fresh, lift MTB in the afternoon. Or go deep on one — Telluride MTB alone is a full day of terrain.
Homestake Tradition — Days 4–5
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Route: US-550 N → Ridgway → Montrose → US-50 E → Gunnison → US-50 E → Salida → US-24 N → Leadville → I-70 W → Minturn/Red Cliff exit → FSR 703.
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Arrive mid-afternoon. Settle in, explore the road, decompress from the San Juan push. Quiet afternoon in the valley before two nights at your Colorado tradition.
⛺Camp: Dispersed on Homestake Road — your tradition. Pull-offs between Homestake Reservoir and the Missouri Lakes trailhead. First of two nights here.
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Missouri Lakes Trail — 7.2 miles RT, ~1,800 ft gain into the Holy Cross Wilderness. Four pristine alpine lakes tucked into the Sawatch Range. Quiet on a Monday, excellent wildflower bloom in mid-July.
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Explore the FSR 704 spur, Eagle Ridge, or upper Homestake Creek. Full rest-and-explore day after three hard days in the San Juans.
⛺Camp: Second night on Homestake Road. Same spot or move up toward the Missouri Lakes TH area after the hike.
14er + Crested Butte — Days 6–8
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Leave camp by 4:30–5am. Drive to trailhead (~1.5 hrs), on trail by 6am, summit by 10am, car by noon. July afternoon lightning above treeline is serious — non-negotiable.
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Huron Peak (Recommended) — Homestake → Leadville → US-24 S → Winfield ghost town TH. 6.4 mi RT, 3,500 ft gain, Class 2. Remote, beautiful, uncrowded. The Winfield ghost town is worth a look after the hike.
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Mt. Oxford + Mt. Belford alt — Pine Creek TH near Buena Vista. Two Collegiate Peaks 14ers in one day, 10 mi RT, Class 2. Spectacular ridge walk between the two summits.
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Mt. Sherman alt — Near Fairplay (~1 hr from Homestake). Easiest true 14er, 5.6 mi RT, 2,300 ft gain, Class 2. Good choice if you want to save legs for CB MTB.
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After summit: drive Buena Vista → Cottonwood Pass (12,126 ft, fully paved) → Taylor Park. Camp in Taylor Park — 30–40 min from CB town, away from Wildflower Festival crowds, and beautiful high valley camping.
⛺Camp: Taylor Park — dispersed off CR 742 in Gunnison NF. Wide open high valley at ~9,000 ft, extensive pull-offs, far less impacted by the Wildflower Festival than Kebler Pass or Slate River spots near CB town. First of two nights here.
💡 Taylor Park is the right base for these two nights. CB is close enough for a day ride both Wednesday and Thursday morning, and you avoid competing for spots near town during the festival.
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401 Trail — do not skip this. Consistently ranked one of the best mountain bike trails in Colorado: ~10 miles of high alpine singletrack through wildflower meadows at absolute peak bloom in mid-July. Access via Schofield Pass (drive up, ride point-to-point or shuttle from CB town).
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Lower Loop / Upper Loop / Doctor Park — excellent CB town singletrack for a warm-up lap or second ride in the afternoon after the 401.
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CBMR lift-served MTB Lift MTB #2 — Silver Queen lift if afternoon energy is there. Or save this for Thursday morning before the appointments if timing works. Verify operating dates at cbmr.com.
⛺Camp: Second night Taylor Park — same site. Last dispersed camping night of the trip.
Leave Taylor Park for Buena Vista~1.5 hr drive via US-50 W → US-50 E → US-24 S. Stage the bike in BV.
Start Cottonwood Pass climb Road Climb #225 miles, 4,600 ft gain from BV to summit (12,126 ft). Average 5–6% grade, zero traffic midweek, Collegiate Peaks views the entire way. Partner drives over the pass and waits at the summit.
Summit Cottonwood PassRegroup, eat, enjoy the view. Then drive down the Taylor Park side toward Gunnison (~45 min).
Arrive Gunnison — 2.5 hrs to spareLunch, clean up, relax. You've earned it.
Marriage License AppointmentGunnison County Clerk & Recorder. Both parties with valid photo ID, ~$30 fee. (970) 641-1651. No waiting period in Colorado.
Nails appointment 💅Gunnison. Looking good for the wedding tomorrow.
Check in to Airbnb — Crested Butte30 min drive from Gunnison. Shower. Sleep in a bed. You've done 7 nights of dispersed camping, a 14er, and two big road climbs this week.
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Getting married in Crested Butte at peak wildflower season, after riding Telluride and the 401, after summiting a 14er and two big road climbs, after a week doing exactly what you love together. That's the right start.
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Mid-July wildflower bloom in CB is extraordinary — the meadows around Gothic Valley and Slate River Road are stunning for morning photos before a ceremony. A short walk up Gothic Road before anything starts is one of the most beautiful things you'll see in Colorado in July.
Key Logistics & Reminders
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Nails — July 16, 2:30pm
Appointment confirmed in Gunnison at 2:30pm. Right after the 1:30pm marriage license — perfect back-to-back in the same town.
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Marriage License — July 16, 1:30pm
Gunnison County Clerk & Recorder. Both parties with valid photo ID, ~$30. (970) 641-1651. No waiting period in Colorado.
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Lift MTB — Confirm Dates
Verify before leaving: Telluride at tellurideskiresort.com and CBMR at cbmr.com. Both typically run July through Labor Day. Rentals available at each resort.
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Cottonwood Pass Logistics
Leave Taylor Park 5:30am → BV by 7am → start climb 6:30am → summit ~10am → Gunnison by 11am. 2.5 hrs to relax before the 1:30pm license. Clean and comfortable timing.
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14er Weather Rules
Summit by 10–11am, descending before noon. July afternoon lightning on exposed ridges is life-threatening. Leave Homestake camp by 4:30–5am. No exceptions.
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Dispersed Camping
Free, no permit. 14-day limit. 100 ft from water, roads, and trails. Bear canister recommended at elevation. Pack everything out.
Generated June 2026 · Waterloo → Denver → Ouray → Homestake → Taylor Park → Crested Butte