For 2021, the only thing that will change with this Triple Crown course is the moose primes. In its first iteration, too many people spent too much time taking pictures of elk, and not receiving credit for them. Kudos to Ryan Franz, who took great photos of both a bull and a cow and showed that he has his alces alces smarts about him. So, while we hope you get to see these large, majestic, and in fact most dangerous of all Colorado wildlife, the focus this year will be on the riding!
This route was very well-received when first held in 2019. It is a pretty quiet route, using some less-travel roads and delving into both Middle Park and North Park, somewhat removed from the more touristed mountain sections of Colorado. The first climb up Big Thompson Canyon is done mostly in the dark . . . but even the first of the fastest will get to see beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park in the dawn hours. If you have never done the climb up Old Fall River Road, you are in for a treat. Though this is a dirt road, it can easily be done on a road bike with 25mm tires, and wends its way through a diverse conifer forest, dotted with small waterfalls and wild roses. Topping out at 11,796 feet at the Alpine Visitor Center, you have hit the highpoint of the day. A fun, swoopy descent down to the valley floor on the west side of the park will take you about ten miles to Grand Lake, and then to the western edge of Granby before climbing up Willow Creek Pass. This road, sadly, cuts through ground zero of the East Troublesome fire from last summer, so no promises on what you will find there. It is a gentle grade that climbs 21 miles to the summit, which only feels like a climb for the first three and last two. On the other side of the Continental Divide, you will descend to the hamlet of Rand, one of the mosquito capitals of Colorado. Be fast at this support point, as the best way to avoid the pests is to keep moving. Here you encounter a gravel road that connects you to CO 14, which will take you up and over Cameron Pass and down the long descent to the turnoff for Stove Prairie. From there, it is mostly downhill back to the start.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30658765
This is the one ride that could well fill up. Because of the foray through RMNP, this ride is limited to 25 people.
For questions about the Triple Crown series, please see the Triple Crown FAQ page. For questions about qualification, see the Regulations and Pre-Qualifications tab on the Triple Crown Blog sidebar. For anything that you can't find an answer to there, contact Corinne at cwarren@metafloor.com. If you have ridden and received credit for any Colorado Triple Crown ride in either 2019 or 2020, you are automatically qualifed for the 2021 season.