Cottonwood Pass Is Paved All The Way
As expected, the “improvements” have diminished the fun of Cottonwood Pass. On the other hand, a lot more bikers will now ride this pass.
Ever since I heard last fall that they had finished paving Cottonwood Pass over on the west side I’ve been wanting to get up there and see it. Part of my eagerness, however, was trepidation about the “improvements.”
We’ve all seen how so-called improvements can often diminish the appeal of a road like this. They don’t just come in and lay asphalt over the existing road, with all its twists and turns. Whereas the old road was built to the contours of the land, the “improved” road reshapes the land to the contours of the road. And inevitably they straighten out a lot of the curves.
As you can see in the photo above, the inevitable happened here. Those bare streaks show clearly how the old road used to go, and you can see how the curves have been straightened. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve done a beautiful job on the road. It just can’t help but be a bit disappointing if you know what the road was like before.
And a lot of bikers did ride this road before. I’ve even seen Harleys on the old road, so while it was rough in places it was very doable. But there are plenty of riders who would never have taken it and now they will.
Of course what all this means is that I now need to revamp the Cottonwood Pass page on the website. I already had it on there because it had been paved on the east side for a long time and, as I said, some riders were doing it even then. But now revisions are in order.
So if you’re looking to get between Buena Vista and Gunnison, you really want to consider Cottonwood Pass now. I’m sure it’s shorter than heading south from Buenie to Poncha Springs and over Monarch Pass to Gunnison, and there’s much less traffic. Do be aware, however, that this is a summer only pass and is closed in winter.
Biker Quote for Today
We know you’re a poser if you’ve never seen a sunrise from two wheels.
Tags: Cottonwood Pass
July 21st, 2020 at 6:11 am
Ken, good morning…..
This is one of my favorite rides, even before it was paved, and I consider it a great “secret” section of Colorado. A loop of Cottonwood Pass, Kebler Pass and Independence Pass is a fine day of riding……
thanks for all you do for us riders….
best,
m
July 29th, 2020 at 3:33 pm
Wow, Mark, I had to call up the map to look at that route. That would be quite a day. And starting out in Buena Vista it would be totally doable. I’ll keep that in mind when I receive inquiries about rides in that part of the state. Thanks.