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Courage Classic Dare to Ride Team

Pedaling for Down syndrome health and longevity A little over a year ago, in March 2025, I went on a bike tour in Spain…

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littlemissbiketour

A solo girl's spin on travel by bicycle.
TransAmerica route 2019.
#Golden150 Cross-Colorado route in 2026.

Colorado's Western Slope section of the Golden Gra

Colorado's Western Slope section of the Golden Gravel Trail, complete!

I convinced @jeffdepree to continue on to the orchards, river valleys, mesas, and canyons of the West Slope -- a lesser-known and underrated side of Colorado.

Highlights:

- A rest day in Paonia and camping at Big B's orchard

- Meeting Mary and Sarah, fantastic locals who joined the ride for a morning

- The historic general store in Eckert, Big E Market, with its local peaches and elk antlers

- The many murals in Delta - I've been collecting mural + bike photos this whole trip!

- CampV in Naturita with its Burning Man art and ambiance

- The final day! Nathan joined as vehicle support so we could unload our bikes for the super-scenic red rock canyon.

Lowlights:

- Columbine Pass - a long uphill slog with little payoff at the top and an underwhelming descent. I give this pass 2/5 stars.

- The heat. I'd been dodging extreme heat this whole trip, and it caught to us again on the last two days. It was too hot to climb the final 12 miles from Paradox to the border, so we drove it.

I'm still processing all the photos, videos, stats, experiences, feelings, and takeaways from this three-week adventure. Overall, my cup is overflowing. Happy 150th birthday, Colorado!

Thank you for the amazing photography Jeff (slides 4, 10, 18) and Nathan (1, 2, 3, 16, 17, 20)

#adventurecycling #goldengraveltrail #coloradobybicycle #colorado150

Colorado's mountain heights on the Golden Gravel T

Colorado's mountain heights on the Golden Gravel Trail.

I'm no stranger to the rarified air, challenging passes, aspen groves, and small towns of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Yet this route took me to corners of the state I'd never ridden or even seen before. The views never cease to strike wonder.

Highlights:

- A zero weekend with my balder half @qzikl in Pueblo and having him (and his cameras/drone) along for a day of riding

- Putting in some of the most rigorous days I've ever done on a loaded gravel bike 💪

- Running into two eastbounders in Salida and comparing trail notes over beers

- Having fellow Denverite @jeffdepree join the ride! This guy's got bike touring stories and a true dirtbag spirit. Ask him about his setup 😯

- Trading the sun hoodie for warm layers. Relief from the heat, although it cost some afternoon rainshowers

- Tiny historic towns of Florence, Sargents, Pitkin, and Tin Cup, Colorado

- The views, the views, the VIEWS! So many scenic roads, especially Kebler Pass

Lowlights: (I can only think of one)

- Having to reroute around the Aspen Acres fire west of Pueblo. High-speed Highway 50 uphill in the heat with a headwind wasn't a very fun detour.

#goldengraveltrail #adventurecycling50 #coloradobybicycle #colorado150

The "Eastern Plains" portion of my cross-Colorado

The "Eastern Plains" portion of my cross-Colorado ride is complete!

I started on the border of Kansas, following the Golden Gravel Trail to Pueblo over 4 days and 250 miles of riding.

To my Colorado-dwelling friends who have never been farther east than the Denver airport -- take a look! This is ALSO Colorado; a side of it that often goes unseen.

A few highlights:

- watching the sunrises over the stark flat horizon

- feeding treats to rescued horses at Blue Skye Ranch

- roadside sites such as waving grasses, sunflowers, wind turbines, and farm life

- a favorable tailwind for the bulk of it

Some lowlights:

- a heatwave that reached 104°F on day 2

- loose farm dogs barking and chasing me, on three occasions

- not finding a place to camp in Fowler, making for a 90-mile day

Overall I enjoyed it, the roads were quiet with smooth gravel, and I'm thankful for my time in Colorado's heartland. Next up: Rocky Mountain heights!

#Golden150 #Colorado150 #bikepacking #adventurecycling50 #Coloradobybicycle

Follow my dot as I cross Colorado! The @adventur

Follow my dot as I cross Colorado!

The @adventurecycling Association is celebrating its own Golden anniversary this year - 50 years since it launched the TransAmerica as a legendary mass-ride called Bikecentennial in 1976.

I rode the TransAmerica in 2019, with just the paper maps.

I rode the Colorado portion of the ACA's iconic Great Divide route in 2020, finally upgrading to a bike computer for navigation.

This year I'm helping the ACA inaugurate its third and newest epic route - The Golden Gravel - which they developed to celebrate this milestone 50th anniversary.

Not only do I have a bike computer, but I also have a Spot device on lend from the ACA so that I can appear on their Epic Routes map. Follow the link in my bio and look for the CO dot. (Yes, Colorado and I happen to share initials!)

#adventurecycling50 #goldengraveltrail #golden150 #bicyclecolorado #happyanniversary

What's in my bags? Here's every single little thin

What's in my bags? Here's every single little thing.

After exploding my bags to show exactly what I'm bringing on my three-week cross-Colorado bikepacking trip, I'm feeling exposed. Packing is so personal! It reflects hundreds of choices about gear weight, comfort, and cost, while also accounting for a specific trip's terrain, weather, and style. There's no "right" way to pack -- just the "best for you" way. And it's always a work in progress.

How is it that bikepacking is about minimalism and simplicity, yet it's turning me into a material girl?

See the complete post with itemized descriptions on my blog (link in bio)

#bikepacking #travelbybicycle #gearlist #GoldenGravelTrail #Colorado150

The Dare to Ride Team showed up STRONG for the Cou

The Dare to Ride Team showed up STRONG for the Courage Classic 2026!

There are many reasons to love this iconic fundraiser event for @childrenscolo, the Sie Center and @globaldownsyndrome. I've shared just a few of mine here.

I'm so close to my $15k fundraising goal - see my link in bio to help me cross the finish line 🏁

#CourageClassic #DareToRideTeam #SieCenter #InclusionMatters #RideForACause

Colorado in 60 stickers! I collect stickers with

Colorado in 60 stickers!

I collect stickers with the gusto of a 90s ten-year-old. This “Colorado” collection doesn’t even include my 45 Denver-themed stickers.

My Colorado roots run deep. I’m a third-generation born-and-raised Denverite with decades of exploration of the Centennial State. I’ve traveled it by bicycle in six different ways, but never its full width, border to border.

This August, for Colorado’s 150th birthday, I’m so excited to celebrate our statehood milestone on @adventurecycling’s newly launched Golden Gravel Trail. I’ll be riding the Colorado section from Kansas to Utah over three weeks.

Check out @am250co150 for ALL the CO birthday festivities, and check out my #Golden150 link in bio if you’d like to drop in on the ride!

#bicylecolorado #adventurecycling50 #goldengraveltrail #sesquisemiquincentennial

I've known since I started planning the #Golden150

I've known since I started planning the #Golden150 cross-Colorado ride that one of the biggest threats would be wildfires.

The Aspen Acres fire, as of now (July 8), has spread to 96,000+ acres and is 15% contained, making it the seventh-largest wildfire in Colorado history.

In one month (Sat Aug 8), I'm scheduled to ride this segment to Davenport Campground after a day off in Pueblo. Contingency plans are being hatched, including possible vehicle support through this section if the roads are reopened, and a reroute if not. Ready to be adaptable.

A lot could happen between now and then, including more wildfires and compromised air quality. I've gone from compulsively watching the Tour Divide racer dots to monitoring the fires on watchduty.org for the latest developments.

Huge appreciation and thanks to the wildfire relief efforts of Red Creek Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Beulah Fire & Ambulance District, and United Way of Southern Colorado.

#bikepacking #adventurecycling #bicyclecolorado

SBT GRVL was my first rodeo in racing. It was jo

SBT GRVL was my first rodeo in racing.

It was joyous and exhilarating — and it also reminded me that I’m more of a rider than a racer.

Thank you @reyna.kroschel and @gainful_adventurer for including me in your Femmes team for the first-timer race of a lifetime. I am SO proud of us!

Photo credit to @sbtgrvl photographer @lindagerrettephoto slides 4, 8, 15, 18

#stbgrvl #proudfinisher #adventurecycling #travelbybicycle

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Latest Posts

My Bikepacking Gear List (Golden Gravel Colorado, 2026)
July 28, 2026
Courage Classic Dare to Ride Team
June 21, 2026
Golden 150: Cross-Colorado Bike Ride
April 28, 2026

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Colorado's Western Slope section of the Golden Gra

Colorado's Western Slope section of the Golden Gravel Trail, complete!

I convinced @jeffdepree to continue on to the orchards, river valleys, mesas, and canyons of the West Slope -- a lesser-known and underrated side of Colorado.

Highlights:

- A rest day in Paonia and camping at Big B's orchard

- Meeting Mary and Sarah, fantastic locals who joined the ride for a morning

- The historic general store in Eckert, Big E Market, with its local peaches and elk antlers

- The many murals in Delta - I've been collecting mural + bike photos this whole trip!

- CampV in Naturita with its Burning Man art and ambiance

- The final day! Nathan joined as vehicle support so we could unload our bikes for the super-scenic red rock canyon.

Lowlights:

- Columbine Pass - a long uphill slog with little payoff at the top and an underwhelming descent. I give this pass 2/5 stars.

- The heat. I'd been dodging extreme heat this whole trip, and it caught to us again on the last two days. It was too hot to climb the final 12 miles from Paradox to the border, so we drove it.

I'm still processing all the photos, videos, stats, experiences, feelings, and takeaways from this three-week adventure. Overall, my cup is overflowing. Happy 150th birthday, Colorado!

Thank you for the amazing photography Jeff (slides 4, 10, 18) and Nathan (1, 2, 3, 16, 17, 20)

#adventurecycling #goldengraveltrail #coloradobybicycle #colorado150

Colorado's mountain heights on the Golden Gravel T

Colorado's mountain heights on the Golden Gravel Trail.

I'm no stranger to the rarified air, challenging passes, aspen groves, and small towns of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Yet this route took me to corners of the state I'd never ridden or even seen before. The views never cease to strike wonder.

Highlights:

- A zero weekend with my balder half @qzikl in Pueblo and having him (and his cameras/drone) along for a day of riding

- Putting in some of the most rigorous days I've ever done on a loaded gravel bike 💪

- Running into two eastbounders in Salida and comparing trail notes over beers

- Having fellow Denverite @jeffdepree join the ride! This guy's got bike touring stories and a true dirtbag spirit. Ask him about his setup 😯

- Trading the sun hoodie for warm layers. Relief from the heat, although it cost some afternoon rainshowers

- Tiny historic towns of Florence, Sargents, Pitkin, and Tin Cup, Colorado

- The views, the views, the VIEWS! So many scenic roads, especially Kebler Pass

Lowlights: (I can only think of one)

- Having to reroute around the Aspen Acres fire west of Pueblo. High-speed Highway 50 uphill in the heat with a headwind wasn't a very fun detour.

#goldengraveltrail #adventurecycling50 #coloradobybicycle #colorado150

The "Eastern Plains" portion of my cross-Colorado

The "Eastern Plains" portion of my cross-Colorado ride is complete!

I started on the border of Kansas, following the Golden Gravel Trail to Pueblo over 4 days and 250 miles of riding.

To my Colorado-dwelling friends who have never been farther east than the Denver airport -- take a look! This is ALSO Colorado; a side of it that often goes unseen.

A few highlights:

- watching the sunrises over the stark flat horizon

- feeding treats to rescued horses at Blue Skye Ranch

- roadside sites such as waving grasses, sunflowers, wind turbines, and farm life

- a favorable tailwind for the bulk of it

Some lowlights:

- a heatwave that reached 104°F on day 2

- loose farm dogs barking and chasing me, on three occasions

- not finding a place to camp in Fowler, making for a 90-mile day

Overall I enjoyed it, the roads were quiet with smooth gravel, and I'm thankful for my time in Colorado's heartland. Next up: Rocky Mountain heights!

#Golden150 #Colorado150 #bikepacking #adventurecycling50 #Coloradobybicycle

Follow my dot as I cross Colorado! The @adventur

Follow my dot as I cross Colorado!

The @adventurecycling Association is celebrating its own Golden anniversary this year - 50 years since it launched the TransAmerica as a legendary mass-ride called Bikecentennial in 1976.

I rode the TransAmerica in 2019, with just the paper maps.

I rode the Colorado portion of the ACA's iconic Great Divide route in 2020, finally upgrading to a bike computer for navigation.

This year I'm helping the ACA inaugurate its third and newest epic route - The Golden Gravel - which they developed to celebrate this milestone 50th anniversary.

Not only do I have a bike computer, but I also have a Spot device on lend from the ACA so that I can appear on their Epic Routes map. Follow the link in my bio and look for the CO dot. (Yes, Colorado and I happen to share initials!)

#adventurecycling50 #goldengraveltrail #golden150 #bicyclecolorado #happyanniversary

What's in my bags? Here's every single little thin

What's in my bags? Here's every single little thing.

After exploding my bags to show exactly what I'm bringing on my three-week cross-Colorado bikepacking trip, I'm feeling exposed. Packing is so personal! It reflects hundreds of choices about gear weight, comfort, and cost, while also accounting for a specific trip's terrain, weather, and style. There's no "right" way to pack -- just the "best for you" way. And it's always a work in progress.

How is it that bikepacking is about minimalism and simplicity, yet it's turning me into a material girl?

See the complete post with itemized descriptions on my blog (link in bio)

#bikepacking #travelbybicycle #gearlist #GoldenGravelTrail #Colorado150

The Dare to Ride Team showed up STRONG for the Cou

The Dare to Ride Team showed up STRONG for the Courage Classic 2026!

There are many reasons to love this iconic fundraiser event for @childrenscolo, the Sie Center and @globaldownsyndrome. I've shared just a few of mine here.

I'm so close to my $15k fundraising goal - see my link in bio to help me cross the finish line 🏁

#CourageClassic #DareToRideTeam #SieCenter #InclusionMatters #RideForACause

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