Two day cycle tour to Marble and back - June 21 and 22, 2022

 Mary and I on our own left the house at 7 AM fully laden in preparation for our California / Oregon trip in September and reached the Village Smithy in Carbondale at 9. Delicious breakfast there before setting off up Highway 133 eventually getting to Marble at about 5.   50 miles in all and a substantial climb for the last 25 of them. Got a delightful site in the Marble town campsite and pigged out on a barbecue dinner at the renowned barbecue restaurant up the road. What a cute little town it is and nestled among the high peaks and with a fascinating history of the early gold and later marble mining days. The huge marble slab for the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Washington DC was quarried, cut and transported from here in 1921. Remarkable.

The excitement of the night was a fox stealing my two plastic tent shoes inside the fly sheet while I was sleeping. The cheeky monster also got hold of one of my cycling shoes, but obviously found it too heavy and deposited 10 feet or so from the tent .

A leisurely morning in the campsite and cycled down to Redstone Inn for breakfast before dropping in to see Peter and Linda in Carbondale. Then biked up to Basalt nearly running into a very large bear on the Rio Grande trail on the way. What excitement. The bear was totally unfussed.

Good and properly worn out on reaching Cece’s for a late lunch in Basalt and we got RFTA home . 

Our conquered peak of last year, Mt Sopris in the background.  This the bike trail running parallel to Hyw 133 out of Carbondale

                         Relaxing at Bonfire in Carbondale before the ascent to Marble

                                 The valley leading up to Marble after leaving Hwy 133

Mary's brand new, and very light, Little Agnes one person tent. Old faithful ( the Hubba Bubba ) for me. The open section of the fly sheet was closed and zipped when Foxy Loxy made off with my shoes while I slept !

These all in the wrong order.  This leaving Meadow Ranch at 7am with temp beneath freezing

He was in no hurry at all .  A big boy.

This was before the red jerseyed cyclist turned up and seemed anxious for a confrontation.  Wiser counsel prevailed thankfully.

Beaver Lake at Marble after leaving our barbecue dinner and heading for our tents