Circle the Summit / 6th Annual Bob Guthrie Memorial Ride
Summit County, Colorado
August 17, 2013
There are very good reasons the USA Pro Cycling Challenge chose to come through Summit County for its inaugural ride and why they’re coming back this summer. Our riding is challenging enough for professionals, beautiful enough to broadcast worldwide and the local population supports cycling with a passion. The Circle the Summit Ride is your opportunity to experience some of the same riding as the world’s best cyclists.
Circle the Summit is a great, small ride, capped at just 750 riders; that means you won’t be jockeying for position to keep your line on climbs or descents. It also means you can enjoy our beautiful scenery. Climb Ute Pass and the Gore Range is there in all its majesty; cycling along Ten Mile Creek to Copper or to the top of Vail Pass opens up even more vistas. Bike the Sapphire section of the Swan Mountain Recpath, funded in part through the efforts of Summit Biking, and you'll be rewarded with an astonishing view of Lake Dillon and the surrounding mountains.
(BTW, be sure to stop and add a stone to the cairn honoring our co-founder, Bob Guthrie, as you reach the top of the Lowery section of said path.)
But, we don’t stop at jaw dropping views. Circle the Summit riders rave about our aid stations and our after-ride lunch from the Historic Mint Steakhouse is memorable.
Register early to get one of the coveted spots. Circle the Summit takes place on August 17. Each year our ride has grown and improved based on comments and suggestions from our riders and volunteers. This year will be no exception.
Want more cycling action? Stick around for a couple of days and catch the 2013 USA Pro Cycling Challenge. They finish in Breckenridge on the 20th and start their 3rd day in Breckenridge on the 21st.
Routes
We offer four distances ranging from 21 to 100 miles. All of the routes take advantage of the new bike path that circles Lake Dillon.
Where the Money Goes
The Circle the Summit Ride, created by Avalanche Physical Therapy and Summit Biking, has been an influential private fundraiser to improve cycling in Summit County. Currently there are number of major efforts underway. These include:
- Working with Summit County and CDOT to improve the bridges and repave the east side of the Vail Pass Recpath,
- Construction of a new Recpath at Copper Mountain with the future goal of reaching Fremont Pass,
- Creating a bicycle connection between Breckenridge and Blue River,
- Working with Park County to explore an expansion of the existing Recpath over Hoosier Pass and,
- Continuing to develop and expand a youth cycling program.
By far, the largest effort of Avalanche Physical Therapy and Summit Biking was to raise funds to complete a safe bike path around Dillon Reservoir. Most of the revenue generated, $117,000, helped to leverage foundation and government matching grants to complete the Recpath from the intersection of SH 6 and Swan Mountain Road to the Sapphire Point parking area.
These efforts were officially completed and the Recpath was dedicated on July 15, 2011.
Funds have also financed installation of solar lights in the Vail Pass tunnel and striping on the Recpath through Silverthorne.
Other efforts are underway in Summit County to update and improve existing information kiosks and signage around Dillon Reservoir, including the installation of mile markers, replacement of decking on the bridge across the Snake River, and adding striping on bike lanes to improve safety.
