🏍️ BIKE TRIP 2026 · COLORADO + UTAH
v2 · last updated 2026-05-10

Denver → Sundance

June 22 – June 28, 2026 · 5 riders · the long way through Colorado & Utah

7 days
5 riding days + 1 rest
1,117 miles
22.5 hours saddle time
5 riders

Tap any day below to zoom in on that leg.

Full trip route map
Day 0 · gather
Denver
Mon Jun 22 · 0 mi
Day 1
Denver → Aspen
159.1 mi · 3 hr 25 min
Day 2
Aspen → Telluride
261.9 mi · 5 hr 30 min
Day 3 · rest
Telluride
Thu Jun 25 · 0 mi
Day 4
Telluride → Gateway
313.5 mi · 6 hr 17 min
Day 5
Gateway → Sorrel River Ranch
156.6 mi · 3 hr 24 min
Day 6
Sorrel River Ranch → Sundance
226.2 mi · 3 hr 54 min

The Riders

Ron Biscardi
Ron Biscardi
Principal · full route
Emily V Biscardi
Emily V Biscardi
Full route
Billy Venable
Billy Venable
Full route
Guy Biscardi
Guy Biscardi
Denver → SLC (Day 6)
Julian
Julian
Denver → SLC (Day 6)

Day by Day

Day 0 · gather

Denver (overnight)

Mon · Jun 22

All 5 riders meet in Denver. No riding. Drinks, last gear check, early sleep.

Lodging: TBD
🛬
No ride · gear up
Day 1 · green

Day 1: Denver → Aspen

Tue · Jun 23
159.1 mi distance 3 hr 25 min saddle 3 legs

Easy first day — I-70 west, then south on CO-82 over Independence Pass into Aspen.

Highlights: Independence Pass (12,095 ft summit · weather-dependent late June) · Continental Divide crossing · Roaring Fork Valley descent into Aspen.
View leg-by-leg →
Day 1 route map
Day 2 · blue

Day 2: Aspen → Telluride

Wed · Jun 24
261.9 mi distance 5 hr 30 min saddle 5 legs

The day Em wanted: McClure Pass south, through Hotchkiss, dip down to Pine Creek Overlook + Black Canyon of the Gunnison South Rim, then southwest to Telluride.

⚠️ Long riding day (~7-8 hr door-to-door with photo stops). Plan an early start.
Highlights: McClure Pass · West Elk Loop · Black Canyon of the Gunnison · Dallas Divide approach into Telluride.
View leg-by-leg →
Day 2 route map
Day 3 · rest

Telluride — rest day 🛀

Thu · Jun 25

Sleep in. Walk the town. Pull a wheel off, clean a chain, eat well. Built in here after the heavy Day 2.

Day 4 · purple

Day 4: Telluride → Gateway

Fri · Jun 26
313.5 mi distance 6 hr 17 min saddle 4 legs

The big one. North to Ouray, then the Million Dollar Highway to Silverton, over to Durango, up via US-491 and CO-141 to Gateway Canyons.

⚠️ Heaviest riding day of the trip. 8-10 hr door-to-door with stops. Be deliberate.
Highlights: Million Dollar Hwy (US-550) · Coal Bank Pass (10,640 ft) · Molas Pass (10,910 ft) · Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic Byway.
View leg-by-leg →
Day 4 route map
Day 5 · orange

Day 5: Gateway → Sorrel River Ranch

Sat · Jun 27
156.6 mi distance 3 hr 24 min saddle 4 legs

Decompression day after Day 4. Scenic CO-141 south to Naturita, west into Utah via CO-90 / US-191, then the La Sal Loop Road + UT-128 along the Colorado River into Moab.

Highlights: Dolores River Canyon · La Sal Loop Road (alpine forest above the desert) · UT-128 Colorado River corridor · Sorrel River Ranch waterfront.
View leg-by-leg →
Day 5 route map
Day 6 · red · split day

Day 6: Sorrel River Ranch → Sundance

Sun · Jun 28 · arrive Sundance by 1pm
226.2 mi distance 3 hr 54 min saddle 3 legs

Roll 7:30 AM MDT (breakfast 6:30, gear-up 7:00). Together up US-191 N → US-6 W over Soldier Summit to Spanish Fork. There the group splits.

Highlights: Sunrise on UT-128 leaving Sorrel River · Book Cliffs · Soldier Summit (7,477 ft) · Provo Canyon descent.
View leg-by-leg →
Day 6 route map

🛣️ The split at Spanish Fork, UT

Ron + Emily + Billy → Sundance
US-189 N up Provo Canyon · +29 mi · arrive ~1pm MDT
Guy + Julian → SLC Airport
I-15 N · +56 mi · flights home (earliest realistic ~3-4pm MDT departure)

Logistics

⚠️ Open items (need Ron lock before deck/final website push)

  • Julian's last name + portrait photo
  • Guy + Julian bike disposition at SLC (own + truck pickup vs rental return)
  • Confirm Billy continues to Sundance with Ron + Emily (vs splitting at SLC)
  • Day 7+ from Sundance — pure stay, or onward to Jackson / Yellowstone?
  • Lodging confirmations for Denver, Aspen, Telluride (2 nights), Gateway, Sundance
Day 0 · Denver
Hotel TBD · all 5 riders converge
TBD
Day 1 · Aspen
Hotel TBD
TBD
Days 2-3 · Telluride
2 nights · hotel TBD
TBD
Day 4 · Gateway, CO
Gateway Canyons Resort (likely)
TBD
Day 5 · Moab area
Sorrel River Ranch · Mile 17 UT-128
✓ confirmed
Day 6+ · Sundance, UT
Sundance Mountain Resort area · lodging TBD
TBD

Pace Reality Check

1,117 mi over 5 riding days = 223 mi/day average for Ron+Emily+Billy. Ceiling target was 200/day. Days 2, 4, and 6 all exceed that — Ron approved the trade for the scenery.

Built-in recovery: Days 1 and 5 are short (≈3.4 hr each), and the Telluride rest day on Thursday is well-placed right after Day 2's heavy mileage starts compounding.

The day to be alert on: Day 4 (314 mi · 6.3 hr saddle = 8-10 hr door-to-door). Hot lunch, no rushing, full hydration. Coal Bank + Molas + Million Dollar Hwy are the kind of roads where a tired rider gets in trouble.