Leadville: Ride 6 - Ball Mountain Pass
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Along this route, you'll pass more abandoned mines and prospect sites than you can count, including the famous Matchless Mine just outside of town. You'll see numerous collapsed structures and ride right next to sulfurous tailings that emit the faint scent of rotten eggs. It's the kind of place you dreamed about if you played with Tonka Trucks as a kid. The ride itself is a lot of fun. Sure, you'll work a little for that fun, but it only makes the reward so much sweeter.
Ride this one in morning, before the afternoon storms roll in. Because mining was so active in this area, finding your way might be challenging. So many unmapped and unmarked roads zigzag across the route that a wrong turn or two may prove inevitable. If you don't have a GPS, be sure to carry quality maps and a compass as a supplement to this guide.
Ride this one in morning, before the afternoon storms roll in. Because mining was so active in this area, finding your way might be challenging. So many unmapped and unmarked roads zigzag across the route that a wrong turn or two may prove inevitable. If you don't have a GPS, be sure to carry quality maps and a compass as a supplement to this guide.
Ride length: 12.2 miles
Ride type: lollipop-loop (counterclockwise)
Riding time: 2 hours
Surface: paved road (3.0 miles); dirt road/jeep trails (9.2 miles)
Elevations: start/end 10,160’; max 11,990’; min 10,160’
Total climbing: gain/loss 2,325’
Aerobic level: strenuous (sustained climbs at high altitude)
Technical level: 4 (the descent from the pass is loose, steep and fast)
Season: July through October
USGS Quadrangles: Leadville North, Climax, Mount Sherman
Ride type: lollipop-loop (counterclockwise)
Riding time: 2 hours
Surface: paved road (3.0 miles); dirt road/jeep trails (9.2 miles)
Elevations: start/end 10,160’; max 11,990’; min 10,160’
Total climbing: gain/loss 2,325’
Aerobic level: strenuous (sustained climbs at high altitude)
Technical level: 4 (the descent from the pass is loose, steep and fast)
Season: July through October
USGS Quadrangles: Leadville North, Climax, Mount Sherman