A new twist for the Death Ride
Cyclists attempt epic ride in reverse

From left to right: The Death Ride pace-line powers through the sunny Dolores Valley enroute to Durango via the clockwise route on the 228-mile San Juan Skyway. The weather takes a turn for the worse, center, as Linda Paris, Rebecca Barfoot and Bob Gregorio head into Ouray and the formidable climb up Red Mountain Pass. The final eight stand for a victory photo outside the Cyclery, a mere 16½ hours later./Photos by Keith Paris

by Keith Paris

Under a bright, full moon on Wed., June 22, nine cyclists left Durango at 4 a.m. They hoped to be the first, official, one-day finishers of the epic and grueling 228-mile Death Ride, ridden in the opposite direction. For the past 25 years, riders of the annual mid-June event, organized by local cyclist Bob Gregorio, have passed through Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, Dolores and Mancos on the way back to Durango. This year, the one-day ride went in reverse, leaving the formidable Red Mountain, Molas and Coal Bank passes for the end of the ride after 150 miles in the saddle.

Amid flashing lights from support vehicles, bikes and helmets, Death Ride participants Tom Ober, Jon Bailey, Mitch Carrier, Mike Docherty, Fred Hutt, Linda Paris, Rebecca Barfoot, Rob Havrda and organizer Gregorio, passed Race Across America cyclists entering Durango on U.S. Highway 160. Convoys with similar missions were passing in the night.

Gregorio had asked riders to stay together until Ouray for safety and support reasons and that they did. A peloton formed in Mancos as the sun rose and the group worked together mile after mile through Dolores, Rico and up Lizard Head Pass. At the top of Lizard Head, Mike was going through a bit of “muscular body crash;” Fred felt the day “hadn’t started yet because of the passes to come;” talk of electrolyte beans entered the conversation; and Mitch felt “fresh as a daisy.” Optimism prevailed.

Then the gods intervened and began to wreak havoc on Dallas Divide. Skies darkened as rain and gusting cross winds threatened the safety of the 55 to 60 mph, heart- stopping descent into Ridgway. Then, a soaking downpour drenched riders as they rode to Ouray. Optimism diminished as one rider dropped out, others were wet, cramping and fatigued, and another began to bonk from lack of fuel. The group sepa rated a bit.

Once in Ouray, the skies cleared and the eight remaining riders regrouped, refueled, changed wet clothing and began the difficult ascent of Red Mountain Pass. At 4:30 p.m., the group gleefully reached the top of pass, and Mitch spoke for the group when he said, “I’m not feeling fresh anymore, but I’m not dead.”

Led by the strength of Ober, Carrier and Bailey, the re-energized cyclists powered up Molas and Coal Bank and were escorted by local riders on the descent into Durango. They arrived to the sound of cheers at Durango Cyclery at 8:30 p.m., 16½ hours after they began. Bailey, Ober and Barfoot had completed their first Death Ride. Gregorio, Carrier, Docherty, Hutt and Paris relished the fact that they were the first to officially complete the Death Ride in both directions, quite an accomplishment in a town of so many talented cyclists. •