Holly Morris travels back in time to 19th century America, where the civilised world meets the wild frontier, it's harsh, gorgeous, and incredibly demanding. Following in the tracks of early  pioneers who slogged their way through virgin territories she treks, hikes, and mountain bikes through the breathtaking beautiful Rocky Mountains, taking in some of the most incredible landscapes in the U.S. Welcome to Colorado!
Starting her trek in south west Colorado, Holly hikes from the former gold mining settlement of Carson along a spectacular stretch of the Colorado Trail, as far as Silverton. This section of the trail is 3,500 metres above sea level and - crossing through flower-filled alpine meadows along the way - Holly and guide Pete Turner battle through snowdrifts which remain well into the month of July.
High above the tree line, the temperature drops approximately 2C every 300 metres they climb and Holly and Pete are increasingly exposed to lightning storms. Pelted by a fierce hailstorm, and surrounded by lightning strikes, they take shelter overnight, before continuing the hike up and over Stony Pass to the old Victorian mining town of Silverton.
From Silverton, Holly catches an onward ride through the mountains to Durango, on a steam train that once used to haul precious gold and silver ore between the two towns. In Durango,  Holly takes part in the weekly rodeo competition, trying her hand at barrel racing and steer roping, before heading back north through the Rockies to Crested Butte, birthplace of the mountain bike.
From Crested Butte, together with mountain biking guide Jayson Simons-Jones, Holly retraces the route of a legendary 60 kilometre bike ride that took place in 1976 from Crested Butte to Aspen. The 2-day ride takes them through dramatic scenery well above 3,500 metres, crossing Pearl Pass at nearly 4000 metres before the long ride down to Aspen. It's an exhausting, but thrilling adventure! |
