Santana’s summer rallies are designed to be equally fun for adventurous couples and entire families. Our midweek schedule is designed for those who want to include a 4-day rally within a week-long summer vacation. For 2010 we return to Durango—the frontier town where the Colorado Rockies meet America’s Southwest Desert.

 

Where we’ll stay

 

Durango’s 12-block downtown National Historic District features a wide range of galleries, saloons, restaurants and shopping. At its center is the Strater Hotel; a carefully-preserved brick-and-marble masterpiece recalling Durango’s frontier past.

 

Rides & Events

 

Monday. An early afternoon check-in gives us time for a leisurely 18-mile orientation ride in the verdant Animas River Valley (ambitious riders can climb to a viewpoint for a panoramic view). Tonight we’ll all get into Durango’s frontier spirit by attending a chuckwagon dinner and wild west show.

 

Tuesday. We’ll stretch our tandeming legs with a ride across the high plains to Vallecito Lake, where we’ll have a picnic on a wooded shore. Back in town Durango after 45 – 85 miles, this is our rally’s one free evening—a chance to join some new friends and walk to one of two-dozen nearby restaurants.

 

Wednesday. Another downtown landmark is the 1881 depot of America’s finest scenic railroad—the narrow gauge Durango and Silverton. Each Memorial Day USCF racers from around the country arrive for the Iron Horse Classic; where stronger riders earn bragging rights by beating the steam-powered San Juan Express on its 35-mile, 2,800 climb to the mining town of Silverton. The best place to watch the event (and cheer for the riders) is from inside the train. So while we need to encourage a few strong teams to race the iron horse, most of us will load our tandems and take the train. In Silverton, after enjoying lunch and exploring the town, most teams will be ready for a challenging “mostly downhill” 22-mile ride (over a famous pair of Rocky Mountain summits) to our overnight stop in Purgatory—a posh ski resort halfway back to Durango. But if you’re too tired, or want to reach the resort early to spend time at the pool, you won’t be alone if you instead choose an afternoon shuttle. Tonight’s dinner, served on the resort’s viewdeck, features Colorado’s finest home-grown cuisine: stream-caught trout and Angus steak.

 

Thursday. From Purgatory, our 26-mile return to Durango is all downhill. Halfway back we pause at Baker’s Bridge to re-create a group photo taken during an 1895 outing of the Durango Wheel Club, who lined the bridge rail and surrounding rocks in a showy display of snazzy duds and high-tech machinery—some things never change! We arrive back in Durango in time for a midday rafting adventure on the rapids of the Animas River.

 

I Think I Can…

 

To transport Santana’s 1995 rally, the Durango & Silverton Railroad attached an extra coach and pair of boxcars onto their San Juan Express. With all the added weight, our coal-powered locomotive put on quite a show to arrive in Silverton 15 minutes late (and yes, a couple of teams did beat the train).

 

How Tough are the Rides?

 

Because Durango and the Animas River Valley are thousands of feet lower than other Rocky Mountain destinations, this may not be as difficult as you imagine. Santana’s 2008 Colorado Rally (with steeper routes and some higher elevations) attracted families with over two dozen children that rode kidback tandems, triplets and quads—only 3 of 62 teams didn’t conquer that rally’s 15-mile climb over 10,500-foot Vail Pass. As long as you get in a few miles before August, this will be a great tour for all energetic teams.

 

How do we get there?

 

The commercial flights that arrive at Durango’s airport (11 each day from Denver or Pheonix) all use planes with 4-across seating—big enough for a full-sized tandem packed into a BikePro or Crateworks tandem case. If you’re bringing a triplet or quad, the nearest airports with big-jet service are Albuquerque, Denver and Colorado Springs. If you’d rather ship your tandem by truck at Santana’s discounted rate, full instructions will be provided.

 

What’s Included?

 

Registration ($869 adults/$249 children) includes:

4 days of tandeming, 3 nights deluxe lodging (at the Strater and Purgatory Ski Resort), luggage service, steam train ride or race, wild west show, rafting and most meals. Because of limited rooms at the Strater and limited space for tandems on the train, Santana’s August 2010 tandem rally in Colorado is certain to sell out months in advance.

 

More Questions?

 

Jan has ridden this rally and knows all the answers. Call her toll-free at 800/ 334-6136 ext. 16.