CIRCLE OF CALDERAS—GEOLOGY ALONG THE 2002 RIDE THE ROCKIES ROUTE

Spectacular scenery along the 2002 Ride The Rockies route provided the backdrop to share geology and geoscience issues with 2,000 fellow cyclists as we pedaled 489 miles in southwestern Colorado. Our 7-day tour began in the center of the San Luis Valley, in Alamosa; took us through the San Juan Mountains, with overnight stops in Pagosa Springs, Durango, and Silverton; out to Plateau country in Montrose; and back into the heart of the Rockies through Gunnison and Salida, with a final leg to finish the loop in Alamosa. Riders received a one-page flyer highlighting the geology along each day of the tour. Two posters—one of mosaicked Landsat 7 scenes and the other a simplified geologic map, both on a shaded-relief base with the ride route superimposed—helped riders understand how the geology influences the terrain we pedaled across. At the end of the first day’s ride, we presented a seminar—complete with slides—explaining basic geologic concepts including the rock cycle and time scale, geologic history of Colorado, and day-by-day geology along the ride route. Since we circled the San Juan Mountains, we featured the explosive volcanism that resulted in the calderas there.

With smoke from the Missionary Ridge wildfire detouring our route in and out of Durango, and the Million fire near South Fork starting just days after we enjoyed San Luis Valley farmers’ baked potatoes there, we seized the opportunity to communicate USGS wildfire-related research. Already on the minds of many Coloradans after our exceedingly dry winter and spring, discussing our drought-related research and hydrogeologic studies helped people understand how our work influences their everyday lives.

The response to our communication efforts was overwhelmingly positive. Clearly, we reached an audience with an interest in the Great Outdoors. The typical Ride The Rockies cyclist is a college-degreed professional in his 40’s with an annual household income above $100,000 according to participant statistics collected at the end of the ride. Nearly all participants have Internet access. We made all of our products available for download at http://www.cr.usgs.gov/rtr.htm