Section 4 of the Western Express Route begins in Dolores, Colorado. You may see other cyclists along portions of this route in the state. Between Dolores and Poncha Springs the same roads are used on the Great Parks South Route, and between Wetmore and Pueblo the route joins with the TransAmerica Trail. You'll be crossing a pass almost every day with several passes over 9,000 feet. Many of the passes along this section have climbing lanes for slower-moving traffic. When the route ends in Pueblo, Colorado, you can join the TransAmerica Trail to continue eastward.
We really love using the adventure cycling maps. The route was really beautiful. Please use caution and a lot of the roads because there is no shoulder and heavy traffic. Definitely find a ride when you get to the top of the continental divide Monarch Pass. That is from westbound to eastbound it is not safe. There were many other roads including the road into Pueblo that did not have a shoulder. However the scenery was great and they were many roads that were perfectly fine for traveling.
