Cottonwood Pass

Overview

Cottonwood Pass is a Category 2 climb in the US, running 13.7 km from a start elevation of 3,006 m to a summit at 3,696 m. On paper it is a mid-length ascent with a net elevation gain of 690 m, which suggests a steady, moderate effort at a 5.04% average.

The profile tells a different story. While the net gain is 690 m, the total ascent over the climb is 1,037 m — a difference of 347 m of climbing that does not show up in the start-to-summit math. That gap is undulation: sections where the road dips and rises again. Every one of those dips is elevation you have to re-earn, so the actual work is closer to a 1,037 m day than a 690 m one. Expect more repeated efforts than a single average number implies.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 5.04% average is a blended figure. With 1,037 m of total ascent packed into 13.7 km, the pitches that count are steeper than the average, and they are offset by flatter or descending stretches that pull the mean down. Ride to the average and you will be over-geared on the ramps and coasting on the recovery.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or briefly drops — use them to reset cadence, not to attack.
• Repeated short climbs that account for the extra 347 m beyond the net gain — each one demands a fresh surge.
• The steepest ramp on the climb, where the gradient bites hardest and gearing matters most.

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chase even effort, not even speed. Holding a fixed pace forces you far over threshold on the steep pitches and wastes energy coasting on the flats. Instead, anchor your effort to a sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain — faster on the shallow sections, slower on the ramps, but the effort steady throughout.

If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first. Sitting a touch under that figure on the flatter stretches leaves headroom for the repeated short climbs that make up the hidden 347 m of ascent.

Gearing

Gearing is governed by the steepest ramp, not the average. For the pitches on Cottonwood Pass, fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you a bailout gear to spin the steep sections without cracking. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette and derailleur capacity actually deliver that low gear, because discovering you are short on the ramp is too late.

Summary

• Length: 13.7 km
• Average gradient: 5.04%
• Maximum gradient: 19.19%
• Net elevation gain: 690 m
• Total ascent: 1,037 m
• Category: 2

Cottonwood Pass rewards riders who read past the average. Pace it by effort, gear for the steepest ramp, and respect the 347 m of climbing that the net gain hides.