80.2 miles
~6,500 vertical
5 hours
After being a bit lazy and scared off by lightning on Tuesday, then doing my civic duty participating in the trash bash on Wednesday evening, I wanted to get in a good ride today. Allison wanted to join, but I wanted to get in lots of miles and vertical, so I sent her along in the car to the mouth of Lefthand and boogied over there on my bike to meet her. I got a bit of a head start and she passed me on Jay road near Diagonal. I thought I would be chasing up the canyon, but arrived at the Lefthand/36 junction just as she and her friend Jen were about to start. I rode with them for the first 8 miles, then upped the pace a bit and continued all the way to the Brainard gate. At the gate, I sweet talked the nice older lady into letting me through without paying and she even gave me a People magazine to keep me warm on the descent. Things were quiet at the lake and I took my time riding around it, soaking up the awesome views. I really love this spot, especially when it is vacant.
I cruised back down at a quick but safe pace, met up with Allison and Jen at the general store in Ward, chucked my People magazine in the trash and coasted down the hill to fill my bottles with spring water. While there, I glugged a full bottle, re-filled then joined the girls for the effortless descent. I felt good and considered biking through Lyons and Longmont to get 100 miles on my odometer, but then decided to go up the backside of Lee Hill to run an errand in Boulder.
By the time I got into Boulder, I was too worked over to run the errand I went there for and knew I was on the verge of bonking. I had eaten 3 Gu's, 2 packs of Shot Bloks, a sample size Clif Bar and drank 5 bottles of water, but was bird fooded out and just needed some serious food. I worked my way home, realizing I would only get 75, so I looped around through the neighborhoods to make it over 80, which is a high for the year I think. 100 would have been easy if I had stuck to the flats, but with all that vertical, it was not in the cards for me today.
As I was churning along nearing home, I was thinking of some of the tougher stages of the Tour and could not imagine still having to cross the Galibier or the Tourmalet. Ughhh, I'll just leave that to Lance.
Weighing in at 140 lbs today, but will work to counter that with non-stop eating tonight and the Pancake House in the morning.
Sierra
Sierra
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, 9/7/09
56 miles
~5,500 vertical
Allison and I drove to the mouth of Lefthand, parked then got on our bikes for the trip to Jamestown. I rode with her all the way, then on the way back down, I decided to head up to Ward. I was considering Brainard, but opted not to since the sky was getting dark and I needed to be home by 4pm for company. Made it back at 4:03.
~5,500 vertical
Allison and I drove to the mouth of Lefthand, parked then got on our bikes for the trip to Jamestown. I rode with her all the way, then on the way back down, I decided to head up to Ward. I was considering Brainard, but opted not to since the sky was getting dark and I needed to be home by 4pm for company. Made it back at 4:03.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, 9/03/09-Saturday, 9/05/09 Twining Peak, PT. 13,500, Sayres Benchmark
Twining Peak (13,711), PT. 13,500
Thursday, 9/03/09
~4.5 miles
~2,300 vertical
3 hrs RT
From Independence Pass
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere
After setting up camp at the base of Graham Gulch (there is some great informal camping there), we drove up to Independence Pass to poke around and see if the weather would cooperate for a hike of Twining Peak. The sky looked a little iffy, but the dark clouds to the West looked somewhat benign and it was sunny overhead, so we started up the well worn trail to the North at 3pm and made our way up Pt. 13,500. We were making good time, but as we neared the summit of Pt. 13,500, the sun went away, almost as if somebody flipped off a light switch and suddenly it was dark, cold, windy, snowing and there was somewhat proximate thunder and lightning.
I have a mild case of PTSD when it comes to lightning after a frightening experience 12 or so years ago, so I immediately wanted to turn tail and run back to the car. In a complete role reversal, Allison suggested we wait it out for a while under some nearby rocks and see what happens, as the danger did not yet seem imminent. We hunkered under some very sheltered and protective rocks (protective from the precipitation, not lightning) for nearly 40 minutes, as wave after wave of graupel passed overhead, until we were assured that conditions were safe enough to proceed upward.
We found if most efficient to pass directly over Pt. 13,500 en route to Twining, then drop the ~350 feet to the saddle. The remainder of the climb from the saddle was straight forward and we reached the summit of Twining around 4:45pm. The sun was out and the conditions were pleasant, so we hung out for a while enjoying the scenery.
Before long, a bolt of lightning several miles to the NE forced us into gear, where Sierra and I were nearly running back toward the saddle with Allison in hot pursuit. There were a few more rumbles, but fortunately, the micro cell moved away from us. Again, we were in a nice calm weather window, so we took a nice long (relaxing this time) break on Pt. 13,500.
We arrived back at the pass at 6pm, as the weather was clearing and headed back to camp for a warm meal and s’mores. An interesting afternoon.
Sayres Benchmark (13,738)
Friday, 9/04/09
~10 miles
~4,000 vertical
5 hrs RT
Sayres Gulch TH
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere, Kevin Lund
We met Kevin at the La Plata TH and he drove us 2.7 miles up the South Fork Lake Creek Road to the head of Sayres Gulch. After a minor route finding snafu (vague and/or out of date route description) and a return trip to the car for a forgotten burrito left on the roof, we were finally on our way up the twisty and now defunct dirt road up toward Sayres BM at 8:35am. If I had to do it over again, I would just head directly up the ridge and skip the road for the most part, as it is ridiculously circuitous and gradual, but if you are looking for a casual walk, the road is a refreshing option. Finding the road requires close attention early on, as we walked right past it and fortunately realized the mistake within a few minutes.
The easiest way to find the proper road is to take a left at an obvious junction 2.6-2.7 miles up the road where there is a sign for Sayres Gulch. Immediately, there is another junction, choose the left option and the road soon comes to a dead end at a foot bridge. Park where the road ends, cross the bridge, walk for a minute or two until the trail intersects with a road and go left. This is the 4wd road that heads South into Sayres Gulch and you have to look for a locked gate immediately on the left, where on the other side is the proper road that ascends the NW ridge of Sayres. This gate is set back a bit and easy to miss if not looking closely for it.
There are a few minor junctions along the way as you ascend the road, but if you pay attention to the map, it is easy to follow. At around 12,500, there is a junction where you have to make a choice. You can keep climbing the road that ascends almost to the false summit of 13,430, or you can take a right on a spur road that drops a few hundred feet and ends below the Sayres/13,430 saddle, which is the option we chose on both the ascent and descent. I had hoped to catch 13,430 on the return, but threatening weather ruled that out. Either way, there is extra elevation gain/loss involved.
The ascent to the saddle is steep, but for the most part, it can be done on solid ground and minimal scree negotiating is required. From the saddle, it is a straight forward class 2 climb on the ridge to a false summit, then a short, but steep and loose climb to the summit (class 2 moving sidewalk scree/dirt).
We arrived on the summit at 11:15am, just as a storm was brewing over La Plata. We did not delay after the first crack of thunder and scampered back down into the basin from which we came to access the mining road, where we had to climb ~300 feet before our final descent back to the car. Although there were storms on either side to scoot us along, fortunately, neither one caught up to us, as we again lucked out upon a near perfect weather window above us the entire time. We arrived back at the TH around 1:30pm for a 5 hour RT.
After lounging around at camp for a while, we decided to head down the road to track down Jason who was supporting Bill and John for an attempt to run over all the Sawatch Peaks (except for Holy Cross). We contacted him by two way radio at the Echo Canyon TH waiting for Bill and John to come off of Elbert. I headed up trail for a ways until I met them, then accompanied them all the way to the La Plata TH. I was gung ho to join them up La Plata, but since I had no gear with me, nor had I eaten yet, I passed on the opportunity. Once darkness fell, I was pleased with that decision.
Pt. 13,198 Attempt
9/05/09
~5 miles
~1,500 vertical
2 hrs RT
From Independence Pass
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere, Kevin Lund
I guess this is hardly worthy of being called an attempt, but since I tried to get there, then perhaps it qualifies? Our original plan was to head up Lackawanna, but some niggling pains for my partners and my foot not being 100% healed, we decided to head up to the pass again for something easy and see how far we could get heading South.
From the pass, it appears that it is possible to get all the way to 13,198. There is a nice double track trail that rolls across the tundra, eventually turning to single track and picks up some (to the best of my knowledge) un-ranked and un-named 12er bumps along the way. On the highest bump, the character of the ridge changed from grassy tundra to volcanic towers, blocks, then loose choss.
The ridge down to the 13,198 saddle is a steep series of steps with lots of loose rock. I did an exposed class 3 down climb to the bench below and walked over to peer off the next step, which was longer, steeper, looser and more exposed than the one I had just negotiated. Turning around was a no brainer, so I headed back up to meet Allison, Kev and Sierra.
Again, we took our time on the summit and getting back to the car. On the drive home, I was shocked to see so many cars headed up I-70 so late in the afternoon (2pm-ish), it was nearly a parking lot, bumper to bumper and just barely moving. Everyone getting a late start on the 3 day weekend I guess. We had 3 days of near solitude and were thankful for that.
Pictures.
Day 1: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_09_03_Twining/
Day 2: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_09_04_Sayres/
Day 3: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_09_05_13198_attempt/
Thursday, 9/03/09
~4.5 miles
~2,300 vertical
3 hrs RT
From Independence Pass
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere
After setting up camp at the base of Graham Gulch (there is some great informal camping there), we drove up to Independence Pass to poke around and see if the weather would cooperate for a hike of Twining Peak. The sky looked a little iffy, but the dark clouds to the West looked somewhat benign and it was sunny overhead, so we started up the well worn trail to the North at 3pm and made our way up Pt. 13,500. We were making good time, but as we neared the summit of Pt. 13,500, the sun went away, almost as if somebody flipped off a light switch and suddenly it was dark, cold, windy, snowing and there was somewhat proximate thunder and lightning.
I have a mild case of PTSD when it comes to lightning after a frightening experience 12 or so years ago, so I immediately wanted to turn tail and run back to the car. In a complete role reversal, Allison suggested we wait it out for a while under some nearby rocks and see what happens, as the danger did not yet seem imminent. We hunkered under some very sheltered and protective rocks (protective from the precipitation, not lightning) for nearly 40 minutes, as wave after wave of graupel passed overhead, until we were assured that conditions were safe enough to proceed upward.
We found if most efficient to pass directly over Pt. 13,500 en route to Twining, then drop the ~350 feet to the saddle. The remainder of the climb from the saddle was straight forward and we reached the summit of Twining around 4:45pm. The sun was out and the conditions were pleasant, so we hung out for a while enjoying the scenery.
Before long, a bolt of lightning several miles to the NE forced us into gear, where Sierra and I were nearly running back toward the saddle with Allison in hot pursuit. There were a few more rumbles, but fortunately, the micro cell moved away from us. Again, we were in a nice calm weather window, so we took a nice long (relaxing this time) break on Pt. 13,500.
We arrived back at the pass at 6pm, as the weather was clearing and headed back to camp for a warm meal and s’mores. An interesting afternoon.
Sayres Benchmark (13,738)
Friday, 9/04/09
~10 miles
~4,000 vertical
5 hrs RT
Sayres Gulch TH
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere, Kevin Lund
We met Kevin at the La Plata TH and he drove us 2.7 miles up the South Fork Lake Creek Road to the head of Sayres Gulch. After a minor route finding snafu (vague and/or out of date route description) and a return trip to the car for a forgotten burrito left on the roof, we were finally on our way up the twisty and now defunct dirt road up toward Sayres BM at 8:35am. If I had to do it over again, I would just head directly up the ridge and skip the road for the most part, as it is ridiculously circuitous and gradual, but if you are looking for a casual walk, the road is a refreshing option. Finding the road requires close attention early on, as we walked right past it and fortunately realized the mistake within a few minutes.
The easiest way to find the proper road is to take a left at an obvious junction 2.6-2.7 miles up the road where there is a sign for Sayres Gulch. Immediately, there is another junction, choose the left option and the road soon comes to a dead end at a foot bridge. Park where the road ends, cross the bridge, walk for a minute or two until the trail intersects with a road and go left. This is the 4wd road that heads South into Sayres Gulch and you have to look for a locked gate immediately on the left, where on the other side is the proper road that ascends the NW ridge of Sayres. This gate is set back a bit and easy to miss if not looking closely for it.
There are a few minor junctions along the way as you ascend the road, but if you pay attention to the map, it is easy to follow. At around 12,500, there is a junction where you have to make a choice. You can keep climbing the road that ascends almost to the false summit of 13,430, or you can take a right on a spur road that drops a few hundred feet and ends below the Sayres/13,430 saddle, which is the option we chose on both the ascent and descent. I had hoped to catch 13,430 on the return, but threatening weather ruled that out. Either way, there is extra elevation gain/loss involved.
The ascent to the saddle is steep, but for the most part, it can be done on solid ground and minimal scree negotiating is required. From the saddle, it is a straight forward class 2 climb on the ridge to a false summit, then a short, but steep and loose climb to the summit (class 2 moving sidewalk scree/dirt).
We arrived on the summit at 11:15am, just as a storm was brewing over La Plata. We did not delay after the first crack of thunder and scampered back down into the basin from which we came to access the mining road, where we had to climb ~300 feet before our final descent back to the car. Although there were storms on either side to scoot us along, fortunately, neither one caught up to us, as we again lucked out upon a near perfect weather window above us the entire time. We arrived back at the TH around 1:30pm for a 5 hour RT.
After lounging around at camp for a while, we decided to head down the road to track down Jason who was supporting Bill and John for an attempt to run over all the Sawatch Peaks (except for Holy Cross). We contacted him by two way radio at the Echo Canyon TH waiting for Bill and John to come off of Elbert. I headed up trail for a ways until I met them, then accompanied them all the way to the La Plata TH. I was gung ho to join them up La Plata, but since I had no gear with me, nor had I eaten yet, I passed on the opportunity. Once darkness fell, I was pleased with that decision.
Pt. 13,198 Attempt
9/05/09
~5 miles
~1,500 vertical
2 hrs RT
From Independence Pass
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere, Kevin Lund
I guess this is hardly worthy of being called an attempt, but since I tried to get there, then perhaps it qualifies? Our original plan was to head up Lackawanna, but some niggling pains for my partners and my foot not being 100% healed, we decided to head up to the pass again for something easy and see how far we could get heading South.
From the pass, it appears that it is possible to get all the way to 13,198. There is a nice double track trail that rolls across the tundra, eventually turning to single track and picks up some (to the best of my knowledge) un-ranked and un-named 12er bumps along the way. On the highest bump, the character of the ridge changed from grassy tundra to volcanic towers, blocks, then loose choss.
The ridge down to the 13,198 saddle is a steep series of steps with lots of loose rock. I did an exposed class 3 down climb to the bench below and walked over to peer off the next step, which was longer, steeper, looser and more exposed than the one I had just negotiated. Turning around was a no brainer, so I headed back up to meet Allison, Kev and Sierra.
Again, we took our time on the summit and getting back to the car. On the drive home, I was shocked to see so many cars headed up I-70 so late in the afternoon (2pm-ish), it was nearly a parking lot, bumper to bumper and just barely moving. Everyone getting a late start on the 3 day weekend I guess. We had 3 days of near solitude and were thankful for that.
Pictures.
Day 1: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_09_03_Twining/
Day 2: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_09_04_Sayres/
Day 3: http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_09_05_13198_attempt/
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Wednesday, 9/02/09 SuperFlag
28 miles
1:34RT
My intention today was to put in a hard ride up Superflag. What "hard" meant in regards to time, I did not know, but I wanted to beat my 31:24 from a few weeks ago. All the smoke in the air from fires in the West did nothing to encourage me, but when I got out of work at 4, things seemed quite a bit more clear. I started pedaling toward Boulder and the air quality seemed great, but as I got closer to the foothills, I started to smell and see smoke. Although nothing compared to yesterday, I am apprehensive to put in a hard effort when air quality sucks, as it wreaks havoc on my throat and lungs.
Only mildly deterred, I continued up Baseline at a conservative pace, saving my efforts for the climb proper. Near 7th St., I pulled over real quick and stashed my bottle and seat bag in the bushes, trying to save every bit of weight that I could.
At the bridge, I started my watch and began spinning a low gear at a fast rate, but never really hanging it out there and figured I would see how it goes as I ascend. I felt great, but the smoke was definitely noticeable and for the next 1.5-2 miles I waffled a bit, debating how much I really wanted to put into it.
Although not a super time, I hit the turnoff in 16:05 which surprised me a bit and gave me confidence. I upped the effort, as I knew now that I had nothing to lose and felt as though I was soaring up the road. Normally, I sit in the saddle for the entire climb, but today, on the steeper sections, I stood up and really put some force on the pedals. This is a bit of a risky tactic, as it increases HR by 5-10 beats, but my cardiovascular system is clearly stronger than my cycling legs, so I figured what the heck.
For a long time, I did not look at the watch, but couldn't help sneaking a peek before the final switchbacks and knew I could go under 30. Although near my max, I pegged it for all I was worth and snuck in at 29:47. Certainly not a time to rave about, but it was a bit of milestone for me, as I have not been able to break 30 minutes for many years, as my riding has been sporadic at best since 1996 (my PR on this climb is 27:??).
I was super elated and riding a major high as I bombed back down the hill. I was going a bit over 40mph, just beyond the Amphitheater turnoff whan a large deer came up from the steep dropoff on the right, hopping a guardrail and ran right in front of me. I could not believe it, one of my worst biking fears being realized. I squeezed the brakes hard, trying not to skid, as it ran along the yellow line in the same direction as me with my front tire just a few feet away. A little bit of luck, fast reactions and good bike handling avoided a potential disaster.
Still on my high, I jammed home from the summit in 34 minutes. I also weighed myself for the first time in ages (I was afraid to look) and was pleased to see 141. My foot felt good enough today that I ran with the dog on the nearby trails and felt as though I am almost at the point where I can start running up peaks again, maybe in another week. I am burning to get after it again.....
1:34RT
My intention today was to put in a hard ride up Superflag. What "hard" meant in regards to time, I did not know, but I wanted to beat my 31:24 from a few weeks ago. All the smoke in the air from fires in the West did nothing to encourage me, but when I got out of work at 4, things seemed quite a bit more clear. I started pedaling toward Boulder and the air quality seemed great, but as I got closer to the foothills, I started to smell and see smoke. Although nothing compared to yesterday, I am apprehensive to put in a hard effort when air quality sucks, as it wreaks havoc on my throat and lungs.
Only mildly deterred, I continued up Baseline at a conservative pace, saving my efforts for the climb proper. Near 7th St., I pulled over real quick and stashed my bottle and seat bag in the bushes, trying to save every bit of weight that I could.
At the bridge, I started my watch and began spinning a low gear at a fast rate, but never really hanging it out there and figured I would see how it goes as I ascend. I felt great, but the smoke was definitely noticeable and for the next 1.5-2 miles I waffled a bit, debating how much I really wanted to put into it.
Although not a super time, I hit the turnoff in 16:05 which surprised me a bit and gave me confidence. I upped the effort, as I knew now that I had nothing to lose and felt as though I was soaring up the road. Normally, I sit in the saddle for the entire climb, but today, on the steeper sections, I stood up and really put some force on the pedals. This is a bit of a risky tactic, as it increases HR by 5-10 beats, but my cardiovascular system is clearly stronger than my cycling legs, so I figured what the heck.
For a long time, I did not look at the watch, but couldn't help sneaking a peek before the final switchbacks and knew I could go under 30. Although near my max, I pegged it for all I was worth and snuck in at 29:47. Certainly not a time to rave about, but it was a bit of milestone for me, as I have not been able to break 30 minutes for many years, as my riding has been sporadic at best since 1996 (my PR on this climb is 27:??).
I was super elated and riding a major high as I bombed back down the hill. I was going a bit over 40mph, just beyond the Amphitheater turnoff whan a large deer came up from the steep dropoff on the right, hopping a guardrail and ran right in front of me. I could not believe it, one of my worst biking fears being realized. I squeezed the brakes hard, trying not to skid, as it ran along the yellow line in the same direction as me with my front tire just a few feet away. A little bit of luck, fast reactions and good bike handling avoided a potential disaster.
Still on my high, I jammed home from the summit in 34 minutes. I also weighed myself for the first time in ages (I was afraid to look) and was pleased to see 141. My foot felt good enough today that I ran with the dog on the nearby trails and felt as though I am almost at the point where I can start running up peaks again, maybe in another week. I am burning to get after it again.....
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, 8/31/09
28 Miles
1:35
Rode SuperFlag, was feeling OK, but had some residual soreness from hiking over the weekend. I went somewhat hard, but knew that I was not recovered enough to go quick and was about :30 seconds slower than last time, but my RT from home was about the same, despite losing 2 minutes on the way there.
16:54 turn off
31:54 bridge to top
1:35
Rode SuperFlag, was feeling OK, but had some residual soreness from hiking over the weekend. I went somewhat hard, but knew that I was not recovered enough to go quick and was about :30 seconds slower than last time, but my RT from home was about the same, despite losing 2 minutes on the way there.
16:54 turn off
31:54 bridge to top
Sunday, August 30, 2009
8/28/09-8/29/09 Winfield Peak, Virginia Peak, Quail Mountain
Winfield Peak (13,077), Virginia Peak (13,088)
8/28/09
~8 miles
~3,500 vertical
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere
After sitting out most of July and all of August due to a broken foot, I was looking forward to a 3 day camping/hiking trip to Winfield to try and salvage what little is left of the summer hiking season.
We got a late start Thursday morning and arrived in Winfield a little after 2pm and found a quiet camp spot along the turnoff just beyond the cemetery. After setting up camp, we spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring up the valley toward the La Plata TH. My foot felt good, but I was still a bit apprehensive about how it would feel hiking a peak for the first time in so long the following day.
With only a rough idea of the names of the peaks surrounding camp, we decided to take advantage of the old mining roads that zig-zag up the N/NE slopes of Winfield Peak. After a leisurely morning sleeping in and getting ready, we began at 8:45am. We crossed the N. Fork of Clear Creek, soon after emerging from the trees into the meadow, roughly 3/4th of a mile up the road from the cemetery. The road that ascends the peak is not used anymore and overgrown, so is a bit reclusive. We bee lined up the hill through the open grass in an avy path and soon intersected with the road, although the up direction went down hill and looked too circuitous. Feeling good, we opted to avoid the road for a bit and continued up the ever steepening slopes to the left of the creek/avalanche path and before long intersected with the road once again.
From here on, walking the road was easy street and the ever expanding views across the valley toward La Plata really started to open up. The morning was crystal clear, warm, calm, my foot was feeling great, beyond my high expectations and I was absolutely ELATED to be back in the hills with Allison and Sierra. I was going somewhat slow, just soaking it in and taking pictures, when all of a sudden we happened upon a small raspberry bush in the middle of the road with ripe raspberries. I stooped down to devour the small, but oh so tasty berries, then noticed another bush, then another, then a long stretch of bushes lining the road, all with plump, juicy red mouth watering berries.
This fortuitous find came close to costing us the summit. I am a berry fiend and can get seriously sidetracked and lost in time harvesting handful after handful, stripping each bush clean before moving on to the next and the next. We spent quite some time here and managed to completely devour just about all the ripe berries in sight. Now satiated, with stained hands and mouths, we continued onward and upward, completely enjoying the perfect day.
Soon we were in a nice basin to the NE of Winfield Peak and departed from the road, in favor of the steeper, yet more direct route up the grassy, but very steep slopes to the NE ridge. My thighs were burning going up this, but my foot still felt good and my cardiovascular system felt hardly taxed, nor was I feeling the altitude, which I attribute to 3 weeks on cycling and a few bike trips up Mt. Evans.
We reached what we hoped to be the summit, but was indeed a false summit, less than 100 vertical feet from the true summit and 2/10th of a mile distant. On just about any other day, this would be no biggie, but the ridge was much rockier than I had hoped. Instead of a casual tundra walk, it was instead a jumbled mess of talus and I was unsure how I would hold up balancing from rock to rock and putting uneven pressure on my healing foot.
I started off slow and cautious, testing the waters so to speak, but was still feeling good, so we continued on. At the summit, the ridge over to Virginia Peak, about ¾ of a mile distant looked similar to what we had just ascended, but no worse. The weather was perfect and we were in no rush, so we headed in that direction, taking our time and enjoying the expansive views. This was the moment I had been waiting for all summer, for what seemed like an eternity, now was a blip on the radar screen, being above tree line, cruising ridges with my two best friends after a long hiatus is more than I can put into words.
Though I felt great mentally and physically, I was well aware that I needed to continue to exercise caution, as my balance and dexterity on the rocks is not 100%. We spent a long time on Virginia, lounging in the warm sun, taking pictures and enjoying the moment. Reluctantly, we decided we had better head back to camp.
Instead of backtracking our ascent route, we decided to make a loop out of it by descending the East ridge of the sub-summit between Winfield/Virginia, then dropped into and followed the drainage just to the North. This turned out to be a good/bad move. Good in that it allowed us to take in some awesome new scenery, but bad in that the descent back down to the valley floor got quite steep and made for a challenging bushwhack. Once in the valley, we found another abandoned mining road that lead us back to Winfield, making for a 7 hour day at a leisurely pace.
Quail Mountain (13,461)
8/29/09
~6 miles
~3,500 vertical
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere
After packing up camp, we decided to head up Quail Mountain on the way home. We got off to another cracking 8:45am start up Sheep Gulch toward Hope Pass. Having hiked the other side of Hope Pass when climbing Mt. Hope a few years ago, and having heard so much about the Leadville 100, I was eager to see this infamously steep section of trail. As advertised, the trail kicks up within a few hundred feet of the parking lot and keeps on going, up, up and up through lush forest and thick stands of aspen. I kept imagining humping it up over this pass during the race with 55 miles behind me and 45 to go…. Ouch!
Feeling good, we maintained a steady, but not too pressed pace to the pass, where we took a long break and fueled up for the final push up the remaining 900 or so feet to the summit. Allison and I simultaneously started racing up the final pitch, but there was no clear winner, as I went to what looked to be the highest point and she went to the summit cairn which was very nearby, but there was some debate as to which is higher. I’ll just call it a tie. We were surprised by the several, mostly intact cabins hiding just over the East side of the summit.
Talk of food, building clouds and a chilly breeze with snowflakes mixed in discouraged us from lingering too long, so we beat a hasty retreat. The trip down was very scenic, as we noticed all kinds of things that we somehow missed on the way up. Just as I was marveling at how we had not seen another person on any of our hikes, up comes a lone hiker, the only one we would see over the course of our weekend. Gotta love the lack of people on peaks under 14k. On the opposite end of the spectrum, passing the Missouri/Belford/Oxford TH, I was amazed, (though not entirely surprised) by the lot being packed to capacity, plus overflow parked along the road, perhaps 30 cars in either direction.
I did not keep close track of splits, but I think we made the summit around 11am (~2:15 up) and the RT turned out to be 4 hours even. I am very encouraged that I felt better than the previous day and feel like I am ready to continue to hike regularly (although my quads are really sore a day later), however, I will still wait a few more weeks until I start running and pushing myself.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_08_29_Winfield/
8/28/09
~8 miles
~3,500 vertical
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere
After sitting out most of July and all of August due to a broken foot, I was looking forward to a 3 day camping/hiking trip to Winfield to try and salvage what little is left of the summer hiking season.
We got a late start Thursday morning and arrived in Winfield a little after 2pm and found a quiet camp spot along the turnoff just beyond the cemetery. After setting up camp, we spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring up the valley toward the La Plata TH. My foot felt good, but I was still a bit apprehensive about how it would feel hiking a peak for the first time in so long the following day.
With only a rough idea of the names of the peaks surrounding camp, we decided to take advantage of the old mining roads that zig-zag up the N/NE slopes of Winfield Peak. After a leisurely morning sleeping in and getting ready, we began at 8:45am. We crossed the N. Fork of Clear Creek, soon after emerging from the trees into the meadow, roughly 3/4th of a mile up the road from the cemetery. The road that ascends the peak is not used anymore and overgrown, so is a bit reclusive. We bee lined up the hill through the open grass in an avy path and soon intersected with the road, although the up direction went down hill and looked too circuitous. Feeling good, we opted to avoid the road for a bit and continued up the ever steepening slopes to the left of the creek/avalanche path and before long intersected with the road once again.
From here on, walking the road was easy street and the ever expanding views across the valley toward La Plata really started to open up. The morning was crystal clear, warm, calm, my foot was feeling great, beyond my high expectations and I was absolutely ELATED to be back in the hills with Allison and Sierra. I was going somewhat slow, just soaking it in and taking pictures, when all of a sudden we happened upon a small raspberry bush in the middle of the road with ripe raspberries. I stooped down to devour the small, but oh so tasty berries, then noticed another bush, then another, then a long stretch of bushes lining the road, all with plump, juicy red mouth watering berries.
This fortuitous find came close to costing us the summit. I am a berry fiend and can get seriously sidetracked and lost in time harvesting handful after handful, stripping each bush clean before moving on to the next and the next. We spent quite some time here and managed to completely devour just about all the ripe berries in sight. Now satiated, with stained hands and mouths, we continued onward and upward, completely enjoying the perfect day.
Soon we were in a nice basin to the NE of Winfield Peak and departed from the road, in favor of the steeper, yet more direct route up the grassy, but very steep slopes to the NE ridge. My thighs were burning going up this, but my foot still felt good and my cardiovascular system felt hardly taxed, nor was I feeling the altitude, which I attribute to 3 weeks on cycling and a few bike trips up Mt. Evans.
We reached what we hoped to be the summit, but was indeed a false summit, less than 100 vertical feet from the true summit and 2/10th of a mile distant. On just about any other day, this would be no biggie, but the ridge was much rockier than I had hoped. Instead of a casual tundra walk, it was instead a jumbled mess of talus and I was unsure how I would hold up balancing from rock to rock and putting uneven pressure on my healing foot.
I started off slow and cautious, testing the waters so to speak, but was still feeling good, so we continued on. At the summit, the ridge over to Virginia Peak, about ¾ of a mile distant looked similar to what we had just ascended, but no worse. The weather was perfect and we were in no rush, so we headed in that direction, taking our time and enjoying the expansive views. This was the moment I had been waiting for all summer, for what seemed like an eternity, now was a blip on the radar screen, being above tree line, cruising ridges with my two best friends after a long hiatus is more than I can put into words.
Though I felt great mentally and physically, I was well aware that I needed to continue to exercise caution, as my balance and dexterity on the rocks is not 100%. We spent a long time on Virginia, lounging in the warm sun, taking pictures and enjoying the moment. Reluctantly, we decided we had better head back to camp.
Instead of backtracking our ascent route, we decided to make a loop out of it by descending the East ridge of the sub-summit between Winfield/Virginia, then dropped into and followed the drainage just to the North. This turned out to be a good/bad move. Good in that it allowed us to take in some awesome new scenery, but bad in that the descent back down to the valley floor got quite steep and made for a challenging bushwhack. Once in the valley, we found another abandoned mining road that lead us back to Winfield, making for a 7 hour day at a leisurely pace.
Quail Mountain (13,461)
8/29/09
~6 miles
~3,500 vertical
Jeff, Allison and Sierra Valliere
After packing up camp, we decided to head up Quail Mountain on the way home. We got off to another cracking 8:45am start up Sheep Gulch toward Hope Pass. Having hiked the other side of Hope Pass when climbing Mt. Hope a few years ago, and having heard so much about the Leadville 100, I was eager to see this infamously steep section of trail. As advertised, the trail kicks up within a few hundred feet of the parking lot and keeps on going, up, up and up through lush forest and thick stands of aspen. I kept imagining humping it up over this pass during the race with 55 miles behind me and 45 to go…. Ouch!
Feeling good, we maintained a steady, but not too pressed pace to the pass, where we took a long break and fueled up for the final push up the remaining 900 or so feet to the summit. Allison and I simultaneously started racing up the final pitch, but there was no clear winner, as I went to what looked to be the highest point and she went to the summit cairn which was very nearby, but there was some debate as to which is higher. I’ll just call it a tie. We were surprised by the several, mostly intact cabins hiding just over the East side of the summit.
Talk of food, building clouds and a chilly breeze with snowflakes mixed in discouraged us from lingering too long, so we beat a hasty retreat. The trip down was very scenic, as we noticed all kinds of things that we somehow missed on the way up. Just as I was marveling at how we had not seen another person on any of our hikes, up comes a lone hiker, the only one we would see over the course of our weekend. Gotta love the lack of people on peaks under 14k. On the opposite end of the spectrum, passing the Missouri/Belford/Oxford TH, I was amazed, (though not entirely surprised) by the lot being packed to capacity, plus overflow parked along the road, perhaps 30 cars in either direction.
I did not keep close track of splits, but I think we made the summit around 11am (~2:15 up) and the RT turned out to be 4 hours even. I am very encouraged that I felt better than the previous day and feel like I am ready to continue to hike regularly (although my quads are really sore a day later), however, I will still wait a few more weeks until I start running and pushing myself.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/2009_08_29_Winfield/
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, 8/26/09
Road Ride
31 miles
1:35ish
Got out for a casual road ride this evening with JP and Bruce. Headed up 75th to Niwot, over to 63rd and back (with a short out/back on Valmont to meet Bruce). Skies look a little iffy at the start, but was sunny and nice throughout the ride, although a bit breezy at times. It was great to finally meet JP, super nice guy, hopefully we can get together for more rides/runs in the future. Good luck in your Tri on Sunday and best wishes to Kathy.
31 miles
1:35ish
Got out for a casual road ride this evening with JP and Bruce. Headed up 75th to Niwot, over to 63rd and back (with a short out/back on Valmont to meet Bruce). Skies look a little iffy at the start, but was sunny and nice throughout the ride, although a bit breezy at times. It was great to finally meet JP, super nice guy, hopefully we can get together for more rides/runs in the future. Good luck in your Tri on Sunday and best wishes to Kathy.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, 8/25/09
Biked into Boulder to run an errand, then headed up Flag. Went on the high end of moderate, low end of hard and made the turn in 15:51, then went to the "running finish" in 18:30 total. Rode hard on the way home and bumped into an old neighbor commuting home to Broomfield, so we chatted all the way out Baseline.
30 miles total.
1:30ish
30 miles total.
1:30ish
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday 8/22/09 Mt. Evans
Mt. Evans
54.57 miles
~7,000 vertical
2:36:32 up
3:35 RT
I rode Mt. Evans again on Saturday as planned. I was hoping to ride it a bit faster than I did on Thursday, I did succeed in doing so, but only by 22 seconds! Even though I did not put too much into it on Thursday, there is nothing easy about riding up this peak, especially with the lack of conditioning I have for cycling (or anything else) right now and the ride left me feeling a bit sore afterwards.
I was hoping that I would mostly recover by Saturday and be able to put a bit more into it, but I was a bit naive thinking that 1 day would be enough time. Another factor which did not help matters was that it was a bit breezy, not a lot, but enough to add significantly to the effort.
My friend Bruce and I started from Idaho Springs at 7:39am and I started spinning a good tempo, easily holding 18+ mph. Sweet! I thought as I cruised along, if I can hold this to the top, I have Danielson's 1:41 record in the bag!
It did not take long until things slowed a bit, but I kept putting pressure on the pedals, going a pace that I felt was harder than 2 days prior. I soon passed my friend Joe and his friend, said hello and kept going. Though I felt like I was going harder/faster, I reached the 1st switchback at about the same time as the previous trip, perhaps even a few seconds slower, how can that be?
I tried to not get too discouraged and kept on keeping on. The minutes were clicking by fast and the miles were dragging by slow. I reached the pay station in 1:06 flat and elected to not make the mistake of stopping like I did on the previous trip, as the ranger was busy talking to paying motorists and did not even notice me.
Once above the gate, I could really start to feel my hamstrings tightening and became discouraged. I sucked down a 2nd gel, hoping that would provide a miracle, but nothing. I seriously considered turning back to meet my friends and ride up with them at their pace, but elected to press on and see what happened.
As I broke treeline, the breeze kicked up, in my face and slowed me a good bit. I plugged away, knowing that I was losing time, but hoped that once I rounded the corner over the Goliath/Warren/Rogers ridge/saddle, the road would be more protected and I may perhaps even be blessed with a bit of a tailwind.
As expected, the following stretch of road was a little more protected, but I had no zip left. I just pedaled along and completely gave up on any urges to push hard, from here on it was just going to be a nice day up high on the bike. Above Summit Lake, I felt a touch better as the road steepened and again felt great as far as the altitude went. I was kicking myself for swapping my 12/25 for my 11/23 the previous day, as I would have appreciated the granny gear while facing the wind.
Eventually, I topped out in 2:36:32, a whopping 22 seconds faster!I waited ~25 minutes or so at the summit for Bruce and we then waited another 20 or so for Joe and his buddy who did not show. Bruce had to get home, so we began the descent and passed them at Summit Lake, still on their way up. Unfortunately, Bruce needed to be back, otherwise I was thinking of heading back up.
A little disappointing to not go faster, but I am not concerned, I was really just out for a fun time up high and it certainly was.
54.57 miles
~7,000 vertical
2:36:32 up
3:35 RT
I rode Mt. Evans again on Saturday as planned. I was hoping to ride it a bit faster than I did on Thursday, I did succeed in doing so, but only by 22 seconds! Even though I did not put too much into it on Thursday, there is nothing easy about riding up this peak, especially with the lack of conditioning I have for cycling (or anything else) right now and the ride left me feeling a bit sore afterwards.
I was hoping that I would mostly recover by Saturday and be able to put a bit more into it, but I was a bit naive thinking that 1 day would be enough time. Another factor which did not help matters was that it was a bit breezy, not a lot, but enough to add significantly to the effort.
My friend Bruce and I started from Idaho Springs at 7:39am and I started spinning a good tempo, easily holding 18+ mph. Sweet! I thought as I cruised along, if I can hold this to the top, I have Danielson's 1:41 record in the bag!
It did not take long until things slowed a bit, but I kept putting pressure on the pedals, going a pace that I felt was harder than 2 days prior. I soon passed my friend Joe and his friend, said hello and kept going. Though I felt like I was going harder/faster, I reached the 1st switchback at about the same time as the previous trip, perhaps even a few seconds slower, how can that be?
I tried to not get too discouraged and kept on keeping on. The minutes were clicking by fast and the miles were dragging by slow. I reached the pay station in 1:06 flat and elected to not make the mistake of stopping like I did on the previous trip, as the ranger was busy talking to paying motorists and did not even notice me.
Once above the gate, I could really start to feel my hamstrings tightening and became discouraged. I sucked down a 2nd gel, hoping that would provide a miracle, but nothing. I seriously considered turning back to meet my friends and ride up with them at their pace, but elected to press on and see what happened.
As I broke treeline, the breeze kicked up, in my face and slowed me a good bit. I plugged away, knowing that I was losing time, but hoped that once I rounded the corner over the Goliath/Warren/Rogers ridge/saddle, the road would be more protected and I may perhaps even be blessed with a bit of a tailwind.
As expected, the following stretch of road was a little more protected, but I had no zip left. I just pedaled along and completely gave up on any urges to push hard, from here on it was just going to be a nice day up high on the bike. Above Summit Lake, I felt a touch better as the road steepened and again felt great as far as the altitude went. I was kicking myself for swapping my 12/25 for my 11/23 the previous day, as I would have appreciated the granny gear while facing the wind.
Eventually, I topped out in 2:36:32, a whopping 22 seconds faster!I waited ~25 minutes or so at the summit for Bruce and we then waited another 20 or so for Joe and his buddy who did not show. Bruce had to get home, so we began the descent and passed them at Summit Lake, still on their way up. Unfortunately, Bruce needed to be back, otherwise I was thinking of heading back up.
A little disappointing to not go faster, but I am not concerned, I was really just out for a fun time up high and it certainly was.
Friday 8/21/09
Biked with Allison 25 in the morning. Then another 6 in the afternoon running errands.
Spent a few hours in the late afternoon/early evening overhauling/tuning/cleaning/waxing my road bike. Took the bike stand, bike and cleaner (Simple Green foamy eco spray works awesome) to the car wash with the hot high pressure wand and went to town. I have to say it works great. I also put on a new chain as my old one was starting to get a bit worn (according to the chain checker), so I figured I would be on the safe side and save my cassette(s)/chainrings undue wear.
Spent a few hours in the late afternoon/early evening overhauling/tuning/cleaning/waxing my road bike. Took the bike stand, bike and cleaner (Simple Green foamy eco spray works awesome) to the car wash with the hot high pressure wand and went to town. I have to say it works great. I also put on a new chain as my old one was starting to get a bit worn (according to the chain checker), so I figured I would be on the safe side and save my cassette(s)/chainrings undue wear.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday, 8/20/09 Mt. Evans Road Ride
Mt. Evans
8/20/09
54.57 miles
~7,000 vertical
2:36:54 up
3:39 RT
I have been planning on riding Mt. Evans this coming Saturday for over a week, but with the great weather forecast that happened to coincide with my usual 3 day weekend(Thurs/Fri/Sat), I just could not suppress the urge to head up there ASAP.
Since breaking my foot on July 11th, I took nearly a month completely off of any activity and tentatively started biking again on August 5th. I started off going pretty easy, just spinning on the flats, 20 miles here, 40 miles there, commuting to work. Earlier this week, I headed up SuperFlag in Boulder twice and my foot felt great, nearly unnoticeable, so I figured I was good to go for Evans.
I got an early start and made it to the Ranger Station/Visitors Center in Idaho Springs around 7am and made good use of their bathroom and took my sweet time getting ready. Before long, I was asked by a Forest Service employee if I planned on leaving my car there. I was indeed planning to, but casually replied that I was just using the bathroom. I have always parked there since my first bike ride up Evans in 1995, but I guess they are cracking down, as I bet it gets nutty there on summer weekends. After using the bathroom again for one last time and brushing my teeth, I relented and moved the car to a small lot up the road, on the opposite side of the street from the middle school (no small task in slippery road shoes and pockets full of stuff).
The morning was perfect, clear, cool (but not cold) and barely a breeze. I started up the road in the big ring, gliding along, buoyed by my excitement, as I was so happy to be out in the mountains again, heading up high, not a care in the world.
Before long though, the hard truth of my lack of fitness/acclimatization became evident and my naïve burst of “speed” came to a screeching reduction. I dropped into the small ring and resolved to just take it easy and spin the rest of the climb, aiming to get up to the summit in under 3 hours was my loose goal.
I was watching my speedometer and knew I was going much slower than normal, but would not be too sure as to how much until I passed through the gate just beyond Echo Lake. I never kept close track of my stats in the past, but I am sure I used to go through there in the 50-55 minute range. Today was not to be even close though, as I arrived there at 1:07 and change. I stopped and knocked on the window of the toll booth, where I surprised the woman sitting there. Apparently, if you use the road without stopping (a bit ambiguous and impossible to enforce), you can pass through for free. I regretted even taking the time to stop, as she was not even looking, but told her that I was not planning on stopping and she waved me through.
On the first tight turn after the gate, I tossed a full water bottle to the side, as I saw no point in lugging it to the top for nothing, as it was cool and I had another. I chowed a few Clif Shot Bloks (compliments of Rick Canter) and continued on my way, going really casual and not pushing at all. It was great riding Evans on a Thursday, as I felt as though I pretty much had the road to myself and made for a very peaceful time, as I could only hear my rhythmic breathing, my tires singing on the road and distant birds chirping.
Strangely, once above tree line (though I never felt that bad) I started to come alive somewhat and picked up the pace a bit. Occasionally, when the gradient and shelter from the mild breeze were just right, I could hit the big ring and ride 18-21mph. As I was cruising fast, I came around a corner doing my best Lance impression and caught 3 riders. The woman at the tail end glanced back and announced “motorcycle back!”, then did a double take and corrected herself. Though my burst of speed was short lived, it really made me feel alive and exhilarated, so I rolled with it for a bit, taking advantage of the rush.
I was somewhat dreading the final 5 miles beyond Summit Lake, as it is typically the most painful, whether running or cycling. Though steeper and progressively higher in elevation, I really felt surprisingly good (probably because I was going mostly easy since the start) and was able to maintain a pace better than I expected from myself. Since I had taken a month completely off of any activity, no mountains, 8 days at sea level, I figured I would really be gasping for oxygen. Ironically, it was the final 5 miles where I felt the best.
Even with the stop at the gate, and turning around at one point to investigate a flashlight I spotted on the side of the road (false alarm, it was crappy and broken) I arrived on top after 2:36:54 and was pretty satisfied with that, all things considered.
I took a short break on top to put on my hat and windbreaker (I know, I agreed to not stop, but it was the safer option) and ended up fielding questions from several groups of tourists who were amazed and in near disbelief that people ride their bikes ALL the way up to the top.
Though weather conditions were pleasant, I was not at all looking forward to the ride down. The road is in terrible shape, especially near and above Summit Lake, I can only imagine how tough it must be to maintain such a road. Every 10 to 15 feet there is a deep and wide crack running perpendicular to the road. On tires with 120+ psi, these cracks seemed to be rattling the fillings from my teeth. To add to the excitement, there are deep sinkholes and deep parallel cracks that could certainly stop a front tire if hit just the right way.
I took things very slow and cautious all the way past Summit Lake, then progressively began to let the brakes go a bit more. I couldn’t help to think back to my ride in January, where I so quickly and effortlessly glided this road at faster speeds. Once past the gate, the main road back down to I.S. was a quick cruise, until I got in the canyon and of course had a headwind. I was glad to see the car, as my neck was sore from the 1:03 descent. Can’t wait to get back on Saturday.
8/20/09
54.57 miles
~7,000 vertical
2:36:54 up
3:39 RT
I have been planning on riding Mt. Evans this coming Saturday for over a week, but with the great weather forecast that happened to coincide with my usual 3 day weekend(Thurs/Fri/Sat), I just could not suppress the urge to head up there ASAP.
Since breaking my foot on July 11th, I took nearly a month completely off of any activity and tentatively started biking again on August 5th. I started off going pretty easy, just spinning on the flats, 20 miles here, 40 miles there, commuting to work. Earlier this week, I headed up SuperFlag in Boulder twice and my foot felt great, nearly unnoticeable, so I figured I was good to go for Evans.
I got an early start and made it to the Ranger Station/Visitors Center in Idaho Springs around 7am and made good use of their bathroom and took my sweet time getting ready. Before long, I was asked by a Forest Service employee if I planned on leaving my car there. I was indeed planning to, but casually replied that I was just using the bathroom. I have always parked there since my first bike ride up Evans in 1995, but I guess they are cracking down, as I bet it gets nutty there on summer weekends. After using the bathroom again for one last time and brushing my teeth, I relented and moved the car to a small lot up the road, on the opposite side of the street from the middle school (no small task in slippery road shoes and pockets full of stuff).
The morning was perfect, clear, cool (but not cold) and barely a breeze. I started up the road in the big ring, gliding along, buoyed by my excitement, as I was so happy to be out in the mountains again, heading up high, not a care in the world.
Before long though, the hard truth of my lack of fitness/acclimatization became evident and my naïve burst of “speed” came to a screeching reduction. I dropped into the small ring and resolved to just take it easy and spin the rest of the climb, aiming to get up to the summit in under 3 hours was my loose goal.
I was watching my speedometer and knew I was going much slower than normal, but would not be too sure as to how much until I passed through the gate just beyond Echo Lake. I never kept close track of my stats in the past, but I am sure I used to go through there in the 50-55 minute range. Today was not to be even close though, as I arrived there at 1:07 and change. I stopped and knocked on the window of the toll booth, where I surprised the woman sitting there. Apparently, if you use the road without stopping (a bit ambiguous and impossible to enforce), you can pass through for free. I regretted even taking the time to stop, as she was not even looking, but told her that I was not planning on stopping and she waved me through.
On the first tight turn after the gate, I tossed a full water bottle to the side, as I saw no point in lugging it to the top for nothing, as it was cool and I had another. I chowed a few Clif Shot Bloks (compliments of Rick Canter) and continued on my way, going really casual and not pushing at all. It was great riding Evans on a Thursday, as I felt as though I pretty much had the road to myself and made for a very peaceful time, as I could only hear my rhythmic breathing, my tires singing on the road and distant birds chirping.
Strangely, once above tree line (though I never felt that bad) I started to come alive somewhat and picked up the pace a bit. Occasionally, when the gradient and shelter from the mild breeze were just right, I could hit the big ring and ride 18-21mph. As I was cruising fast, I came around a corner doing my best Lance impression and caught 3 riders. The woman at the tail end glanced back and announced “motorcycle back!”, then did a double take and corrected herself. Though my burst of speed was short lived, it really made me feel alive and exhilarated, so I rolled with it for a bit, taking advantage of the rush.
I was somewhat dreading the final 5 miles beyond Summit Lake, as it is typically the most painful, whether running or cycling. Though steeper and progressively higher in elevation, I really felt surprisingly good (probably because I was going mostly easy since the start) and was able to maintain a pace better than I expected from myself. Since I had taken a month completely off of any activity, no mountains, 8 days at sea level, I figured I would really be gasping for oxygen. Ironically, it was the final 5 miles where I felt the best.
Even with the stop at the gate, and turning around at one point to investigate a flashlight I spotted on the side of the road (false alarm, it was crappy and broken) I arrived on top after 2:36:54 and was pretty satisfied with that, all things considered.
I took a short break on top to put on my hat and windbreaker (I know, I agreed to not stop, but it was the safer option) and ended up fielding questions from several groups of tourists who were amazed and in near disbelief that people ride their bikes ALL the way up to the top.
Though weather conditions were pleasant, I was not at all looking forward to the ride down. The road is in terrible shape, especially near and above Summit Lake, I can only imagine how tough it must be to maintain such a road. Every 10 to 15 feet there is a deep and wide crack running perpendicular to the road. On tires with 120+ psi, these cracks seemed to be rattling the fillings from my teeth. To add to the excitement, there are deep sinkholes and deep parallel cracks that could certainly stop a front tire if hit just the right way.
I took things very slow and cautious all the way past Summit Lake, then progressively began to let the brakes go a bit more. I couldn’t help to think back to my ride in January, where I so quickly and effortlessly glided this road at faster speeds. Once past the gate, the main road back down to I.S. was a quick cruise, until I got in the canyon and of course had a headwind. I was glad to see the car, as my neck was sore from the 1:03 descent. Can’t wait to get back on Saturday.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tuesday, 8/18/09 Road Ride
22.5 miles
Got out with Allison for a super easy ride to Boulder, just a casual spin, enjoying the cool and refreshing evening. Looking forward to Mt. Evans on Saturday (and maybe Thursday or Friday too if I can swing it). Anybody with a bike is welcome to join, we have 5 now, various abilities and will probably stagger start times/locations accordingly.
Got out with Allison for a super easy ride to Boulder, just a casual spin, enjoying the cool and refreshing evening. Looking forward to Mt. Evans on Saturday (and maybe Thursday or Friday too if I can swing it). Anybody with a bike is welcome to join, we have 5 now, various abilities and will probably stagger start times/locations accordingly.
Monday, 8/17/09 Superflag
28 miles
1:35
Same ride as yesterday, just a bit faster with a little less effort. Felt a bit better than the previous day and started off a bit more conservative and built the effort.
16:32 to turnoff from bridge (a half minute faster than previous)
31:26 to top from bridge (a minute faster than previous)
59:58 to top from home
1:35
Same ride as yesterday, just a bit faster with a little less effort. Felt a bit better than the previous day and started off a bit more conservative and built the effort.
16:32 to turnoff from bridge (a half minute faster than previous)
31:26 to top from bridge (a minute faster than previous)
59:58 to top from home
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