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Climbing Lookout Mountain

When I first moved to Colorado, I lived in Cody Park, on the back side of Lookout Mountain off Lookout Mountain Road, for four months. I came here from sea level, and for a long time the slightest bike ride left me gasping for air with the exertion. I would ride the gently rolling terrain to the top of Lookout Mountain, peer down the other side, and gasp as I beheld six steep, rugged miles of uphill, bookmarked by switchback after switchback.

It looked beyond intimidating – it looked impossible!

Every day I would see cyclists whiz by, coming down after that climb up the front side, and I wondered how they did it. Were Colorado bikers made up of different stuff – massive hearts, legs of granite, and no pain threshold? Nothing back in Westchester County, NY, had prepared me for anything like this. I had been strong, but this was just impossible. I would never be able to do it.

Fast-forward three years. I have a new bike, lots of hilly Colorado miles on these legs, and increasing confidence with each mountain I climb. Last week I took my daughter to camp in Denver and was driving home on Rte. 6 when I looked up at Lookout Mountain, and suddenly was overcome by a burning desire to try it, a new confidence that maybe, just maybe, I could reach the top.

My bike was in the back of the car, I had clothing, shoes and my helmet with me, and I suddenly decided, go for it! I turned onto Heritage Road, parked by an office building, did a car quick-change (cyclists are adept at this), pulled out the bike and hopped on.

The first mile or so was downhill on a trail. Then I turned right onto 19th Avenue and began the climb up the epic front side of Lookout Mountain. I climbed. And climbed. And climbed. First one switchback. Then another. Up out of the saddle for the steep sections. Back down for the easier inclines. One mile. Two. Three. Four. The view was staggeringly beautiful. The work was hard, but my legs were strong. Suddenly the antennae at the top were looming above. Almost there!

“Just keep spinning,” was my mantra, a plan on Dory the fish’s “Just keep swimming” advice in the movie “Finding Nemo.” “Just keep spinning. Just keep spinning.”

And then I was there – at the top! Or so I thought. It turned out the hill keeps going for another two or three miles, almost to Cody Park Drive, before I was finally able to start the descent. By then I was ready for the climbing part to be over.

Wheee! Nine miles down with the wind rushing past my ears at 30-plus miles per hour; it was divine.

I guess I am a true Coloradan now: I can ride Lookout Mountain.

Join me, with members of the Evergreen Multisport Club, on a Lookout Mountain Loop ride this Saturday morning at 9! We’re starting at the T-Rex parking lot at Rte. 70 and 93.  (Learn more at http://www.meetup.com/EvergreenMultisportClub/

See you on the roads!

— The Hammster

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What Kind of Crazy Would Ride Mountain Passes?

Well … me.

When I first moved to Colorado, I was amazed to witness the things cyclists can make their bodies do here. Coming from a sea level community of rolling hills just outside New York City, I was not prepared for the concept of riding on big, steep mountains. They just looked impossible.

I lived in Denver for a couple months, where the riding is relatively high but flat, and really enjoyed it. When my family arrived, we lived for a few months in a cottage on the back side of Lookout Mountain, where we’d see these seeming gods whiz by on their bikes day after day. They would climb up the steep, daunting mountain from Golden, push through miles of relentless uphill, switchback after switchback, and make it to the top with what looked like little effort, then speed down the other side.

I thought their hearts must be the size of basketballs, their veins huge, their determination incredible, and their pain thresholds incredibly low. I could barely get my heavy aluminum Cannondale to the top from the relatively easy other side without succumbing to an asthma attack.

 Then I learned about mountain passes. Colorado is full of them, paved roads to the top of high mountains. And many Colorado cyclists spend their free hours riding up them – on purpose. I couldn’t understand how it was physically possible! Independence Pass — 12,103 feet. Fremont Pass — 11,318 feet. Kenosha Pass — 10,001 feet. Vail Pass — 10,666 feet. Up. On two wheels. Pedaling. What were they, crazy? Superhuman?

Then my husband Bob, a rabid cyclist, caught the bug, upgraded the gears on his bike, and started spending spring and summer weekends attacking passes. My daughters and I were with him for his first, at the end of a Fraser vacation. We dropped him off in Tabernash, went out for lunch, then drove to the top of Berthoud Pass (11,315 feet), where he arrived a few minutes later, sweaty but triumphant. (He made a major miscalculation, though. In his desire to get up, he failed to realize that the best part of climbing a pass is then getting to whiz DOWN! He never made that mistake again.

For me, just getting three-quarter miles up the hill to our house in Kittredge was impossible. A trip to Velo Swap (veloswap.competitor.com/ ) a year and a half changed that, when I emerged with a used-but-awesome carbon fiber Specialized Ruby Elite with a triple chain ring and upgrades galore. A week later, I made it up the hill home by pedaling instead of pushing. Triumph!

First Pass

Last summer, we went camping at the top of Kenosha Pass, south of Bailey, and I tried to ride it – up and back from Como. Holy mother of God, despite 65-mile-an-hour traffic whizzing by and brisk headwinds, I made it to the top. Ecstasy! I had ridden to the top of a mountain pass!

Over Labor Day, we went camping at Turquoise Lake, outside of Leadville, where I tried to ride around the lake but found its steep hills still daunting. I did ride up most of Tennessee Pass, but the lure of the lake pulled me back to the campsite.

New Attitude

This year, however, something has changed in me and Bob’s encouragement has had a lot to do with it. I have attacked more and more difficult hills here in Evergreen – Witter Gulch, the loop from Alderfer/3 Sisters to Brook Forest Road. My confidence is increasing. Bob took me up Lookout Mountain a couple weeks back – and it wasn’t difficult On the 4th of July I rode to the top of Loveland Pass. Now, instead of surviving the final hill up to my house, I am attacking it.

This past Saturday, I spent the morning volunteering with the Evergreen Chorale group assisting riders on the Triple Bypass bike ride (www.teamevergreen.org/triple/). They were riding 120 miles, from Buchanan Park in Evergreen, over Squaw and Juniper Passes, then Loveland Pass, then Vail Pass, into Avon – and some were spending the night and riding back the next day. I helped last year and thought it was an unattainable goal for me. This year, something has shifted. As I watched riders go by – some of them lean and chiseled, but others flabby and big and heavy and, well, normal looking —  a new thought crossed my mind: “Hey, maybe I could do this.

Uh oh

When my shift ended I rode halfway up the mountain from which they came toward Echo Lake, and it wasn’t difficult at all. I do believe I am acquiring Colorado cycling legs. Who knew it was possible?

Looking for a Pass?

If you’re looking for a pass, there are a couple of excellent websites that can help you out.

See you on the roads!

 

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Cycling With Kids in the Mountains

I find cycling with kids is a unique challenge when you live in mountainous Evergreen. We live on a hilltop – three quarters of a mile up several switchbacks from the Bear Creek Canyon Road, above Kittredge. One kid is too scared of speed to ride down our twisting, narrow neighborhood road; the other is too lazy to go back up. Plus, their bikes don’t have enough gears to handle the elevation change! So what to do?

Back in New York, where it was flat, we had to navigate street lights, but at least there were sidewalks, and a golf course road with a few speed bumps but very little traffic.

There is a bike trail in Evergreen along the Evergreen Parkway, which is great if you live along that stretch – but it is very hilly, and may be too challenging for some kids, at least until they get into shape.

So we have to think creatively – and that usually means planning our rides, and driving to them. Here are a few ideas to keep the kids interested in cycling despite the obstacles:

    • Safety first. Use common sense.
    • Make sure the kids are snugly helmeted, their bike tires pumped full of air, and that they have a cold bottle of water and a snack.
    • Teach them the rules of the road – keep to the right, but not so far that you fall into the dirt along the side. A bike IS considered a vehicle and has the legal right to use some pavement space, and cars are obligated to give them three feet of space when they pass.
    • Signal when you turn.
    • Always look for wars before getting onto a road to ride.
    • Comfort next.
    • Make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather.
    • Let them set the pace and the distance.
    • Don’t push them too hard.
    • Entertainment next. A destination with a reward at the halfway point is a great idea. Perhaps ice cream, frozen yogurt, some time at the lake.
    • Package the ride as time with mom or dad instead of – God forbid – exercise.
    • Make it easy. Don’t take your kid up to a mountain top the first time out, or they will put the bike in the garage and leave it there. Find a place to ride that will be fun but not too grueling, and gradually work your way up to more challenging terrain. Some ideas:
    • Upper Bear Creek. Start at the Evergreen Lake House and ride out Upper Bear Creek as far as you like, then turn back. (Ride single file, with your children in front of you, so cars go around you and you can make sure you travel at their pace.) It’s a gradual uphill, and coming back, it’s a gradual downhill. If you don’t like traffic, this may not be the ride for you. I used to ride in New York City, so for me, Upper Bear Creek traffic is negligible.
    • Bear Creek Lake Park. I suggest you park for free at the dirt lot across from the Conoco Station at Morrison Road and 270. Walk your bikes across Morrison Road to connect to the bike trail to Bear Creek Lake Park. (If you go right at the trail, you can ride into downtown Morrison. Stay on the trail and follow traffic rules – they ticket riders there.) Bear Creek Lake Park has roads and bike trails throughout, some flatter and some hillier, as well as a couple of lakes which could be destinations if you pack a swimsuit, towel, food and a few bucks into a backpack.
    • The I-470 Bike Trail. Head north from the parking at the Morrison Conoco and you will quickly connect with this bike trail which is uphill all the way to Golden.
    • Elk Meadow and Lair o’ the Bear have gentle mountain bike trails. The ones off to the left at Alderfer/3 Sisters are more hilly but easily manageable.
    • There’s a whole network of flat paved trails in the Denver Metro area. One that I especially like is the Platte River Trail. You can park at the Nature Center at Ken Caryl and Santa Fe in Littleton, then ride this trail for miles north into Denver or south toward Chatfield Reservoir.
    • Chatfield and Cherry Creek Reservoirs also have miles of trails and roads that area ideal for cycling with kids – and lakes to swim in (or rent boats) for the reward at the end!
    • Highway 74 from Kittredge into Evergreen is a nice little ride – again, you have to bear with the traffic – and the Café at the Place provides yummy froyo at the turnaround. If you’re coming from Evergreen, try From the Vine for a mid-ride break.
    • If you’re a camper, take your bikes along – most public campgrounds have paved roads on gentle terrain that kids love to ride around on. We have enjoyed riding at Turquoise Lake (near Leadville), Estes Park, Redstone (which has a 1 ¼ mile paved road into an adorable town with – you guessed it – ice cream), Woodland Park and many others.

Got any other ideas of places to ride with kids? Please share them!

–The Hammster

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Climbing Mountains – Getting to Know Colorado from the Top

My husband Bob has discovered mountain climbing.

At first it was 14ers. He climbed Mt. Bierstadt last fall with a networking group and got hooked on 14ers, vowing to try to climb every one in Colorado. For those not “in the know,” 14ers are mountains over 14,000 feet high. Colorado has more than 50 of them. (You can learn all about them at http://www.14ers.com/.)

Anyway, after a couple of 14ers spent with crowds of others also trying to scale the highest peaks, Bob bagged a 12er and had a revelation – the view from the top of a 12,000-plus-foot peak is still amazing – but without the crowds. Even a relatively shrimpy 8,700-foot or so peak like Mt. McClure, near Marble, which we climbed a couple of weeks ago, is amazing.

Now Bob is hooked on hiking Colorado. Every weekend he attacks a mountain. His only criteria – it should have a peak to aspire to. Recently my daughter and I joined Bob for a stroll to the top of Colorado Mines Mountain, which many will recognize as the peak with the weather station on the way to Winter Park Resort. It was amazing up there. We walked to the edge of a rockslide and sat on small boulder to eat our lunch. We gazed down upon two emerald green pools of water below with a lone tent set up between them, and pondered how it must feel like camping at the edge of the earth. In the dappled distance, we watched storm clouds rumble in. We breathed in the thin air, and stood atop the Continental Divide. We saw a marmot. We could see countless small trails on peaks all around us that we could hike on future trips, and our hiking thirst grew.

Perhaps I’m starting to understand those Mt. Everest idiots.

Naaah.

A couple of days ago, we scrambled with visiting friends up a short, rocky trail to St. Mary’s Glacier, which is actually a snowfield. The rain fell, lightning flashed and thunder cracked, and we scurried back down. We could have continued on past the glacier and hiked a 12er, but the weather conspired against us. Still, despite the wet and the chill, people were there with babies in backpacks, and with dogs on leashes. And the view was magnificent.

Try it! To pick your next hike, try 100 Classic Hikes Colorado by Scott S. Warren. It is full of hiking suggestions, though we have found distances to be inaccurate. The descriptions, however, are very thorough.  Get out there this weekend and hike up a mountain!

–The Hammster

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Surviving the Heat

I lived my entire life on the east coast until I moved to Colorado 3 ½ years ago. That means I spent a lifetime of summers sweating in the oppressive heat. I lived for a decade in Washington, DC, a city built on a swamp where most summer evening runs would be enfolded by the crush of temperatures and humidity levels in the 90s.

One of my favorite things about living in Evergreen is that I barely shed a drop of sweat during summertime runs. Even when it’s blistering down the hill, up here at 7,200 feet I enjoy the breeze moving through my house, and the nip in the air at night – even in July and August – that requires me to keep a sweater close at hand.

But those are just distant memories? Aren’t they? For much of the last two months, I have been revisiting unpleasant memories of my former life grappling with heat and humidity. Being an athlete makes it even more difficult. But with another week stretching ahead of temperatures well into the 90s, it occurs to me that most people living here in the mountain area don’t have the benefit of experience on how to maintain fitness and survive in the summer heat.

So here are my tips on beating the heat:

  • Exercise early or late. Avoid the heat of the day if at all possible.
  • Wear a hat with a brim to keep your head cool. Get it wet if you can!
  • Wear light, breathable clothing.
  • Stay hydrated! Carry a water bottle. Start drinking half an hour before you start exercising, because it takes that long for the “juice” to reach your muscles. I recommend a sports drink to replace the electrolytes you lose through sweat.
  • Change it up to make life a little easier! Perhaps try riding a bike instead of running, because the breeze you create through speed cools you down. Or walk instead of run. If you do choose to run, reduce your mileage, or walk on the hills. Better yet, give yourself permission to take a day off!
  • Wear sunscreen. Obvious.
  • Carry a phone and ID, in case you run into trouble with the heat.
  • Consider moving your exercise indoors. We have lovely, air-conditioned recreation centers with lots of indoor class options.
  • Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back.

Remember, you aren’t going to lose your fitness level if you cut back or take a day or two off because of the heat. You will lose a lot more if you push through it and hurt yourself by overheating. Listen to your body and enjoy the summer weather!

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Berrian Mountain: A Hidden Gem in Evergreen South

I recently hiked up to the 9,147-foot peak of Berrian Mountain in Evergreen South with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop.

Berrian is a Denver Mountain Park reached by driving up, up, up through a winding, hillside neighborhood off Rte. 73 near Conifer. Despite driving through the area countless times, I never even knew it was there.

According to Wikipedia, Berrian Mountain was named after George, Dan and Ray Berrian, who came from Kansas to Colorado in 1887. Previously, it may have been called McIntyre Mountain after Duncan McIntyre, who owned property on the east side of the mountain.

According to one of the kids on our recent Girl Scout hike, there are nine geocaches hidden near the trail up to the peak of Berrian Mountain, so bring your caching equipment ad a pencil! (If you don’t know what geocaching is, watch this space – a blog about this fun 21st century activity is coming soon!)

Berrian Mountain is considered a “Conservation/Wilderness Park,” which means it’s one of a group of isolated Denver Mountain Parks parcels that were never intended to be developed. It’s not easy to access and has very little parking next to the trailhead. (Find it on this map of Denver Mountain Parks: http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/626/documents/DenverParkMap_2010_mountain_pg1.pdf. For driving access, use this map: http://goo.gl/maps/mqovf

The trip is worth it – in the two-hour hike to the summit and back, you’ll encounter prominent mountaintops, forested ridges, steep slopes, rocky outcrops, and narrow riparian corridors. You’ll sweat. Your jaw will drop in awe. Your kid will complain about the hard work of climbing. You’ll feel invigorated. At the summit, you’ll be rewarded with a steep, rocky ridge to climb on, an amazing view of south Evergreen, and the knowledge that it’s all downhill from here!

–The Hammster

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Join the new Evergreen Multisport Club!

I love to work out, but I haven’t found the right group in Evergreen. The Denver Road Runners are too far away. Team Evergreen is too intense – I don’t always want to ride 50 or 100 miles over mountain passes. The Foothills Running & Cycling Club, which I helped found, decided to focus on Golden. I don’t want to have to drive 30 or 45 minutes to find workout partners — I want friends here in the mountain community, and friends who are pursuing the same healthy lifestyle as me.

So after three years of solitary workouts, I have taken the plunge and founded the Evergreen Multisport Club. I used that great online “Meetup” tool, which allows you to start a group and get it up and running immediately!

The Evergreen Multisport Club brings together athletes looking for training partners for running, cycling and swimming in our beautiful mountain community.

All ages, ability levels (from super slow to fast) and commitment levels (from casual duffer to intense competitor) are welcome, whether you are new to a sport, seriously training for a biathlon or triathlon, or just looking for someone to ride 20 miles with, or run 4 miles with, on a Saturday morning or after work on a weeknight.

Is the Evergreen Multisport Club right for you?

  • If Team Evergreen is too intense for you but you’re looking for a good workout with companions, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you want to work out hard and be pushed by a peer, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you’re just getting in shape and want support from a group, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you want relay partners in races or multisport events, or a team to compete with, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you want to discover new people and new trails, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you enjoy eating brunch or throwing back a beer or two with a friend post-workout, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.

Regular workouts

The club’s first event, a 4-mile run in Lair o’ the Bear Park in Idledale on a recent Saturday morning, was marred by hail, pouring rain, and cancellations, but I went there anyway and ended up having a wonderful run and brunch with Julie S., another Evergreen athlete seeking friends in her community. We had four cyclists show up for our second event, a road ride in Ken Caryl; through fabulous red rocks.

The club is set up so anyone can post a workout and invite people to join them. We are having a social event on June 1 to get to know each other and talk about what we want the club to “be.” Join us!

Find the Evergreen Multisport Club online at http://www.meetup.com/EvergreenMultisportClub/.

— The Hammster

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Running 50 Miles for Fun and Firefighters

Believe it or not, there are people who think a marathon is short. There are people who love to run ridiculously long distances on a regular basis – 20 miles, 30, 50, even 100! I admit, I am not one of them. For me, a four or five mile run is just right. But I know a few crazies who revel in the “ultra” lifestyle.

One of them in our area is Janice O’Grady, a 60-something retired attorney from Conifer who looks 20 years younger. Her cheeks are pink, her eyes are bright, her step is spry, and I attribute it to her active lifestyle. Going out for a 20-mile run in a windstorm is no problem for her, though her porcelain doll beauty doesn’t hint to such inner steel.

“I’ve been running ultras since 1987,” she says. “I’ve done 110 of them now.”

In 2010, Janice pioneered a 50K (30.1 miles) and 50-mile trail run down in Pine to raise money for the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department. She started the race simply because “there was a need. When we moved here from California, I discovered that there weren’t any true Front Range mountain ultras. There was really a need and I knew how to do it so I did it!”

The first North Fork Trail Race attracted 110 ultra-runners. Last year, 150 people ran, and this June 30, she’s adding the Evergreen Chorale as a beneficiary and expecting 175 runners, coming in from all over the United States and even Italy.

“It’s an amazing number that are just local – Conifer and Evergreen,” Janice says. “We also see a bunch from Colorado Springs, Boulder, and all over the Denver metro area.”  Janice says the race is getting close to full, so sign up soon if you want to do it, at northfork50.com.

Volunteers Needed

Don’t want to run 30 or 50 miles? Completely understandable! Volunteers are also needed – to set up the course, give out water, help at the aid station at the halfway point, set up the BBQ, help with parking, register runners and more. Volunteers get a T-shirt with the race logo, all they care to eat at the l barbecue, and a day of fun and inspiration.  Please email northfork50@live.com to volunteer.

The Course

The North Fork Trail Race is run entirely on trails in the beautiful Buffalo Creek Recreation Area in the Pike National Forest. It starts and finishes at Pine Valley Ranch Park.  The course is hilly and it is very challenging for those who are not experienced mountain trail runners, but speedsters who are used to altitude enjoy the course.  The friendly aid stations, beautiful scenery and generous time limits make North Fork an excellent choice for a first trail ultramarathon. Runners get unique finisher awards, a high-quality gender-specific tech shirt, and a fabulous post-race barbecue.

North Fork Volunteer Fire Department

The North Fork Volunteer Fire Department protects the area where the race is run.  These firefighters have valiantly battled a number of fires in recent years that have changed the landscape. Learn more about them at www.northforkfire.org/.

The course winds through some of the burn areas, as well as through pristine forests of ponderosa and lodgepole pines dotted with fields of wildflowers.  It is 100% trails, mostly single track and some double track, with mostly good footing, at altitude ranging from 6,700 to 8,100 feet.  Elevation gain is about  4,500 feet for 50K and 7,200 feet for 50 miles.

Evergreen Chorale

Part of this year’s proceeds will also go to the Evergreen Chorale, members of which will be volunteering on race day.  Janice has appeared in a number of their theatrical and choral productions, most recently in a leading role in the musical Quilters. Learn about the Chorale at www.evergreenchorale.org/.

Contact Janice for more info about how you can get involved in the North Fork ultra race, at (303) 903-3533 or northfork50@live.com.

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Safe Cycling Tips, Evergreen Style

As I was riding on the bike path along I-470 this morning, the wind whizzing through the vents in my my helmet as I labored uphill toward Golden, I passed a cyclist plummeting downhill at top speed with a bare head. “What an idiot!” I thought.

My husband has landed in the ER twice because of riding accidents – once he toppled headfirst when he hit a raised utility lid while riding downhill, and the second when he hit a dollop of tar that had been dropped onto a newly paved roadway. The second time, an examination of his helmet showed a long, deep ridge in the back, just to the right of where his brain stem would be

Fortunately for me, Bob isn’t a vegetable and I am not a widow for one important reason – he wears a helmet. He still suffered road rashes and mild concussions, but emerged to ride again, and again, and again.

So, with spring here and people stampeding outdoors to get the exercise many of us have foregone all winter, I now present, in no particular order, tips for keeping safe when cycling.

  1. Always, always, ALWAYS wear a helmet. I don’t care how hot it is. This rule is not negotiable. And make sure your kids are helmeted, too, even riding around the neighborhood. The helmet should fit and be worn snugly, so there is room for just two fingers between the strap and your neck.
  2. Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.
  3. Ride what you can handle in terms of distance and terrain. Don’t try to do too much and risk finding yourself far from home and incapable of climbing the big hill you need to forge to get there.
  4. Ride on the right side of the road, but don’t feel forced onto a narrow shoulder. You are considered a vehicle and cars and trucks are required to pass you and give you plenty of space. When it’s congested, if you’re riding with someone, ride single file.
  5. Carry a patch kit and a spare tube, and make sure you know what to do with them.
  6. Carry a pump. Doesn’t do much good to be able to change a tire if you can’t pump it up!
  7. Carry ID – your driver’s license, or a Road ID device (http://www.roadid.com/) – in case something happens to you. A credit card and $20 cash are a good idea, too.
  8. Carry a phone. If it has Latitude on it, even better. This app can help your significant other find you if you don’t make it home.
  9.  Make sure your bike is maintained in good condition.
  10. Always carry a bottle of water or a sports drink. If you’re going more than 20 miles, carry two. It’s a good idea to carry an energy bar or two as well.
  11. Wear sunscreen.
  12. Take it slow on the way down, Yes, a fast descent is a real rush, but if the road is windy, make sure you can control your speed, especially if you hit a rock.
  13. Check the weather before you go out. Sometimes you should stay home – if it’s raining (slippery roads), or there’s thunder and lightning, or hailstorms in the area.
  14. Dress appropriately, and be prepared. Just because some idiots ride in shorts and short sleeves below 30 degrees doesn’t mean you should. Do you know how to spell “hypothermia?” Also, there’s a huge difference between how your body feels climbing up Squaw Pass (Whew! Sweat!) and how it feels whizzing down the other side (Brrr!). Carry extra gear, at least a wind vest or light jacket. If you’re doing a pass, check the weather at the TOP and prepare for it.
  15. Ride with friends! Team Evergreen is available for the intense and hardcore. For more moderate mountain cyclists, I just formed the Evergreen Multisport Club. The goal is to bring together cyclists, runners and swimmers for training partners, friends, and fellow competitors. Learn more at www.meetup.com/EvergreenMultisportClub.
  16. Got any other ideas? Please add them, or share your experiences!

See you on the roads!

The Hammster

Coming next week … Riding with kids when you live in the mountains.
 

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Cycling Season is Here … Want to Go for a Ride?

One of the big factors that lured me to Colorado was the divine road riding. I envisioned miles and miles of open road, surrounded by rocky ledges and ponderosa pines, warmed by the bright Colorado sun. And I was not disappointed.

Coming to Colorado three years ago from Westchester County, NY, where I had to ride 10 miles down the busy Boston Post Road, dodging cars and potholes and waiting at through countless traffic lights, before I arrived at any semblance of “open road,” the Foothills seemed like heaven on earth.

I’ll admit it took a full year and a half and the purchase of a carbon fiber bike with a triple chain ring before I acclimated to the altitude and stopped feeling as though I were drowning when I rode, and before I could finally make it up the three switchbacks to my hilltop home in the Kittredge corner of Evergreen, but it was worth it! The riding here is like nothing I have ever experienced. It’s rare I see more than one traffic light, even on a long ride. Yes, there’s a little congestion in downtown Evergreen, but that half a mile is nothing compared to the challenges I’m accustomed to back east.

The riding is literally heaven on wheels. Out Upper Bear Creek Road, past former vacation lodges that make me reminisce about Evergreen’s resort past as Mt. Evans looms into view. Up Buffalo Park past Alderfer/Three Sisters Park, encountering the sweet surprise of ridge top ranches. Out to the Brook Forest Inn. Twisting and turning on the North and South Turkey Creeks.  Soda Creek. Bear Creek Lake Park. Down the canyon road (74) to Morrison and back up (Ouch! Will the hill ever end?).

A freak hailstorm pelts me. A fast downhill freezes me, a jarring shock after the long, sweaty ascent. An elk jumps onto the road and almost knocks me down. A great blue heron flies beside me along Bear Creek, a twig in its beak. I’ve climbed Kenosha Pass, ridden around part of Turquoise Lake, enjoyed the freedom of the bike trail in Glenwood Canyon, explored Estes Park on two wheels. Once I left a piece of my knee on the bridge at Evergreen Lake (before they replaced it) when my skinny wheel went between two boards and I fell. But despite that mishap, which I considered my “baptism” to riding in Colorado, each ride has been more divine than the one before it.

But I have to admit one thing: I’m lonely. I miss having a partner or two, or four or five, to ride with. Team Evergreen is too intense for me. The Foothills Running & Cycling Club, which I helped found, decided to focus on Golden, leaving me high and dry (literally). I’m amazed that there’s no mid-level riding group in the mountain area for recreational riders like me, who just want to climb a few hills, pedal 10 or 20 or 30 miles or so.

Anyone interested in getting a group together for Saturday morning rides, or maybe Thursday evening, in Evergreen or Conifer or Kittredge or Morrison? Anyone want to sweat together up the big hills, then grab a beer and swap war stories? Anyone want to train for a biathlon or go on a road trip to bag a mountain pass? If so, email Lisa@HammsterMedia.com.  Let’s start a mountain area riding club, or even a multisport club. Join me on the roads — I’m ready to train with some company! Are you?

The Hammster