After a Saturday morning of chores and housework I head out for a ride. Kyle and I had a tentative plan to ride mountain bikes today at Horsetooth but he worked the overnight shift on the Ambulance and he is sleeping. It is an OK day so I head up into the park for a loop ride.
Nothing special going on, just a ride and I thought I would share a few pictures!
Got myself above Horseshoe Park on the climb up to Deer ridge Junction. Nothing but the dirty snow remaining from winter on the north slope.
I felt pretty good when I got to Deer ridge so I thought I would just keep going on up to Hidden Valley.
You pop up to the top of a climb above Deer Ridge and it opens up to one of my favorite views in the Park.
CCY, or Chapin, Chiquita, and Ypsilon mountains.
Here is a side view of Ypsilon as I get next to the beaver ponds that are below Hidden Valley
I still felt pretty good when I got to Hidden Valley so I just kept going! (I'm channeling my inner Forest Gump!!) Grinded on up to Many Parks Curve where the road is closed and took a break and ate a snack and goofed around with my camera.
You can keep riding up.....no cars. They are working above this to get the road cleared and open.
Here is your obligatory Longs Peak picture! This time from Many Parks curve.
As you can see some weather is moving in....time to GO! I put on my wind cheater and a beanie under my helmet and full gloves because it is getting colder and I have the long downhill back to town.
This is the view I have coming down the road back towards Hidden Valley. I have to stop and take a picture because it really is beautiful. Camera does not do it justice.
A bit of wind in my face going back and I get spit on a bit by some rain. Cold hands and legs by the time I am back to town but a great ride. Not a lot of miles on a ride like this but 2 hours 26 minutes of solid uphill pedaling to get to Many Parks curve. Total ride was 3 hours 7 minutes, 28 miles, so good saddle time and leg workout with the climbing for Santa Fe.
I hope everybody enjoys their Easter Sunday!!
Jim
Love the pictures! How many feet of climbing in that 28 miles?
ReplyDeleteDaniel, Town is 7800 ft and I know that upper Hidden Valley is about 10,500 so many parks curve is some where about 9500. so a bit less than 2000 ft of climb.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Nice pics Jim! Can't imagine doing 28 miles and so much climbing right now so Chapeau.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the hat tip Ryan! I gotta keep riding to keep up with your 30 days.
DeleteJust the names alone of the places you ride sound inviting.
ReplyDeleteRandy, no couches in the National Park (Thankfully!!)
DeleteAfter a lifetime of riding at sea level, that run of yours would kill me. Literally kill me. Dead. Do you have a triple on that Schwinn? Good lord, Coach, how do you do that? Plus, I would get all caught up in that scenery and end up running off a cliff face like a pedaling Wiley Coyote. Not that it wouldn't be worth it. Someday. The Divide first, though.
ReplyDeletetj
A triple it is, 48-36-30, at some point in the future I would like to get that small one to a 26. That's when I know when I am being passed by a young strong cyclist, when they power by me in the park on one of those compact doubles. Makes me think back when I was that strong!
DeleteThere will be equal views on The Divide, especially down through Montana.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteI'm with TJ - if my surroundings required a thousand feet of elevation gain when going for a ride I'm afraid I'd have to sit it out. I have enough troubles with our relatively minor grades in Ohio & PA!
But it is absolutely beautiful. Gotta love those mountains.
Steve Z