Thursday, July 06, 2006

Colorado Mountains and Paths

Wifey and I spent the holiday weekend in Colorado visiting #1 son Keith. We took a late flight Thursday 29 June arriving around midnight. Keith met us at the airport and transported ma and pa to his new condo in Loveland. Since he was working on Friday, we took his car and drove to Cheyenne Wyoming to shop at Sierra Trading Post. Sue found some great deals and loaded up on shoes. Three pair, along with all the other stuff to weight down the plane on the return flight.

Saturday 30 June.

Keith and Sue did a long hike somewhere near Fort Collins. They dropped me downtown and I found a pub showing the World Cup match featuring France/Brasil. In the morning we had watched Italy defeat England on penaltys. Rooney got his deserved red card. Such a good player with so little class.

Sunday, 1 July.


No football today, which give us plenty of time to do some Colorado stuff. Sue took the car and went for a hike, while Keith and I rode our bikes to the bus station in Boulder. We packed our bikes and rode up 3000 feet to the small town of Nederland, to begin a bike ride in the mountains. We climbed an additional 1000' on the Peak to Peak Highway.



The Sunshine Canyon Rd., a dirt road that decended 4000' took us back to our accomodations in Boulder. We stopped for a light lunch in a very liberal town called Gold Hill. Pop 118. A young high school girl served us and explained the owners politics. I didn't think there could be someone more liberal than me. I guess we learn something new every day, if you ask.





Assembling bikes after bus ride.




IknowIcan IknowIcan


I had to stop quite a few times on the climb for a short rest and water breaks. The views, as expected were spectacular. For example.









Spotted this at the top of a mountain.





It seemed like we climed a lot more than our odeometer said. Every time I thought we creasted the peak, I got to look up again. Keith, my guide gave me the option of continuing another three miles of rolling hills or take a dirt road down to the house. I told him that he was in charge. Until we got to the dirt road that is. It was like a cow smelling the barn. Once there I opted to begin the decent.


Climbing on a bike with tires the size of my thigh made it difficult to exceed 5 or 6 mph. It was almost as difficult to keep the bike under 40 MPH on the decent. It's a good thing my bike had disk brakes because I would have burned up the usualy type.


Buckle up for the descent.







If you miss this turn, expect around eight minutes of air time





Keith looking below to the road where we began this ride


We stopped for lunch in the small town of Gold Hill.




Entering Gold Hill




The cool aid stand welcoming committee of Gold Hill Colorado




Lunch stop








The last climb of the day. I had to walk this one.


After a four thousand foot decent, we arrived at our mountain canyon home for the day. Coincidentally, only a few houses away from Tyler Hamilton.



Tuesday 4 July


Keith and I had the morning to bike ride before the Italy/Germany match. We decided on the Boulder bike routes and trails. This is more my type of riding. I have to say that if I did live in the mountains I probably would ride them once a week. Living in Boulder I would definitely be a year round, weather be dammed, bike commuter. Kind of like I am here. We rode the final couple of miles down the mountain into the city and began our holiday ride.




First things first. Riding to breakfast


Part of the ride was on roads.





Some was on paved paths







Room for everyone. Vehicles, peds and bikes.


Much of the ride was on hardpacked dirt trails.





The views were always great.





But as a famous Trans Am rider warned,
"Watch for bananas"


Going home


After the ride we had planned a gathering to watch Italy/Germany with a few of Keiths friends. As we were about to leave the canyon home, a couple of squatters moved in under the porch. I was told they had moved in a few weeks ago and they must have been away for the holidays.



We ended the trip at the Revs/Rapids match in Denver but did not see the whole thing because of the weather.




Revs ended up losing 3-2


The End

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I lived in that area for wuite a while. Pity you could not stay until July when the Mt. Evans road would finally be plowed.

Anonymous said...

Great pix as usual Sir, thanks for sharing makes me really want to go there.