Month: June 2014

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Ding Dong Avon Calling

AVON, COLORADO

DAY 4 – RIDE THE ROCKIES

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS TO AVON

 

Leaving Steamboat Springs

It was a bit chilly as I rolled out of Steamboat Springs. Then again, these are the mountains and the mornings are cool. I found the bike path and took it to the route. Once one the road, the same as we rode yesterday in our loop, I was enjoying solo time when a massive group rolled by.

Unlike last year, this year’s route was not conducive to forming pace lines. Even if one formed I said I wasn’t going to ride in one. Then I foolishly jumped in. Included in the group was a Wounded Warrior with no arms and a butt brake. We were rolling. I averaged 1.5 mph faster on the road to Oak Creek – the same place we rode through yesterday.

Steamboat Springs Visitor Center

This wasn’t a true pace line. It was just a large group with the same people pulling and a bunch of wheel suckers. Me. Not knowing the skills of the riders I decided to drop off, did, then soon found myself on the back of the group again. But it broke up completely with a little climb to Oak Creek.

Oak Creek Miners Museum
Miners Wall

After the first rest station, I met Lisa Smith for the second time in the week. She introduced me to her friends Roger and Jeanie Schultz. I rode for about one minute before dropping for a photo op. After the picture I caught back up to Roger and rode with him and Jeanie to rest stop 2. Roger asked if I was glad to drop and not try to stay with Lisa. He may have been right.

Finger Rock

At Finger Rock I dropped again, only to rejoin and enjoy our conversation. That would last to the next stop and I would not see them again the rest of the day.

And you thought you had a dandelion problem
We had been enjoying the benefits of an awesome tail wind but it turned into a head wind when the road turned. I rode the climb and descent solo, passing many on the descent. I am either a dumb descender or fearless but it is one advantage I seem to have on 95% of the riders here. I go down hills well.

I stopped at the third rest area, ate some grapes, didn’t see anyone I knew, and then moved on.

Made me giggle. Probably had said Poor and
someone made an editorial change

I hadn’t gone very far when I saw and stopped at a tiny post office and talked with the postmaster. She said things have really gotten bad in the last two years. Glad I retired.

Tiny Post Office
Bond, CO

I saw a bridge ahead and because of the warning sign knew it was State Bridge but was disappointed. I was hoping for something very majestic. It was just a bridge.

State Bridge CO
Colorado River

On the climb up the pass from State Bridge I first was talking to a young lady riding for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. She was wearing a riding kit made to look like lingerie. Cute.

Children’s Tumor Foundation

I also got a demerit from the Colorado State Police for not riding single file. Oops. I ended up pacing a medic, Lori, up the climb. I met her last year and she remembered me. The policeman simply pointed to climb single file.

Sheep. Lots of sheep.

We had another nice descent to bomb although both had winds around 30 mph making 50 mph impossible. The wind both held me back and made it a bit dangerous trying to control the bike at high speed.

Leaving the fourth rest stop I was again riding alone until four riders passed me. I jumped on their wheels and as we passed a young lady struggling I motioned for her to follow me. She did. When I bailed at a stop light and stopped at a convenience store for a Cliff Bar she said she was really struggling until I invited her to ride along. She was right. The last 10 miles did rise, albeit at 2-3%, it was just enough to drag one down.

Just an entrance to a Golf Club
Eagle Springs Golf Club

At the end we were met by young ladies in baker”s uniforms with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. What a way to end a ride. And I didn’t take a picture.

Credit: Ziggy

But Ziggy Emme did.

Eagle River

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Farther Than I Thought

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS,
COLORADO
DAY 2 – RIDE THE ROCKIES

There is no entry for Day 1 because for this traveler it was a day spent
flying between D.C. and Denver, then renting a car and driving in snow (yes)
over to Winter Park.

Bike path in Winter Park

There was a Day 1 for most riders, it was just shortened. A nice day turned miserable
with cold, rain, and then snow. Most riders were suffering from hypothermia and it was too dangerous to descend the mountain to Winter Park.  RTR wisely closed the course and shuttled all riders.

A little ice on the water
Near Winter Park

I had some food on the airplane and thought I’d grab something on the way to
Winter Park, or upon reaching Winter Park. I did neither.

Snow capped peaks

I thought we had a complimentary breakfast. We did not.

Froggymobile snow and ice covered
Checking the weather it
was 29 degrees. And I did not bring winter riding clothes. No head covering. No
leg warmers or tights. No winter jacket. I did have knee warmers and a light
jacket. That would have to do.
Snow in Winter Park
I rolled out of Winter Park to find the Ride the Rockies registration. When I reached the rec center in town I found they had already packed up and moved on for the day. So I jumped
in with all the other riders, following the signs and wheels. And not otherwise knowing where I was going.

Winter Park, Colorado
I could see snow capped mountains but had no
idea of today’s route. Leaving rest stop #1 I saw the sign – Steamboat Springs
78. Oops. It’s going to be a much longer day than I anticipated.
Steamboat Springs – Just 78 more miles

It’s hard to describe the topography of the day. I’ll
let the photos do that. One of my favorites was probably only a three mile ride
through Beyers Canyon, a narrow fit of road without shoulders, the Colorado
River, and a train track. It was gorgeous.

Beyers Canyon and Colorado River
It was here I was passed, we all were passed, by Lisa Smith. Her cadence must have been 160-180 rpm. I thought she was gone forever but eventually the road turned more favorable to my liking or less to hers and we were side by side for a while talking about France and Italy.

Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s 
I stopped at Rest Stop #2 and saw my friends from the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinsons. I would love to ride with them but am so vested in the cancer fight I don’t know that I have the resources to support them as well.
Rest Stop #1 in Grandy

Granby CO
We climbed up Muddy Pass (8,772′) and went
through Rabbit Ears Pass (9,426′) where we crossed the Continental Divide. The climb was
sort of long. I had a guy my age sit on my wheel the entire way – overlapped my
wheel actually.


Actually, this guy was on my wheel the entire climb. I really didn’t mind except he kept overlapping my wheel. And my climbing style is occasionally popping out of the saddle. I tried never to create a hesitation when standing. Then about a mile from the summit we were passed by a young lady and I was able to hold her wheel to the summit. So I got a free pull too. And I thanked her for it when she kept going.
Windy Gap Reservoir
Colorado River

Continental Divide

Over the top there was an
awesome no-brakes seven mile 7% grade descent. Even in a tuck, pedaling at
times, and riding in the right travel lane where it was a little smoother, I
could only hit 42.5 mph. I was going into a pretty strong head wind. In fact
that head wind was present all day and made riding tough.

“Homeless” Rider headed the other direction
on Rabbit Ears Pass
Top of Rabbit Ears
Beginning Descent to Steamboat Springs

My Kind of Hill
At the bottom of the mountain was still a four
mile run in into our destination. Here I rode with a guy from Austin who does
training rides for the Texas 4000. He was fun to talk with. He did say their weather had been so crappy that he didn’t get out his year to meet the riders.
Rest Stop on Rabbit Ears Pass

In the end the day turned out
to be more than 100 miles. I should have eaten more. Getting to the hotel I was
too tired to go out. Pizza delivery anyone?
Notes. 101.38 miles

Photo: Group G. 1:20 PM

Answer: Yes

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Ligonier the Long Way

LIGONIER, PENNSYLVANIA

I suggested to (encouraged, begged) Team Portland that the best cycling route from Bedford to Ligonier would be US 30. That route is less than 48 miles with 5,000′ of climb. I was eating breakfast with my parents when Aaron Hoxworth texted me and told me they were already wheels down and headed for Rte 31 and not Rte 30.

Abandoned Storyland

Out the door I got a boost from my dad as we drove to the end of Longview or the Seven Mile Stretch on US 30 and began my day. It was chilly with some rain in the air. I headed down the mountain to Shellsburg, stopping to take pictures along the way. I rode through Shawnee State Park and got on the road behind the cyclists at first catching four girls, er, young women.

Shawnee State Park

Approaching New Baltimore they at first continued straight on 31. I saw the chalk on the road for a turn and called them back. It wouldn’t have been a disaster had I not been with them. Pa. Bike Rte S leaves Rte 31 for a bit but does come back into it. They would have had much of their climbing on the busy Rte 31. But if they had a check point in New Baltimore they wouldn’t have passed it.

It’s about one mile farther to follow the bike route (8 vs 7) up the mountain but the difference is enormous. Rte 31 is a busy road which climbs and descends at the same time. It kicks your butt. The bike route, once the climb begins, continues climbing. It is 7.6 miles with 979′ of gain (2.4%) to where the routes intersect (not the top of the mountain). Rte 31 (Glades Pike) is 6.7 miles with 1273′ of gain (3.6%). Harder, for sure. It rides much steeper, of course. The climbing portion of the bike route is 4.6 miles (797 or 3.3%) which is still easier. And to the top it is 6 miles at 1340′ (4.2%) but there are sections of 10-12%.

 Kelsey Taylor, Patrica Martinez, Helen Smith, Katrina Farrell

In New Baltimore I called them back to a covered bridge which they missed. Slow down. Take pictures. Enjoy the ride.

Kelsey Taylor

Katrina Farrell had flatted at the base of the climb and the support van swung back. While they were changing the flat (unlike Sunday and yesterday I didn’t help preferring that they gain the experience) I was talking to Chelsea Johnson, one of  the support drivers. I asked for turn by turn directions for the day and after Somerset was told they were headed somewhere (my term) connecting with a Pennsylvania Trail System to Linn Run State Park.

Patricia Martinez

That was neat except it wasn’t. In the early 70s we lived on Linn Run Road. I know the lower section in Rector, Pa. to be good, the section in the state park to be paved but bad (rough pave), and the section above it to be dirt and gravel. Further, I was 99% sure that any trail system was for snowmobiles. Or hunting and hiking. Maybe mountain bikes could get through.

Katrina Farrell
 A slight panic set in as Chelsea asked “what do we do now?” I knew nothing more to tell them to do except ride and see what happens. I decided I would ride to Somerset then back to Friedens and call it a day. I didn’t want to climb and descend on the route I envisioned – a route to nowhere.

Rte 31 was busy with lots of truck traffic. It is the route between two turnpike towns, Bedford and Somerset. Rte 30 has some truck traffic but much less. Rte 31, although signed as Bike Rte S was not an enjoyable ride.

PA Rte 31

Up ahead, the group containing Jamie Roberts, Ki Young Kim, and Dan Johnson had stopped for a rider who needed sagged. She was hurting and openly wrote on her blog that she did no preparation for the ride, in fact, her longest ride ever before Sunday was 12 miles. Be forewarned. I shook my head. Why an organization would simply take someone’s money without ensuring they met training metrics is almost beyond me. Almost.

Our group stopped with them for a necessary hygiene break. But when Jamie’s group, down to three riders, was ready to roll and the four young women I was riding with weren’t — they were enjoying the grass and the shade of the barn they were relaxing next to — I went with the first three.

Jamie Roberts, Betsy Sherry, Ki Young Kim, Dan Johnson

We passed Aaron’s group (flat) and rolled towards Somerset. As we descended into town I had us stop at my sister, Betsy’s, house. I thought we would do a quick photo op outside the house thinking Betsy would not be home but she had just gotten home. She welcomed Jamie inside and Jamie got clean indoor plumbing and ice in her water bottles. We stood in the yard and got to watch the other teams go by. As we rolled out, in last, we all met at Sheetz. My advice had been “never pass up a Sheetz.”

Jamie Roberts, Ki Young Kim, Barry Sherry, Dan Johnson

While at Sheetz the riders’ phones blew up with a group message which basically stated the van went ahead and that there was no road or trail system which the riders had planned on. Ah, Google Maps.

Aaron turned to me and asked if I knew how to get them to Ligonier? Although I had decided to stop in Somerset I thought it best to ride with them to Ligonier.

We went up Rte 985 where miles of construction work was taking place. Although we had been split into groups, we came back together at the work site. I had everyone roll out together as I took them around some of the construction using known back roads. Back on 985 we started to separate so we stopped once more to reconstitute. At this point I told the riders I was going to navigate a little by memory and a lot by feel. We turned left into an unincorporated community (Gray) and made our way over to Rte 30.

One rider was struggling and so we were missing two at this point. From our vantage point, we could see the next turn about 1/2 mile ahead in the valley below. I gave Aaron the simple directions (“turn right then follow the road”) and I dropped back while sending the other 10 riders ahead with Aaron.

I met up with Caitlyn Epps who was sagging the struggling rider. We lost a lot of time waiting and I was convinced that by the time I got to US 30 all the riders would be at the summit. Or over the top. I was surprised that as I climbed I caught and passed five riders. I think a lot of riders were beat up by then riding three days in the mountains.

At the summit I led the first group of four down the mountain. I averaged 37.5 mph for the entire descent. I need to up that. In Laughlingtown riders kept coming so we formed a big group and rolled into Ligonier together.

 

The Diamond in Ligonier

It was a hard day but didn’t need to be so hard. Rte 30 may not look so appealing but in addition to being much shorter, it is full of wonderful things to be discovered. Flight 93 memorial. A 1930s gas pump painted like the Indiana Chief Tecumseh. Another as Vincent Van Gas. The Pied Piper. My mind went to how this could be a scavenger hunt and 20 miles shorter.

 

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Abandoned Turnpike

BREEZEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA

I told the 4K for Cancer Team Portland team that I would probably meet them on the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. I think I told them that.

I drove to Bedford then biked on US 30 to Breezewood. I did this, in part, to see if it was scarier than hell. It wasn’t although getting through Breezewood was no treat. Curb to curb and uphill, I chose to go in and out of service stations and then wait for traffic to break before riding on ahead.

The western entrance to Pike 2 Bike is just over the first rise on US 30. There is a small sign marking the entrance and a trail that leads to the turnpike.

Western (Breezewood) entrance to Pike 2 Bike
Right up that dirt path

Once on the turnpike one is on 50 year-old (at least) pavement. It’s all ridable but some sections are better than others. I came to the first tunnel and felt the cold air coming from the entrance about 100 yards away. Once I entered I thought my headlight wasn’t bright enough. And it is spooky in there if not downright scary.

 

I thought any moment I would meet the 4K as I was running late. I came to the second tunnel and still no signs of the 4K. This tunnel was much longer than the first. It took a while to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel (literal).

 

At the end of the tunnel and still no 4K, I went to the end of the turnpike. Nothing. This was my first time at the western end. There are no signs or markings to show where this begins. Just a driveway. Actually, 100 yards away is a driveway with a sign stating private but that trail is 100 yards away.

Western Entrance to Private Drive
Actual entrance which looks similar is 100 yards south

I tried to call Mary Natoli, a rider on the 2013 ride and alum who helped this group on Sunday, to see if she had anyone’s contact information. Getting no answer, I started to look up the 4K office to see if they had contact info when the 4K van pulled up followed seconds later by 3-4, then 7-8, then 15-18 riders.

Source: Joanna Wang
Runfastandeatlots.blogspot.com

I asked them how their ride had been and they said very hard. They had been on miles of gravel and I asked who’s cue sheet did they use. One they made. Oh kids, don’t deviate from my maps. Sigh.

Source: Joanna Wang
Runfastandeatlots.blogspot.com

We came to the first tunnel and too many riders climbed to the top of the tunnel. It was hard to watch. I have the fully developed risk gene – they don’t.

We rode out together to Breezewood. I gave them my three rules for riding in (western) Pennsylvania.

  • Always stop at Sheetz
  • Know that Pennsylvania has a 4 foot law (passing)
  • No motorist knows about it

We were only about three miles from the end of the turnpike trail and Aaron said the team reported from the support van that it was raining very hard at the end. And we weren’t in it. That would end. It really was raining hard at the end.

I rode with Aaron Hoxworth, Helen Smith, Jamie Roberts, and Jocelyn Godlberg to Sheetz in Breezewood. After a restroom break, we rolled out, still in the rain. A car pulled up, rolled down the windows and the driver yelled “Go 4K Team Portland! Our son is with Team San Francisco.” They had Iowa plates. (They were the parents of Jeffrey Robson.)

Jocelyn, Aaron, Helen, Jamie
My 4K Teammates for the Day

Crossing the Juniata River we ran out of the rain. And we had a flat. I was riding with Aaron and Helen, having passed Jocelyn and Jamie on the descent over the river. Then I noticed we were missing the two girls. I doubled back and found Jamie and Jocelyn changing a tire.

When I arrived I used my tube and changed Jamie’s flat because tubes are precious commodities to riders on the 4K. Either that because I was so impressed she knew how to pronounce Juniata. She also told me she liked coming up here, Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., and described in detail eating at Panera in Altoona. Panera was where I took my friends on my first recovery ride after cancer and it holds a special place for me.

Jamie was conscious not to leave any waste behind. Rather than try to put her tube back in my bag, she wore it around her neck. I told her up ahead about 1/2 mile was a “trading post” which surely would have an outdoor trash can. We rode there and she offloaded her spent tube. Then the five of us rolled on into Bedford where I said goodbye for the night knowing I’d ride the next day with them.

Bedford, Pa.

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Cancer Ride Sendoff

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Today was the opening ceremony and sendoff for the cancer ride. Good trooper that she is, Kimber Polley gave me a ride from the Metro in Alexandria to Baltimore. We went to the start where I introduced her to Chey Hillsgrove, who is riding his third trip across the country to fight cancer.

Chey Hillsgrove, Trish Kallis

I saw many alumni, too many to mention. I will try. Trish Kallis, Mary Natoli. Bradley Allen. Chey Hillsgrove. Anthony Venida. Meredith Wilson. Liz Kaplan. Rob Keleher. Venkatesh Srinivas. Kevin Barnett. Jeff Graves. Erin Mack.

The four groups, Teams San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle rode from the office start to the Inner Harbor. I did not roll out with them, instead I was still getting ready in the parking lot.

Mary Natoli, Jamie Roberts, Meredith Wilson
Team Portland

When I arrived I did not spend my time getting ready to ride but in saying hello to old friends and meeting new. When I rolled out, last, I turned the first corner, no more than 50 yards from the office and there was a Team Seattle member changing a flat. It may have been a record for the quickest flat on the trip.

At the sendoff it was great to see Chris and Andrea Zahlis, Kim Sheridan, and Chey’s mother, Monica. Help me to remember more names please.

Chey and Barry
Credit: Venkatesh Srinivas

After opening remarks, introductions of the teams, dipping the back tire in the Inner Harbor, and saying goodbye to family and friends, it was time to roll out. I rode out with the San Francisco team from Baltimore to Alexandria.

Cobbles leaving the Inner Harbor

In my group were Katrine Harris, Holden Cookson, Linnea Cripe, Nathalia Gibbs, Sarah Ring, Chris Moskal and 2013 alum, Sara Janakas.

It wasn’t a difficult route or ride. Kevin Levi-Georlich, a 2013 alum, created the route, apparently using 95% of what I created last year. The main difference was substituting College Park for Berwyn Heights. And that worked.

My group was fourth on the road, then first (chalk duty). Then a double flat with a nail through the sidewall for Nathalia, put us in last, or almost last.

Linnea

Riding into DC on Monroe Ave., a turn was chalked wrong, we didn’t follow it, and we were first. Again.

We did a tour of D.C. for Holden, who had never been. Amazed at all the sports going on on the Mall: Ultimate, Soccer, Football, Cricket, Kickball, Softball, Volleyball, Wiffleball.

Once in Alexandria, they were not excited to be first to the host – that means work. So they had ice cream and Starbucks in Old Town while I rolled on ahead.

Godspeed my friends!

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