Grand Lake

GRAND LAKE, COLORADO

The day will start fast as cyclists spin along the Summit County and Dillon Dam Rec Path from Copper Mountain to Silverthorne. Once past the reservoir, cyclists will head north en route to Ute Pass Rd.; a moderate climb with panoramic views of the Gore Mountain Range. At the bottom of the pass, cyclists will test their handling skills on a 13-mile stretch of compacted dirt as they navigate their way through the open range of Grand County. Once on US 40, cyclists will roll through Byers Canyon and Hot Sulphur Springs before finishing in Grand Lake; the Gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and a first time-host community of Ride The Rockies.

Everything is relaxing once you get on the bike. Getting going was the tough part for me. Staying in a condo with a Jacuzzi, I didn’t get a chance to use it until … I woke up at 2:00 a.m. What a perfect time for a two hour Jacuzzi, no?

After going back to bed at 4:00 a.m., I was up at 5:30 a.m. I washed clothes in the condo last night and had the added task of repacking everything. I didn’t have as much time as I thought.

Christine Currie, told me her group was rolling out at 7:00 a.m. and invited me to join them. Time flew by too quickly and it was almost 7:00 a.m. I finished writing two Father’s Day cards for my dad then went to close up the condo. I took my bike down to the lobby and was shocked to see that Alpine Cycling was picking up our bags at 7:00 a.m. instead of 7:15 a.m. It was 7:00 a.m.

I saw most bags were picked up and I rushed back to the fourth floor to get my bags. I was in my socks. I left the condo key in the condo, grabbed the bags and took them to the lobby. Then it hit me. My cycling shoes were in the condo. And so was the telephone number of the property management company. I asked a couple of folks if they had the number to call and they did not. And Alpine was coming for my bags.

I thought I might have to ride 1/2 mile to check-in in my socks, get a new key, then go back to the condo to rescue my shoes. Before my bags left I thought I should grab some sunscreen. I opened my cycling bag and there were my shoes. What a disaster it would have been had I ridden off in my socks and sent my shoes with Alpine. Crisis averted but not without a lot of angst. Way too much angst.

The clock was running. I already missed my cycling group. I rode to the check-in lodge and handed them two cards to mail for my dad. I was told they couldn’t take mail as though their property doesn’t receive any mail ever. Ridiculous. They gave me directions to where I could find a blue mailbox to mail them myself. Back up in the village In the opposite direction. Geez!

By the time I found the mailbox and mailed the cards it was 7:30 a.m. I was well behind.

We left via a bike path, the same path that came off of Vail Pass yesterday. It was also the same trail we followed two years ago from Avon to Breckenridge.

te It was gorgeous. It was narrow. And it was no place to try to take back time on riders already down the road. But I tried. A long line of 15-20 riders at a time was riding single file. And I was the guy trying to pass them all, but always calling out “on your left” and “thank you.”

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Barry going up Ute Pass

I made great time to Aid Station 1. Still, I can’t imagine making up more than 6-7 minutes over those first 20 miles. I pulled into the Aid Station, didn’t see anyone I knew, then left. I texted Christine and told her I was past Station 1 and she told me they were still there. At Flippin’ Flapjacks. I was three miles down the road and turned back.

Reaching Aid Station 1 again, I did not see anyone familiar. So I left. I assumed I would be riding solo today, which was OK.

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Ute Pass

There was a water stop at the base of the Ute Pass climb. Many people were pulled over, if not to refill their water bottles, but to take off their cold-weather gear they had on when they rolled it. It was 34° when we rolled out. Garmin was registering 30° about six miles in.

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Christine Currie

I started the climb and was feeling very good. It was a five-mile climb and halfway up the temperature was 70°. I was sweating. I passed a woman with a headcover on under her helmet and thought how hot she must be. Then I remembered. I had a headcover on too.

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Riders climbing Ute Pass

Between not remembering I packed my shoes this morning and then forgetting to remove the headcover, it was a forgetful day. I did a U-turn to take off my helmet to remove my headcover. It also made for a nice picture. And just then Christine and David came riding by. So I jumped back on and we rode together the rest of the day.

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View at Ute Pass

Ute Pass, at 9600′, was a low one on this trip, but was a nice climb. I was prepared for a dirt road on the descent but was surprised with pavement for the first 3.5 miles. David and I took off chasing 50 mph. I looked down and saw 49.2 which was my high for the trip so far.

We found the 13 mile dirt road which wasn’t a true dirt road. Not quite chip and tar, it was pretty solid or hard although rough in spots. But one could roll pretty easily on it and no one really had to worry about gravel.

We met up with Christine’s brother, Don Currie. But we never found her two uncles.

Once off the dirt what remained was a 44-mile ride up to Grand Lake. We went through the picturesque Byers Canyon, one I went through in the opposite direction two years ago from Winter Park to Steamboat Springs.

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Byers Canyon

At a rest stop we were by a grand lake. I was informed that it was Lake Grandby. We rode for a while past the lake and climbed a little. As we approached Grand Lake there was a lake to the right. That was Shadow Mountain Lake. Apparently the smallest lake of all in Grand Lake, is Grand Lake.

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Daven Haven Cabins

It was an 85-mile ride but I already added six extra miles in the morning, maybe more since I rolled about and forgot to start my Garmin. I stayed at Daven Haven Cabins and my luggage hadn’t arrived. With no clean clothes to change into, I thought I would explore the town and complete a century. Except, there aren’t a lot of roads here. At least paved ones.

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Grand Lake from the Adams Tunnel

I followed one, West Portal Road, looking for Adams Falls. Instead I ended back at the lake and discovered that much of the water for Grand Lake leaves via a tunnel under the Continental Divide to provide water to Denver. That’s pretty neat engineering.

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I spent some time at the local summer stock theater talking to the young lady in the box office. We were two days too early before they opened. Little Mermaid was opening on Friday.

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Bridge connecting Shadow Mountain Lake with Grand Lake

I finished off the century and went and showered. Dinner would be a pasta dinner at the cabins. They had erected a tent and featured three kinds of pasta for $15. It was a pleasant evening and a good dinner.

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Dinner at Daven Haven

I powered up the toys and checked my data for the day. I was very surprised to see 50.27 mph. I hit 50 after all.

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Made it. Average speed is total time, not moving time.

Copper Mountain

COPPER MOUNTAIN, COLORADO

Nothing screams Colorado quite like Independence Pass; the fourth highest paved roadway in the U.S., streaming with wildflowers and high alpine pools. The grade is tough and the road is narrow, but the views are well worth the grind. Once at the summit, cyclists will be rewarded with fast straights and brake-burning curves as they approach Twin Lakes. After touring the famous mining community of Leadville, it’s one last punch over Fremont Pass – home of the Climax Molybdenum Mine – before a fantastic descent to Copper Mountain Resort.

Riding through Leadville

I went to breakfast at the Limelight Hotel. I proudly wore my Pittsburgh Penguins jersey (cycling) in celebration of the Pens winning the Stanley Cup last night. While I was downstairs a woman saw me and told me she was a Sharks fan from San Jose. Sorry (not).

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Independence Pass

I rolled out of Aspen shortly after 7:00 a.m. Almost immediately the climb up Independence Pass began. I rolled past Aid Station 1 (too crowded). I passed many people saying “On your left, and Let’s Go Pens!” I wasn’t pushing myself but neither was I completely lazy when three women passed me. One was the Sharks fan from the hotel, Christine Currie.

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Independence Pass

The three of them broke up and I found myself riding with Christine. We rode together to the summit of Independence Pass. There we went our separate ways although not by design.

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Independence Pass

After 15 minutes I began the descent off Independence Pass. I am always chasing 50 mph and I figured if Christine had ridden ahead I might catch her. And I did. We talked all the way to Aid Station 3 then rolled out together to Leadville.

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Leadville

Once in Leadville, the trek up Fremont Pass was a repeat of two years ago. And I remembered it well.

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Climax, Colorado

From the top of Fremont Pass it was an 11-mile descent to Copper Mountain. I was chasing 50 mph but there was a pretty formidable headwind. I only hit 48 mph.

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Ron Keifel and Barry Sherry

We arrived at Copper Mountain. I helped Christine check-in. She thanked me for supporting her and told me that she didn’t think she would have made it today without me. Ron Kiefel was coming out and we talked with him briefly. I found my condo, at the Mill Club, then got a slice of pizza for dinner.

Christine Currie, Barry Sherry

I was dead tired. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ride Copper Triangle tomorrow or just stay in my condo and rest for a day.


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