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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
