EXCUSE ME, IS THAT A PIKE.....
It was suppose to be just a trip to spend some time with my bud, Jimmy. Round trip to Colorado Springs, 120 miles in 2 days. Then Frank had to point out on a dusk ride that there is Pike's Peak. Soon the conversation turned to the fact that the road is open only a couple times a year to bicycles. So as we waited for the sunset I HAD to find out what those dates were. Well apparently Frank was only knowledgeable to info prior to 2013, where after that date the Pike's Peak Highway was opened year round to bikes. The little wheels churned in my head on our way home. At dinner I plotted my alternate idea of attempting Pike's on my way to Jimmy's as the weather has been unseasonalbly summerlike in Colorado. Turns out Wednesday was going to be the seasonable day of the week with rain and snow coming. Perfect conditions for a 14,110 ft peak ride, well in my book at least. The conversation after dinner was why not wait for another day? Well winter is waiting somewhere and I suspect there will not be too many days left to try it. So it was a date, Pike and I, weather permitting.
So Tues I set off on the 62 mile trek to Black Forest Preserve with a perfect day at hand, well except for the dang headwind again. People in CO say the wind doesn't blow very often, damn liars, it hasn't stopped. I guess with a weather system promising rain and a 25 degree drop, it should be expected. So south I preceded through rolling hills and horse country after the sprawl of Denver was out of sight. The developments were such a reminder of OC and IE and how the future of Denver will be similar to SoCal, they are even starting to see smog on a daily basis. The future is asthma. My early planned route soon changed as I saw some dirt roads available, most notably Castlerock Canyon. Well worth the extra miles and vehicle avoidance. Found alternates to Hwy 83 and the paveless commute continued among more horses and some alpacas.
Around 1pm, I rolled into Jimmy's driveway ready to chill and hear about life transitioning to Colorado lifestyle from the hecticness of SoCal. A few beers, laughs and tears and it was off to dinner as the weather started to change. Pike's was visible to the west and you could see the clouds gathering, epicness was on the horizon, literally.
Funny thing about the thought of an epic ride, the anticipation can lead to a restless sleep. I woke early and gathered my supplies for a cold day up and down, As the sunrise dispensed light of the day, it illuminated what would be the conditions for the journey to Pike's, wet and FOGGY. With a BBB (Brandi breakfast Burrito) in my gut and clothing to match the day, I gave Jimmy a hug and a promise to return soon. The main drag to Colorado Springs had no shoulder and no visiability. I was shocked by the amount of vehicles that lacked any lighting. Sure way to have a claim for your insurance. Ugh. It was a relief when Meridian Ave finally turned into a 4 lane roadway and I could stopped thinking about an escape plan from crazy drivers. So I continued on altering my route to keep my legs saved for the 8000'+ ascent that awaited. Nice and easy I went with a stop at the Cali staple Trader Joe's. Little did I know, I should've up the pace a little bit.
Garden of the Gods Ave took me away from Colorado Springs and it was anything but a garden of the Gods, unless the Gods are chain stores and fast food companies, well in today's world I suppose they are. Finally got off the typical sprawl stroad and to Manitou Springs. Found the ideal energy food for the climb, pizza! I departed Hells Kitchen Pizza about noon with 5 miles up to the entrance to Pike's Peak Highway. HWY 24 to PP is not for the faint of heart, holy crap the hair on your neck stands up as you hear the trucks coming up from behind and you have no shoulder. It;s good practice if you ever have to cross a ravine on a 2x4. Off 24 and to the park entrance. And here is where I set my self up for a problem. Just before you pay your park fee there is a lit board telling conditions on the road and at the peak, and also the RULES which I somehow missed as the temperature at the peak was 24. That's all I noticed, not that the park closes at 5pm, it being 1pm now.
I paid my $12 and chatted with the lovely lady at the gate. She saw I was well prepared with the TJ's goodies strapped to the rack. Off I went up and up and up. 18.5 miles 7000' of climbing with over 70 switchbacks, a true beast topping at 14,115'. The clouds thickened and soon turned to pretty much rain but at the 9000' mark, I broke through he clouds and was baptized by sunshine instead of water. Large clouds dotted the azure sky and the warmth coated me.
I was tempted to remove my tights but I knew this warmth would soon turn bitter as I rose above the fog below. The temptation to up the pace was always met with, 'got a long way to go'. So I stopped took pictures chatted with folks and even stopped at Crystal Reservoir for some water and a sticker, all the time taking my time. After the store the road turn straight up and was relentless as the steepness increased and the oxygen decreased. As I cleared the treeline the snow became more apparent and the legs felt the pain. One other thing happens the further you go up, the winds pick up. 40 mph gusts came forth as the trees disappeared and the switchbacks turned into a game of stop and go practically. You couldn't predict if after the turn you would be given a push of a slap in the face and push back.
At the 12,000' mark the cold finally enter the game. I stopped and bundled up a bit. The barren land was countered by my speaker shooting music into the wind and it kept me distracted from the slow pace and the failing breathes. I could feel the pain in my sternum from the lack of oxygen as my lungs tried to expand with little to show for it. There were times that the wind taunted me to walk as it probably would have been faster, but the slow cadence of the pedals continued. 12,333; 12,540', 13,044'. Came around a corner to witness a cut in the mountain side and a tiny car inching it's way up. This had to be the straw the camel saw before the end. Though it screwed with my head a bit I knew I was close to the top and the thrill of the end kept the legs pumping.
A fleet of cars came by on their descent, all slowing down, rolling down their windows to be met with a cold wind, and shouted cheers and kudos. That was all I needed to know I could do it. But that soon ended.
You see, that lax attitude I took through the day was about to kick me in the teeth. That sign that said park closes at 5 that I didn't see, well it was 4:20 and I had 1.5 miles to go. The last car in that line was the park personel that told me to turn around. "You're so close, too bad though you have to turn around" are the words etched into my head due to a failure to read. Kids, read the instructions, well adults too. And so it would be, a failed attempt and a descent of ego. Ugh again. So I turned and started the terrifying descent. Those cold winds would cramp my hands and push up down the mountain at times. Gripping the brakes became harder as each switchback came and the death defying act of getting to the gate without incurring a fine was becoming unlikely.
I couldn't take it any longer and had to stop at the Glacier lodge to warm my hands and put more clothes on. As I did this a cool park employee came up to give me a pat on the back. Apparently, the Pike's crew was keeping an eye on me and were genuinely surprised of how close I got. And this guy knew the 40 lb bike I was hauling made the task nearly impossible considering the time I crossed the Lodge gate at. That was a welcomed compliment and helped my ailing ego on the final 12 miles to the main gate. With Coleman handwarmers stuffed in my gloves (btw, they don't work well at altitude, not enough oxygen) and another layer on my upper body, I continued onward. This part was NOWHERE as bad as the top. I could lay off the brakes and scream down. I passed a few cars that were spooked by the fog as it appeared again at the 9000' level. Got to the gate with a few minutes to spare and the staff leaving for home gave me what I thought was my final cheer of the day. Back onto the 24 to meet rush hour traffic and exit Manitou Springs to meet Frank at Manitou Brewery, of course.
Pullling a bar stool out, a staff person said I looked cold and tired. Yes, so let's have an elixir to counter that. Beer and food delivered by a friendly barkeep and the day's thoughts wandered. Frank soon arrived and we shared the tale of the day over one more beer and headed out. As I pushed my barstool in, I see a guy waving at me. I head to the table with him and his lady. "We saw you on Pike's and was so bummed that you didn't make it. We were one of the cars cheering you on. I can't believe you beat us here either. You are something else". My last cheer of the day.
So ends that tale and begins an new one. The next two days entale 158 miles, two 11,000' and 10,000' passes. Stay tuned and thanks for the support. Shout out to Voler for the great warm gear.
Lots more pics on my Facebook page.
So Tues I set off on the 62 mile trek to Black Forest Preserve with a perfect day at hand, well except for the dang headwind again. People in CO say the wind doesn't blow very often, damn liars, it hasn't stopped. I guess with a weather system promising rain and a 25 degree drop, it should be expected. So south I preceded through rolling hills and horse country after the sprawl of Denver was out of sight. The developments were such a reminder of OC and IE and how the future of Denver will be similar to SoCal, they are even starting to see smog on a daily basis. The future is asthma. My early planned route soon changed as I saw some dirt roads available, most notably Castlerock Canyon. Well worth the extra miles and vehicle avoidance. Found alternates to Hwy 83 and the paveless commute continued among more horses and some alpacas.
Funny thing about the thought of an epic ride, the anticipation can lead to a restless sleep. I woke early and gathered my supplies for a cold day up and down, As the sunrise dispensed light of the day, it illuminated what would be the conditions for the journey to Pike's, wet and FOGGY. With a BBB (Brandi breakfast Burrito) in my gut and clothing to match the day, I gave Jimmy a hug and a promise to return soon. The main drag to Colorado Springs had no shoulder and no visiability. I was shocked by the amount of vehicles that lacked any lighting. Sure way to have a claim for your insurance. Ugh. It was a relief when Meridian Ave finally turned into a 4 lane roadway and I could stopped thinking about an escape plan from crazy drivers. So I continued on altering my route to keep my legs saved for the 8000'+ ascent that awaited. Nice and easy I went with a stop at the Cali staple Trader Joe's. Little did I know, I should've up the pace a little bit.
Garden of the Gods Ave took me away from Colorado Springs and it was anything but a garden of the Gods, unless the Gods are chain stores and fast food companies, well in today's world I suppose they are. Finally got off the typical sprawl stroad and to Manitou Springs. Found the ideal energy food for the climb, pizza! I departed Hells Kitchen Pizza about noon with 5 miles up to the entrance to Pike's Peak Highway. HWY 24 to PP is not for the faint of heart, holy crap the hair on your neck stands up as you hear the trucks coming up from behind and you have no shoulder. It;s good practice if you ever have to cross a ravine on a 2x4. Off 24 and to the park entrance. And here is where I set my self up for a problem. Just before you pay your park fee there is a lit board telling conditions on the road and at the peak, and also the RULES which I somehow missed as the temperature at the peak was 24. That's all I noticed, not that the park closes at 5pm, it being 1pm now.
HOLY SHITBACKS!
You see, that lax attitude I took through the day was about to kick me in the teeth. That sign that said park closes at 5 that I didn't see, well it was 4:20 and I had 1.5 miles to go. The last car in that line was the park personel that told me to turn around. "You're so close, too bad though you have to turn around" are the words etched into my head due to a failure to read. Kids, read the instructions, well adults too. And so it would be, a failed attempt and a descent of ego. Ugh again. So I turned and started the terrifying descent. Those cold winds would cramp my hands and push up down the mountain at times. Gripping the brakes became harder as each switchback came and the death defying act of getting to the gate without incurring a fine was becoming unlikely.
I couldn't take it any longer and had to stop at the Glacier lodge to warm my hands and put more clothes on. As I did this a cool park employee came up to give me a pat on the back. Apparently, the Pike's crew was keeping an eye on me and were genuinely surprised of how close I got. And this guy knew the 40 lb bike I was hauling made the task nearly impossible considering the time I crossed the Lodge gate at. That was a welcomed compliment and helped my ailing ego on the final 12 miles to the main gate. With Coleman handwarmers stuffed in my gloves (btw, they don't work well at altitude, not enough oxygen) and another layer on my upper body, I continued onward. This part was NOWHERE as bad as the top. I could lay off the brakes and scream down. I passed a few cars that were spooked by the fog as it appeared again at the 9000' level. Got to the gate with a few minutes to spare and the staff leaving for home gave me what I thought was my final cheer of the day. Back onto the 24 to meet rush hour traffic and exit Manitou Springs to meet Frank at Manitou Brewery, of course.
Pullling a bar stool out, a staff person said I looked cold and tired. Yes, so let's have an elixir to counter that. Beer and food delivered by a friendly barkeep and the day's thoughts wandered. Frank soon arrived and we shared the tale of the day over one more beer and headed out. As I pushed my barstool in, I see a guy waving at me. I head to the table with him and his lady. "We saw you on Pike's and was so bummed that you didn't make it. We were one of the cars cheering you on. I can't believe you beat us here either. You are something else". My last cheer of the day.
So ends that tale and begins an new one. The next two days entale 158 miles, two 11,000' and 10,000' passes. Stay tuned and thanks for the support. Shout out to Voler for the great warm gear.
Lots more pics on my Facebook page.
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