Today, the team took on our first big ascent of the Rockies, and everyone enjoyed the sights of the mountains around us. We ran into some unexpected delays due to rock blasting and were shuttled for a small portion of the ride, and we got some great mountain pies at Beau Jo’s. After a great dinner, we ended the day with some pool and hot tub time at the rec center.
Quote of the Day
(Talking about Alpine Coaster)
Veronica: “They have brakes?”
Nicole: “They need brakes! Otherwise… bro. Gravity.”
RIDE OVERVIEW
Mileage: 47.9 miles
Elevation: 5,030 ft
Points of Interest: Trident Booksellers and Cafe, Big Daddy Bagels, Beau Jo’s
Ride Dedication: Bohdan Huchko
Tales of the Trail
The day started great in Boulder with an early morning coffee stop. We decided to stop at Trident Booksellers and Cafe, and the team enjoyed some coffee while savoring our last moments in Boulder. We spent the first portion travelling south on some trails and roads, and we had some intermediate ascents to tackle while leaving the Boulder area. Eventually, we started moving west into the Rocky Mountains, and the mountains towered over us, setting the stage for the coming days. Our second stop of the day was at Big Daddy Bagel’s, where the team fueled up and prepared for what would be our longest climb of the ride so far. Once we hit the road, we were only going up, and our first big ascent was 12 miles long. We slowly pedaled our way up the mountains of Colorado while taking in the beautiful scenery around us. After a couple of breaks, we reached the top and took in some views of the mountains in the distance. It felt unreal to be so close to those towering mountains, knowing we're braving the Rockies on our bikes!
A long ascent usually comes with a fun descent, and it was a fun descent indeed! We rolled down the mountain and had a great time, taking all safety precautions, of course! Unfortunately, our day came to an abrupt stop when we found out that the bike trails going into Idaho Springs were closed due to rock blasting in the area. It was great to find out that the state of Colorado is well equipped to manage transportation for cyclists, and a very nice state worker shuttled each group to the safest spot past the rock blasting. Once we were back on the trail, it was a scenic and easy ride into Idaho Springs, and we arrived at our stayover safely, ready to eat. After settling in, the team took a walk across town to Beau Jo’s, a restaurant with extra delicious Colorado-style pizza. We ordered mountain pies, which were massive slices of pizza loaded with cheese, toppings, and sauce, with the crust offering a built-in dessert meant to be dipped into honey. Some parents on the team were also gracious enough to pay for our meal, which is always appreciated! After indulging in some exceptional mountain pies, the team enjoyed some leisure at the rec center pool and hot tub, which was a fun way to end the day. We wound down, anticipating a fun but challenging day ahead!
Thank you to the Clear Creek Recreation Center for giving us a place to sleep and letting us enjoy your facilities!
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Stephanie Yang
How are you feeling today?
I'm feeling great, good.
Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?
Well, my favorite gas station is Wawas, but we don't have any around here, so my favorite rest stop snack right now… I'm really into beef jerky. There's a teriyaki one that we had that was really good, and then also Rice Krispie treats, any type: regular, rainbow, or chocolate stripes.
What is your rest stop routine?
I like to eat first, and then I go to the bathroom. Once I have clean hands, I put on my chamois butter, and then I put on sunscreen.
How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?
Usually it helps to be listening to a story or to be telling a story with my group, and recently, we got music privileges. So listening to music or having a song in my head keeps me motivated. But I also love talking about the book that I'm reading, I feel like that helps a lot on tough days
For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?
I'm really looking forward to all of Oregon. I've never been to that state before, and I think it's going to be really pretty and also have good coffee. So exciting.
Anything else you want to talk about?
This is a hot take, but I love the early morning wake up. Instead of waking up at 5:45, I full heartedly think we should be waking up at 4:45. You get to ride in cooler weather, I have more energy, we get to the stay over sooner, and it's just all around better. I know people don't like it because they don't want to go to bed early, but it's so nice.