schnauzers.ws

Contrary to popular New Jersey belief, I’m not dead. Winter has taken hold here in the Rockies and most of my attention has turned to skiing. What can I say? After 43 years of skiing the east, I can’t get enough of the white stuff out here. When conditions allow, I also spend some time on the road bike doing a 25 mile loop. Most of the time it’s a rough one because wind gusts are around 35 MPH.

Now the cool stuff…

I was elected to the Team Evergreen Board of Directors. For those not in the know, Team Evergreen is one of the largest cycling clubs in the country. A great bunch of people that I regularly ride with kind ofvolunteered me, but I like it. So now I get to do the Triple By-Pass. That’s a road ride over three mountain passes from Evergreen to Avon. It’s 126 miles and 11,300′ of climbing. So, yes I need to get my butt in shape. Team Evergreen donates all the proceeds of this ride (over $100,000) to charity. That says a lot about an organization!

I was also elected to the Team Evergreen Trailblazers BOD. The Trailblazers are the newly formed 501c3 arm of TE and are responsible for building and maintaining trails in the area. We also put on the Buffalo Creek Epic event.

The band is very popular still and continues to play all over Colorado. You can check out that at the band Website or our MySpace page.

Well, after many years of absence I will be doing thew Kokopelli trail again. Bikerpelli, a local tour operator, asked me to video this and a few other rides. How can I resist? This time I’ll be doing the trail in three days instead of five. That should be interesting.

So that’s about it. As soon as the local trails firm up, I’ll be hitting the dirt again.

See you on the trails!

So enjoy these pics of the CT in the sunshine and know it was a lot of phone. Basically we did an out an back fom the South Platte River to Chair Rock.

And if your in CO, come out and see the band at the Buffalo Rose on 11/17. Free entertainment.

Then up Bowmans Shortcut. 4.0 miles of steep climbing to a half mile of fall line downhill erosion. Fun!

And plenty to see.

Then more climbing.

We hit the meadow at 11,700' before the final climb. Think no switchbacks on a fall line. Ouch!

And more views!

The washed out downhill was a lot of fun. So much that I didn't stop to get a picture. I don't think I could of stopped if I wanted to without killing myself.

Matt scoots down the final portion before we come to the intersection.

Then the fun begins! Fourteen miles of ripping downhill with a little bit of everything. Six inch wide singletrack, six inch wide rutted, hit the sides and your going flying singletrack, exposure, rocks, and a missing bridge. Hoo ha!

The bottom of the vail bowls.

The really fun stuff.

The missing bridge scheduled for a 2008 replacement.

We finish up with a nice smooth downhill into Minturn and fourteen happy people. I can't resist doing this ride every year and it's always changing.

Sunday morning I debated weather I had the legs for another ride. Then I found myself at Waterton Canyon for a ride up the road to the CT. Then Up to the first rocky rest area (7 miles from the start). The DH into the creek after reaching the top is just way too much fun to let the climbing bother me. Though I have to say, I am pretty wasted from the double dose this weekend. Tomorrow is a recovery day for sure.

Onto a little narrower trail.

Across some bridges.

Up some rocky trail.

Then some nice flowing tree covered singletrack (much more fun coming down).

A little rest.

Back to climbing on some tight singletrack.

Some standard Colorado views I never get tired of looking at.

Another rest.

Looks like Mother Nature is about to call.

Waiting for the downhill crowd to pass.

The final ascent!

At the top of serl we huddle next to a rock as the rain comes and it gets cold very fast.

Fearing it will get worse, we decend with a sense of urgency. OK, it was more fun then urgent.

So, I have never ridden here and from the pictures I have seen I figured I was in for an eye opening experience. Not to be caught without the goods, I grabbed the Ventana for the squish value. Now I remember why I bought this bike.

We started with a trip up and down Little Raven. For some this might seem easy, for me it was an experience.

Although it started out smooth, it quickly turns into a rock garden strewn funfest very reminiscent of what I used to ride in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

I managed my way through a good portion of it, but it was a little easier coming down it.

As if the rocks weren't enough, I met my most hated nemesis… The skinny bridge.

Oddly enough I cleaned this on the way up, but had a terrible time on the way down. I call these my nemesis because, back on the east coast these things were all over the trails of the NJ Pine Barrens. The difference there is that they were always wet and slimy.

At the top, we turned around and hammered down. Fun fun fun!

Keith rocked the rocks!

On the way over to South Saint Vrain, I stopped for a view.

And now the super fun begins. I have to say that SSV was the most fun I have had on the trail since moving to Colorado. The smile never left my face the entire way down. Although I only cleared about 90% (the nasty part that goes straight down to the fire road was justly walked), I think this is just enough to bring out the kid in anyone. All I will say about the next few pictures is "way too much fun"!

And this bike is what this trail is about! Finally a trail worthy of it's beef (that I can actually ride :)).

And lest there be any doubt that I do have some ability in my old bones…

Yes, I am actually in a picture for a change. Notice the tongue action. I think it helps my balance.

I was riding the best I have in a long time. Then it happened. I got a little too cocky and tried to go over this easy boulder.

It was a little deceiving. I didn't realize the drop on the other side was bigger than I thought. A little too far forward and I went flying. The superman pose smack into the ground. Still, the smile never left my face.

More rocky fun.

And some skinny stuff.

And finally some smart trail builders. LEAVE THE DAMN LOG OVERS! They are fun!

Keith gets his groove on. This was much nastier than it looks.

I am coming back here before the end of the season to catch it all on video!