add on

Idea that's been bouncing around in the back of my mind: hit all the front range parks and trails from home... in one shot.

Today, start with 4:

• Bergen Peak (and vicinity) -- across the trail at the base, up the TooLong climb, summit trail, down Bergen descent
• Didesse
• Alderfer 3 Sisters/Ranch
• Evergreen Mountain

Check. Two relatively big peaks in there with a lot of little and not-so-little stuff in between ... and I wussed out and voted to take the West/shorter and prettier climb up Evergreen Mountain -- it being one of my absolute favorite spaces to ride through.

Ed, at the top of the last big hill - Evergreen Mountain -- out at the apex of our route. In fact, this is the only place I took pictures at all. We were too 'in-flow' to stop and take pix anywhere else. Ah-well. Click the picture for the rest of the pix... all 4 of them ;-)

We did not hit as many trails as I would have liked in the 3 Sisters area. We did, however, add mileage by riding a bunch of back roads to get home, and picked up some wicked-yummy soup to bring home for dinner. Can't beat that.

Oddly, it only turned out to be like 35 miles... WTF!!! (I thought it would be so much more. It FEELS like it was so much more)! It did end up tallying a solid 5,300' vertical, tho. That would explain why I'm so ... uhm, worked?

We did manage to sneak in new singletrack, a exploratory-fire-4x way to other relatively untravelled singletrack in the Ranch area (almost fell in the river there), and thus slyly missed one nasty little climb I was not particularly looking forward to.

Our route (or, I'm sure that Ed has/will post the route on his blog):

So, the continuance of my idea goes something like this: next time -- over the next number of add-on-game-days, hit all the trails/parks mentioned above, and add one or two parks at a time:

• LOTB
• Falcon
• MatthewsWinters/Dakota
• Apex

And, of course, somewhere along the lines, these will have to be added to the add-on game as well:

• Green Mountain (ickyyawn)
• White Ranch
• There are others than can be added to the list from this vicinity, but I don't even really want to talk about that.

Damn good day. I'm so glad it warmed up and we got to ride in shorts and short-sleeves for most of the day. The breeze coming in from the East was pretty darn cold tho -- but I think we only really felt that going downhill ;o)

A few observations:

• Singlespeeders get FITTER, FASTER. Period.
• Further on that thought, Ed is moving up steep hills like a loco-motive. Note the 'loco' part.
• Geared bikes have an advantage when riding on ice and snow at pitch. I'm just sayin'.
• My mind is way too busy when on the pony these days. Bad juju. Searching for my ZenJen.
• Further on that thought, I talk to myself a lot. I wonder if anyone else hears this.
• In my mind, I can just pack up my pack, jump on the pony, and ride forever. In reality ... well.
• I finished strong, standing, climbing up the last hill to our house. That felt good.

Tomorrow is another day -- another sunshiny day no-less!!!

Thanks for the adventure today, Ed.

Jj