From: sutton@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Rich Sutton)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: TRIP REPORT: Ft. Collins to Milner Pass
Summary: long ride to prepare for Triple Bypass
Date: 24 Jul 92 17:22:26 GMT
Followup-To: rec.bicycles
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

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TRIP SUMMARY:
	Ft. Collins to Milner Pass and back via Masonville, Glenhaven, 
and Trail Ridge Road, a peak elevation over 12.000 ft. 146.6 miles and 
12,550 ft. climbed in 10:37:57, 13.8 mph average, 14.3 mph on-the-bike avg.
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	As usual I slept in. I got up at 7:15, ate a breakfast of 
oatmeal and coffee, and got on the road at 9:40. The weather reminded
me of fall: a cold day from October saying winter is not far away. I 
had my arm and leg warmers on.

	I'm spinning easy, staying far away from anaerobic work. The
previous week my road bike was down waiting on parts so I had ridden 
my commute bike, a 42x18 fixed gear, for workouts. After just one week 
I feel like I've gained lots of leg speed at the expense of power.

	Off to Maniac Hill, the resident steep hill of Ft. Collins. It 
seems a lot harder than usual, but I've been off the hills lately. Today
I use the 39x24 and try to take it easy. Lots of miles are ahead.

	Over maniac hill to Duncan's Ridge. I'm a descent wimp. The
downhill is fast with a safe runout, but the hill's convex which makes
for a blind curve. There's no need for brakes but that curve is blind.
I tap the brakes once and hit 45 mph. The 1st 600 ft. of climbing are
done and I see a crane flying over Horsetooth Reservoir. I'm continually
amazed by the wetlands and sea birds that find their way to Colorado.

	A couple of easier hills interspersed with cruiser downhills and 
I'm at Masonville. The stretch between Masonville and Hwy 34 is pretty flat 
so it's big chainring to the highway. Then some rollers, mostly downhill
to the mouth of Big Thompson Canyon.

	The canyon is pleasant. It's thursday so the traffic is light.
(Aside: I also traveled this road on the following saturday. The traffic
was *much* worse. Lots of campers and motorhomes swerving drastically just 
to pass cyclists.) The weather is still overcast and cool. The miles to Drake 
go quickly. I feel strong and keep the speed at 16 mph quite a bit. I con-
ciously try to keep eating.

	At Drake I turn off to Glenhaven. Just before the turn a diesel
gasses me so I welcome getting off the main road. Besides, there's a 
big hill just past Glenhaven that needs to be climbed.

	I had biked this section last year. It doesn't feel nearly as
steep as last year. Losing 20 pounds may have something to do with it :-).
I spend lots of time in the 39x17 with occasional stints in the 39x15.
The week on the fixed gear makes it easy, when the grade allows, to spin
the 39x17 up to 18 mph then shift to the 15. I don't miss the 16 tooth cog
so much.

	A stop in Glenhaven to fill a waterbottle. Keep pedaling round
and the big hill comes. From the time I shift to my 39x24 to the top I
clock 1.1 miles and 530 ft. climbed for a 9% average grade. Perhaps
Maniac Hill is this steep but not so continuously steep.

	From the top to Estes park it's rollers that tend downhill. I'm
treated to more wildlife. A prarie dog scampers accross the road. He looks
like an overstuffed sausage with feet. I'm sure the locals raptors would
agree. Next I see a coyote, my first in Colorado! He looks at me warily as
I marvel past him. Then, a white tail doe with fawn amble down to someone's
backyard. All this I see in less than 2 miles.

	The resurgence of wildlife is great, but it's bound to clash with
humans. Everyone wants to live in paradise, but what happens when paradise
eats Fifi the poodle in the vacation home's back yard?

	Longs Peak and Mt. Meeker are socked in, but Lumpy Ridge is mostly
peaking through the fog. The fog adds to the view of this line of granite
crags. I can't help but think that at least one party must have ignored the
weather and tried to climb the Diamond today.

	It tries to rain but only spits a little, not worth putting the
rain jacket on. The weather's comfortable, but it feels inevitable that 
a hard, soaking rain will unfold this afternoon.

	The stretch from Lumpy to the park's entrance goes well. The traffic
is surprisingly courteous and light. I've yet to have a Winnebago scrape me
off the road. One of the tourist traps before the park specializes in 
"Indian souvenirs". Outside the shop they display an American flag with a
"noble savage" overlaying the stripes, quite the oxymoron.

	At the park's entrance I pay my $2 and find it's 26.2 miles to
Milner Pass. This would make one hell of a marathon.

	The next few miles are easy, not much climbing. I pass Bighorn
Meadow but don't see any sheep. After 3 or 4 miles I turn left and the
climbing begins. So far I've done 50.5 miles and climbed 5180 feet.

	I'm feeling strong up the hill. The traffic's light and these
beautiful little purple flowers on the hillside. Life is good and I 
try to keep eating, though I'm losing my appetite.

	At the stop sign it's a right turn and some rolling terrain. What
a dissapointment, I'm going to have to climb those downhill sections on the
way home. I meet a rider wearing just shorts and a short-sleeved jersey 
headed down. I can't imagine he went all the way up with just those clothes.

	The uphill grind returns and I'm starting to feel it. I know I should
eat but I can't force myself to down anything. I see a second rider heading
downhill. He shouts, "Ho, you can make it!" The encouragement helps. I'll 
repeat his words a few times before the day ends. A woodpecker sounds in the
woods and the fog is quite heavy at this elevation. "Oo oo tap, oo oo tap".
The sound and the fog are primeval and surreal.

	It's surreal because I'm starting to bonk. Food doesn't sound like
a good idea. I'm down to 6.5 mph and things are grim. It begins to snow!
Well, not really snow, but not really hail. I stop to put on my rain jacket.
As long as I've stopped I down a couple fig bars and begin work on a Powerbar.

	And work it is. At this temperature a Powerbar is about as appetizing
as candle wax. I start calling them "Powerbarfs". It takes a long time to 
gnaw on this glob of carbohydrates. I muse over attaching spiky velcro to my
handlebars as a Powerbarf holder. Soon I discover that if I place the
Powerbarf on a brakehood when climbing out of the saddle, it mushes into place.
No need for velcro. A bonked mind can supply hours of amusement. I'm down to
6 mph and tell myself, "Ho, you can make it." My breathing sounds like Darth 
Vader but the only force I feel is gravity.

	The snow stops. The carbos kick in and the fog lifts. The granite
on the Continental Divide glistens with the new snow. The grade flattens
and I tell myself, "Momentum is your friend," and work up speed on the
downhills. Life is again good and the snowfields have a red tint from
"whatever-that-organism-is." I'm really enjoying cranking through this
alpine wonderland and the downhills are getting more frequent.

	Before I know it I'm at the visitor center. 69.3 miles, time to fill
the water bottles. Back on the road and the snow returns! I've got a 4 mile
downhill to Milner Pass and my turnaround. The snow stings my face, my hands
have the dexterity of lobster claws, and I'm so cold I'm shivering. Since I'm
a descent wimp I take it easy here, barely breaking 30 mph. A car patiently
follows me amd passes only after I motion to them.

	Finally Milner Pass, elevation 10,758 on the map. (Though my Avocet
consistently reads 400-600 ft. low at these elevations.) I see the Poudre
River's headwaters, such a humble beginning for what becomes a major kayaking
river. I turn around and wonder how much I'll regret that 4 extra miles I just
descended.

	No regrets at all. On the way back I see a bull elk and his herd
grazing in a meadow. Majestic. Back at the visitor's center I've logged
73.3 miles and 10,090 ft. climbed.

	The snow returns and the winds whip up. Sidewinds while climbing
at altitude. It feels like it's going to be a long ride home.

	More descending on the east side of Trail Ridge. I work on
expanding my comfort zone, but a gust of wind pushes me sideways
at 35 mph. After that I keep it at 25 mph or so. This is ridiculous,
I hit this speed when time trailing! All the same it's gusty, I'm
shivering and tired, and it's not worth risking laying the bike down 
to gain 15 minutes.

	Back toward Estes Park it's serious business now. My knees
got frozen on the descent and they hurt. I'm at =~ 7700 ft. now and the
air feels *thick* but I can't turn gears. I down a Powerbarf and hope I
can make up time on the Glenhaven to Loveland downhill stretch. The fog's
lifted and the Mt.-Meeker-to-Flat-Top-panorama is in full view, but I'm
in no mood to appreciate it.

	Fortunately I recover on the Glenhaven stretch. The road's
consistently downhill and I maintain a minimum of 20 mph, often
25. At Drake I get on the main highway and pick it up a bit more. I
really work on eating, it's so much easier to eat when not working so hard.

	Next it's off to Masonville, mostly in the 39x15. The elevation
is =~5000 ft. To me it feels like sealevel. I'm surprised at how good I
feel after =~ 120 miles, though if I feel a little *too* good a push a
little too hard I bog down quickly. My redline has lowered during the day
and the consequences of exceeding it are a little more severe than normal.

	The hills between Masonville and home aren't too bad. I know
the descents and I'm not shivering so I let it fly on the downhills.
Just before the trailhead to Horsetooth Mtn. I see 3 white tail deer.
I'm almost home! Over Maniac Hill, a steep descent with two hairpins,
then about 3 miles of big chainring to the house. I roll home between 
8:00 and 8:30, before sunset. It's the most mileage and most climbing
I've done in one ride.

	During the ride I drank 5 large water bottles, and ate 10 Fig
Newtons, 1 Snickers bar, and 5 Powerbarfs. I felt like I was stuffing
myself during the ride but I still bonked a bit when I backed off the 
eating. I lost only two pounds during the ride. For clothing, arm & leg
warmers with a rain jacket were adequate but not overly comfortable. A
polypro muslce shirt - Lifa makes them, would have a been a nice addition.
The ride was excellent for my perspective: this weekend's Triple Bypass 
is "only" 108 miles with 10,000 ft. of climbing!