(Silverthorne -> Evergreen) 7/17/19
Well, you may be surprised to read this, but, I love biking up hills. There. I said it. Today was possibly my favorite day of biking yet. It began at 6:30 am, when we woke up to microwaved oatmeal with protein powder and brown sugar. We have been spoiled with eggs for breakfast for the past few days, so it was kind of nice to have oatmeal to mix things up. We got a later start this morning because Sean needed to go to a clinic to make sure he is healing up okay. Incase Sean’s appointment kept him for a long time, we all packed food with us and planned to bike at least 40 miles without a supported stop.
The biking began with about 10 miles of following a bike path that parallels the river. We climbed up and over a beautiful dam and reservoir and coasted along aspen groves and manicured golf courses. I listened to my daily Democracy Now podcast and was frustrated to hear about New York City’s decision to not fire Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD officer responsible for the death of an unarmed black man. It is the five year anniversary of Eric Garner’s death and people are protesting the tragedy and lack of accountability for policeman. Today, people are also protesting Amazon for supporting ICE and CBP and for inhumane treatment of workers. It was distressing to hear accounts of Amazon workers detailing their unsafe and unfair working conditions. While sobering, I value the time I spend listening to the news every day. It helps me feel engaged in the world, even if I am on my bike.
The Climb
The climb began after about 14 miles, when we met Josh, a young man who moved to Colorado about a year ago for the “epic biking and running.” He enthusiastically told us that this was one of the best climbs in the area, boasting it maintained a 5% grade for 10 miles. Phew. So we will be on this for a while! I entertained myself by calling my brother, Milosz, and listening to a voice message from two good friends, Keaton and Nalani. This really helped me get up the mountain! After a while, I lost cell service though. We passed a ski resort, Arapahoe Basin, and kept climbing. It was wild to bike past ski lifts and snow-covered peaks. In one small section, the road was being worked on and a construction worker gave us a lift in his pickup truck for about 100 yards to pass the section of unfinished road.
Passing Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
At the top, the views were spectacular. On either side of the divide were sweeping vistas of mountains, snow, forests, sky, and the valleys beyond them. We took a break for snacks, photos, and chatting, but left before too long because of the cold and wind.
Posing at the top of Loveland Pass
While I already confessed my love of climbing up hills, I might as well admit that I love going downhill too. A lot. Riding down from 11,990 feet was absolutely thrilling. We picked up so much speed as the wind ripped across our faces and the road snaked down the mountain with treacherously sharp turns. We took a bike path that followed I-70 that was smooth and fun. We met Sean in Georgetown for lunch and tried my new favorite canned food: BUTTER BEANS! Delicious. There were sections of the ride that went alongside the river and we got to pass people rafting down the rapids.
Asia Pauses for a Photo During our Descent
We arrived in Evergreen around 5 pm and rewarded ourselves with warm showers and a cold beer (for me at least). Our hosts, Bill and Anne, were so lovely and accommodating. They cooked us an awesome meal of salad and burgers and we slept happily on full stomachs.
Tomorrow, we descend into Denver!
Thanks for reading
-Maceo