Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Estes Park Ride

I also posted this in the long distance forum, but wanted to share it with my fellow Clydes and Athenas. There are a few day-trips similar to this that I can start directly from my house and driveway this fall.

This is the ride that I did yesterday from my house in Fort Collins, Colorado to Estes Park and part of Rocky Mountain National Park. Except for the switchbacks at the top of one pass, it was a casual ride, and I stopped for lots of photographs. Being in good enough shape to be able to enjoy 1/2 day trips like this makes all of the hard and targeted training during the earlier part of the season more than worth it. The only way that it could be better, is if I could take a few days off of work and do a tour this Fall, but this is my busy time of year at work. I will knock out as many weekend day-trips as possible before the first hard frost occurs.

Here is the route on mapmyride.com, ride details using my computer and HRM, and some pictures from the ride.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/co/fort-collins/272202872

Ride Details:
Total Distance: 92.2 miles (a little further than mapmyride, due to riding at rest stops, etc.)
Average Speed: 16.6 mph (includes stopping for pictures and 3 restroom breaks)
Total Time: 5 hours 56 minutes
Average Heart Rate: 139 bpm
Total Calories Burned: 5070 kcal

The entrance to the Big Thompson Canyon, complete with giant water pipe and tourist trap.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/faganj/thompson_bottom_small.jpg

Typical view going up the Big Thompson Canyon (next 14 miles or so).
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/faganj/thompson_middle_small.jpg

Some younger big-horn sheep along the side of the road, just before the town of Drake, Colorado.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/faganj/bighorn_sheep_small.jpg

Looking down at switch-backs just above the town of Glen Haven, Colorado (very, very difficult for me after 20 miles of continuous climbing).
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/faganj/glen_haven_small.jpg

View of the town of Estes Park, Longs Peak, and surrounding Rocky Mountains from the top of the pass just above the town of Glen Haven.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/faganj/esetes_park_small.jpg

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, where they shot the 1970s film The Shining.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/faganj/stanley_hotel_small.jpg

Lake Estes on the way back home after a bite to eat.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/faganj/estes_lake_small.jpg

Looks like it was a great ride!

Wow. Brings back fond memories of my time at Tech School in Colorado back in the 70's. Used to rent VW Bugs and went into the mountains with them for fun. Did the run up MT Evans a few times. Just beautiful country!

Chris

Great stuff!!!! I have thought about doing that ride when I get closer to century shape..LOL

That looks like fun. I am trying to decide if I want to take my chances on doing a century this Sunday on a limestone trail or not. I am wanting to do one, but would prefer to do it on my road bike.

so is 34 safe enough for an ascent from Loveland to Estes Park?

so is 34 safe enough for an ascent from Loveland to Estes Park?

I was kinda curious about the same thing. Do you have any problems with blind curves and folks coming up behind you?

The shoulder is pretty wide, and the lanes really broad all the way up Highway 34 between Loveland and Estes Park. One or two people get hit along that road every year, but considering that there are a at least 50 to hundreds of riders going up that road every weekend until it starts snowing, it is pretty safe. People are used to seeing bicyclists up there. Your biggest worries are people in big vehicles from out-of-town that are not paying attention. The locals are usually no problem at all.

I DO hear about arguments and yelling-matches at that store sometimes, between some of our more militant cyclists and the rare motorist that actively does not want bicycles on the road, and buzz you on purpose. After a couple of years of cycling here, I have never had that happen to me up in the mountains or foothills around here. That seems to only happen to me when I ride out on the prairie or in town, and is usually done by imported construction-worker types that resent "college boys" (big University here in town). Most of the locals, even if they don't like you on the road, watch out for cyclists, and don't prompt open confrontation.

Things happen, though. There have been a few motor vehicle - bicycle accidents in this area this past year. It always seems to be one of those "did not see them", "not paying attention while driving" (sleepy, cell phone, other distraction), or where the bicyclist runs a red light or stop sign and gets clipped.

Sorry so long. It is a nice ride up there. The traffic is a lot less threatening than commuting to work in town.

We used to live in Fort Collins, and I enjoyed the mountains tremendously. Hiking uphill was the best exercise I ever found.

What I noticed was that the first time it snowed a 1/4", everyone put their mountain bikes up for the year. You might then have georgeous cool weather, great for getting out, but nobody would bike..."wrong season". So don't let that first frost stop you. You WILL find that the roads and trails are so much emptier as the season progresses.

PS...before we moved, I managed to hike to the top of all nineteen 13'ers and the one 14'er in Rocky Mountain National Park...

Will you make another ride that way again this year? If so I might like to join you (if you want to be seen with a bent rider)? Its not a very far drive up from Aurora.

I did this round trip in reverse once, back in 1986. I was working for the summer at a tourist retail stop uphill from Estes Park, had no car, and wanted to check out a store in Ft. Collins on my day off.

I took off after work in the afternoon, and stayed in a cheap hotel in Loveland. I had one scary moment on the way down when I came around a corner into the aftermath of a brief shower, and experienced a front-wheel skid as I tried to slow for a corner.

In the morning I rode up 287 to FC, found the store closed, :rolleyes:, and headed back. I knew it would be mostly a low gear slow grind up the canyon, but it was enjoyable in the way only found through heavy exertion in the dry, pine-scented high altitude of the mountains can be. I was stupid, though, and took off my shirt during the climb. I couldn't sleep for 2 nights due to the sunburn I incurred.

Some day I'll make it back out there. Thanks for the pictures and the memory prod. :) "Best Place by a Dam Site!"

Great pic's. I rode thru that area a few times, back in my motorcycle days. I sure would love to ride that area again,on my bike!!

Wow...great pictures. That looks like a great ride.