Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - My New Mexico and Colorado rides

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Jtgyk
10-19-09, 11:29 PM
Well instead of feeling sorry for myself (flu) I've decided to post the August rides in NM and CO.

After much planning and deliberating, I managed to pry my family out of the house to take a road trip.
It had been 3 or 4 years since I'd seen my parents in Colorado, and my wife had been working insane hours
on a project at work. We needed a break.

So we loaded up the ol' van and headed to our first stop, Albuquerque.
I had originally planned to rent bikes once there...but my web searches didn't produce much in the way of rentals. So we shoehorned the bikes in.

Our hotel (Best Western) was on the edge of Old Town, and as luck would have it, was very near the Paseo De Bosque Trail.

The mornings were a little chilly...but nice for riding.
Went out by myself the first day (the rest of the crew couldn't manage to crawl out of bed)and only did 9 miles heading North. I was feeling out the altitude to see if I was gonna die in the thinner air....not a problem, as it turned out.

The FA (Flying Avocado) being scenic on a bridge.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AE9k3J8I/AAAAAAAAAuo/MOGM85dkM3I/s640/colorado%20%2709%20060.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AKwmg0rI/AAAAAAAAAvI/17Zc9vs4xuc/s640/colorado%20%2709%20067.jpg

Yours truly (a face made for radio)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AIuyxNNI/AAAAAAAAAu8/s_-oOG6tU_w/s640/colorado%20%2709%20065.jpg

Balloon over the trail
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AL_jWd7I/AAAAAAAAAvQ/4a3nV5ul2Gc/s512/colorado%20%2709%20069.jpg

Later that morning, we celebrated our inner geek by taking a Segway Tour of Old Town.
I have to admit...these are FUN!!!
Had so much fun I didn't get any good pics other than some snaps of training in the parking lot.

Sue in training
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AY7lYHwI/AAAAAAAAAwI/G6UZKIg8U_k/s640/colorado%20%2709%20082.jpg

Kat
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AZ_VcArI/AAAAAAAAAwM/V33zbhfBrZ0/s640/colorado%20%2709%20083.jpg

I finally got Sue pried out of bed for a ride on the last day in NM. 8.5 miles going South on the Trail going sloooooow (the Suester doesn't like to break the 10mph barrier).
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1Abs8po8I/AAAAAAAAAwU/26rOAaGdmVc/s640/colorado%20%2709%20085.jpg

txvintage
10-19-09, 11:36 PM
Coolness! I just have to compliment you on your obviously superior choice in bar wrap. The signs of true genius, it is.:D

Been wondering what you have been up to, thought about ringing you up over the weekend, but wasn't feeling too chipper.
Jtgyk
10-20-09, 12:02 AM
The second portion of the trip was spent in Montrose, CO.
I was amazed at the infrastructure for cycling that had appeared over my 4 year absence.
Bike lanes and bike paths had flourished.
Sue, Andrew (my son), and I wound up taking short rides (5-6 miles) during our few days there.
Slow rides of course...It isn't the done thing to leave the spousal unit in the dust. (sigh)

The last day I just couldn't take it any more and had a faster ride on the last afternoon.
That is also the ride where the altitude got to me. (cough wheeze gasp)
Of course the trail going out (and gradually up) was much slower than coming back (25-30mph is a good feeling).....And I had a Thunder Storm chasing me back home as well.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AooeEkqI/AAAAAAAAAxE/uypmmK3QZQY/s640/colorado%20%2709%20096.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1ArIHBhsI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/2iP1xYI_P6A/s640/colorado%20%2709%20099.jpg

Thunder Storm coming in
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AuF6KXoI/AAAAAAAAAxc/fC-LufN_LgY/s640/colorado%20%2709%20102.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1AvRIWy1I/AAAAAAAAAxg/HwpSkk0avSY/s640/colorado%20%2709%20103.jpg

The path goes behind the Ute Museum
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1A5D40cPI/AAAAAAAAAyI/Okuiay9-Dmc/s640/colorado%20%2709%20112.jpg

Riding toward the blue sky with the storm coming at my back
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hjk-KjFgGfk/St1A7dSYNlI/AAAAAAAAAyU/LJEcdYiVIJc/s640/colorado%20%2709%20115.jpg



Hopefully, when I return, I'll strike out a lot more on my own and ride from Montrose to Delta and back (40-ish miles). I'd planned to do it this trip, but hung out with mi familia instead.

I'll also do much more extensive riding on the Paseo De Bosque trail in Albuquerque.
Maybe we'll do the Segway tour of Sante Fe, too.

txvintage
10-20-09, 04:53 AM
Umm, you do realize that Doug probably has family in those areas, right?
cyclefreaksix
10-20-09, 07:06 AM
That's some beautiful scenery!! Hope yer feelin' better. The Flu sucks.
funrover
10-20-09, 07:16 AM
Nice pics, thanks for sharing!
flip18436572
10-20-09, 07:26 AM
Thanks for the pictures, that always adds to a ride report.
Neil_B
10-20-09, 07:54 AM
Umm, you do realize that Doug probably has family in those areas, right?

Yes, be careful. Doug's kin doesn't always live behind glass.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/3851979292_5c80c895c2_b.jpg
Jtgyk
10-20-09, 08:45 AM
Umm, you do realize that Doug probably has family in those areas, right?

Having grown up living, hiking, and camping around this area in CO, I can truthfully say that there are no anacondasin black mambas there. I have seen some little rattlers in the more remote sections of the Colorado National Monument (West of Grand Junction)...but not much in the way of poisonous snakes at the higher elevations (YMMV)

That being said...I DID see a 1' long garter snake on the path that startled me for a second. I laughed for the next 3 miles.:lol: