DnvrFox

The Ride the Rockies got off to a very wet start yesterday with heavy rain and thunderstorms going from Boulder to Estes Park.

Then, last night it snowed on 12,000+ foot Trail Ridge Road, and the road was closed by the US Park Service - a reported 8 - 10 inches of snow.

So, they bussed everyone (2,000 folks and their bikes and luggage) to Granby - a long, long way around as there are few available alternative roads. Probably 150+ mile detour, at least.

I am not riding this year, but this is the same route I took in 1998. At that time, Trail Ridge Road had been closed just the week before, but it was open on that day.

Meanwhile, in Denver, the first day of summer had a high temperature at my home of 48 degrees with continuous rain. No, I did not ride today - but am going for a long walk in the rain with my wife this pm.

djpluv

Gotta love Colorado...I'm sitting down in Colo Springs right now waiting for the rain to stop so I can go ride...even when it stops, i have to deal with the 45 degree, windy weather :-(

DnvrFox

Oh yeah, just to make things interesting, the Ride the Rockies folks are spending tonight in the town pretty much destroyed by the guy driving the armored Cat D-9 last week. Also, they will be going through Kremmling tomorrow - where 19 folks were hit by one bolt of lightning this weekend - thankfully they are all recovering.

Also, in the staid small town of Parker where I live, 3 teenagers and one gentleman killed in one two-car auto accident this weekend, with another teenager in critical condition. Every teenager in our church knows all the kids who were killed. No one knows yet what happened, but it was foggy and wet on a rural road.

Not a boring state in which to live!

bkrownd

Last June was the same, IIRC. It was a muddy start for gardening last year.

bkr

DnvrFox

Well, the rain stopped, and my wife and I had a nice 3 mile walk, then the sun came out, so I hopped on the mtn bike and had a nice ride!

Still quite cold, but fully bearable and enjoyable.

jfmckenna

Gosh mabey I'll stay away from CO

My girl friends mom lives in littleton and sent us a flyer for that ride. I've never heard of it b4 but it looks like a really good time. Mabey they should wait till August? Do those passes potentially get snow year round?

DnvrFox

Trail Ridge can have snow year-round, but most likely in June and then starting in September. Trail Ridge road gets closed beacuse of heavy snow and the difficulties of plowing generally in October or November for the winter, dividing Rocky Mountain National Park into two distinct smaller parks, with rangers on each side of Trail Ridge not seeing much of each other for several months. To go around you would need to go from RMNP through ESTES, S. on Peak-to Peak through Nederland to US 6 to I-70, West to US 40, over Berthoud Pass, through Winter Park and then to Granby and east to the west side of the park - or you could go on the plains via US 36, I-25 to I-76-I-70 to US 40!

They open the road again generally about Memorial Day. Drifts can be 20-30 feet high, if we have had a good snow year.

Folks used to say - Colorado has two seasons - winter and July 31st.

Lately, last 10 years or so, with warming, not so true anymore.

froze

OK, which is it...global warming or another ice age?

DnvrFox

You pays your money and you take your choice!



Well, it appears that the 16 year-old new driver was going over 90 miles per hour when he crossed the road and plowed into the other car. Four dead, one still critical.