Mountain Bikes · Public discussion

Stormy Ride w/Pics

Started by Ride-A-Lot · · Last activity · 8 posts · 400 views

← Back to Mountain Bikes

Thread navigation

Jump through the discussion

Go to the original post, the replies on this page, or the latest preserved contribution.

01 / Original postStormy Ride w/PicsRide-A-Lot · 31 Jul 2004 02 / This pagePosts 1–8Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #8Ride-A-Lot · 2 Aug 2004

Thread details

What we know about this thread

Original section
Mountain Bikes
Published
31 July 2004
Last activity
2 August 2004
Original author
Ride-A-Lot
Posts
8
Discussion status
Public discussion
Total views
400
Views / 30 days
0

The navigation and discussion metadata provide context. Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Showing posts 1–8 of 8
Posts remain in their original chronological order.

Text size
  1. Original post
    Ride-A-Lot
    Archived post
    #1

    Vail, Colorado - 7/31/04

    I finished the setup of our computer resource room a day ahead of
    schedule. OK, I gave us an extra day so I could go for an epic ride.
    The plan today was originally to ride up the Vail access road and take
    Commando Run to Two Elk Trail. Since I am part of the staff running the
    event here in the hotel, we get a few perks. So Charter Sports offered
    to shuttle me to Shrine Pass Rd. For free. Then I would climb to Top of
    the World and take Bowman's Shortcut to Two Elk. The driver then said
    that I would have to be nits to climb the switchback laden nightmare to
    Top of the World and suggested I ride down the Vail bike path to Two Elk
    Pass Trail and take that up to Two Elk Trail. I asked if he was sure
    the climb wasn't as bad because it was a much longer route. He said
    there were no switchbacks so therefore it had to be easier. Yeh, right!
    Obviously, he never road that trail. So I bomb down the paved bike
    path for 3.5 miles. For some reason I never feel as safe going 40 MPH
    on a MTB as a road bike. I get to the trailhead.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/001-trsilhead.jpg

    Colorado has their trail system well put together. The fact that there
    was a trailhead sign is impressive. Come to the east coast and see if
    you can find your way around. This is a beautiful singletrack trail,
    but when I look up and see the mountain looming ahead I know I am in for
    some climbing. Just a short way in I get this:

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/002-waterfall.jpg

    And so I begin to climb with plenty of natural surroundings to keep me
    company.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/003-rocktrail.jpg

    As I begin to climb I start feeling a little apprehensive as I have now
    broken one of the cardinal rules of IMBA. Never ride alone, especially
    on a trail you've never ridden. But, being the rule breaker I am,, I
    prod along. Climbing, walking, climbing, and stopping to take in the
    beauty.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/004-forestd.jpg
    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/004-forestu.jpg

    More climbing and I reach this beautiful mountain slope meadow of
    wildflowers with singletrack meandering through.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/006-flowerm.jpg
    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/007-trailflower.jpg
    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/008-smoothss.jpg

    The climbing gets a bit more technical as I reach to top. There are
    more roots, rocks, totally washed out trail, and switchbacks.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/009-rmhigh.jpg
    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/010-rockclimb.jpg
    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/011-keepclimb.jpg

    After climbing for five miles, I finally reach the top at 13,000+ feet!
    It's such a great feeling of accomplishment when I do this because a
    year ago, I wouldn't have made it 500 feet up.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/012-marker.jpg

    So now it's all downhill from here into the town of Minturn, or so I
    thought it would be. Just sweet singletrack through the back bowls of
    Vail and on into the valley.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/013-intobb.jpg
    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/014-foreverss.jpg
    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/015-foreverss.jpg

    That is until this looms in the distance.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/016-looming.jpg

    Yes, I got caught in it. I have never seen lightening so intense in my
    life and here I was riding a lightening rod in the open back bowls at
    13,000 ft. I was scared. It's not hailing, cold, and windy. I am wet
    and I am worried I'll become another Colorado lightening statistic. I
    see an emergency phone and call the info extension. I asked the guy the
    quickest way out and he tells me to go back the way I came. He doesn't
    understand that it is the same way the storm is going. So I high tail
    it down the SS to a ski lift and find shelter in the lift house. Things
    slow down a bit but I can see more storms coming in. There's no way I'm
    going to make it nine miles into Minturn. Luckily they have to service
    the lift, so there's a fire road that heads out of the bowls and over
    the mountain. I was not anticipating having to climb most of this ride,
    but it's looking that way. So up I go.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/017-upbb.jpg

    Stopping to glance back on what could have been a ride through the
    valley in this photo.

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/018-coulda.jpg

    I make it to the top of Vail and do a nice fast DH on Fred's Lunch and
    Lion Down back to the hotel. Even with the detour I still got in 24.25
    miles. While not the epic I anticipated, it was still fun and
    beautiful. The climbing wasn't all that bad, either.
    --
    o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
    www.schnauzers.ws

    Report
  2. tcmedara
    Archived post
    #2
    Ride-A-Lot' 'mitchelnospam 'mitchelnospam'@schnauzers.ws said:

    Vail, Colorado - 7/31/04

    Stellar pics and an outstanding ride report! Thanks, I'm envious.

    Tom

    Report
  3. ireman_1
    Archived post
    #3

    [quote="Quoted message"]=Ride-A-Lot]Vail, Colorado - 7/31/04

    <snip-choice>

    o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
    [url]www.schnauzers.ws[/url[/quote]


    Most excellent! Nice report, nice pics. Almost makes me homesick.

    K.

    Report
  4. Sunastar
    Archived post
    #4

    Ride-A-Lot sez:

    Quoted message said:

    Vail, Colorado - 7/31/04


    [snip text and pics]

    Awesome pics, I gotta get up there. Getting caught in a lightning storm
    on a bike is scary stuff. And the weather can change pretty quickly way
    up in the mountains. Maybe a wooden bike would be in order. :-7

    T o m Dillon
    Lakewood, CO
    Z to S to email

    Report
  5. Slacker
    Archived post
    #5

    On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 19:13:51 -0400, Ride-A-Lot

    mitchelnospam'@schnauzers.ws said:

    Vail, Colorado - 7/31/04


    <snip excellent RR>

    Awesome pix & RR.

    Man, CO is so rad!!

    ::::
    Slacker

    Report
  6. justen
    Archived post
    #6
    Ride-A-Lot said:

    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/010-rockclimb.jpg
    http://www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/vail/011-keepclimb.jpg

    Beautiful. Climbing that rocky stuff is tough on tires, but fun as heck.

    Justen

    Report
  7. MattB
    Archived post
    #7
    Ride-A-Lot' 'mitchelnospam said:

    Vail, Colorado - 7/31/04


    <snip>

    Sounds like you got a true taste of the Colorado high country. Beautiful,
    but turn your back and it might kill you! Sure the lightning is dangerous,
    but exposure is much more of a sure thing as far as stuff that might kill
    you. Sometimes you have to choose which one you will be tempting.
    Glad you survived. I get caught like that a few times a year. Keep in mind
    most places don't have those phones. I usually just wait it out and try
    again in 30 Minutes or so.

    I think I've skied some of those routes, but turned back in bounds into the
    area instead of heading to Minturn. I haven't ridden much in Vail. I hear
    it's nice.

    Matt

    Report
  8. Ride-A-Lot
    Archived post
    #8
    MattB said:
    Ride-A-Lot' 'mitchelnospam said:

    Vail, Colorado - 7/31/04

    <snip>

    Sounds like you got a true taste of the Colorado high country. Beautiful,
    but turn your back and it might kill you! Sure the lightning is dangerous,
    but exposure is much more of a sure thing as far as stuff that might kill
    you. Sometimes you have to choose which one you will be tempting.
    Glad you survived. I get caught like that a few times a year. Keep in mind
    most places don't have those phones. I usually just wait it out and try
    again in 30 Minutes or so.

    I think I've skied some of those routes, but turned back in bounds into the
    area instead of heading to Minturn. I haven't ridden much in Vail. I hear
    it's nice.

    Matt

    Yeh, I was quite cold from the rain. I was lucky to have shelter. The
    guide was telling me about how people will ski out of the back bowls and
    onto Route 70. Then they hitch hike back to town.

    There are a lot more trails around here than I thought and easily
    reachable right from the village.

    --
    o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
    www.schnauzers.ws

    Report

Keep exploring

Browse the sectionMountain Bikes Return to CyclingForumsStart at the home page Search discussionsFind another thread

Active in the last 60 minutes

Active in this thread

0 users · 0 guests ·0 bots ·0 total

No signed-in users are active right now.

No known search crawlers active right now.