Cycling Colorado Trails

Cycling & Amateur Radio Field Day

2010-06-08T17:13:00.013-06:00

What is Field Day?

ARRL Field Day is the largest on-the-air operating event in Amateur Radio. It draws tens of thousands to the airwaves at the end of June (this year on June 26th & 27th), each year, bringing new and experienced hams together for a weekend of fun! ARRL is the American Radio Relay League

During Field Day Amateur Radio "Ham" operators throughout North America put their technical and emergency communications skills to the test over the "Field Day" weekend. Hams use this annual radio exercise to test the ability of both themselves and their equipment - All to ensure they'll be ready to volunteer their communications assistance during times of disaster and other emergencies.

I belong to two Amateur Radio Clubs which will have Field Day sites this year. The North Jeffco ARL will have their Field Day site in Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood, CO (Where I will be) and the Colorado QRP Club whose primary public site will be in Cherry Creek Park in Denver.

You are encouraged to visit any local Field Day site, but I personally invite you to visit me and the North Jeffco ARL in Bear Creek Lake Park. It will cost you $5.00 ($4.00 for old farts like me) to get into the park. There will be signs directing visitors to our Field Day site in the park. Look for big antennae. Here is a picture from last years Field Day.

So pack up the kids and a picnic lunch or dinner (and maybe a camp chair) and come visit us. Learn about amateur radio (Hams) and get a chance to listen to communications from around the country and around the world. You may even get a chance to talk on the air. We will start setting up as soon as the park opens on Saturday and begin transmitting at noon - the official start of the 24 hours of field day.

Politicians and public officials are encouraged to visit and get their pictures taken at a radio or with the antennae in the background. Help support the organizations which always respond in emergencies and get some good publicity.

Cyclists may enter the park on their bikes for FREE. You may ride west on the Bear Creek Trail into the park (this requires coming over the dam) or park in Morrison and follow the trail eastward into the park.

I will be riding my Trike at various times around the park and making radio contacts as I ride. See the amazing trike with radio, antenna, headset, etc.

Here is a map of a ride I made on June 7th to scout out the location. The west end of the ride is the location of our field day.

The American Radio Relay League sponsors the annual Field Day event and invites all amateur radio operators to join the fun. Yes, fun(!) is the operative word here - Hams enjoy the Field Day experience on a number of levels that include camping, tinkering with portable equipment, installing temporary antenna "farms," adjusting solar panels or just enjoying the social interaction with friends, family and fellow Hams!

Here is a map of Bear Creek Lake Park. Entry is from Morrison road just east of C470.

I am KDOKFL .... Clear

Test Photo Uploads

2010-06-06T21:23:00.005-06:00

Big Dry Creek - Standley Lake Area

2009-08-03T11:28:00.004-06:00

This morning I took a ride up the Farmers Highline Canal Trail to the Westminster Rec. Center, picked up the Big Dry Creek Trail and rode to Standley Lake. As I reached the base of the Dam I was confronted by this sign:

Here is a close-up.

I recommend you avoid this area until Jefferson County reports the area safe.

Here is a link to the Jefferson County report of Plague in the area:
Click Here

On the positive side, The very dangerous crossing of the trail at Old Wadsworth has been replaced with a first class Underpass and it is now open.

Kaiser Permanente Moonlight Classic 2009

2009-07-19T06:26:00.007-06:00

Last night, July 18th, 2009, I joined somewhere between 6 and 10 thousand other cyclists to ride in the Moonlight Classic. I participated in the Family portion of the Costume contest, had a great time, but did not win anything.

They said the course was 10 miles but my GPS says it was only 9. The weather was perfect and the course was, for the first time, closed to other traffic. Riders were released in waves of five or six hundred every few minutes. This did a nice job of spreading the riders out and reducing accidents.

The ride started at the State Capitol and proceeded east and south to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center and then back into downtown Denver, around town and back to the Capitol.

The group I was in was especially diligent in expressing their thanks to all the police who were blocking and managing traffic at intersections all along the course.

In my Uncle Sam costume, a birthday gift from Cassandra and Scott (my youngest daughter and her husband) I was a popular target for photographs and got lots of shouts from the crowds along the route.

I was unable to ride and get pictures at the same time so all my photos are from before the ride actually started.

I recommend this event for all levels of equipment and rider conditioning.

LINKS:
The Moonlight Classic Website
All my Photos of this event

Coal Creek Trail - Lafayette, CO Summer 2009

2009-07-11T17:16:00.015-06:00

Quick Ride Summary: A short trail with a little of everything – Saturday, July 11th, 2009. The trail surface is Crusher Fine, well packed most of the time, and with some concrete trail surface in areas subject to erosion and for underpasses. The trail is seven miles long. At the east end it starts in Lafayette, CO., passes through Louisville, CO., and ends in Superior, CO. For a Saturday, the trail was not heavily used. The elevation gain over the 7 miles was 344 feet, an average grade of just under one percent.

All of the distances in the write-up are from the East end of the trail at 120th street. As always, you may click on the graphics and pictures to render them full sized and then use your browser’s back arrow to return to the blog. There is also a Links Section at the end of the article with links to all my pictures of this trail and links to other relevant websites.

Within 2 tenths of a mile the trail passed under some railroad tracks and then immediately over the creek. I stopped on the bridge over the creek to take pictures of the creek and darned if a vehicle didn’t go by on the railroad tracks. It was one of those pickup trucks with the special adapters for riding on rails.

At mile .5 the trail enters an area called Raptors Rapture. This is advertised as an area where Hawks, Eagles and other birds of prey nest and live. I looked up the definition of raptor and found that there is some disagreement about specifics, but in essence a raptor is a bird of prey which uses its large talons to capture and sometimes kill its prey. The owl is also considered a raptor.

At mile 1.1 the trail passes the trailhead where I parked my car. There are picnic tables and a restroom.

The Lafayette section of the trail is my favorite. The trail is wide, hard packed, with excellent maintenance, and gives a more rural experience along the creek.

In the Louisville section the trail is softer (more rolling resistance) with good maintenance, often more narrow and passes through neighborhood streets at times.

At mile 2.70 the trail leaves the creek ( to go around an area where right of way along the creek was not available) and climbs a not insignificant hill. At the top of the hill (Mile 3.21) are some amenities, a trail head, and a very nice view of the Rocky Mountains. The trail drops off of the hill and down into Louisville.

Across the street from the trail, at mile 4.21, is the Louisville Community Park. I didn’t go over to look, but it appeared to be quite nice.

At mile 4.5 the trail arrives back at the creek as it enters the Dutch Creek Open Space.

Passing through the open space and along the side of a golf course the trail enters a neighborhood at mile 5.3

At mile 6 the trail goes back to soft surface and at mile 7 it terminates at Grasso Park. This is currently the end of the trail.

LINKS:
All photos of this ride
Boulder County Coal Creek Page

Cherry Creek Trail (Lower)

2009-07-07T11:46:00.020-06:00

Quick Ride Summary: A Nice Ride – Monday, July 6th, 2009. I started at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the Platte River and rode the trail up-creek for 18.5 miles until I reached the end of the completed and continuous trail; and then back to the car for a total of 37 miles. Sunny and 75 degrees, the trail surface is concrete and plenty wide most of the time. The trail is well maintained and heavily travelled.

All of the distances in this write-up are from where I park the car and unload the trike. It is .17 miles from there to the actual trailhead for the Cherry Creek Trail, so if you have the need to be precise you may elect to subtract .17 miles from my numbers.

As always, you may click on the graphics and pictures to render them full sized and then use your browser’s back arrow to return to the blog. There is also a Links Section at the end of the article with links to all my pictures of this trail and links to other relevant websites.

The Platte River and Cherry Creek are running full due to a very wet spring.

The trail begins with two paths, one on each side of the creek. As you look up-creek the left side is for feet (walkers, joggers, pets, etc). The right side is for wheels (bikes, trikes, skaters and skateboarders).

The creek runs along side of Speer Blvd for part of the way and then is straddled by the road all the way to the Denver Country Club. As you can see, the creek and trail is in a canyon well below street level and continues this way for several miles.

In recent years, Lower Downtown Denver (LODO) has developed into an enclave for young people and thousands of lofts and apartments have replaced the urban blight that once bordered the first mile or so of the trail. This has brought additional trail usage up to the point where it is sometimes unpleasantly busy on weekends. This being Monday and a workday, I only have to contend with several hundred users during my ride.

The other big negative for this trail is the presence of innumerable bums and hobos. They are on the trail, under the bridges, in the parks and anywhere else you care to mention. The authorities pretty much rounded them up and moved them out for the Democrat convention. I don’t know why they can’t make that a permanent solution.

Mile 1.1 brings you to the Denver Center for Performing Arts and also to the Colorado Convention Center. At mile 1.3 the feet and wheels trails combine into one trail and requires one to pay more attention.

At mile 4.5 the trail is bordered by several large black tubes. They run for more than a mile. These are temporary sewage pipes made necessary by local construction. The crews assured me that they will be gone in 7 to 10 days.
The Denver Country Club blocks the trail at mile 3.6. So, the trail rises up out of the canyon and proceeds along the sidewalk of Speer Blvd. in front of the Club for almost two thirds of a mile. This is the most dangerous section of the trail. It is not particularly wide, it is two way, and auto and truck traffic is screaming by sometimes only inches from riders. Evidently the city didn’t feel the need to use eminent domain to keep the trail with the creek.

Next, the trail passes the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Here, there is an upper and lower trail. The lower trail borders the creek and it was closed due to high water. The upper trail gives you a great view of the shopping center parking garages.

At mile 6 is the City of Glendale Creek Side Park. The park is beautifully maintained and has restrooms, water, electricity and picnic facilities. I invariably stop here for a snack and, if necessary, a health break.

At mile 6.45 the trail passes Four Mile House and Historic Park. I have never stopped there but it appears to display historic Indian and white settler artifacts of early Denver. Then at mile 7 the trail enters Garland Park, another nice park, for about a half mile.

Starting at mile 10 the trail runs along side of a golf course and the trail is as straight as an arrow for 6 tenths of a mile. At the end of the strait the trail intersects with the Highline Canal Trail.

You pass under Dartmouth at mile 11.3 and start climbing. The trail makes a peak then goes back down and under highway 225 and then you start up the face of the Cherry Creek Dam.

I choose to go over the east end (the most difficult climb).
Mile 13.3 is the top of the Dam at elevation 5686ft.

I follow the trail around the east side of the reservoir and ride on to the end of the completed continuous trail, reaching it at mile 18.5.
There is another long completed section of the Regional Cherry Creek Trail near Parker, Colorado. However, reaching it from where I stopped would require several miles of biking on the shoulders of busy streets and I choose not to do that.

Starting back, I elected to go around the west side of the reservoir and stop at the picnic area for another snack, before heading down the west end of the dam and back to the Cherry Creek Trail. It is all downhill from here.

For trail surface, maintenance, amenities and accessibility I give this trail 5 stars.

LINKS:
All Photo’s of this Ride
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Colorado Convention Center
Cherry Creek Shopping Center
City of Glendale Creek Side Park
Four Mile House and Historic Park
Cherry Creek State Park

New Santa Fe Trail

2009-06-20T06:04:00.008-06:00

Quick Ride Summary: DISAPPOINTING - Wednesday, June 17th, 2009, I rode from the trailhead at Palmer Lake, CO to Colorado Springs, CO where the trail connects to the Pikes Peak Greenway. The distance was 18 miles with a net loss in elevation of just over a 1000 feet. I do NOT recommend this trail for the casual rider or for any type of road bike. The trail surface was advertised as crushed stone but often deteriorated to mud holes with sections so steep I still slid downhill with all brakes locked. Little, if any, evidence of trail maintenance within the Air Force Academy grounds.

I have added a chart of the Percent Grade as an overlay to the elevation chart. You will notice the spikes in the grade that indicate very steep sections of the trail.

I started in Palmer Lake and the trail was quite nice and stayed on the railroad grade to Monument, CO. If the entire trail had been this nice I would be giving you a glowing report rather than reporting a complete disappointment in the overall trail.

There were shelters and other amenities at the Palmer Lake and Monument trailheads, and a nice shelter just before entering the Air Force Academy. There were numerious signs concerning the flora, fauna and geology of the region. In fact there were so many that they were actually intrusive.

This trail passes along a beautiful section of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, but the expected serenity of riding along was marred by continuous road noise from I-25 and the constant drone of the airplanes overhead at the Academy.

Just south of Monument the trail left the railbed for long sections. At one time the trail surface was so bad that I thought I had wandered off the main trail onto some side trail, but was assured by a rider coming the other way that I was still on the New Santa Fe Trail. The trail had huge erosion ruts and several times I had to dismount and push the trike around obstacles and up hills that even the two wheelers could not navigate.

Finally, the trail left the Academy grounds and was back on the railbed for a nice couple of miles before reaching Colorado Springs.

In summary, the scenery was great, but the ride was at times quite unpleasant. Unless something changes I will not ride this trail again. I took no pictures of the ugly parts of the trail.

You may see all the pictures I took on this ride by visiting my Picasa site HERE

George S. Mickelson Trail

2009-06-13T08:49:00.023-06:00

Note of Exception: The George S. Mickelson Trail, Black Hills, South Dakota. This is obviously not a Colorado trail, but since it is not that far away, Colorado riders may find it interesting. It is also an excellent example of what can be done with retired rail lines of considerable length. The website for the 108 mile George S. Michelson trail may be visited by clicking HERE, or by clicking the title of this trail.

Quick Ride Summary: I made two rides, both restricted by weather. The first was on Tuesday, June 9th. I rode 34.57 miles with a net loss in elevation of 1580 feet. Temp. in the low 50’s. Started at noon after rain all morning and was chased by thunderstorms for the entire ride. Trail surface is gravel or crushed rock, well maintained considering the previous winter and the current rains. Most of the time rolling resistance was high, requiring effort to even go downhill. Trail was best suited to mountain bikes. The surface was occasionally marred by the tracks of large animals.

The second ride was on Thursday, June 11th, early in the morning. It was only 4.9 miles because going further up the trail would have meant traveling on slick, muddy dirt roads. We tried it but turned around, went back to paved roads, unloaded the trike and took what was available. It was cold.

Clicking a graphic will usually render it full sized. Then use the back arrow on your browser to return to the blog.

I have included my GPS trail map in both "road" and "satellite" versions, and have rotated the elevation map to match the direction of the trail.

In spite of the fact that I ride a trike that is more suitable to paved trails and roads and that riding the Mickelson was more effort than I had anticipated, this trail is FANTASTIC!

Except for where the trail parallels the road, the silence is deafening. I flushed 6 turkeys in the first mile and a half and was constantly spooking antelope, white tailed deer and regular deer all of whom sprung off like they had built in trampolines. The only person I saw on the trail was Fran who would race ahead of me to the next trailhead, in case rain would end the ride, and then walk up to trail to meet me and to enjoy the trail herself. The trailheads can be from 5 to 16 miles apart.

I came to a place with a shelter and sign called Sanator. It was once a regular stop on the rail line where a very large tuberculosis Sanatorium was located. You can see a picture of the sanatorium across the bottom of the sign.

Other locations still had the telegraph (not telephone) lines that paralleled the rail line. Mines, ranches and small communities were also frequent sights along the trail.

I have included the following video just to give you an idea of what it is like for hours at a time. I’m doing about 10 miles per hour and holding the camera in one hand.

The pictures included are not in any particular order except for the one of me at the start of ride # 1. All the pictures are available on my Facebook account. See the link later in the Blog.

There are frequent tunnels of green and deep cuts through the rock. As the trail exits the Black Hills, near the end of my 35 mile ride, you will notice the absence of trees and see that the cuts are now through dirt rather than rock. There the trail passes through large ranches with cattle and horses.

I ran across this relic, about my age, lying alongside the trail.

On the second ride, in order to see more wildlife, I took it much slower, and quieter. Consequently I rode past a small herd of deer that did not spook, but rather just stared at me curiously.

The trail passes many mines of everything from gold to pegmatite and mica.

The trail also passes through a few town including Hill City, Custer, and Edgemont.

I recommend this trail to riders of all skill levels. But note that the trail map comes with an elevation profile of the trail for a reason. This is a mountainous area and the trail is rarely flat. It you don’t choose wisely, you can be pulling a hill for more than 20 miles. I chose segments that were, on the average, downhill and I still had to climb hills of 2 to 3 miles in length.

One pays a fee to ride the Mickelson. It is three dollars for a day or fifteen dollars for an annual pass. Day passes may be purchased at most trailheads and the annual pass may be ordered on their website. Copies of the Mickelson Map are also usually available at each trailhead.

If you want to see all of the photos I took, click HERE to go to my Facebook album of this trip.

Or, better, click HERE to see them in my Google Picasa album.

Or here is a slide show with all the pictures:

I will go back and finish the trail at some point in the future.

Clear Creek Trail - Springtime

2009-05-31T08:55:00.034-06:00

Quick Ride Summary: May 30th, 2009. 36.43 miles round trip. Elevation change 502 feet each direction. Most of that elevation change comes in the last 3 miles as you approach Golden. Weather: sunny, temp. mid 70's, wind 5-10mph from the east. Trail surface is mostly smooth concrete with some sections in Wheat Ridge well maintained blacktop.

Double Clicking a graphic will usually render it full sized. Then use the back arrow on your browser to return to the blog.

Trail Notes: No construction on the trail. The trail section adjacent to Highway 58 is entirely complete. Normal maintenance is a regular activity (mowing, patching etc.) At two points the trail still spills onto streets. One, only about 250 yards long in a neighborhood and the other about a mile long to access a secondary trail in order to get under Kipling street.

Misc Info: Expect to encounter horses and lamas in the Wheat Ridge area.

Trail Tale: On almost every ride something interesting happens. Only a few miles into this ride I came upon an older man (older than me) who was leaning against his bike with his head down. I stopped and inquired about his condition. He said his shoulder hurt and he didn't know why. Upon examination, his arm (of the sore shoulder side) was all scraped up and bleeding. I got him off the trail and administered first aid. He had undoubtedly fallen but did not remember it. He would not permit me to call paramedics or relatives. He was wearing a helmet and appeared to be otherwise OK. Soon, he was on his way and so was I.

I started on the Platte River Trail at 70th Street and the river. Riding 2 tenths of a mile south brings you to the Clear Creek trail head. At mile 1.3 you come to the first of 11 overpasses which include 2 normal roads, 3 major freeways and miscellaneous on ramps, flyovers, etc.

At the end of another mile you come out of the underpasses and reach Twin Lakes (where I usually start my Clear Creek Rides)

The spring runoff is underway and Clear Creek is running much fuller than usual. Some of the underpasses are closed due to high water and so street level crossings are sometimes necessary.

Here is a video of what the creek looks like at about mile 5.

Most of the ride is very pleasant. As the trees and bushes fill out they screen off many of the offending sights and sounds (freeways and junkyards and the like). Here is what the trail looks like at mile 8.

At mile 13 the trail exits onto streets in order to access a trail that goes under Kipling Street. I usually take this opportunity to visit my favorite health food establishment, Winchell's Donuts. I scored a chocolate covered cruller and a custard filled round thingy. My diabetes thanks me for the glucose.

Just west of Wadsworth the trail pass a small isolated park that is had to find from the road and thus is not overrun with people. The area has some mature trees and is quite nice. Mature trees are uncommon on today's Clear Creek. Most were cut down by the gold rushers for fuel, sluices, and shelters.

This section is very popular for obvious reasons.

And, as mentioned earlier, a popular area for horseback riding.

At mile 14.5 the trail passes under I70 and heads to Golden on a course parallel to highway 58. Much of this portion of the trail has been relocated and is new. The lush trees are left behind and the flora more grassy.

The trail begins some serious climbing and in about 3 miles tops out where I took this picture.

Then it is downhill into Golden. The trail reaches Washington Street where this sign greets you.

Now, I turn the trike around and do it all again, seeing all of the green from the other direction. It was a great ride in both directions. I end this with a couple of pictures for those of you who might have wondered how I get my trike from place to place to make all these great rides.

Poudre River Trail

2009-05-07T08:05:00.020-06:00

Quick Ride Summary: May 6th, 2009. 40.35miles round trip. Elevation change 200 feet each direction. For a 20 mile trail, that is virtually flat. Weather sunny, temp. mid 70's, wind 10-12mph from the west and then the southwest. Trail surface is smooth concrete; much of it brand new.

The trail travels through extremes. In some portions you are isolated and riding through remote ranch lands and in others you are riding on the sidewalks of subdivisions.

The website for the Poudre River Trail may be accessed by clicking the title of this article. The trail website indicates that the trail is still under construction, but that is no longer true. The trail is complete.

As usual, pictures may be double-clicked to see larger copies.

(Editor's note: Actually I tested this feature and found that not all pictures could be expanded. It appears to be because I added some of the pictures in groups rather than individually and this disabled the links. I won't make that mistake in the future)

I started on the east end of the trail in Greeley, Colorado at the Island Grove Regional Park. The park is located at 11th and D streets in Greeley. With some exceptions, the trail follows the Cache La Poudre River, a primary source of water for the ranches, farms and cities of northern Colorado.

The first mile or so, the trail and river move through an industrial area on the south bank. Many trail users avoid this section by parking at one of the upstream access points.

At mile 2 the trail moves through a series of lakes. Most have been created by sand and gravel operations which continue at various points along the river creating sites for future lakes.

At mile 4.2 is a railroad crossing. Although trains are not frequent, this is not a spur or siding.

The railroad crossing is immediately followed by two the five cattle guards installed on the trail. As you can see from the picture, there are narrow areas made for dogs and bikes to cross but are too narrow for trikes. I usually walk the trike across these because riding across at any speed breaks spokes on my wheels.

Cell service is very good in this area. This rancher has obviously upgraded from his travel trailer to a motor home with the proceeds from the Cell Tower in his yard.

There is also a popular dog training area in this section of the trail.

The further west you travel the larger the river gets. Even with spring runoff, much of the water is siphoned off for irrigation and other water needs all along its length.

Mile 7.2 brings a welcome sight. A toilet.

These northern Colorado trails also have another amenity that I have not found anywhere else. Solar powered air stations. You push a button and the compressor comes to life and you can air up a soft tire, etc. Very Nice! One thing that is not found for long stretches of the trail is water. So bring plenty to drink.

Mile 8 brings warnings of poison ivy and also areas of falling rock. This is an area with residential developments to the south, but still very picturesque.

The Poudre Learing Center is at about mile 9. Besides the buildings, the center stretches over many acres where groups are taken around the area and introduced to the flora and fona of the region by the trained staff. It seems to be a popular destination.

This portion is in ranch country and the trail cuts through the middle of the Orr Ranch. Riding through the ranch I came across a young cow that had managed to get out ot the ranchland and onto the trail and was desperately trying to get back into the fields. I called the ranch management folks and they sent a cowboy to return the cow to the herd; I rode on.

Miles 11 through about 13 pass through and along the edge of land owned by the Eastman Kodak Company. They have several large facilities that cover most of a mile and are major contributors of parks and trails in the Windsor area. During this section of the ride I came across a small snake crossing the trail. I mention this because I do not like snakes and tend to measure all rides in the number of snake sightings. This was only a One Snake Ride.

At mile 15 the trail leaves the river (a golf course is in the way) and goes through Windsor residential neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are all around lakes. The area is called Pelican Lakes and may pelicans were on the water and in the air.

Mile 16.25 brings you to the Eastman Pavillion, a park, playground and picnic facility where I usually take a break. Restrooms, water and electricity are among the amenities. I will have my lunch here on the way back.

At about mile 17.5 the trail passes though an active mining operation and the trail is appropriately signed.

This is followed by more lakes and some medium to upscale neighborhoods.

Finally the trail becames rural again and at mile 20.35 the trail deadends into a fence. Perched on top of one of the fence posts is a wooden owl.

It is the tradition of the Poudre River Trail to pat the owl on the head before turning around and heading back down the trail. I did so, and then rode the 20+ miles in the reverse order.

Barr Lake: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2009-05-01T07:11:00.009-06:00

Quick Ride Summary: Date - April, 30 2009. Nine miles around the lake. Elevation change near zero. Weather sunny, temp. 60, wind 4-6mph from the west. Trail surface included gravel, dirt, mud, ruts, and other.

As always, double-clicking a picture will render it full sized in your browser.

This morning I did a 15 mile training ride and thought that since I had never done the Barr Lake ride it would make a nice afternoon outing and an interesting write-up for this blog.

I parked at the Barr State Park Nature Center at about 2:00p.m., unloaded and began the circuit of the lake in a clockwise direction. The trail was crushed rock but not particularly well maintained. In the first mile or so there were very nice blinds for watching wildlife, Boardwalks out into the wetlands and the lake (one with a gazebo).

At about mile two I saw a sizable snake crossing the trail (my first of the season). He was 6 or seven feet long and not quite as big around as my forearm. I was glad to put him behind me. A little further along I saw a herd of Mule Deer. Some were lying down and some walking around. You can tell by their ears why they are called Mule Deer.

There was an abundance of waterfowl; ducks, geese, blue herons and others I didn't know the names of. I didn't take any pictures of them.

At about mile 2.5 the trail began to deteriorate to dirt and sand ruts. That might be OK for a bike but is a disaster for a trike. The ranger had told me the trail was crushed gravel so I thought this was a temporary problem.

WRONG! The condition of the trail continued to deteriorate and at one point actually ran along the railroad track easement. It was so rough that one of my fender broke loose from its mounting and I had to use electrical tape to re-afix it temporarily. So on the west side of the lake the view is mostly of a giant concrete slag heap, the railroad, some cattle, and other uninteresting stuff.

Once I crossed the dam and re-entered the actual state park property the trail again became crushed rock, but I was long passed being interested in anything except getting off that damned trail.

I do not recommend this ride, even for mountain bikes as at least 5 miles of it are just plain ugly.

Pike's Peak Greenway

2009-04-29T18:50:00.021-06:00

Quick Ride Summary: 26.53 miles round trip. Elevation change 400 feet each direction. Weather sunny, temp. mid 60's, wind 6-8mph from the south. Trail surface included beautiful new concrete, just plain dirt, and everything in between. Website for the Pike's Peak Greenway may be accessed by clicking HERE.

Pictures may be double-clicked to see larger copies.

Started for Colorado Springs at 7:30a.m. Objective is to learn the core of the trail for later exploration of connecting trails (and, of course, to have a good time). I needed a trail map so I started at Criterium Bicycles. They not only have most everything you need they are also a trail head. They sold me a map and I unloaded the trike and used them as my trail head.

I asked the young man helping me with the map, Which way is uphill and which way is downhill. He said, "I don't know. It's pretty much flat." I didn't know it then, but one should not ask someone in such good physical condition which way is uphill because he is so strong that he never noticed that one way might be somewhat more difficult than the other. Well, I later noticed...

9:30a.m.: I headed south on the trail and found that I was coasting a lot. The waterway next to the trail, Monument Creek, was racing in the same direction I was going. I like to do the uphill part of the ride first but this is obviously going to be the exception. The first mile or so the trail was a poorly maintained asphalt, but that turned to concrete and things were better. As you can see from the first picture, the Trail's namesake, Pike's Peak, is visible on this part of the trail.

The ride through the "Springs" proper included parks every few miles and lots of connecting trails. The signage on the trail could be better. It was often difficult to tell which way to go. The trail crosses the creek many times on excellent bridges and twice on bridges that are reminiscent of army pontoon bridges.

Many areas of the trail are under construction. The sections that have recently been paved give an idea of how nice the trail will be when fully completed. They are wide and smooth. I took no pictures of the construction but did of the completed new sections.

At about mile 8, I entered a section that was rutted dirt. It was barely passable. But I managed and took this picture which I call "Dirt, but with amenities". The viewing area on the left had pictures of the wildlife one might expect to see in the wetlands below, but the real view was of the I-25 freeway about 80 yards away. I thought they should have added pictures of semi's and motor homes too.

Next came crushed gravel, then a dirt road, with section of new paved trail interspersed. With three wheels I get significantly more tire resistance with unpaved trails than the two-wheelers do, so I probably notice the surface more than others.

You can imagine what this section of trail is going to look like when everything has fully leafed out.

When I came to this section of the trail, just south of the El Pomar Youth Sports Park, I wondered who picked up all those rocks. I decided this was the end of the ride south and turned around and headed back. In about 200 yards I came to a small sign for north bound traffic that said "Welcome to Colorado Springs".

I stopped at a small. picnic area on the way back and had lunch. Yum! The ride was uneventful, and quite enjoyable. I will return to do more of the trail and some of the side trails.

Glenwood Canyon

2009-04-24T06:06:00.031-06:00

On April 23, 2009, I arose at the crack of dawn, packed my trike and gear and headed for Glenwood Springs. Glenwood Springs is 165 miles west of Denver on Highway I70. It is at the western end of Glenwood Canyon, one of the scenic wonders of Colorado and the site of the most expensive 20 miles of Interstate highway in the nation. For 16 miles of that Interstate they tacked on a bike path. Both the Freeway and the bike path cling to the northern bank of the mighty Colorado River. The railroad claims the other bank.

I arrived in Glenwood Springs at about 10:00 a.m. and found a parking space. (It is easer to find parking in New York than Glenwood Springs). I mounted up and headed out.

The first 1.5 miles of the bike path are on a road surface directly adjacent to the break-down lane of the freeway and is about the ugliest thing you can imagine. Then the freeway enters a tunnel and the bike path crosses over the freeway and drops into the canyon to follow the river.

The very best parts of the ride turned out to be when the road enters a tunnel and the bike path and river go off on their own. All of the sudden it is quiet and stunningly beautiful.

The river is running almost full from the spring runoff.

For the next mile or so the trail follows a road through a very rare residential area on the banks of the river. I noticed that one was for sale. (I couldn't help but dream a little)

Now going through miles four and five I find that the trail is much steeper than portrayed in the Trail documentation. I just came down an 8% grade. On the way back there is no way that I or my motor can pull that hill. I will have to walk it. The scenery continues to be spectacular.

Going from west to east through the canyon there is a rest stop every few mile so that drivers can stop and admire the view. The bike path rises up to each of these.

On one hand it is nice because there are rest rooms, water and shelter. On the other hand they are full of people and a distraction from the river.

Each of the rest stops has a name (Grizzly Creek, Hanging Lake, etc, except for the first one, which is called No Name.

When the path is right next to, or attached to, the freeway it is very noisy with the traffic on one side and sometimes the roar of the river on the other. Much of the time, the river side of the bike path has no railing and with my vertigo this is a bit of a problem for me.

Yes, that is the roadway above my head. When you see white water it means that the river is running very fast and it means steeper uphill pulls.

The places that rent bikes in Glenwood Springs also offer a shuttle service to take you and your rental bike to the eastern end of the trail so that your experience of riding the trail is mostly downhill.

I had lunch at the Hanging Lake rest stop (about mile 11 out of 16) and grab a 30 minute recharge on the bikes battery (a full recharge takes 5 to 6 hours). I found an outlet in the mens room (evidently provided for electric shavers) and so I wheeled the trike into the restroom and parked it while I had lunch. Since I'm sitting outside with a bike helmet et al, everyone who went into the restroom knew it was mine and had to stop and visit.

Before lunch I was thinking the elevation gain was too much and I would have to turn back soon. But, a little food and rest, and a talk with myself about driving 165 miles to do "a part" of the trail (I don't think so).

You don't see the usual GPS map and elevation map in this trail blog because deep in the canyon one rarely gets GPS or Cell coverage.

Anyway, I soldiered on and with the help of a very brisk tail wind, made it to the eastern trail head. At this point the trail had come out of the deep canyon and everything looked much more arid and much less spectacular. I visited with some other cyclists and then started back because huge thunder storm clouds were gathering over the canyon.

Coming back you would think it would be a piece of cake, what with being downhill and all. But now I was dealing with 20 to 30 mph headwinds being generated by the thunder clouds, with gusts to 40 and 50 mph. Going downhill and pedaling like hell the wind would still bring me to a standstill. Well that is what the motor is for and I used it some to counteract the wind, but felt I had to save most of it for that god-awful hill at the No Name rest stop. (I was glad I did! At the No Name hill I used the motor to move the trike up the hill while I walked alongside).

On the way back I was in good company with some folks enjoying the bounty of the Colorado River.

I arrived back at the car, none the worse for wear. I loaded up and headed for Denver. The return trip was uneventful.

I wouldn't want to do this every day, but wouldn't have missed it for the world. I will do it again this summer.

Hilary

Early Spring Rides

2009-04-13T06:23:00.002-06:00

Last week I rode the following trails:

Cherry Creek up to the intersection with the Highline Canal and back 20.5 miles
Poudre River Trail out of Greeley, CO. To the end and back for 41 miles.
Grange Hall Creek from home to the Platte River and Back 16.5 miles

All of these trail deserve a write-up but I think I will wait for more foliage and ride them again. It will make for better riding, better pictures and a more interesting description.

Planning is well underway for scouting future trail rides. I'm looking at the Rio Grande Trail out of Aspen, the Glenwood Canyon Trail out of Glenwood Springs, and the Mineral Belt Trail around Leadville, Co.

As soon as it stops snowing and warms up a bit at those altitudes, I will visit each site and plan rides if I think I can deal with both the altitude and the elevation changes on the trails. I will undoubtedly have to be in pretty good shape so I will be doing more training rides in the next month or so.

Clear Creek Trail - Winter

2009-03-18T19:50:00.021-06:00

The Clear Creek Trail runs from the Platte River to Golden, Colorado, mostly following Clear Creek. The ride was 17.4 miles going and a bit less coming back, as I took some shortcuts, for a total or 33.75 miles. The starting elevation was 5169 feet and I topped out at 5727 feet just before entering Golden. My average speed was just over 10.5mph.

My starting point was at Twin Lakes. The Clear Creek trail head at the Platte River is about 2+ miles east of Twin Lakes, but much of that 2 miles is spent going under 3 freeways, 2 roads, multiple access roads, flyovers, etc. It is a very necessary section of trail but cold and dark this time of year.

The trail is wide concrete and follows the creek to Pecos Street where it leaves the creek to circumvent gravel pit operations. It runs along 64th Avenue and at about mile 1.9 it passes Smokey's Bar-b-que. I've never eaten there but hear it is good.

In the next few miles the trail faithfully follows the creek and has only one crossing of a road. Elevation gain is almost continuous with only the occassional dip.

At mile 5.25 the Ralston Creek Trailhead is announced by an incredible cable stay bridge across Clear Creek.

Just across the bridge, at the confluence of Ralston Creek and Clear Creek is the place where gold was first discovered in Colorado. Here is what is generally reported about the strike:

"The first documented discovery of gold in the Rocky Mountain region occurred on 1850-06-22, when Lewis Ralston, a Georgia prospector headed for the California gold fields, dipped his sluice pan into this stream near its mouth at Clear Creek. [1] Ralston found about 1/4 ounce (6 g) of gold worth about five dollars. Ralston's companions named the stream Ralston's Creek in his honor, but they all left the next morning, drawn by the lure of the California gold fields.

In the Spring of 1858, William Green Russell and his brothers searched the creek for gold. Later in the year, Lewis Ralston brought another group of prospectors back to the site of his first discovery."

But Ralston Creek is for another day and I head on up Clear Creek. At mile 5.8 the trail makes the first of its two ventures onto surface streets. The trail dead ends into Gray Street at 52nd Avenue. You proceed up Gray, staying to the right and in about 250 yards comes back to the creek and the trail.

As you ride west through Wheat Ridge much of the trail is blacktop rather than concrete. But it is well maintained, smooth, and without cracks.

Parks are dotted along the trail providing picnic and restroom facilities. Near Kipling Road the trail again ventures on local streets, follows a secondary trail under Kipling. Goes back onto a street and over a steep hill and back down to the trail. I have found ways around the hill. The creek doesn't go over the hill so why should I?

Since one has to go on the street anyway, I always take a side trip of a couple of blocks to visit a health food establishment. It is called Winchell's Donuts and I usually have a coffee and a couple of Custard filled energy buns.

The reconstruction of the trail under I-70 and the Highway 58 flyover is completed and much of the trail is new, wide, smooth concrete to the MacIntyre underpass. At this point the rider is facing some serious elevation change.

The trail makes an interim summit as it passes over the creek and then up the side of the mesa to a final crest. I took some pictures looking back down to try to give some perspective. This is about 12 or 13 miles into the ride. Most of what we are looking down on is the Coors Brewing Company.

You give back some of the elevation going down into Golden. The trail ends at Washington St. and is over a half a mile north of the creek. I rode south on the Washington St. Trail back to the creek where once again the trail headed west.

This portion is a bit of College Town artsy fartsy with signs, statues, art, cafes and appartments. There are also nice parks and the creek is well maintained.

And at mile 17.44 the trail ends and it is time to turn around and head for Denver.

The Littleton Loop

2009-03-16T14:53:00.009-06:00

This article concentrates on the Littleton Big Dry Creek Trail, but I will comment on a few things on the other trails I rode in connection with it. The little verticle marks in a box on the map indicate where I stopped to rest, clean my trach, or make notes for this article, or stopped for traffic or traffic lights at street level crossings. The starting and ending point is a circle with a right arrow in it.

I parked at the Carson Nature Center in South Platte Park, see their Facebook website HERE, at 9:00am and started North up the Platte River Trail.

At mile 1.9 (all distances are approximate) I passed the Hudson Gardens. Their site and their facilities are worth a look.

About 100yards further brings you to the entrance path for the Platte River Bar & Grill. A great place for Mexican food or giant burgers and accessible from the trail. In fact Fran & I had lunch there immediately after this ride.

At mile 3.9 I came to the start of the Big Dry Creek Trail. (mileage referred to about this trail are all from this zero point). The trail starts with a long bridge over the South Platte River, winds under South Sante Fe Drive and several sets of Railroad tracks before coming to the Englewood Canine Corral at mile .5. Click HERE for some Doggie pictures at that site.

The trail is wide concrete, smooth, and generally follows the creek. By the way; Big Dry Creek is neither big nor dry. There is a Little Dry Creek, which I haven't seen, so maybe "Big" is relative. All along the trail are picnic areas, cabanas, playgrounds, ball parks, etc.

The trail gains some elevation and then at about mile 1.0 runs along the border of the Pirates Cove Family Aquatic Center.

At mile 1.5 I came to the new portion of the trail that is under construction. The concrete trail is finished. The construction crews were grading the shoulders, replacing vegetation removed during construction, and finishing the Broadway access ramp. They were kind enough to permit me to ride the trail, even though it s closed, and after passing under Broadway I was again on finished trail. The trail continues up a deep canyon and finally rises out of it at mile 2.5 and ends onto Powers Ave.

Then East on Powers Ave (maybe half a block), North on Washington (God, what a climb!) gaining 100 ft in elevation in only 500 ft of road. I use my motor and peddle like hell. Right on Sunset Lane (still climbing), zig across Clarkson Street to Sunset Court. Continue East to where a trail leads off the cul-de-sac. This little 30 yards of trail takes me to the Highline Canal Trail Where I rest for a bit. I am now at about mile 6.78 since leaving the Nature Center and have gained 220 feet in elevation.

The remaining 14 miles of the ride are South on the Highline Canal, West on the C470 Trail, and then North on the Platte River Trail back to the Nature Center. Giving back the 200 plus feet of elevation coming down the C470 trail at 20 to 25 mph was a thrill and much more fun than climbing it.

Hilary

Littleton's Big Dry Creek Trail

2009-03-16T07:10:00.005-06:00

Today I will be doing a loop, starting at the Littleton Nature Center, riding north on the Mary Carter Greenway portion of the South Platte River Trail to the Big Dry Creek Trail, and then East up that trail to reach the Highline Canal Trail. The segment of the Big Dry Creek Trail from W. Lehow Ave to Broadway has been under construction for about a year and should be near completion (scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2008, Ha!). When this section is complete, riders will be able to avoid having to cross Broadway at street level.

On the Highline Canal Trail I plan to ride South and then return to the Platte River trail via either Lee Gulch or the C470 Trail and then back to the Nature Center. I'll report later.

2009-03-14T10:16:00.002-06:00

Sharing: using or enjoying something jointly with others

I am trying various ways of sharing my experiences with cycling and the use of the Bike Trails along the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I am on Facebook and Twitter and have my own website and now I am going to try blogging.

Although this is probably more for me than for those rare folks who might visit this site, I hope you find something interesting and informative.