A local park, Colorado styleThis is odd, but at times I'm enjoying how altitude can make me feel like an asthmatic little child. Saturday, I joined a road ride with Joe up Golden Gate Canyon into the national forest. This road has what is a pretty steep incline for Colorado (say average for CT) where they love their switchbacks, and then dives into a 20% grade loose dirt downhill into the canyon--yahoo! On the climb up I learned that a breathing rate which would have my legs blowing sky high within 10 seconds closer to sea level is just about right for up here.
Now that is a road, four sections of itOn Sunday, trying another road ride with Russ and Todd, I learned that I don't yet recover well at 7,800 feet. About seven miles from their turn around point heading out west through the I-70 corridor, I realized the truth that my time was better spent riding back at my own pace and watching kids on skateboards race down the hill from the house. This weekend was the annual Pagan Downhill Buffalo Bill Race.
Another from Lookout Mountain ParkNow I said hill, but really, it is a small mountain, Lookout Mountain, where Russ and the gang have a house on the top. As for the skateboards, yup, long boards no brakes other than skidding sideways or possibly dragging the plastic block riders had stuck to the palm of their gloves. It wasn't immensely fast, but having spent a little of my youth on a deck with four wheels, I could definitely appreciate how far the riders would lean over the board to carve the hairpin turn I was spectating. Still, I think I'll stick to two wheels. And brakes.
I could not help but notice all of the hay bales lining the corner and also what appeared to be a boom box?? strategically located on one of them....perhaps to give a target for someone who might have lost control on the curve.
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