Mt. Evans Recon - 07/03/06

Andy J. and I rode Mt. Evans today, in preparation for the race on the 22nd. For those not in "the know", Mt. Evans is the highest paved road in the USA, topping out at around 14,300ft. The climb is just under 28 miles with an elevation gain of just under 7,000, so about 4.7% average grade. Not super difficult, but a grind nonetheless.

And Mother Nature conspired against us for the way up and part of the way down. The day began early for us. We hit the start line area at about 6:15am. It was cool and drizzing outside, and Andy was moaning like a whore in heat. With a little cajoling, we set off. The rain intensified over the next 75 minutes or so, resulting in water streaming down the road as we climbed. Well, we weren't going to have to worry about overheating today!

The road just goes and goes and goes. There are basically no switchbacks the first 22-23 miles, just long pitches and many false summits. Grind, grind, grind. The compact crank felt solid, the company was great once Andy decided to nut it up and shut his pie hole, and we were climbing just for the experience. HR never climbed out of the 140s until I decided to punch it the final 6 miles.

The landscape is beautiful, which makes up for the overall difficulty of the climb. Even above treeline, with the lunaresque landscape, the sweeping views of the Rockies and the Southpark range are awe-inspiring. As the rain subsided, the clouds started to break just a little bit. The sun teased us just enough to make us think we might dry out before the summit. Ah, the teasing wench, that Mother Nature! The temperature dropped degree by degree with every passing mile. At the Echo Lake ranger station, it was in the low-40s. By the top, it was in the low-30s. We were wet and cold, and Andy couldn't feel his fingers. I did notice that pressing my effort those final 6 miles was fine. The altitude was not a factor - at least, I never felt like I was out of breath or had to back off due to the thinner air. I also realized the definitive two places where moves to be taken seriously will be made. The first is just past the Echo Lake ranger station for the ensueing 3 miles. The second is during those final 6 miles, where all the demoralizing switchbacks begin and never seem to end.

At the top, we had to sit in a ranger's jeep to get warmed up before the descent. We were soaked and cold. It was cloudy up there, so the views were so-so, but still awesome. There used to be a restaurant up there, until it burned down. Once we started descending, the cold chilled me to the bone. I was shaking like a leaf, which makes handling a bike kinda difficult. Marmots are characters. They actually dig burrow holes up through the pavement! On more than one occasion, I saw one dart across the road only to dive into a hole in the middle of the oncoming traffic lane. Nice, natural pot holes. Still, we completed the descent without mishap.

The temp warmed up pretty quickly. The roads were, for the most part, dry the whole way down. Some wet patches, but nothing to slow the descent. That's a great downhill! We were hauling consistently at around 40mph, so we got back down in about 50 minutes. I said we got back down without mishap. But, Andy did almost kill himself. On one sweeping right hand bend, he got skittish on some wet pavement, crossed the yellow line, saw an oncoming pickup and veered out into the soft shoulder to avoid the head-on. Luckily, he kept the rubber side down and rejoined me for the rest of the ride back to the car. I don't need to lose another friend and teammate!

All-in-all, a great experience. Certainly, one of those epic rides - challenging terrain, insipid weather, great company (despite Andy's whining. Would you like some cheese with that whine, Andy?). The value of pre-riding the course will prove crucial to help me avoid getting "caught up in the moment" as others take off way too early. Not a course to be brave on. This race serves as both the Colorado state and National Hill Climb championships. Hopefully Team Feedback will have another state champ in its ranks come the 22nd.

Ride safe out there!