dan vs fat: Epilogue: Mount Evans

After the trip, I headed to Denver to stay with a friend while I attended a conference for AP teachers. I had a day before the conference was going to start and thought “Denver is close to mountains… maybe there’s a cool ride I could do or something.”

There was.

Mt Evans is close to Denver and happens to have the highest paved road on the continent of North America. 14,130 feet. Awesome.

Climbing over 14,000 feet is no small deal… I have been in the mountains for a while, but nothing near that high for a while (and your body is affected exponentially by altitude – the jump, for instance, between 12k and 14k is huge). But I figured if I’m ever going to bike up Mt Evans, it would be tough to have a better opportunity. I had just biked 1100 miles essentially down the spine of the continental divide. My legs were in good climbing shape.

But that doesn’t guarantee that I’d be okay in the altitude. I’ve seen guys (hiking and skiing) in MUCH better shape than me suffer from altitude sickness. One had to be hospitalized. It’s serious stuff. I resolved that if I was experiencing symptoms I’d abandon the climb and head down. That would be tough.

So the plan was to wake up early (start cycling at dawn to avoid potential weather on the summit). I’d depart from Idaho Springs (right on the highway – if you’ve driven on I-70 out into the mountains on a ski trip, you’ve passed Idaho Springs). Elevation: 7,526 feet.

That’ll be 6,600+ feet of vertical climb. Oof.

"steep grade sharp curves" yeah... gonna be a lot of that ahead, I think...

Summit Lake is not at the summit. Liars.

told ya.

The early part of the climb was sort of typical nondescript low alpine Colorado scenery. Lots of evergreens, lots of turns, lots of mountains in the distance which could only sometimes be glimpsed.

Once I got to Summit Lake, there was only a little more climbing before I was above treeline. Roads above 12,000 feet (there aren't many) are ridiculously hard to maintain, so the road surface was not great. It's Saturday and there is plenty of traffic by now, but I don't want to hug the shoulder... for obvious reasons.

Above the treeline, I'd call the wind "blustery", but nothing as bad as Beartooth Pass.

And there's beauty everywhere...

alpine meadows and far-off peaks.

up up up...

hey - there's Echo Lake! I was just there!

up up up...

sometimes the road felt almost surreal. high altitude has its own "feel"... and it's different.

mountain goats on the switchbacks... cheering me on in their own way.

I felt strong. Never felt dizzy, light-headed, sick, or any other symptoms of altitude sickness. Just out of breath. But my legs felt strong. I actually passed people... quite a few actually. I think I was only passed twice by two guys riding together on light road bikes (I was still on my touring bike).

I felt good... it was akin to an experience when you observe something unfolding in your favor and are able to process it *as* it's unfolding. (this is not always the case). I just kept thinking "wow - this is amazing... and so much better than I expected."

After the many switchbacks (I didn't count), I finally made it. Couple of shots at the top, put on a jacket... and it was time for the descent. Yippee.

obligatory bike-lift photo

annoyingly, the barometric altimeter on the garmin was off

The descent was NOT as wonderful as I expected. I had envisioned flying (almost floating) down the mountain effortlessly, soaking in the views, and just loving life. Turns out I was chattering down the hill, using considerable effort, missing all the views, and clinging for dear life.

The descent was fast, to be sure. But, those little bumps and bad road conditions on the way up are BIG bumps and perilous conditions on the way down. It's cold, and my fingers are cramping from braking so hard (again, the switchbacks).

I stop for a break at Echo Lake to let my brakes cool, and snap a picture with the sign that I intentionally skipped on the way up because I didn't want to jinx it...

how can you tell I've already hit the summit? goofy smile + jacket zipped to the top

The rest of the descent was more fun... for a while. Very fast, curves seemed less dangerous, and it was starting to warm up. I was feeling better until I passed the scene of a cycling accident. I didn't see anything of detail, but there was an ambulance on the scene already... I hope the rider was okay...

The mostly-flat beginning of the ride felt a lot longer at the end of the ride (which is weird, because it's a little downhill for me at this point) probably because my legs were pretty tired, and I knew I had done the good stuff... at this point I just wanted to be done. I finally got back to my car, loaded up my bike, and went into Idaho Springs for a well-earned burger at a local diner. Delicious.

- - -

I could go on and on about Mt Evans, but have tried to keep this short (I know, I know... not a great attempt). Anyway, to get a better feel, you could read more here or watch this video (which as filmed during sunrise by a pro photographer)... but in case you're link averse, here are some images pulled from Google Earth from my actual ride: