Dave's Uber Death March

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Yesterday PBR, Little E, Lubes and myself made our way up to Lyons for the Lyons Fat Tire Festival and Dave's Uber Death March. We hooked up with 20 or so other folks and headed up to Estes Park.

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This was a huge group for this type of ride and within 2 miles of hitting singletrack we lost about 10 riders. Dave had told us once we were all on the dirt ribbon to take all rights...Somehow I managed to be the 2nd or 3rd rider to the turn and yelled out for the guys in front to turn it around. We got to the top of our next intersection and there were only 10 of us. Then we saw a rider in the distance and it turned out to be Dave who said he was the last rider to the turn.

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Dave and Chad broke away from the group to find the others and a good 30 minutes later we see the rest of the group making their way to us. Another 15 minutes later we see Dave and Chad and the word is called out for us to continue our march to the top of the mountain.

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We made our way up and reached a point for a good 10 minute hike a bike. All the while we could feel the air temperature cooling and thunder in the distance marking the progress of our march and the approaching storms.

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We reached the top and the view point and watched the storms rack the not so distant mountains. I tried for at least 5 minutes to catch one of the mesmerizing lightning strikes but my shutter finger was to slow.

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E decided to take a jump on the group for the descent, being on the fixie and PBR, Mr. Trek from Montana, and myself decided to follow suit. I managed to become distracted with all the magnificent views a few times and each time it ended with me eating dirt on the side of trail. This gave chance for a few riders to pass me and as we made our way to the big technical descent of the day I quickly learned what a mistake my view taking had made. The three guys who made their way in front of me were cutting trail to avoid the more technical sections and I called out several times to stay on trail....Keep it one track.

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Finally we made it to a particularly rocky section and the guys had no choice but to hop off their bikes and step off trail. I took this as my cue and made quick work of the techy section on the bike. I quickly caught back up to E and another guy and our group varied as riders came and went with the short climbs interspersed throughout our descent.

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Just as we made it through a tough techy section I heard a loud pop as E's rear tire blew. Making sure E had everything he needed I went on my own enjoying the descent. I reached the bottom and we had a group of 5 that became about 14 riders as more descended off the mountain.

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About that time the distant storms caught up with us and a light rain began to fall. We decided to split the group and left two riders behind to let the other group know what we had done and about 12 of us took off for a 5 mile paved road ride. I had put on my waterproof jacket but soon discovered that I was overheating so I let the group go on.

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About that time the sun poked back out and I heard a grunt to my left. A massive elk stood about 40 yards away and as I pulled out my camera I heard car tires squeal behind me as passing tourist saw the Elk as well. This caused the Elk to bolt but I did manage to snap this picture just before he did.

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I caught back up with the group at the pinic area of Glenn Haven and from there we made our way to the town of Glenn Haven and finally the climb back up the mountain. We came to a trail split and decided to keep climbing as this would bring us back to the meadow where we had been seperated in the beginning and give us one final descent before our last short rocky climb.

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Back off the meadow and to our 1st trail split we waited for two of our riders as one had a mechanical that later we learned to be a split shifter cable housing. After about 15 minutes we saw riders coming from the lower trail and were relieved to see it was the rest of our original group. Another 15 minutes or so and our two riders with a mechanical rolled up and we all finished the last climb out together.

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Later...we drove back to Lyons and went to Oscar Blues. Tabetha and the girls met me for dinner and I learned that a Death March+Oscars's Old Chub(8.0 ABV)+Oscar's Tenfidy(10.5ABV)=a swaying Goat.

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TiTs ride on the Three Sisters

Last night we had our weekly TiTs ride and this week we took it to the Three Sisters. I got to meet some new faces and ride with some regulars. My plan was to hold it back since I'm trying to save myself for Dave's Uber Death March at the Lyon's Fat Tire Festival this weekend.

Scar...The Amoeba Light Man

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My plan worked mostly but also backfired horribly in my face as I had eaten so little throughout the day. My breakfast: a smoothie consisting of a banana, 2/3 cup blueberries, 4 strawberries, 1/3 cup yogurt, and 2/3 cup milk. Mid morning snack: a medium bag of popcorn while watching Angels and Demons with my lovely wife Tabetha and afternoon snack...some of my birthday cake. The goat was the epitomy of healthy eating.

Female Wapiti just a few yards off trail

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Evergreen local, Space Cow Girl met up with us to be our guide and instructor in punishment as she dragged us all over the Three Sisters. I could hold my own and be in the front on the descents but when it came to the climbing I was admittedly outclassed. It was only at the end of the night that I worked my way towards the front on the climbs and I believe that was because everyone had taken to a casual approach to finish the evening.

The only side we saw of Space Cow Girl...just a blur

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We got back and PBR said "man, we've only done 15 miles. I've felt better after 30 miles at Buffalo Creek." I felt exactly the same. The Three Sisters is an awesome trail system though. Heavily wooded, steepish climbs, awesome views, tons of wildlife and some cool technical riding mixed in here and there with the buff singletrack. This is the 1st ride I've actually been wishing for a little ring as I rung the 1x8 gearing out on the Alfie Juice.

The Mad Scientist and Rung Monkey

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I'm going to have to do something about my front end. Back in early April I got the notion that I wanted to build a 69er. To do this I had to tear down the Juice for parts and the carbon rigid I was using had an axle to crown that was to long so I sold it. I bought a new fork with a shorter axle to crown and within 2 rides I knew that I wanted to be back on a 29er.

Chad Rippin it

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I sold the new fork and new frame but I also had a trashed rear 29er wheel from a rock garden incident a few months back. Thus began the Alfine project and since I sunk all my extra cash into that, a new fork was out of the question. My gracious wife let me take hers on loan but its one of those fancy smancy squishy Rebas and it needs a new poplock lever. Which means as I stand for climbing I feel the up and down motion of the fork and after riding a rigid for the past 8 months I need that solid yet compliant feel as I climb. I've got an extra Sram gripshifter for the the front derailluer that I no longer use that may come back into service as a poplock adjuster.

Chad finishing the night

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Sorry to the rest of the group for the lack of Pics. I was just having to much fun!

The Goat's Birthday Spin

Today the young goat celebrated his 32nd birthday. No birthday could ever be quite right without a ride so I grabbed one of my favorite riding partners and did a mellow ride at Bear Creek Lake Park.


Ayla enjoying a run in the middle of our ride


It had rained all morning long but we timed it just right for an early afternoon spin.


I stopped a kind runner for this shot.


We ended up getting in 10 miles, I believe Ayla's longest ride yet and had a great time taking in the views and checking out the wildlife.

Monument, Mt Herman & the Rassberry Chateau

So this morning I woke up at 4:30am. No alarm, just the natural awaking of the body. I wasn't super motivated to ride but I've been looking at the Rassberry Chateau trail for a while on Topos and a quick look at the radar showed Monument to be free and clear. Time for a morning road trip.

Denver in the early morning light

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I found my parking place on Mt Harmon Rd and explored some trails to the north east

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I worked my way over to the south of Mtn Herman Rd and the trails quickly brought me here

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I then made my way back to the north side of Herman Mtn Rd and found this

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Eventually my new found trails brought me back to Mtn Herman and it was just time to climb

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Flowers are starting to show everywhere

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an eventually I ended up here...

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I just couldn't stand the fact that I was passing this out and back without seeing the top so up I went

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Some hike a bike required

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The top was worth the effort though...View of Pike's Peak

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The descending was awesome...

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a little further up Mt. Herman Rd and I come here...There was an extention of this to the left that begs to be explored later

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restoration project?

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So many trails from the motos who have abused the area but somehow I find the right track the 1st time

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and the good riding beyond

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All I saw on the trails all morning were hikers and all of them were the kindest of folk. At inspiration point one of them offered to take this picture

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from Inspiration Point the trail eventually crosses private property...so you have to be quick to find the HZ trail

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The rewards are worth the effort

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a shrine to a fallen rider, hiker?

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Dirty Woman Creek...Monument locals...story behind this?

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I've gotta say Monument...you've got some good riding down your way. I'll be back. Awesome morning to be out...just beat the rain and was able to get home just in time to bring my ladies some lunch.