Ride the Rockies 2015: Day Seven - Hardscrabble Pass and Finish!

The finish line in Westcliffe framed by the Sangre de Cristo mountains
(photo shamelessly borrowed from Phil Cernanec)

Miles ridden today: 47.2

Elevation gain: 4,281 feet

Time in saddle: 4 hours, 35 mins

Final total of miles ridden: 474.42

Final total of elevation gain: 31,217 feet

Final total of time in saddle: 39 hours, 35 mins

I did it!!

On the seventh day, I am told, God rested.  On the seventh day of Ride the Rockies, cyclists pedaled to the 9,085 feet high summit of Hardscrabble Pass. 

As mountain passes go in Colorado, this one isn’t so bad. But it was still approximately a 4,000 feet climb from where we started in Cañon City – which equates to a similar climb up Cottonwood Pass on Thursday, just with more oxygen!

Hardscrabble is an unusual climb because the steepest part with switchbacks is not at the top, but in the middle section of the road up.  It actually flattens out a bit as you near the top.  The biggest challenges today were sun and heat (temperatures in the 90s) and the simple fact that after six days of

Busy car and bike traffic on the way up Hardscrabble

riding, my legs were plain tired! Without an aid station halfway up, many riders found themselves rationing water intake which can be dangerous Many cyclists ‘sagged’ in one of the RTR support vehicles.  I was thankful to the Davis Phinney Foundation support people that offered water to any riders who passed by.

At the top of the pass, I was rewarded with spectacular views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, views that continued to improve during the quick descent down the pass and the ride to the finish line.

Farm for sale on Hardscrabble

I rode into the small town of Westcliffe, the Ride the Rockies final destination, shortly after 12:30 p.m.  What a great welcome the people of Westcliffe provided.  Main Street was lined with signs and decorations with townsfolk ringing cowbells and honking horns. I thought I was taking a video on my way in, but somehow I must have hit the ‘stop’ button in all my excitement!

There was a street fair with live music and outstanding food and drink awaiting all the riders, all with the sensational backdrop of the Sangre de Cristos. It was a festive and fitting way to end a fabulous week.

Things I learned from my week Riding the Rockies

1)    It’s all mental. As tired as my leg, back and shoulder muscles got at various points during the week, there was nothing on the ride I couldn’t accomplish physically.  Being out with my bike for up to 11 hours a day and climbing steep mountain passes is a challenge of mind over matter. If you think you can….

2)    Sunburn on the lips is no fun.  Use stronger SPF more often next time.

3)    Crested Butte wins the best, most fun, town award.

4)    Never let a bee get inside your cycling shirt.  One little guy can do great damage.

5)    Sleep was surprisingly elusive. There was one night I crashed hard (following the Grand Mesa ride). On other nights, I was surprised to find myself awake at odd hours thinking about the day ahead.

6)    More than rain or heat, the hardest element to deal with is wind.  A strong headwind sucks morale quicker than anything.

7)    It paid to have an expired driver’s license.  It won me a free RTR T-shirt in a corny contest.

8)    Emotions ran the full gamut during the week: laughter, tears, frustration, anger, elation, relief, fear.  It was without a doubt a roller coaster ride.

9)    No one, and I repeat, no one looks good in cycling shorts.

10) My lasting overall sense is one of gratitude:  gratitude to have a job where I can take a week to do this, gratitude to have a 48 year old mind and body that CAN do this, gratitude to have met all kinds of people from all kinds of places along the ride, gratitude for all the amazing support in calls, texts, Facebook comments, etc. all week long from so many, gratitude for James’ jovial company for much of the way, gratitude for the loving support of Emma and Leah, and overwhelming gratitude for Steph and all the support and love she gave me this week and gives me every minute of every day. 

The legendary flapjack man who serves all-you-can-eat
pancakes and sausage at the first rest stop of every day.
The last day was my only day to partake - yum!

The top of Hardscrabble Pass

Sangre de Cristos in the distance from the top of the pass

The final day's ride

My welcome sign from Emma when I got home!

Gratitude from the Third Grade

Last day of school today.  The third graders at Friends’ School sent me home with a collection of thank you notes they had written after I helped them with their end-of-year play, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach.

As a head of school, I don’t have as much contact with students as I once did during my twenty years in the classroom, so I cherished my time in rehearsals with the third grade.  They did an outstanding job and the play turned out wonderfully.  The thank you notes contained some great lines:

“Thank you for helping me with the play.  I learned a lot about being loud!”

“Steve, you really can direct.  You showed me how to change in my costume really fast.”

“Thank you so much for hepping me with all my lines and were to stand and when to talk. You heped make me a akter.”  (We’re still working on spelling in 3^rd grade.)

“Thank you for helping me with my accent.”

“I learned what stage left and stage right is.”

“Dear Steve, Hey Steve, Thank you for making me the best silkworm ever.”

“What I learned is that you don’t want to talk too fast because the audience won’t understand you.”

“Thank you soooo much.  It was my favorite play ever.”

And my two favorites:

“Thank you for being a good person.” (Wow!)

And this one from a girl who was at a different school last year:


“Dear Steve, you rock.  Sorry I just HAD to say that.  Thank you so so much for helping us with the play!  You the best directer and your way nicer than my old princable Mr Neil.  He’s all gloomy but your all nice and chill.”

So now you know - I’m one chill princable.  Happy summer, kids!

Thank You!

A Collection of Essays on Life, Teaching, Parenting and Finding the Good in this Crazy World passed a milestone today.  One of you out there was the 10,000th visitor.  Thanks for dropping by.

I posted my first essay Tradition on October 23, 2008.  In just under three years, up until August 2011, there were 5,000 visitors to this site.  Since the beginning of August, in the last five months, another 5,000 people have swung by.  

My hope and goal is that you've lingered a while, read a few words which may make you think, laugh, reflect, smile, offer a different perspective, and perhaps you've even shared with others.

Thanks for visiting.  You are appreciated.

Steve

A Few Gentle Thoughts

It feels like it’s been a good weekend.  Had dinner with friends, finished up a creative project I’d been meaning to do for some time, took the train downtown to walk with friends to help raise money to find a cure for juvenile diabetes, cleaned the house a little, read the New York Times magazine, didn’t do some work for school that I probably should have done, took my girls out for ice cream, helped with a little homework, now heading this evening to a friend’s birthday party armed with some decent wine.  Nothing spectacular, but all good things.

           

Yet there is a feeling of emptiness and loss.  It’s September 11, the ten year anniversary.  While I did not know anyone directly who was killed in the attacks, it has effected us all deeply and I mourn.  On Friday I learned that a friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Today I heard a parent at my former school committed suicide.  The papers have reported in detail the usual collection of tragedy from around the world, and I have been thinking a lot about a local story about a young college student, no one I knew, whose leg were severed after she failed to jump onto a moving train.

It’s tough to make sense of it all.  I feel so fortunate and blessed in my life and yet around us all tough things continue to baffle us.  Why these events?  Why my friend?  Why now?  Why not me?  There’s not much I can do.  So much is out of my control.  So I continue to show love, to be present for my loved ones wherever and whenever possible, to take a little breathing time for myself, and to feel immense gratitude always for the amazing relationships in my life.  For my partner, for my daughters, for my family, for my friends, for my colleagues, for living where I live. 

We should all be so lucky.