Day 39: Longmont, CO to Estes Park, CO

• Distance: 47.56 mi
• Elevation: 3,566 ft
• Dedication: Martha Riedel and Aunt Carol
• Ride group: Bailey, Tori, and Glenn, then Bailey and Grace
• Host: Estes ProActive Fitness

Today we finally did the thing we’ve been fearing/awaiting for months: we entered the Rocky Mountains! The anticipation was palpable this morning from the moment we woke up as the sun started to light up the mountains to the point we rolled out from our first water stop and embarked on our first climb of the day.

Aside from the part where we scaled mountains, this ride was a little different from typical 4K days because we were riding in much smaller groups. We decided to pair off into climbing partners based on preferred pace today so that no one would be left behind. This is also safer than having groups of 4+ riders spread out on roads that often do not have a lot of room for cars to pass.

I was partnered with Bailey this morning, but since our first 20 miles were more or less flat we joined up with Glenn and Tori until the first water stop. There, we picked up Grace, whose climbing partner was racking until a later point in the ride. I don’t think we were actually there that long but it felt like forever that we were waiting to finally start riding up into the mountains.

Just a few miles past the stop we were suddenly surrounded by beautiful rock formations, slowly climbing up along the Big Thompson River. Maggie was in the van today and drove ahead before circling back to the water stop, and before we left she told me “don’t forget to look up.” I took that to heart and spent most of the ride staring up in awe at the mountains. We all cried a little bit as we overcome by how beautiful our surroundings are and the fact that we had really gotten here on our bikes. Gratitude was the theme of the day!

I was extremely grateful to be riding with Bailey and Grace, both of whom have been dealing with some pretty serious knee injuries. We decided that our group was going to go as slow as we wanted and set zero expectations other than reaching the top. At times they got frustrated by their pain and slow pace, but we kept reminding each other that we had all day to do a 47-mile ride. It didn’t matter that we were the last group to reach the top, all that mattered was that we got there. We also have a much more challenging ride tomorrow, so we took advantage of the fact that we could go as slowly as we wanted, enjoy the views, and give our bodies some slack.

The climbs today were absolutely absurd (my Garmin shows a color-graded map of elevation for steep climbs, and we unlocked a new color today that I had never seen before) but the support from the team today was absolutely incredible. We were cheered, supported, and pushed by other groups that passed us while we took breaks on the shoulder, by Maggie and Briana in the water van, and by the entire team as we summited the last climb. A few riders even rode back down to meet our group and help get us up the last mile. As hard as the ride was, I couldn’t stop smiling at the top. Endorphins were high!

Personally, this was my best day on the 4K yet. I had an awesome group, saw the most incredible sights, and felt so much better than I expected. It’s one thing to drive through this area but to bike it, seeing all of the mountains up close and feeling cool pockets of air come up off the river beneath you, is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I will be hard-pressed to ever do anything cooler or more fulfilling in my life. We joked today that we are peaking, literally!

And, of course, the best part of peaking: coasting back down the other side. We descended into Estes Park with full and happy hearts. We also passed the Stanley Hotel, which inspired The Shining‘s Overlook Hotel after Stephen King stayed there!

We planned to camp at a park this evening but were able to secure housing at a small fitness center instead. It was a bit of a hassle to unpack, eat lunch and dinner at the park, and then reload all of our stuff and relocate, but I am grateful to not be sleeping in a tent for a third night (especially because that tent would have been in a baseball field…). I enjoy camping but never feel well-rested after camping on 4K. I am also super grateful for the shower I took at the park’s recreation center, which was even better than the one yesterday at Planet Fitness!

I’m currently blogging from a laundromat where I’m washing at least half of the clothes I brought on this trip and trying not to fall asleep. Hopefully it’ll be an early night to rest up for what will likely be our most challenging ride yet: Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved road in the US!

Until tomorrow,

Lauren