So being retired now for just over three years doing a lot of daily local rides, and having gone on a weight loss and exercise program as per my Docs orders, I find that I don?t have time for both If I go ride I don?t have enough time for my 3 mile walk in the afternoon. And If I stay home and walk I miss out on a good day of local mountain riding. So I came up with a solution. I started a Ride & Hike program. Wednesday was my first outing where I took my hiking boots and my Wee Strom and head out for some of the beautiful mountain / wooded trailheads we have here. I have not been much of a hiker in recent years. My Son has tried to get me to go hiking with him a few times but I always had some other thing to do. (Like GORIDE). So any way, a lot of our trail heads are on or at the end of dirt roads. Which makes the Wee a perfect bike for this Ride & Hike Program I stared out by riding up ST. Vrain Canyon, outside of Lyons Colorado. Highway 7. This is one of the best 20 mile rides one can have, as the pavement is smooth and free of sand and other road debris. Also the turns are high speed curves with no major surprises. If you catch it right, about 8:30 to 9am during the week, traffic is very light to no traffic at all. I love riding this road.
Got to the top and headed for Overland Road which is dirt and the ST. Vrain trail head is off of Overland road about 2 or 3 miles in. This is where I did my first hike. A two mile hike down the mountain along the ST Vrain Creek to a jeep road and then turned around and hiked back UP the mountain for 2 miles, back to the trail head and the bike. After the Hike and some recovery time I just played around on dirt mountain roads and some nice paved mountain residential roads. There was some sand on the pavement so I had to temper my riding a bit. Think I will be doing this again and get into this Ride & Hike more into the Spring and Summer By the way todays temperatures were in the high 60 ?s to low 70?s. Can?t ask for a better November. Day
Here are some pics of today adventure.
Got to the top and headed for Overland Road which is dirt and the ST. Vrain trail head is off of Overland road about 2 or 3 miles in. This is where I did my first hike. A two mile hike down the mountain along the ST Vrain Creek to a jeep road and then turned around and hiked back UP the mountain for 2 miles, back to the trail head and the bike. After the Hike and some recovery time I just played around on dirt mountain roads and some nice paved mountain residential roads. There was some sand on the pavement so I had to temper my riding a bit. Think I will be doing this again and get into this Ride & Hike more into the Spring and Summer By the way todays temperatures were in the high 60 ?s to low 70?s. Can?t ask for a better November. Day
Here are some pics of today adventure.