09 July 2015

Stardate 2015.521

Southern end of Horsetooth Reservoir

MS 150

Thank you MS 150 donators! You're all awesome!

Each year Snowcatcher and I receive very generous amounts of money for Multiple Sclerosis. A large portion of the money comes from blog readers. The donations allow us to take part in a fundraiser bike ride known as the MS 150. The bike ride is an overnight out and back from the asphalt and concrete of Denver suburb Westminster, through rolling farmlands, ending for the evening at Colorado State University in Fort Collins – my undergrad alma mater. The following Sunday, we ride back to the Denver metro area.

This year's ride was hot and dry. I especially enjoyed the steep grades around Horsetooth Reservoir, just west of Fort Collins. As a student, I logged many miles on these roads, and I always enjoy visiting them for another ride.


Masonville water (and snowcone) stop

Saturday's water stop just before tackling the hills around Horsetooth Reservoir. At this point, ambient Fahrenheits were getting excited as well.


Southern end of Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth Reservoir


Steep grades above Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth Reservoir sits between a hogback and the foothills of the Front Range. It took 4-earthen dams to build the reservoir. Above is the southernmost dam. You also can see the road ramp-up 12 to 15 percent. The road onto each dam is similar. The steep grades are not overly long. Yet, when you already have 70-miles on your legs for the day, the climbs kind of hurt. Back in the late 90s, I set the fastest speed I've ever attained on a bike down the northernmost dam. I clocked 63 miles per hour.


Fort Collins, Colorado

The Colorado State University campus is center to left center of the photo.


MS 150 bike Corral, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

The MS 150 bike corral is for parking bikes overnight. Supposedly, they're babysat throughout the evening. However, when we arrived early Sunday morning, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Sorry, I couldn't resist.


My steed

It's been another busy spring and summer for my steed. Over the last handful of years, she's logged 16,265 miles.


Sunday lunch stop

Sunday's lunch stop provided a short respite from the sun. At the height of the day's ride, this stop will be standing room only.


Front Range meets prairie

Colorado's northern Front Range rises high above a small sampling of America's breadbasket.


One more little incline

How about one more hill, just for fun?


Final cruise to the finish

How about one more downhill, just for fun? This little coast deposited us at the finish line.

That's it for now. I think I'll put the road bike out to pasture for awhile and saddle up the mountain bike. Alpine flowers will be coming on shortly; there's a hint of down the road.

Thanks again to all of you who contributed to our cause!

Later gator!

Adios

4 comments:

  1. Gosh, first person in the bike corral, one of the first twenty to the lunch stop... you're amazing, you speedy Lizard!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wanted to make sure my bike spent the afternoon in the shade. :)

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  2. Oh, this post makes me homesick for Colorado and Bike MS - if you can be homesick for a place that is not your home. Horsetooth always looks so blue and cool, especially after those hot climbs. I think I also probably hit my top (solo) speed going down one of those grades, though not having a computer it's hard to say for sure.

    That final climb into Westminster wouldn't be so bad if only there were some patches of shade....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've made arrangements to have tea and discuss MS 150 shade concerns with the shade Gods.

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