Tour de Front Range - Jersey Ceremony

This past week 23 riders showed up at the White Ranch trailhead near Golden, Colorado to begin an urban epic coined The Tour de Front Range. Of those 23 riders (many of who where part of the A-list of mountain bike racing) only 7 persevered and finished the ride. These seven riders pedaled over 52 miles, climbed 9,209 ft, and they did all of it on a sunny day with temps in the 90 degree range.

All Grand Tours have special jerseys that symbolize special achievements. Well the Tour de Front Range is no different. This year we are providing virtual jerseys to our finishers.

The Tour de Front Range, unlike other Grand Tours, does not have a yellow jersey. Instead, All jerseys have a yellow stripe. The yellow represents the spirit of the Tour and no one person can harness that. All riders that are honored with a jersey have the spirit and for that reason all jerseys have a yellow stripe.

The Jerseys:

Red Polka Dot - Richard Eddy: The climbs are what make the Tour de Front Range a challenge. The steep, loose rock trails make the Front Range a suffer fest. The hill climbs are difficult when you have a support system of other riders. Take that support system away and it is just the rider and the mountain, which is enough to make grown men cry. After lunch, Richard rode the final climbs solo, determined to finish the Tour. Richard took on these solo ascents in 90 degree heat, and a full face mask helmet. Richard was driven to finish and he did so with great style; earning him the Polka Dot jersey.

Green - Chris Plesko: Aggressive riding is what the color represent. However, Chris was not aggressive in the sense of bumping elbows with fellow riders. His aggression took the form of doubling the number of miles he rode. At the trailhead before the ride, I asked Chris how many miles he had already ridden. He casually replied, "Forty miles and I plan on riding all of this." At the lunch break Chris had a stifling 60 miles and over 10,000 ft of vertical climbing. And in Morrison he was only ten miles short of a century. He opted to ride to the restaurant in order to hit the century mark. By the end of the day, Chris rode over 100 miles and 13,000 vertical feet of elevation. Chris, you deserve this jersey!

White - Bill Henderson: The white jersey represents the best performance by a first time Tour de Front Range participant. Bill gets this honor due to a comment that he made at lunch. When asked how he was feeling, he said, "I feel great! This is the longest ride I've ever done." When asked if he meant the longest ride this year, he replied, "No... Ever!" Bill has cycling in his genes and even when the Tour finished in Morrison, Bill kept on riding his bike and rode to the restaurant to enjoy Mexican Food. Well done, Bill!

Blue - Scott Zarret: The Blue jersey is worn by the man who puts down the most amount of liquid. The heat was a big factor and Scott complained about a headache during the lunch break at Matthews/Winters. Filling up his camel back, he hit the trail again to ride Red Rocks and Morrison Slide. By the time he started the base of Mount Falcon his camel back was again empty! After the Tour, Scott was unable to join us for the post ride Mexican food because of a concert he was going to attend, where he would put down even more liquid libations.

Gray - Jim Bergman: The Gray jersey is worn by the rider with diesel like commitment to the ride. Once the engine is wound up and running smooth, Jim did not want to take a break. Jim finished the Tour with a diesel like pace that he could have maintained for another hundred miles if he wanted. Even when stopping for lunch, Jim did not dismount his bike. He stood there, straddling his bike, ready to ride for 15 minutes. Like a diesel locomotive, there was no slowing Jim down once he gained momentum.

Black - Steve Sieders & Tony Shouse: Two riders share this jersey. This rider represents those riders that with stealth like ability finish the ride without me getting a chance to know them better. These dedicated riders flew under my radar, attacked the Tour de Front Range course, and came out smiling at the end. Before going into Stealth mode Steve could be heard at the white Ranch trailhead encouraging the men into battle by blowing on the duck call that was attached to his bike. Tony, only came out of stealth mode long enough to introduce himself at lunch. Without lunch he rode towards the finish with the same diesel like determination as Jim. To both these stealth riders, I salute you! You did a great ride!

To all the finishers, wear these (virtual) jerseys with pride! You have earned them and you will forever be immortalized in the annals of the Tour de France history as men that took on the challenge and made it look easy...

Colorado 14er - Torreys Peak Summit

Torreys Peak
Elevation: 14,267'
Here are a couple highlights of my hike to Torreys Peak on September 12, 2007

Totem Pole Celebration

"Grown men can learn from very little children for the hearts of the little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss."
~ Black Elk

Today I spent time with my family at a Totem Pole Dedication & Celebration. An event which included a free lunch, a fun inflatable playground for the kids, and entertainment by Native American dancers. It was an enjoyable way to spend the early afternoon with my family.

Totem Poles are symbolic. What is the symbolism of these polls?

• The Watchman - They are placed on a totem to guard and watch for trouble. The rings on his conical hat are symbols of inner wealth.
• The Coyote - A crest of the Raven, known for its stealth and cunning on the hunt, it's an honor to have coyote as a protector.
• The Eagles Nest - An eagles crest with two eaglets standing on the rim of a nest. Often used to depict a persons "oneness or closeness" with their children.
• The Frog - One legend says when earth was born sun was in the bottom of the sea. The world was dark. Thunderbird wanted to bring sun into the sky, but could not hold his breath to the bottom of the sea. Frog with his long arms brought sun to the surface so Thunderbird could bring sun into the sky, so there would be light all over the world.
• The Raccoon Holding Fish - Raccoon is equally at home in rural or forested areas. With a dark mask, he is unperturbed. He is here holding onto fish.

• The Wolf - The wolf spirit is the crest of the Raven clan. Known for its stealth and cunning on the hunt, it's an honor to have Wolf as a protector on this pole.
• The Haida Eagle - They claimed their Eagle was the most powerful and useful because it could fly higher than any other bird and could detect an enemy at great distance. Here in Eagle's chest sits the Columbine, Colorado's state flower.
• The Thunderbird - The Kwakiutl Tribe said its Thunderbird was so powerful that when it flapped its wings, there would be thunder all over the world. When it blinked its eyes there would be lightning and it had claws so powerful it could lift an attacking enemy off its feet.
• The Beaver - This industrious animal was famous for his energy and craftsmanship. Beaver is readily identified by two large incisor teeth and round nostrils. He is here holding a stick showing he will always be building and improving.

• The Owl - This great bird is placed on this totem to grant wisdom.
• The Turtles - In the beginning there was only water. These magical turtles dove to the bottom of the sea and dug a very large hole. They then crawled into the hole and raised up a very large piece to the surface, thus giving the people a place on earth.
• The Fox - His ability to hunt and hide was an inspiration to every tribe.
• The Bear - A Raven crest, he was so strong he could destroy another tribe, so powerful, he could turn into a warrior and do battle.

Symbolism of the totem courtesy of City of Westminster

Colorado 14er - Grays Peak Summit

Grays Peak

Elevation: 14,270 ft

I spent yesterday hiking Grays and Torreys Peaks. Believe it or not this is the first fourteener I've successful hiked! Here are couple highlights of Grays Peak.

Summit a 14er or Bust!

A little over a year ago my brother and I set out on a hike that would take us to the top of Longs Peak. The night before we hiked it the first snow of the year hit the mountain making all the routes extremely technical due to the layer of snow and ice that covered the stony path to the summit.

We made it past the boulder field and through the keyhole, but once on the other side of the keyhole snow and ice got really bad, forcing us, and many other hikers to submit to the mountain, give up, and go home.

Since then I've wanted to revisit the mountain. I had planned to hike it tomorrow with my brother. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen.

I recently injured one of my ribs, leaving me in a lot of pain when I try to breath, laugh, sneeze, cough, etc. I figured climbing the boulder field, which required some arms and legs would be a bit much.

Plus, when I called the Back Country Ranger Station to get conditions for the mountain; they reported that all routes on Longs Peak have snow and are are now classified as "technical."

Well, I won't be hiking Longs tomorrow. Instead, I'll be hiking Grays and Torreys.

The weather is suppose to be beautiful so I hope to get some great pictures while I'm up there.

I just finished packing my backpack. I'm only carrying the bare minimum to keep the pack light and to keep some of the pressure from the backpack off my ribs.

Tomorrow will be one of the few times I look forward to waking up early on a work day. Instead of work I'll be enjoying a beautiful day in the high country! With any luck I'll double my goal of hiking just one 14er this year and summit both Grays and Torreys.

*Image of Longs Peak taken during my summit attemp last year.

2007 TdFR - History of the Tour - Part I

The Unauthorized History of the Tour de Front Range - The Beginning

It all started a few short years ago when a few men had a dream of creating a ride that would ensnare the senses, capture the spirit, and demand the utmost respect from riders that dare take on their challenge. Their challenge was known as the Tour de Front Range.

In part one of this unauthorized history of the TdFR; we visit the roots of this epic event held every September.

During the summer of 2004, two men (Kyle and Stu) sat in a living area and drank beer. A lot of beer. As they drank, they began to think about all the great trails at their access. As most dreamers do, they started using their mind's eye to connect those wonderful trails.

Most dreams come up with ideas to find solutions that make things easier and less burdensome. These two had different plans. They began to plan a ride that was not easy. In fact the purpose of this course would be to ride as many trails as they could, while riding as little pavement as possible. Plus, because they were a bit drunk, they wanted the pain factor included in the ride as well.

Those that understand mountain biking, understand why they wanted the pain factor. With pain comes a sense of satisfaction once the pain is over. With this in mind; they planned the first ever Tour de Front Range.

After a long long night of drinking the men decided on the course and went their separate ways.

Tune in next time for Part II of the Unauthorized history of the Tour de Front Range entitled "Then there were three."

Learn more about this urban epic coined "The Tour de Front Range" by visiting the 2007 TdFR forum on TrailCentral.

Fall is Coming

"Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees."
~ David Letterman

Fortunately, I live in Colorado.

2007 Winter Park MTB Series Maps Added to TrailCentral

The 2007 race courses used for the WP MTB series have been added to TrailCentral.com.

If you raced the complete series as a sport rider; your series stats would look like this:

Series Total Distance: 98.74 miles
Series Ascent Total: 52.03 miles
Series Flat Total: .33 miles
Series Descent Total: 46.39 miles

Series Minimum Elevation: 8,758'
Series Maximum Elevation: 11,222'
Series Total Elevation Gain: 17,823'
Series Total Elevation Loss: 15,545'

Note: The above is based on GPS data and not official course data from EpicSingletrack.com.


Analyse each course individually on TrailCentral:

Hill Climb Kick-off (Link)
Mountain Circuit (Link)
Cross Country Super Loop (Link)
Valley Point-to-Point (Link)
Cross Country (Link)
King of the Rockies (Link)

Thanks to Curt (cwilhelm) and EpicSingletrack.com for helping make the trail listings for these courses complete on TrailCentral.com.

Bathroom Business

A lot of business takes place in a mens bathroom. I mean to say that more than just your typical "bathroom" business happens there. I'm talking about real honest work.

I'm guessing that the mens restroom takes second place only to the water cooler in terms of spontaneous meetings with co-workers. The only difference that I see between the two is that when you are around the water cooler, the topics tend to stray from business and it becomes a break. Whereas, in a restroom, you stick to the topic. The only reason a man is going to be caught talking to another man while in the restroom is because of business. For this very reason topics in the restroom are very business focused.

I'm not sure if the womens restroom is equally as productive, but I assure you that when men appear to be taking a long time in the bathroom it may not be because they had Mexican food and a lot of beer the previous night and their stomach is upset. They may be hashing a business plan with their co-worker or boss.

The reason I bring this topic up is because I was part of an impromptu business meeting in the mens restroom today.

In restroom meeting etiquette it is OK to begin a conversation after the facilities have been used and you are washing your hands. At that point, if you feel it necessary to continue talking; only a few small steps backwards are needed to allow room for other restroom patrons to wash their hands after their "load balancing" has been completed, so to speak.

Our meeting ran longer than the typical hand wash so it was imperative that my co-worker, boss, and I take a few steps back from the sink.

I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe and I believe a person should wash their hands no matter what kind of business they have done in the restroom. I typically - when not in a meeting - will wash my hands, dry my hands with a paper towel, grab a fresh paper towel and wrap it around the handle to avoid contact with any germs that may have collected on the door handle. Some may call me paranoid, but I have just cause for doing this.

During my meeting I had a clear view of the restroom sinks. As I participated in the discussion I couldn't help but notice the hand washing practices of others that use the restroom.

Let me give you a few examples of the types of people I saw:

Guy #1 - I don't wash my hands guy." This is the kind of guy that will zip up and head straight to the door. Leaving his germs on the handle. I cringe whenever I witness it. I want to remind these people to wash their hands, as if they have forgotten, but I'm not that bold.

Guy #2 - "My body is a temple guy." This guy washed his hands before he used the restroom; as if his hands were too dirty to do his business. After he used the facilities I noticed this guy looking at himself in the mirror, never washing his hands before leaving. Again, leaving his germs on the handle and most likely picking up a few germs from Guy #1.

Guy #3 - "Extreme germ-a-phobe guy." This guy came into the restroom with the sole purpose of cleaning his hands. He scrubbed his hands, dried them, and then bare handed reached for the same handle that guy #1 and #2 had touched. This made my stomach sink. If he only knew...

In total, the restroom meeting lasted less than 5 minutes.

Being the closest one to the door I felt it necessary to hold the door open as the three of us exited the restroom. With dry hands I reached for a paper towel, wrapped it around the handle, and opened the door.

My boss looked at me a bit oddly; as if I was a bit paranoid. However, I'm sure if he had seen what I saw in the last five minutes; he would start carrying a bottle of Lysol and a roll of paper towels everywhere he went.

I didn't bother mentioning what I witnessed. As some people say, "Ignorance is bliss."

What I'm Reading Now... "Care of the Soul" by Thomas Moore

About a month ago I had a stomach bug that left me immobile for several days. During that down time I started reading "Powder Burn" by Daniel Glick. I've since finished that book.

For me, finishing one book a year is about average. However, for some reason I've since decided to double my average and started reading a new book called "Care of the Soul" by Thomas Moore.

I started reading the book shortly after a trip to see my grandmother. My grandmother is progressing in years and to pass time she reads a lot of books. I wanted to surprise her by bringing her several new books by her favorite author, but it was difficult getting a title that she hadn't already read. Instead, I opted to take her to a bookstore so she could browse and choose several books she wanted to read.

While my grandmother browsed; so did I.

I came across a book that was called "Care of the Soul" by Thomas Moore. I didn't know anything about it, but for some reason I was drawn to the book and wanted to read it.

As I read about the author I realized that I may be biting off a bit more than a guy with a one book a year track record should. Thomas Moore is a psychotherapist with a lot of education; including a BA, two master degrees, and a Ph.D. Add twelve years of being a Catholic monk and you got yourself a guy that is going to write using big words...

Hell bent I dove head strong into the book. I'm currently a third of the way through the book and my assessment of the author using big words was 100% correct. I would be two thirds of the way through the book, but I find my self reading the same paragraph multiple times to fully understand what he writes. Like any other challenge I find myself compelled to finish even though it may not be a simple passage.

For me the concept of one's soul encompasses a vast scope and to try and understand it can be intimidating. I'm not certain that this book will enlighten me and make the scope any less vast, but I think by reading this book I'm making a conscious effort to to think about it. And truly, that is a baby step in what I feel to be the right direction.