Bob Cook Memorial Mount Evans Hill Climb July 19, 2008 A photo essay by Jeff Dieffenbach (dieffenbach @ alum.mit.edu) Citizens bib 1215
back to portfolio | back to deepbrook home Mount Evans, rising 14,240 feet above sea level just south of Idaho Springs CO, claims the world's highest paved road. It is likely that the asphalt was still solidifying when the first cyclist took note of this "highest." The climb became a race in 1962 as the Mount Evans Hill Climb. Several excellent graphical views and text descriptions of the ride are available. Map with elevation profile Map with course description Grade by section Photographs My friend and Sopris West Educational Services colleague Holly Bell and I pulled into Idaho Springs CO a bit after 6:30am. The temperature hovered perfectly around 60 degrees under a crisp blue sky. We set up our bikes, mine a sweet Serotta Fierte demo from Wheat Ridge Cyclery (I left my Specialized Comp Roubaix from Landry's Bicycles in Natick MA behind) and hers a sweeter Orbea Diva, and pedaled the short distance to the start at Clear Creek Middle School (elevation: 7,555'). The ride for our category, named the Citizen's Fun Ride by someone either wholly with or without a sense of irony, began at 7:30am. The first seven or so miles of gentle climbing provided a great leg-loosening warm-up for riders grouped by gender and age (19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and for the men, 60-69 and 70+). The pack quickly spread out--I had an excellent view of much of it for a while, including one or two clearly demented riders on large, fixed-gear unicycles. At 7 miles, the incline notched up a bit. Around the 8-9 mile mark, the PA on the lead vehicle for the elite Pro 1-2 category requested that we Citizens stay right. A lead rider on the attack blew past, then a few seconds later, a small peleton of the genetically gifted. They weren't long for my world, the co-winners Kevin Nicol and Ian MacGregor finishing in 1:53:21.
Our first flat stretch, short though it was, came at Echo Lake at the race's midpoint, 10,600 feet above sea level.
The flat, and a sizable group of encouragement-yelling spectators, provided a boost just as the grade took another turn upwards through the Mount Evans park entrance. As the climb progressed, the large pines flanking the road became smaller pines and then no pines at all. A sharp drop on one side of the road or the other replaced the trees as the frequency of switchbacks increased. With the trees gone, the next milestone ahead, was Summit Lake (12,830'), and the much-needed descent leading up to it.
Summit Lake marks the 5 miles to go point, with yet another increase in grade but mixing in one short but relatively steep descent that would provide later consternation.
The beauty of the pines gave way to the spectacular vistas above the tree line.
With these vistas came a relentless series of staircase switchbacks brutally viewable from below.
With 4 miles to go, the ride changed for me from one of strength and stamina to one of stubbornness. Well-equipped in the latter regard, I crossed the finish line in what would eventually be recorded as an official time of 3:50:27. Going into the ride, I had only the results from prior years to guide my expectations. I set high noon (4 hours, 30 minutes) as a goal, and was pleased to break 4 hours. Having edged me by more than three-quarters of an hour, I was buoyed by Holly's greeting. Literally buoyed--after dismounting, my legs might not have had the strength to hold me were it not for her steadying support. After a few minutes, though, I felt fine, if sore, and ready to snap some souvenir photographs.
A note on the last picture in the cluster above--I shot it for friend, co-worker, and admitted bicycle terminology neophyte Geoff Horsfall's benefit to show what a triple crank set looks like (triple referring to the small third gear). I'm not sure that I would have finished the ride were it not for this unassuming piece of metal. It was only after the fact that Holly pointed out the price tag on my demo! After 30 minutes enjoying the summit, we put on our warm clothes (taken to the top by support vehicle) and started the descent. Knowing that Holly's pace would be substantially faster than mine, we arranged to meet at the awards ceremony/lunch taking place back at Clear Creek Middle School. Climbing--especially at altitude--may be hard for this sea-level rider from Massachusetts (that said, come on out and take a stab at New Hampshire's 7.6 mile Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Climb, with its average 12%/max 22% grade a try!), but I really don't like descents. And I really really don't like descents where my side of the road falls away down hundreds of feet of rocky cliff. Cursing myself for not trying to catch a ride with one of the many support vehicles, I nonetheless made it in about an hour, hugging the centerline much of the way and being passed on the right by far more capable downhillers. The 'later consternation' to which I referred above came in the form of having to walk my bike up the short but too steep climb before reaching Summit Lake. In my defense, I did manage to ride the more gentle climb immediately after the lake. My descending confidence grew as I gained familiarity with the bike, dropped below the tree line, and reached the flatter grades at Echo Lake. Over the last seven miles, I was even able to stop riding the brakes (my hands being too sore at that point to squeeze them anyway), put the Serotta in top gear, and pedal. By this time, the heat of the midday sun was pounding down on the windless valley (and my black fleece and black full-fingered winter riding gloves), a far cry from the chill of the summit. Lunch consisted of water, chips, and cold cut sandwiches that we made ourselves in the cafeteria lunch line (picture grade school--it was exactly like that). Results were posted--initially, I couldn't find my name, then located it with a finish time an hour earlier than what I'd actually turned in. Tempting as it was to leave it and the apparent middle-of-the-pack finish, I ended up having to protest my own finish to get it corrected. My prize? One of the coveted Bob Cook Memorial Mount Evans Hill Climb riding jerseys given to all riders. I ended up finishing an impressive 97th out of 102 (118 starters). I would have had to gain 2 1/2 minutes to slip past the two cyclists tied at 94th-—that might have been doable, but it’s not quite like pushing it to crack the top 3. I note that had I been racing in the 30-39 category, I would have finished 65th of 69—almost identical to how I did in my 40-49 class. And, I would have taken 15th out of 15 had I been in the 19-29 category, but only 30 seconds behind the 14th place finisher. In fact, my finish position didn’t change much in the 50-59 or 60-69 categories either. I note with great pride, however, that I would have taken first in the 70+ category, by 22 minutes. Milan Stolka, that category’s winner and only entrant, rocks! Holly finished an impressive 5th out of 13 (15 starters) with a time of 3:03:39. And Univesity of Nebraska professor and Sopris West author Ron Nelson turned in an impressive 2:54:23. Nicely done all! Riding Mount Evans was by far the most difficult physical task I've ever undertaken. My thanks to Holly for thinking me up to the challenge and helping me learn something new about myself. And my thanks to Jennifer for the training rides that put me in a position to make the undertaking possible.