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MechEngDropout
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Joined: 27 Jun 2003
Posts: 10474
Location: Off the grid
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 Posted: 06/19/04 - 00:20 Post subject: Colorado (with pics)
Well the drive was about 18 hours, and I'm still tired as heck so I'll keep this short. Got there about 9 in the morning on Monday and just slept and went around Colorado Springs for the day. The weather was great! Temps in the mid 70's and clear. Tuesday morning we went mountain biking at a trail around a reservoir up in the mountains. Justin, our host for the trip, decided to go to this trail first because it would be the least technical of the trails we were to be riding. The trail was great... real mountain biking, with real mountains! The trail started with about a mile and a half of pure downhill which was basically an access road down to the real loop around the reservoir. Fun as heck, flying down the hill in highest gear, bunny hopping over eroded channels. The trail was in great shape and it really wasn't technical at all except a few spots in the woods and a few spots with narrow rock passes and things I just can't traverse on a bike. I impressed myself with my climbing ability and overall fitness. I thought the thin air was going to make it very hard, but aside from having to stop to catch my breath after a few of the really long uphills, it really wasn't a problem while on the trail. Did the whole loop, 14 miles, at 9000+ feet. Fast forward to 4 am the next morning, altitude sickness strikes and I'm running a fever and can't keep food down (not that I was even hungry, but I tried to eat) all day Wednesday. I pretty much stayed in bed all day and rested, which was kinda lame but I wouldn't have been able to bike anyway. Thursday afternoon we tried to hit the trails again but the weather turned bad. We were out in Palmer Park which is basically on a mesa in the middle of the city. It was probably 55 degrees and raining when we first started, then lightning started striking a lot and there was no cover, so we scratched the ride and packed it up. Driving down the hill, lightning strikes 100 ft from the car. Good decision leaving that one behind. So I drove 2400 miles total and got to bike 1 day. Oh well, it was still pretty fun. Colorado Springs was awesome... I saw like 3 fat people the entire time. Seriously... these people are in shape. It seems everyone either bikes, runs, rock climbs, or something like that. Lot of bike commuters too, pretty cool.
Here are some pictures from the trail we rode:
Great view... delicious singletrack...
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TimRuns
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Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 10062
Location: Coquitlam, British Columbia
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 01:41 Post subject:
Wow! Awesome pics! Looks like a great place for mtn biking!
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akern
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Joined: 31 May 2002
Posts: 17149
Location: CTU
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 10:32 Post subject:
Nice pics! I really enjoyed Colorado Springs too. Very cool town.
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JACKED UP
PRESIDENT
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Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 21238
Location: www.johnnydu.com
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 11:09 Post subject:
Glad you had 1 good day of riding. Those pics are awesome! 
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Kimba90
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 11:42 Post subject:
You took bikes up and down those trails? (Can you tell I've never mtn biked). It looks awesome! Glad you got one good day of biking in.
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Cappy
Excelent
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Joined: 16 May 2002
Posts: 27368
Location: Spreadsheetylvania
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 12:24 Post subject:
Great picture. Looks like a nice place to ride
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GaRebelRunner
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Joined: 26 Sep 2003
Posts: 1097
Location: Tucker, GA
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 13:42 Post subject:
Great pics and scenery.
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marathonrnr262
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 14:39 Post subject:
ENVY <-----Me!
Sheldon
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bonobo
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 15:48 Post subject:
Stunning pics...I lived in Denver awhile as a kid, and I miss Colorado sooo much. I've made my desktop image "trail.jpg." :)
"brush.jpg" reminds me of one of the pics you might see in the RAVE RUN pages of Runner's World. Thanks for sharing the pics and story!
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bpdou
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Joined: 09 Apr 2004
Posts: 1713
Location: Louisville
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Posted: 06/19/04 - 16:18 Post subject:
If you look very carefully you can see my lifeless form sprawled out at the bottom of that trail...
Can't see it?
Well, that's where I WOULD be if I tried to take a bike down, or UP, that thing.
WOW some gorgeous scenery! VERY nice!
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Floridaboiler
POTFH
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Joined: 18 May 2002
Posts: 11322
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
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Posted: 06/20/04 - 08:25 Post subject:
Great report!
Fantastic Pictures. That looks like a fun place to try and ride.
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shelee
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Joined: 23 Oct 2002
Posts: 2409
Location: IN
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Posted: 06/20/04 - 13:47 Post subject:
Beautiful pictures. Sorry you only got one quality day of biking in, but it sounds as if it was an exciting day.
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purple hayes
Frightened Inmate #2
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Joined: 14 May 2002
Posts: 14462
Location: ON YOUR LEFT!
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Posted: 06/20/04 - 15:10 Post subject:
| marathonrnr262 wrote: | | ENVY <-----Me! |
 We used to vacation a lot in CO when I was a kid. I wanna go back now.
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mickeyvw98
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Joined: 03 Jun 2004
Posts: 2010
Location: Upstate NY
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Posted: 06/21/04 - 09:29 Post subject:
Wow! Wonderful pictures!!! I think I would've been one of the splats too at the bottom of the trail. 
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TriBob
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Joined: 29 Aug 2002
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Location: Lost in Transition
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Posted: 06/21/04 - 10:20 Post subject:
Great Pics!
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