Six days, 442 miles, 5 scenic mountain passes, 2 national parks, 1 century option and 24,937 vertical ft. of climbing. That is what I just signed up for. Now comes the waiting part. Registering for
Ride the Rockies is a lottery system so I won't know if I am in until next Friday, March 2. But now that I have registered I want in more than ever. After two years off I am once again Ready to Rock!
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| Patty and Kris of Team DFL on RTR 2005 |
The first year I entered the lottery for RTR (2005) my friend David signed us up. I have to be honest, I was a little scared. When we got the letter notifying us we were in I was very scared. Living in KC at the time I wasn't sure I could handle the altitude or the mileage. I had never ridden more than 150 miles in a two day stretch. That year RTR average 75 miles/per day for six straight days!
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| The 2005 finish line in Breckenridge! |
I'll never forget my first RTR. It was such an amazing experience riding over 12,000 ft. passes by day and partying every night, showering in school locker rooms and camping out, and making new friends like Kris and Patty (Team DFL), Jeff, Nick, Woody, Skinny Dennis and Paul the Pilot (Team Bar2Bar), and Bob (Team Bob). Reaching the finish line that year will always rank among one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life.
Over those five years I checked off epic climbs like Grand Mesa (10,800 ft.), Monarch pass (11,312), Independence pass(12,095), and Cottonwood pass (12,126) while experiencing awesome Colorado towns like Aspen, Salida, Leadville, Pagosa Springs, Glenwood Springs, and many more.
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| I hope to see my democrat friend Bob on the ride this year :) |
This year the ride will traverse the Rocky Mountains from Gunnison in southern Colorado to Ft. Collins near the Wyoming border, passing through Hotchkiss, Carbondale, Leadville, Granby and Estes Park. For the first year I am registering with my friends from Team Bar2Bar. The name is pretty much self-explanatory. It will be another epic adventure...if we get in. Wish us luck.
Ride on!
Daren
