I know we're not in Boulder anymore but I've been working on this one for a while. And hey, a girl can dream can't she?
Any cyclist will tell you that the biking in Boulder is awesome. But when we first got here, that was all we knew. Like many sports in Colorado, there are so many awesome options that it's hard to get specific suggestions when you ask people for good routes. Here are a few of our favorites. For consistency's sake they all start from the corner of Baseline and Broadway and you can assume that for the vast majority of each ride you will have a bike lane/wide shoulder and relatively minimal traffic (car, that is).
Flat Rides
1. Neva Road Loop
2. Baseline Loop
3. Hygiene Loop
This is a nice, relatively flat longer ride around the Boulder area. It rolls through farmland north of Boulder with great views of the flatirons and foothills. At the turn onto 75th (around mile 18) you can instead go left and you will immediately find yourself in the charming little town of Hygiene.
Climbs:
4. Ward
This is something like the must do climb in Boulder. The first time that we did it, we did the first route shown below as an out and back. We had camped in Meadow Park in Lyons the night before. (The campsite was great. Right on the St. Vrain river, real bathrooms, and low altitude so it was great for early summer camping when the mountains were still cold and snowy). This climb is 25 miles completely uphill and took us about 3 hrs. When we got to the top, we ate our weight in cheesy pizza and desert at the first restaurant we saw (and I'm pretty sure the only one in town) before enjoying a beautiful 45 minute pedal-less descent down the way we had come. (I couldn't believe all the beautiful scenery I had missed while cursing the pavement on the way up.)
Another way to get to Ward is up Lefthand Canyon Drive. This route is shorter and more convenient when you're leaving from Boulder. The road ends at a cute little general store where you can buy snacks and drinks to refuel for the not nearly as strenuous descent.
5. Jamestown
If you start up Lefthand with dreams of Ward but 20 minutes later decide that today may not be the day to realize that dream, take a right on James Canyon Drive and head up to Jamestown instead. If you get there before 2:00, you can even stop in town for a home-cooked breakfast. If you get there after 2:00, you absolutely cannot. There is one restaurant in this "town" and we found out when we got there at 2:15 that it stops serving at 2:00.
6. Flagstaff
Flagstaff is also a must-do Boulder climb, although not nearly as much of a time commitment as a climb to Ward is, this one is short but very steep. The whole thing only takes 45 minutes to an hour and can be done before work as a quick but intense morning workout. You can take a right at Flagstaff Summit Road and continue till the end if you want to add a little more mileage.
Epic (coming soon)
8. Tour de cute towns (Just a little all day ride that Michelle and I cooked up. Mostly an excuse to eat 5 meals in a day)
9. Carter Lake
10. Mt. Evans
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Road Trip: Boulder to Los Angeles
Unfortunately, my road trip last week went the wrong direction - back to smog central for my last year of college (whaaat????). Katie flew home from Denver, but luckily my friend, Taylor, from USC flew out from LA and drove back with me so I didn't have to brave the open road alone. I didn't get enough good video footage to put anything legitimate together, but here are the highlights:
Leadville was the first stop on the morning we left. We had breakfast at Tennessee Pass, a charming little cafe on Harrison Ave. Go. Get the breakfast sandwich on toast. It also happened to be two days before the Leadville Trail 100 ultramarathon, so we even got to chat it up with some crazy ultrarunners.
We drove for a while and ended up in Durango next. Honestly, I was dissapointed. It's a cowboy town in Southern Colorado, and while I'm sure the outdoors opportunities there are fantastic, the historic downtown area was just really touristy and overpriced.
Unsatisfied, we hit the road and made it to the Four Corners. Yeah, it's a very figurative man-made monument, but it's just kind of neat. It was worth a visit.
Next we headed to Monument Valley, Utah. Actually, we stopped in Kayenta, AZ and looked for a hotel because it was raining and we'd just driven through a lightning storm in the twilight zone for three hours, but the cheapest one was $169, a scary guy tried to sell me native american jewelery six inches from my face in the supermarket parking lot, and an exceptionally sketchy woman in a pickup truck offered me a room at her "private bed and breakfast in her private home," which I politely declined. Anyway, it didn't seem like the kind of place I wanted to spend the night, so we pitched my tent in the dark at Goulding's Campground in Monument Valley. We didn't even realize there were huge rocks around us until we woke up in the morning.
After admiring the big rocks at sunrise, we went to the Blue Coffee Pot diner in Kayenta. I'll be kind and say it was mediocre. I will give it this, though - it's cheap. Back on the road, we drove straight to the Grand Canyon (thank you, annual National Parks pass!). It was pretty much was I expected - a huge hole. I think it would've been cool to walk down in it, but we were only there for a day so we just walked around for a few hours. Pretty awesome.
Sunburt and tired, we drove to Needles, CA, where we got dinner (breakfast, actually) at the Wagon Wheel Cafe. It was SO good. SO good. We planned to camp at Lake Havasu, so we drove down there, but it was literally over 100 degrees and it was 8:30pm. Knowing we wouldn't be able to sleep and not willing to pay for a hotel, I filled up Gladys's tank and drove through the night to LA.
And here I am.
Impressions from the road trip:
Leadville was the first stop on the morning we left. We had breakfast at Tennessee Pass, a charming little cafe on Harrison Ave. Go. Get the breakfast sandwich on toast. It also happened to be two days before the Leadville Trail 100 ultramarathon, so we even got to chat it up with some crazy ultrarunners.
We drove for a while and ended up in Durango next. Honestly, I was dissapointed. It's a cowboy town in Southern Colorado, and while I'm sure the outdoors opportunities there are fantastic, the historic downtown area was just really touristy and overpriced.
Unsatisfied, we hit the road and made it to the Four Corners. Yeah, it's a very figurative man-made monument, but it's just kind of neat. It was worth a visit.
 |
| Monument Valley, UT |
 |
| Grand Canyon |
And here I am.
Impressions from the road trip:
- Everyone should drive through northern Arizona at some point to understand what complete poverty and desolation really is.
- The Wagon Wheel Cafe in Needles is freaking delicious.
- Leadville is pretty sweet.
- Havasu is hot.
Monday, August 22, 2011
What to do in Boulder with your parents
I was recently faced with a unique challenge in Boulder: entertaining my parents. I was a little bit worried about what they would do. Drive next to me while I bike? Call out my splits at the track? Eat PB&Js for dinner with me??
Luckily, it turns out that Boulder is actually very parent-friendly. Here are some things my parents liked, and yours might too.
1. Pearl Street: It's the obvious choice, of course. Parents love seeing the lively street and it's performers (my dad is still talking about "Sventastic," the juggling show), and the poor college son/daughter will undoubtedly enjoy the delicious meal on mom and dad's tab. You can't go wrong here pretty much any time of day - it's always happenin' on Pearl Street.
2. Rocky Mountain National Park: What better way to show your parents that life in Boulder is about more than weed and the bars downtown than by taking them to the national park right down the road? The options are really limitless here. If your parents are athletically inclined, you might consider a long loop starting from Bear Lake. I promise that you'll have somewhere in the range of 1,000,000 perfect photo ops for that Christmas card picture your mom worries about all year.
3. First Flatiron at Sunset: Showing off the cool views walking distance from your house is sure to impress your parents. Just leave plenty of time and remember that there is a little bit of rock scrambling involved. I almost got written out of the will for conveniently leaving that out of my description.
4. Dushanbe Tea House: Parents love the cultural richness, delicious menu, and charming setting of the famous tea house on 13th between Canyon and Arapahoe. My parents liked it so much they went back without me :(
5. Farmer's Market: Ahh the wholesome goodness of the farmer's market! Food, beer, wine, music, parks... can you say family friendly?? Go get your parents to treat you to that eight dollar salad you've been eying between trips to the Boulder Granola stand for free samples.
So there you go. Five time consuming activities to do with your parents in Boulder. I'm still working on the post "How to ditch your parents while you go on a long ride without seeming mean."
Luckily, it turns out that Boulder is actually very parent-friendly. Here are some things my parents liked, and yours might too.
1. Pearl Street: It's the obvious choice, of course. Parents love seeing the lively street and it's performers (my dad is still talking about "Sventastic," the juggling show), and the poor college son/daughter will undoubtedly enjoy the delicious meal on mom and dad's tab. You can't go wrong here pretty much any time of day - it's always happenin' on Pearl Street.
 |
| Be patient, parents tend to be very misbehaved |
3. First Flatiron at Sunset: Showing off the cool views walking distance from your house is sure to impress your parents. Just leave plenty of time and remember that there is a little bit of rock scrambling involved. I almost got written out of the will for conveniently leaving that out of my description.
4. Dushanbe Tea House: Parents love the cultural richness, delicious menu, and charming setting of the famous tea house on 13th between Canyon and Arapahoe. My parents liked it so much they went back without me :(
5. Farmer's Market: Ahh the wholesome goodness of the farmer's market! Food, beer, wine, music, parks... can you say family friendly?? Go get your parents to treat you to that eight dollar salad you've been eying between trips to the Boulder Granola stand for free samples.
So there you go. Five time consuming activities to do with your parents in Boulder. I'm still working on the post "How to ditch your parents while you go on a long ride without seeming mean."
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Congratulations Eugene!
As you may have read in our post "The Sublet from Hell", earlier this summer we bought a fabulous couch from Goodwill whom we named Eugene. Eugene is plaid, deep, and very comfortable.
He has been a safe haven in what has otherwise been a miserable apartment and living experience. On nights when our other roommates weren't around, he even afforded us a brief respite from the misery of sleeping on the floor. For his contributions to our summer, we want to thank him.
Now, just as we are moving from this awful hell hole and into hopefully less hellish apartments on our respective campuses, so too is Eugene moving on to bigger (and dare I say better?) things. His presence has been requested off of the craigslist free page at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder. There, he will serve countless customers as a book room couch for many years to come. We already can't wait to visit him when we return to Boulder, probably couch-less and certainly homeless, next summer. Thanks for everything Eugene!
He has been a safe haven in what has otherwise been a miserable apartment and living experience. On nights when our other roommates weren't around, he even afforded us a brief respite from the misery of sleeping on the floor. For his contributions to our summer, we want to thank him.
Now, just as we are moving from this awful hell hole and into hopefully less hellish apartments on our respective campuses, so too is Eugene moving on to bigger (and dare I say better?) things. His presence has been requested off of the craigslist free page at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder. There, he will serve countless customers as a book room couch for many years to come. We already can't wait to visit him when we return to Boulder, probably couch-less and certainly homeless, next summer. Thanks for everything Eugene!
I have the solution to America's problems
Quick fact: 22% of people in Boulder bike or walk to work. Compare that to less than 4% in LA.
Problem #1: Traffic
I know traffic. And I know that it sucks. The sheer number of cars on the road on any given morning in LA is absolutely appalling. All these people, all going to the same place at the same time, separated into little gas guzzling pods. It’s obviously frustrating to be sitting in traffic, but it affects everyone in the city, not just the car-commuters. Hang out in Malibu or stroll Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica and you’ll say Southern California is beautiful. Now sit in traffic on the 405 and try saying that with a straight face. But look at Boulder. I know there are a lot fewer people, but still. People value the ability to get around on bikes, and the local government has supported the flourishing bike culture. The result? Let’s just say any time I see construction in the city it’s to repair bike paths, not roads. And despite rapid growth of the community, there has been no need for a major freeway running through the center of town.
Problem #2: Air Pollution
Theoretically, Los Angeles is the best place on Earth for triathlon training. Year-round sunshine, warm temperatures, the ocean, a good mix of flat riding along the beach and awe-inspiring canyon climbs. The downside? That I feel like I’m smoking a pack of cigarettes every time I run downtown. Now jump over to Boulder (ahhhhh…..). The air is so fresh it almost makes up for the lack of oxygen. Is it a coincidence that there are also fewer cars? I think not.
Problem #3: Dependence on Foreign Oil
With perpetual “turmoil in the Middle East,” the so-called crisis of America’s dependence on foreign oil has become a hot-button issue. Driving fuel-efficient little Honda Civics in high school, I always thought that I was a good guy when it came to reducing the amount of fuel I use. I care about my carbon footprint, therefore I drive a small car. But guess what? Your neighbor’s massive SUV and your little Prius burn exactly the same amount of fuel when they’re sitting in the driveway. It’s not always about what you drive, it’s that you drive. Any guesses as to how much gas bikes use up? Yeah…
Problem #4: Obesity
About 34% of adults 17% of children in the U.S. are obese. That’s over 94 million people. Still think it’s not an epidemic? And the scary part is that it looks like it’s still on the rise. How does this even happen? Well, it happens when people go to a drive-thru on the way to work, sit at a desk all day, maybe hit the drive-thru on the way home, and then watch TV for three hours every night. Alternatively, a half hour bike commute each way will not only bar you from the drive-thru (bikes don't weigh enough to set off the sensor, and if you do, you should NOT be there) but also makes you burn anywhere from 500-800 extra calories every day without having to drag your lazy ass to the gym. To put it in perspective, those extra calories would add up to 1-1.5 lbs of weight loss every week without having to “diet” at all. In fact, the average person loses 13 pounds in their first year of bike commuting. And I don’t know for sure but I imagine cycling is less fun when you’re obese, so I would think commuting by bike would provide some good motivation as well.
Problem #5: Heart Disease
The only thing that kills more Americans than cancer is heart disease. Obviously, some of us have underlying condition that we can thank our parents for, but the vast majority of us can live long and healthy lives if we just take care of ourselves. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week to prevent heart disease. Most likely a bike commute will take you 15 minutes one way, which would add up to an hour and a half every week. Depending on what your commute is like, it might even be faster to bike. So ditch the “I don’t have time for exercise” excuse and go pedal!
Problem #6: Vitamin D Deficiency
40% of the U.S. population is Vitamin D deficient, a condition linked to osteoporosis, depression, some forms of cancer, diabetes, and obesity. But literally half an hour outside every day can eliminate this issue. Unless you are riding your bike through a tunnel, your commute would take care of this.
Problem #7: Depression
Almost 20 million Americans suffer from depression. Driving cars isn’t that fun but riding bikes is a lot of fun! And fun things make you happy. There you go, hard science.
Problem #8: Divorce
More than half of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. Why? Oh I don’t know, probably because couples are so busy that they don’t spend enough time together and they get all stressed out at work or something and take it out on each other. But you know which couples always look happy? The ones on tandem bikes.
So there you have it. How bike commuting solves eight of America’s biggest issues. I’m still working on a couple more including overpopulation (riding on very uncomfortable bike seats perhaps?) and the national debt (a new flourishing bike industry?).
I would like to preface this by saying that I am in love with and in many ways dependent on my car Gladys. She is more than a vehicle – she is a safe haven during thunderstorms and a welcome beacon of warmth on cold mornings at the campsite.
It has recently occurred to me that not only is bike commuting a lot of fun, but it also could solve a lot of America’s problems, and here’s why.
 |
| Figeuroa Corridor in Los Angeles |
I know traffic. And I know that it sucks. The sheer number of cars on the road on any given morning in LA is absolutely appalling. All these people, all going to the same place at the same time, separated into little gas guzzling pods. It’s obviously frustrating to be sitting in traffic, but it affects everyone in the city, not just the car-commuters. Hang out in Malibu or stroll Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica and you’ll say Southern California is beautiful. Now sit in traffic on the 405 and try saying that with a straight face. But look at Boulder. I know there are a lot fewer people, but still. People value the ability to get around on bikes, and the local government has supported the flourishing bike culture. The result? Let’s just say any time I see construction in the city it’s to repair bike paths, not roads. And despite rapid growth of the community, there has been no need for a major freeway running through the center of town.
Problem #2: Air Pollution
Theoretically, Los Angeles is the best place on Earth for triathlon training. Year-round sunshine, warm temperatures, the ocean, a good mix of flat riding along the beach and awe-inspiring canyon climbs. The downside? That I feel like I’m smoking a pack of cigarettes every time I run downtown. Now jump over to Boulder (ahhhhh…..). The air is so fresh it almost makes up for the lack of oxygen. Is it a coincidence that there are also fewer cars? I think not.
Problem #3: Dependence on Foreign Oil
With perpetual “turmoil in the Middle East,” the so-called crisis of America’s dependence on foreign oil has become a hot-button issue. Driving fuel-efficient little Honda Civics in high school, I always thought that I was a good guy when it came to reducing the amount of fuel I use. I care about my carbon footprint, therefore I drive a small car. But guess what? Your neighbor’s massive SUV and your little Prius burn exactly the same amount of fuel when they’re sitting in the driveway. It’s not always about what you drive, it’s that you drive. Any guesses as to how much gas bikes use up? Yeah…
Problem #4: Obesity
About 34% of adults 17% of children in the U.S. are obese. That’s over 94 million people. Still think it’s not an epidemic? And the scary part is that it looks like it’s still on the rise. How does this even happen? Well, it happens when people go to a drive-thru on the way to work, sit at a desk all day, maybe hit the drive-thru on the way home, and then watch TV for three hours every night. Alternatively, a half hour bike commute each way will not only bar you from the drive-thru (bikes don't weigh enough to set off the sensor, and if you do, you should NOT be there) but also makes you burn anywhere from 500-800 extra calories every day without having to drag your lazy ass to the gym. To put it in perspective, those extra calories would add up to 1-1.5 lbs of weight loss every week without having to “diet” at all. In fact, the average person loses 13 pounds in their first year of bike commuting. And I don’t know for sure but I imagine cycling is less fun when you’re obese, so I would think commuting by bike would provide some good motivation as well.
Problem #5: Heart Disease
The only thing that kills more Americans than cancer is heart disease. Obviously, some of us have underlying condition that we can thank our parents for, but the vast majority of us can live long and healthy lives if we just take care of ourselves. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week to prevent heart disease. Most likely a bike commute will take you 15 minutes one way, which would add up to an hour and a half every week. Depending on what your commute is like, it might even be faster to bike. So ditch the “I don’t have time for exercise” excuse and go pedal!
Problem #6: Vitamin D Deficiency
40% of the U.S. population is Vitamin D deficient, a condition linked to osteoporosis, depression, some forms of cancer, diabetes, and obesity. But literally half an hour outside every day can eliminate this issue. Unless you are riding your bike through a tunnel, your commute would take care of this.
Problem #7: Depression
Almost 20 million Americans suffer from depression. Driving cars isn’t that fun but riding bikes is a lot of fun! And fun things make you happy. There you go, hard science.
Problem #8: Divorce
More than half of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. Why? Oh I don’t know, probably because couples are so busy that they don’t spend enough time together and they get all stressed out at work or something and take it out on each other. But you know which couples always look happy? The ones on tandem bikes.
So there you have it. How bike commuting solves eight of America’s biggest issues. I’m still working on a couple more including overpopulation (riding on very uncomfortable bike seats perhaps?) and the national debt (a new flourishing bike industry?).
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
What to do in Boulder if you're broke and hungry
We've all been there. You just checked your bank statement, which confirmed that all those debit card swipes actually did use real money. The only cash you can scrounge is that crumpled dollar bill at the bottom of your purse and a bunch of assorted change, none of which is quarters because you obviously already used those up. All of your cabinets are completely barren and the only item in your refrigerator is that jar of applesauce you opened six months ago and never finished. To make matters worse, your stomach has evolved into a scary little monster and the less you feed it, the more threatening its growls become. Living the multisport lifestyle is taxing on the muscles and the wallet. But if you're lucky enough to be in Boulder, you've got some options.
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| Splurging at Ripple |
1. Ripple Frozen Yogurt: At $0.44 an ounce, your decked out yogurt with toppings can get pretty expensive. But the free samples are...free. And basically unlimited. So even though you'll feel obligated to buy some yogurt, it's pretty easy to spend 20 minutes or so sampling before you finally settle on a couple ounces of a flavor. Plus the variety of flavors is pretty satisfying - you've got your chocolates and vanillas to satisfy your sweet tooth but then tarts and sorbets for your fruit craving.
2. Cosmos: Calorically speaking, pizza is a pretty good bang for your buck. Cosmos provides giant slices of delicious, greasy pizzas until 2am, so you can get your cheap greasy fix at all hours of the night. If you're in Boulder and you're broke, hungry, AND with friends, consider having them deliver one of their extra larges.
3. Alfalfa's after 8pm: You might be surprised to see a high-end grocery store on this list. Which is why I specify that you must go after 8, when all of their baked goods miraculously become half off. I've sampled their double chocolate pound cake, fudge brownie, oatmeal raisin cookie, and peanut butter cookie, and never spent more than $1.25. And I've also never regretted it.
4. Diners: Let's face it, when you're really hungry, pound cake or frozen yogurt samples or a measly slice of pizza just won't cut it. You need your bacon and eggs (and potatoes and pancakes and/or biscuit, toast, french toast, banana bread, fresh fruit). You'll spend a little more than the crumpled up dollar bill and assorted nickels, dimes, and Susan B. Anthony coins, but for about 6 bucks, you can still get a killer meal at a Boulder diner before 8am. Try Dot's or the Walnut Cafe.
 |
| Early Bird Special at the Walnut Cafe |
So when plain oats and a kind-of-soft-but-not-quite-rotten-banana just aren't gonna cut it for dinner, admit that you're broke, admit that you're hungry, then venture out.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Destination Race: Steamboat Sprint Triathlon
While I love Boulder, one of the best aspects of living here is the [relatively] close proximity to other awesome places. Some of the "relatively" clost places we've explored this summer include Rocky Mountain National Park, Pike National Forest, and Buena Vista. Last weekend involved a slightly longer trip with a more defined purpose.
Steamboat Springs is roughly 200 miles away, so I was expecting a long drive to the first annual Steamboat Lake Sprint Triathlon, but a truck on fire on the westbound side of I-70 along with a motorcycle accident on the eastbound side made for a hellish drive out over the Loveland Pass. I was just starting to think that there was no way a 4+ hour drive could be worth it for a sprint tri when we got off the highway and onto route 9 in Silverthorne. The next hundred miles were absolutely stunning. If you have to drive for hours on end, that's the kind of driving you want to be doing.
The race wasn't until Sunday morning so it wasn't really a problem that we got there late, except that I was supposed to volunteer at packet pickup and get a discount on the race, but completely missed it. Luckily, Lance, the Without Limits Productions race director, is a super nice guy and still gave me a little bit of a discount even though I totally missed my assignment.
After packet pickup, we set up our things at the campsite - we
stayed at the Sunrise Vista Campground at Steamboat Lake State Park. All the sites were in this beautiful field of yellow and purple flowers and overlooked the lake and the mountains. I've camped in some pretty beautiful places, but I'd say this was top-five.
For our pre-race dinner, we headed back down south towards the town of Steamboat Springs and Elisa's parents met us at a little italian restaurant, Pisa, and treated us to the all-you-can-eat pasta, pizza, and salad Saturday night special. It was delicious, and although the atmosphere was...unique...it was the perfect carbo-load before the race.
We spent the night getting all of our race stuff ready and built a nice warm fire. Sitting around the campsite with a bunch of laid-back triathletes really set the tone for the whole race for me; I was not here to win or PR or prove anything. This year, summer racing is about having fun. If it isn't fun, it isn't worth signing up for. With that in mind, I can't think of a better location or group of people to be with. When we finally went to bed around 10:30, the stars were absolutely stunning (and I've seem some good starry skies this summer) and early in the night, without the brightness of the moon, the Milky Way was totally visible across the sky.
I slept very well in my new tent, but around 4am I woke up and realized I was getting cold. Considering it's been in the 90's in Boulder, I was really surprised that I could possibly be camping somewhere driving-distance away, in the end of July, and be cold. I guess that's Colorado for ya. When I woke up at 6:15 and got out of the tent, there was frost on the picnic table - I wasn't being a wimp after all, it really was cold.
However, after a lei
surely pre-race breakfast (of my usual clif bar and banana) we had just a short 1-mile bike ride downhill to the transition area. By the time we got there, the morning cold had worn off and the air temperature was a pleasant mid-60's (the water, a near perfect 69F). We got there will plenty of time for a good long warmup in the transition area's laid-back atmosphere. I was clearly not the only person who had come to simply having a good time and enjoy the scenery.
The race ended up being a really well-run, generally awesome event. Being surrounded by mountains and overlooking the lake even made the hilly bike course kind of enjoyable. And after a long steep hill in the first mile of the run, the course descended down a single track trail through a beautiful field of flowers right along the lake.
Elisa came in 3rd overall, so I ended up 1st in the F20-24 age group, and Katie snagged 3rd! We got sweet plaques and awesome belt buckles that came later that week in the mail! The post-race spread was awesome, and I would sign up for this event, or any event put on by Without Limits, again in a heartbeat. I am so disappointed I can't be in Colorado for the Olympic distance race they're putting on in Steamboat at the end of August.
Katie headed off to Snowmass and Vail for the week while I spent the day with the six others who were going back to Boulder. The rest of the day involved yummy lunch at Johnny B Good's in Steamboat Springs, a stop at the Green Mountain Reservoir for the incredibly mature boys to "commandeer an island," a trip to the Nike outlet in Silverthorne that was taxing for my wallet, and another painfully slow ride on I-70.
To cap off an already awesome day, we went to a cookout at Rob and Rudy's house. As I was going home, the reality sunk in that I only have three short weeks left here, and that I am leaving behind so much more than the city of Boulder. Going back to LA will mean leaving all the awesome friends I've made here, the weekend camping trips, the backyard cookouts, the Wednesday night frisbee games, the 6am swims. I know that when I leave, I'll be counting down the days until my visit in November, and will be constantly trying to bribe CU people into visiting me in California (come on, you can ride outside in December...and January...and February...). For right now, though, I am more than ready to live it up for these last couple of weeks and get everything I possible can out of Boulder!
Steamboat Springs is roughly 200 miles away, so I was expecting a long drive to the first annual Steamboat Lake Sprint Triathlon, but a truck on fire on the westbound side of I-70 along with a motorcycle accident on the eastbound side made for a hellish drive out over the Loveland Pass. I was just starting to think that there was no way a 4+ hour drive could be worth it for a sprint tri when we got off the highway and onto route 9 in Silverthorne. The next hundred miles were absolutely stunning. If you have to drive for hours on end, that's the kind of driving you want to be doing.
The race wasn't until Sunday morning so it wasn't really a problem that we got there late, except that I was supposed to volunteer at packet pickup and get a discount on the race, but completely missed it. Luckily, Lance, the Without Limits Productions race director, is a super nice guy and still gave me a little bit of a discount even though I totally missed my assignment.
After packet pickup, we set up our things at the campsite - we
stayed at the Sunrise Vista Campground at Steamboat Lake State Park. All the sites were in this beautiful field of yellow and purple flowers and overlooked the lake and the mountains. I've camped in some pretty beautiful places, but I'd say this was top-five.For our pre-race dinner, we headed back down south towards the town of Steamboat Springs and Elisa's parents met us at a little italian restaurant, Pisa, and treated us to the all-you-can-eat pasta, pizza, and salad Saturday night special. It was delicious, and although the atmosphere was...unique...it was the perfect carbo-load before the race.
We spent the night getting all of our race stuff ready and built a nice warm fire. Sitting around the campsite with a bunch of laid-back triathletes really set the tone for the whole race for me; I was not here to win or PR or prove anything. This year, summer racing is about having fun. If it isn't fun, it isn't worth signing up for. With that in mind, I can't think of a better location or group of people to be with. When we finally went to bed around 10:30, the stars were absolutely stunning (and I've seem some good starry skies this summer) and early in the night, without the brightness of the moon, the Milky Way was totally visible across the sky.
I slept very well in my new tent, but around 4am I woke up and realized I was getting cold. Considering it's been in the 90's in Boulder, I was really surprised that I could possibly be camping somewhere driving-distance away, in the end of July, and be cold. I guess that's Colorado for ya. When I woke up at 6:15 and got out of the tent, there was frost on the picnic table - I wasn't being a wimp after all, it really was cold.
However, after a lei
surely pre-race breakfast (of my usual clif bar and banana) we had just a short 1-mile bike ride downhill to the transition area. By the time we got there, the morning cold had worn off and the air temperature was a pleasant mid-60's (the water, a near perfect 69F). We got there will plenty of time for a good long warmup in the transition area's laid-back atmosphere. I was clearly not the only person who had come to simply having a good time and enjoy the scenery.
The race ended up being a really well-run, generally awesome event. Being surrounded by mountains and overlooking the lake even made the hilly bike course kind of enjoyable. And after a long steep hill in the first mile of the run, the course descended down a single track trail through a beautiful field of flowers right along the lake.
Elisa came in 3rd overall, so I ended up 1st in the F20-24 age group, and Katie snagged 3rd! We got sweet plaques and awesome belt buckles that came later that week in the mail! The post-race spread was awesome, and I would sign up for this event, or any event put on by Without Limits, again in a heartbeat. I am so disappointed I can't be in Colorado for the Olympic distance race they're putting on in Steamboat at the end of August.
Katie headed off to Snowmass and Vail for the week while I spent the day with the six others who were going back to Boulder. The rest of the day involved yummy lunch at Johnny B Good's in Steamboat Springs, a stop at the Green Mountain Reservoir for the incredibly mature boys to "commandeer an island," a trip to the Nike outlet in Silverthorne that was taxing for my wallet, and another painfully slow ride on I-70.
To cap off an already awesome day, we went to a cookout at Rob and Rudy's house. As I was going home, the reality sunk in that I only have three short weeks left here, and that I am leaving behind so much more than the city of Boulder. Going back to LA will mean leaving all the awesome friends I've made here, the weekend camping trips, the backyard cookouts, the Wednesday night frisbee games, the 6am swims. I know that when I leave, I'll be counting down the days until my visit in November, and will be constantly trying to bribe CU people into visiting me in California (come on, you can ride outside in December...and January...and February...). For right now, though, I am more than ready to live it up for these last couple of weeks and get everything I possible can out of Boulder!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
What to do in Boulder if you're broke.
If the Sublet from HELL and the Conception of the Minivan Plan didn't tip you off, we're cheap. I say cheap and not broke because to be honest, we are probably in the same financial situation as the average college students our age but in light of our grand plans for a jobless, post graduation life (again, see The Conception of the Minivan Plan), we have had to learn to cut a few corners. After three years in college, we kind of have it down. I can honestly say that a majority of the food in my possession right now is leftover camping food and free samples acquired in mass amounts at either the Boulder Creek Memorial Day Festival, promotional tents from the Bolder Boulder, Stroke and Stride, or my Aunt's hotel's continental breakfast. The latter being the most recent and therefore currently the primary source. To make this seem a little less crazy, I will supplement this comment by admitting that I do get free lunch and a fully stocked kitchen at work. Thus, I obviously take advantage of that by overeating all day so that I need very little of my own food when at home. Anyway, here are some activities in which we have partaken that cost little to no money and are barrels of fun.
3. Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado trips: The only thing we like more than camping and eating is camping and eating for free. Oh, and giving back to the community, preserving nature, and making contributions to the great state of Colorado. VOC offers free trips almost every weekend in the summer in various awesome locations around the state to build or restore trails. And they'll give you food and beer for free. And maybe even a bluegrass band performance. Seriously.
4. Farmers' Market (free samples): Sticking with the theme of free food, check out the Boulder Farmer's Market on Wednesdays from 4-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm for free samples of local food! Plus there's usually some sort of entertainment happening. For free.
5. Biking: So other than the obvious expenses of a bike and pedals and shoes and a helmet and a sick cycling jersey and padded shorts and a flat repair kit and a bike computer and a power meter and water bottles that fit in cages, biking is the best bang-for-your-buck activity there is! Unless you go up into RMNP, the roads are COMPLETELY FREE to use!! You really get to see the scenery in a way you just can't from a car, and you can entertain yourself for literally hours on end, and you get in an awesome workout. Win-win-win.
6. Tubing the Boulder Creek: The conditions aren't always right but when they are, this activity is awesome! We had to wait till the end of July for the water to not be unbearably cold and low enough to not kill us. But I think the levels of runoff this year were unusual. We bought cheap little tubes for 2.99 at Target that worked well enough, but were definitely not the most stable floatables out there. If you're looking for a full day of awesome and minimal butt-rock contact, I would splurge for the $12 rubber tire inner tubes that can be bought at most gas stations in the area. There are also quite a few other creeks around that you can tube as well. Go to this website for info on water levels, where to go, and even to rent tubes.
1. Taco Tuesday: Luau's, a Hawaiian-vibe taco shop on the Hill, has $1 tacos ever Tuesday from 6-10pm! They also offer $1 cans of PBR (or $2 pints of Boulder Beer if you're feeling fancy) and a mean margarita for $3.50. Be warned - you'll need at least 3 tacos, and one margarita feels like 2.
2. Camp in Indian Peak Wilderness: So technically you're supposed to have a permit, but you don't really need it most places. Park at the Hessie Trailhead (or before that if the road resembles a river and your driving Gladys or a vehicle equally unequipped for off-roading) and hike up to Lost Lake, or Jasper Lake if you're feeling more ambitious. You'll get views rivalling those of RMNP without the annoying little kids disturbing the serenity.
3. Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado trips: The only thing we like more than camping and eating is camping and eating for free. Oh, and giving back to the community, preserving nature, and making contributions to the great state of Colorado. VOC offers free trips almost every weekend in the summer in various awesome locations around the state to build or restore trails. And they'll give you food and beer for free. And maybe even a bluegrass band performance. Seriously.
4. Farmers' Market (free samples): Sticking with the theme of free food, check out the Boulder Farmer's Market on Wednesdays from 4-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm for free samples of local food! Plus there's usually some sort of entertainment happening. For free.
5. Biking: So other than the obvious expenses of a bike and pedals and shoes and a helmet and a sick cycling jersey and padded shorts and a flat repair kit and a bike computer and a power meter and water bottles that fit in cages, biking is the best bang-for-your-buck activity there is! Unless you go up into RMNP, the roads are COMPLETELY FREE to use!! You really get to see the scenery in a way you just can't from a car, and you can entertain yourself for literally hours on end, and you get in an awesome workout. Win-win-win.
6. Tubing the Boulder Creek: The conditions aren't always right but when they are, this activity is awesome! We had to wait till the end of July for the water to not be unbearably cold and low enough to not kill us. But I think the levels of runoff this year were unusual. We bought cheap little tubes for 2.99 at Target that worked well enough, but were definitely not the most stable floatables out there. If you're looking for a full day of awesome and minimal butt-rock contact, I would splurge for the $12 rubber tire inner tubes that can be bought at most gas stations in the area. There are also quite a few other creeks around that you can tube as well. Go to this website for info on water levels, where to go, and even to rent tubes.
Monday, July 25, 2011
What to do in Boulder after work
This is the first entry in our series entitled "What to do in Boulder if..."
At the beginning of the summer, I found myself living for the weekends. I counted down the hours of work left until noon on Friday, when I got to leave the office and set off on the next weekend adventure. Having two days and two nights of complete freedom more than made up for having to work during the week, but by Monday afternoon I found myself already dying for the weekend to come.
Luckily, it turns out that there are plenty of cool things to do in Boulder in the evening:
1. Hiking the Flatirons
What: Sunset Hike up the Flatirons
Where: Chautauqua Park (at Baseline and 9th)
When: Leave an hour and a half or two hours (if you're slow) before sunset
The details: From Chautauqua Park, hike toward the first Flatiron, we usually take Ski Jump trail and then Bluebell-Baird, but you really just walk toward the big rock mountains in front of you and then follow the "1st/2nd Flatiron" signs. It will take about an hour to get to the best viewing spot so make sure you give yourself enough time. Follow the trail until it winds you around to the back of the first Flatiron. You'll see Indian Peaks Wilderness to your left, Flagstaff right in front of you, Longs Peak in the distance, and a really nice panorama of the Front Range stretching out to your right. It's worth it to climb up on the rocks a little so that you can see over the trees. And unless you brought your headlamp, make sure you leave in time so that you're not hiking down in the pitch dark.
At the beginning of the summer, I found myself living for the weekends. I counted down the hours of work left until noon on Friday, when I got to leave the office and set off on the next weekend adventure. Having two days and two nights of complete freedom more than made up for having to work during the week, but by Monday afternoon I found myself already dying for the weekend to come.
Luckily, it turns out that there are plenty of cool things to do in Boulder in the evening:
1. Hiking the Flatirons
What: Sunset Hike up the Flatirons
Where: Chautauqua Park (at Baseline and 9th)
When: Leave an hour and a half or two hours (if you're slow) before sunset
The details: From Chautauqua Park, hike toward the first Flatiron, we usually take Ski Jump trail and then Bluebell-Baird, but you really just walk toward the big rock mountains in front of you and then follow the "1st/2nd Flatiron" signs. It will take about an hour to get to the best viewing spot so make sure you give yourself enough time. Follow the trail until it winds you around to the back of the first Flatiron. You'll see Indian Peaks Wilderness to your left, Flagstaff right in front of you, Longs Peak in the distance, and a really nice panorama of the Front Range stretching out to your right. It's worth it to climb up on the rocks a little so that you can see over the trees. And unless you brought your headlamp, make sure you leave in time so that you're not hiking down in the pitch dark.
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| Climb up on the rocks a little at the 1st Flatiron to get a better view |
2. Stroke and Stride
What: Stroke and Stride is a weekly racing underground hosted, chip-timed, open water swim (750 m or 1500 m) followed by a 5k run. You can also do just the 5k if you're more of a land animal.
Who: If you're of the multisport persuasion, this event is a must. If you are not, it is still lots of fun and a very cheap and laid back way to consider getting into the sport. Participants range from highly competitive triathletes to out-of-shape moms (not to make a generalization about maternal fitness levels, a lot of Boulder moms could probably kick my ass in any race) and middle school kids.
When: Thursday evenings throughout the summer. The first wave of swimmers starts at 6:00 pm so try to get there between 5:30-5:45.
Where: The Boulder Reservoir. (very easy to get to from downtown by bike or car, google it)
How much: It is $25 for a one time entry and this gets cheaper if you purchase a series package.
What to expect: Most people will use wetsuits but there are also a fair amount who don't. Free samples (vitamins, energy bars, lotions, etc.), free massages, good music, and free pizza and refreshments after the race! (note: you may consider driving to this event and loitering around for a long time afterward, because in the event that all the pizza is not eaten, the organizer will let you take a whole large home! dinner...or breakfast...for a week!)
3. Farmer's Market
What: A twice-per-week, local farmers market with lots of food to buy and often some form of entertainment.
When: Wednesday evenings from 4pm-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm.
Where: 13th street between Arapahoe and Canyon, right next to central park. (You'll find it by following the Boulder Creek path toward the center of town, or if you know where the amphitheater is)
What to Expect: Tons of local farmers, bakeries, and health food companies selling their goods from tents along 13th street. If you make more than an intern's salary, buy local! If not, no worries, there are tons of free samples! There is also a whole section of delicious prepared foods for you to buy lunch or dinner at. Check it out, I guarantee you won't be able to decide.
What: Stroke and Stride is a weekly racing underground hosted, chip-timed, open water swim (750 m or 1500 m) followed by a 5k run. You can also do just the 5k if you're more of a land animal.
Who: If you're of the multisport persuasion, this event is a must. If you are not, it is still lots of fun and a very cheap and laid back way to consider getting into the sport. Participants range from highly competitive triathletes to out-of-shape moms (not to make a generalization about maternal fitness levels, a lot of Boulder moms could probably kick my ass in any race) and middle school kids.
When: Thursday evenings throughout the summer. The first wave of swimmers starts at 6:00 pm so try to get there between 5:30-5:45.
Where: The Boulder Reservoir. (very easy to get to from downtown by bike or car, google it)
How much: It is $25 for a one time entry and this gets cheaper if you purchase a series package.
What to expect: Most people will use wetsuits but there are also a fair amount who don't. Free samples (vitamins, energy bars, lotions, etc.), free massages, good music, and free pizza and refreshments after the race! (note: you may consider driving to this event and loitering around for a long time afterward, because in the event that all the pizza is not eaten, the organizer will let you take a whole large home! dinner...or breakfast...for a week!)
3. Farmer's Market
What: A twice-per-week, local farmers market with lots of food to buy and often some form of entertainment.
When: Wednesday evenings from 4pm-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm.
Where: 13th street between Arapahoe and Canyon, right next to central park. (You'll find it by following the Boulder Creek path toward the center of town, or if you know where the amphitheater is)
What to Expect: Tons of local farmers, bakeries, and health food companies selling their goods from tents along 13th street. If you make more than an intern's salary, buy local! If not, no worries, there are tons of free samples! There is also a whole section of delicious prepared foods for you to buy lunch or dinner at. Check it out, I guarantee you won't be able to decide.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park
Boulder and the surrounding area seems to be very secretive about camping spots. Without any insider information about the hidden gems, back in April I made plans to take a backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park. Aside from the administrative hassles you have to deal with when you're working with the National Park Service - permit reservations, processing fees, required bear canister, apparently having to pick up your permit by 10am (oops! we lucked out with our late arrival this time) - backpacking in Rocky Mountain is pretty awesome.
After hanging out for a little while, we hiked up to our site at Upper Mill Creek Basin and spent the afternoon poking around the area, exploring the creek, and relaxing at the campsite. The scenery was a lot different that at Odessa Lake, but it was very cool to camp right next to the creek and hear the rushing water at night.
We planned to start at Bear Lake and hike about 5 miles down to Odessa Lake on Friday night, but the ranger told us that this year's record snowfall made it difficult to get through. So instead, we parked Gladys at the Fern Lake trailhead.
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| Day 1 Route |
There was some snowpack when we got up closer to the lake, which sits at just over 10,000 feet, but the hike wasn't overly strenuous, even in the drizzly weather. It's hard to get a permit for Odessa Lake - when I reserved back in April, every Saturday night for the entire summer was booked. But it was worth it to have one of just two sites situated right next to the beautiful alpine lake, with a stunning view of Notchtop Mountain reflecting off the water.
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| View of Odessa Lake from the site, Notchtop Mtn to the right |
It was a chilly night, but very comfortable for sleeping in a tent with a good sleeping pad and bag (mine is rated for 30F, and I was toasty). After cooking some breakfast on my trusty MSR Superfly, we hit the trail. Against the advice of the [overly cautious] ranger at the backcountry office, we decided to try for Bear Lake, or at least Lake Helene. About halfway to Lake Helene, we had crossed a couple of wide snow fields, and we ran into another hiker who came down from Bear Lake. The former park ranger warned us of one snow field and a dangerous chute between us and Lake Helene.
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| Day 2 route |
It turns out the chute was pretty dangerous. We walked across a very steep slope of soft snow. As I approached a tree in the middle, I was just getting my right foot on the trunk when my left foot sunk into the snow. It took a minute of assessment with one leg above my head and most of my body buried under the huge drift, but I managed to scoot myself up and hurry across the rest of the chute, avoiding death. The rest of the hike to Lake Helene was pretty easy and uneventful, although we managed to lose the trail in the snow a few times.
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| After making it through the worst of the hike |
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| Lake Helene |
Bear Lake was a little disappointing, with so many tourists. And after having spent some time isolated in the woods, the sight of a busy parking lot was a little disconcerting. We decided to hike up to Bierstadt Lake for lunch to get away from the crowds (after snacking on some of our ridiculously addictive trail mix, recipe to come). Bierstadt Lake was absolutely beautiful and turned out to be a great spot to spend some time relaxing. It's only about 2 miles from Bear Lake, so we weren't in isolation, but there were significantly fewer people (and screaming little kids).
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| Bierstadt Lake |
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| Mill Creek |
After a long, refreshing night's sleep, we headed back to the Fern Lake trailhead to reunite with Gladys. We hiked up past Cub Lake then along a surprisingly swift winding river through a meadow. We ascended for a while coming out of Mill Creek Basin, but other than that the trail was mostly flat and very scenic.
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| Day 3 Route |
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| Cub Lake |
We were back to Gladys by 10:30am, so we were back in Boulder in time to have brunch at the Walnut Cafe and I even had time and energy to go for a nice trail run in the evening (and got caught in a sweet lightning storm!).
Nothing too epic, but all in all, a very solid weekend!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Outside the Bubble
After 8 weeks in the Republic of Boulder, I took some time off work to go back to the Boston area and pay a visit to my family (read: remind them of my pathetic existence in a shitty apartment out west and beg for money). I like to think I've seen a fair amount of this country - growing up in Massachusetts we took lots of trips around New England, and then I moved out to southern California for college, and in my time at USC I've seen quite a bit of the golden coast. But Boulder is nothing like anywhere else I've been - it's an isolated little bubble of awesome running trails, people riding bikes all the time, and pretty views everywhere you look. So it was a little bit shocking to leave the bubble and I've been noticing a lot of the differences.
First of all, the lack of bike lanes in MA made for a completely different riding experience. All the streets seem so narrow and dangerous that I find myself unable to remember how I ever felt safe riding here. It comes as no surprise that in my eight days home in a Boston suburb, I counted a grand total of three cyclists (note: anyone wearing spandex bike shorts was deemed a "cyclist." sorry, grocery bag guy turning 5 rpms through downtown on a mountain bike).
In contrast, Boulder has been named the number 4 city in the WORLD for bikers. As a result, the city is abound with avid cyclists (in just a quick trip outside my apartment to get the mail, I am likely to see 6 or 7 of them whizz by me) who truly value this characteristic in their community and work hard to maintain it. The result: 15% of the city's annual transportation budget goes toward building and maintaining bike lanes!
Second, for all my complaining of traffic in Boulder, the truth is that there is none. True, I do have to wait for the light to turn green when I'm driving to the grocery store, but if I start to count that as traffic, even Lyons (a small town outside of Boulder) has heavy traffic. Last Thursday, I drove into Boston from my house in the suburbs. Leaving around 6:00am, I thought I would beat the 9-to-5ers on the highway. Wrong. Apparently, the 9-to-5ers have adapted and become 7-to-3ers; it was ridiculous how many cars were on the road. I was reminded of my hellish commute to high school and my internship last summer. Yet still, I remind myself, while watching news coverage of "Carmageddon", a recent California weekend during which a 10-mile stretch of the 405 freeway was closed for three days, it could be even worse. In 4 weeks, I'm going back to a place that will truly put Boulder "traffic" in perspective, a place where the light turns from red to green five times and you still don't move.
Lastly, Boston is generally considered to be a town with a great running culture, and its true that I haven't been the only one swimming laps at my local pool and when I go running I do cross paths with other people, but it still has nothing on Boulder's level of dedication to fitness. Here, it seems everyone I talk to does Ironmans and runs a five-minute mile. You can't go riding in Boulder without seeing some guy on his P4 using Zipp 1080's for a training ride. That same guy on the streets in Boston, would have people in a wild frenzy taking pictures and saying they saw Lance Armstrong. Personally, I don't really know whether the hyperactive culture of Boulder is a good or bad thing for my self esteem. In Boulder, it's a rest day if all I did was an hour swim set and a 20 mile bike commute. Admittedly, it's kind of nice to go home and do my one workout a day, still feeling like a big fish in my hometown's relatively small pond of athletes.
Of course, New England will always have a certain nostalgic effect on me, and it did make me feel a bit homesick to walk down the beach in Maine knowing that the next time I'd be there, it'll be 20F outside and there will be snow on the sand. But being in a house full of furniture, appliances, and general household paraphernalia made me realize that right now it's really cool to be able to fit everything I need in Gladys's trunk.* And even though New England will always feel like home, the Boulder bubble is suiting me really well. So I'm ready to go back for the last few weeks of summer, and even though I have to go to work tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to my commute.
*if you haven't picked up on it by now, Gladys is my beautiful navy blue 1999 Honda Accord. (for some excellent Gladys footage, see previous post)
First of all, the lack of bike lanes in MA made for a completely different riding experience. All the streets seem so narrow and dangerous that I find myself unable to remember how I ever felt safe riding here. It comes as no surprise that in my eight days home in a Boston suburb, I counted a grand total of three cyclists (note: anyone wearing spandex bike shorts was deemed a "cyclist." sorry, grocery bag guy turning 5 rpms through downtown on a mountain bike).
In contrast, Boulder has been named the number 4 city in the WORLD for bikers. As a result, the city is abound with avid cyclists (in just a quick trip outside my apartment to get the mail, I am likely to see 6 or 7 of them whizz by me) who truly value this characteristic in their community and work hard to maintain it. The result: 15% of the city's annual transportation budget goes toward building and maintaining bike lanes!
Second, for all my complaining of traffic in Boulder, the truth is that there is none. True, I do have to wait for the light to turn green when I'm driving to the grocery store, but if I start to count that as traffic, even Lyons (a small town outside of Boulder) has heavy traffic. Last Thursday, I drove into Boston from my house in the suburbs. Leaving around 6:00am, I thought I would beat the 9-to-5ers on the highway. Wrong. Apparently, the 9-to-5ers have adapted and become 7-to-3ers; it was ridiculous how many cars were on the road. I was reminded of my hellish commute to high school and my internship last summer. Yet still, I remind myself, while watching news coverage of "Carmageddon", a recent California weekend during which a 10-mile stretch of the 405 freeway was closed for three days, it could be even worse. In 4 weeks, I'm going back to a place that will truly put Boulder "traffic" in perspective, a place where the light turns from red to green five times and you still don't move.
Lastly, Boston is generally considered to be a town with a great running culture, and its true that I haven't been the only one swimming laps at my local pool and when I go running I do cross paths with other people, but it still has nothing on Boulder's level of dedication to fitness. Here, it seems everyone I talk to does Ironmans and runs a five-minute mile. You can't go riding in Boulder without seeing some guy on his P4 using Zipp 1080's for a training ride. That same guy on the streets in Boston, would have people in a wild frenzy taking pictures and saying they saw Lance Armstrong. Personally, I don't really know whether the hyperactive culture of Boulder is a good or bad thing for my self esteem. In Boulder, it's a rest day if all I did was an hour swim set and a 20 mile bike commute. Admittedly, it's kind of nice to go home and do my one workout a day, still feeling like a big fish in my hometown's relatively small pond of athletes.
Of course, New England will always have a certain nostalgic effect on me, and it did make me feel a bit homesick to walk down the beach in Maine knowing that the next time I'd be there, it'll be 20F outside and there will be snow on the sand. But being in a house full of furniture, appliances, and general household paraphernalia made me realize that right now it's really cool to be able to fit everything I need in Gladys's trunk.* And even though New England will always feel like home, the Boulder bubble is suiting me really well. So I'm ready to go back for the last few weeks of summer, and even though I have to go to work tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to my commute.
*if you haven't picked up on it by now, Gladys is my beautiful navy blue 1999 Honda Accord. (for some excellent Gladys footage, see previous post)
Monday, July 11, 2011
Conception of "The Minivan Plan"
Over the years, the two of us have shared some pretty unique (and some might say ridiculous) ideas. They are all coming together next summer in "The Minivan Plan".
Ever since Michelle started thinking about purchasing her own car, she's had mini-vans on the mind. Here is why:
Throughout the summer we had been discussing a road trip next summer that would go from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon and would allow us to check off many sites from our must see list (including, hopefully, Alaska). With that in mind, here is a recent Gchat conversation we had while not doing work at our respective offices:
Michelle: clearly backpacking needs to be our lifestyle.
next summer, we live from a tent (actually serious)
Katie: agreed
especially because I will have no money
and we will def know enough people to be able to go inside once in a while
Michelle: oh yeah, for sure!
Katie: and we could even buy a membership to scott carpenter* or something so we could shower there and swim whenever we want.
Michelle: yeah, good plan
okay so pros:
get skinny
see the stars every night
spend no money
show Paul** the love he deserves
develop deep appreciation for nature
Katie: learn to live on very few belongings
Michelle: maybe learn to hunt
Katie: YES
Michelle: cons:
become "that girl"
Katie: that could be a pro
Michelle: that's why we're friends
Katie: cons: probably decrease chances of finding a boyfriend
but increase chances of falling in love with a mountain man
or a bear.
we could definitely rent a storage unit to keep our bikes in and stuff
although if we had our van...
YES
Michelle: omg omg omgo mg
yes
minivan
Katie: this is happening, and it is happening with a new tricked out minivan
Michelle: omgomgoeruithpc23481*&#^&#
Katie: i know!
i am freaking otu
And THAT, is the story of the day The Minivan Plan was conceived. More on maps and details later.
* Scott Carpenter is a local outdoor pool in Boulder
**Paul is our hatchet
Ever since Michelle started thinking about purchasing her own car, she's had mini-vans on the mind. Here is why:
- They get much better gas mileage than SUVs but can hold the same amount (especially once you get rid of those pesky kids in the back)
- For reasons that we have yet to fathom, they seem to have gone out of style and can thus be purchased at very low cost.
- With total removal of the backseats, the possibilities for duel camper van/ triathlon equipment storage unit are endless.
- The sliding doors make for a precision instrument of speed and aerodynamics that evoke feelings in others that they themselves don't understand (example: the swagger wagon)
- The front seat setup is ideal for car trips.
- Mini Vans always score top marks for safety :)
Throughout the summer we had been discussing a road trip next summer that would go from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon and would allow us to check off many sites from our must see list (including, hopefully, Alaska). With that in mind, here is a recent Gchat conversation we had while not doing work at our respective offices:
Michelle: clearly backpacking needs to be our lifestyle.
next summer, we live from a tent (actually serious)
Katie: agreed
especially because I will have no money
and we will def know enough people to be able to go inside once in a while
Michelle: oh yeah, for sure!
Katie: and we could even buy a membership to scott carpenter* or something so we could shower there and swim whenever we want.
Michelle: yeah, good plan
okay so pros:
get skinny
see the stars every night
spend no money
show Paul** the love he deserves
develop deep appreciation for nature
Katie: learn to live on very few belongings
Michelle: maybe learn to hunt
Katie: YES
Michelle: cons:
become "that girl"
Katie: that could be a pro
Michelle: that's why we're friends
Katie: cons: probably decrease chances of finding a boyfriend
but increase chances of falling in love with a mountain man
or a bear.
we could definitely rent a storage unit to keep our bikes in and stuff
although if we had our van...
YES
Michelle: omg omg omgo mg
yes
minivan
Katie: this is happening, and it is happening with a new tricked out minivan
Michelle: omgomgoeruithpc23481*&#^&#
Katie: i know!
i am freaking otu
And THAT, is the story of the day The Minivan Plan was conceived. More on maps and details later.
* Scott Carpenter is a local outdoor pool in Boulder
**Paul is our hatchet
Our EPIC 4th of July Weekend
Michelle and I are always complaining to each other about how we can't possibly get all the things we want to do done with our pesky work schedules taking up 40 hours of our week. So when a three day weekend rolled around for the 4th of July, we made sure to take advantage. We considered doing a longer trip like Yellowstone or Sand Dunes National Parks but we didn't want to miss the whole weekend in Boulder so we decided to stick around and play it by ear. We ended up having the most perfect weekend ever that included every one of our 15,000 awesome hobbies. Here is a quick list of what we did, followed by a far more detailed account:
Our destination was a backcountry campground on a tiny little lake right at the edge of Indian Peak Wilderness. In the picture below, appropriately named Lost Lake is the little blue blob on the left in the middle of nowhere. 
Directions: Driving through Nederland, follow Eldora Ave (County Hwy 130) which turns into Hessie Rd (unpaved). If the conditions aren't unseasonably wet, the road will continue past a first parking lot, some creepy old abandoned cottages, and then bring you to a small parking spot at the edge of a river. However, if you, like us, find that the dirt road you were following has become a full on river; and if you, unlike us, are driving anything other than a Jeep, I suggest parking at that first lot you come to and walking the rest of the ~2.5 miles to the campsite. As luck would have it, we were in a jeep and so decided to forge ahead: the rest of the night continued about as epically:
ul bike ride (~40 mi) around Boulder (route to the right) We then hopped into Gladys (still full of all the essential camping gear from the previous night) and headed down to Pike's National Forest to meet up with my co-worker Brendan who was going to be running on the Colorado Trail with his buddy Aaron the next day. As most of our drives seem to be, this one was gorgeous. We were driving right alongside an AMAZING lazy river for about an hour of the 2 hour drive and ended up camping right beside it. I emphasize the word "amazing" because it was actually the only thing we talked about for the whole drive and that whole night at the campsite (Spruce Grove in Florissant). Also, we later found out that the river was called South Platte and we there was nowhere nearby to rent kayaks to float down it because it was unseasonably high and would normally be good for nothing but fly fishing.
- Camped @ Lost Lake in Indian Peak Wilderness
- Long bike ride near Boulder
- Camping on South Platte in Pike's National Forest
- Trail running on the Colorado Trail
- Potluck dinner and camping on our friend's back porch
- 14 mi. hike in RMNP to Thunder Lake
- 4th of July BBQ and fireworks on previously mentioned porch
Our destination was a backcountry campground on a tiny little lake right at the edge of Indian Peak Wilderness. In the picture below, appropriately named Lost Lake is the little blue blob on the left in the middle of nowhere. 
Directions: Driving through Nederland, follow Eldora Ave (County Hwy 130) which turns into Hessie Rd (unpaved). If the conditions aren't unseasonably wet, the road will continue past a first parking lot, some creepy old abandoned cottages, and then bring you to a small parking spot at the edge of a river. However, if you, like us, find that the dirt road you were following has become a full on river; and if you, unlike us, are driving anything other than a Jeep, I suggest parking at that first lot you come to and walking the rest of the ~2.5 miles to the campsite. As luck would have it, we were in a jeep and so decided to forge ahead: the rest of the night continued about as epically:- Julianna put on her wetsuit and unhooked Rob's fishing hook from the bottom of the Lake, resulting in him catching a fish, which I gutted, and Michelle cooked = T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K.
- We ate our big pot of mac 'n cheese (made with boiled creek water) on a big rock in the middle of the lake while watching a perfectly picturesque sunset
- We (Michelle) made a raging fire and cooked too many s'mores on perfectly widdled marshmallow sticks that we found
- Right before bed, the stars came out and caused this really cool reflection effect off the of the lake such that you felt like you were standing in space
- We went to bed, didn't get eaten by bears, and made delicious s'more pancakes for breakfast before heading back to the Jeep and riding up and down the river 3-4 more times. (believe me, it didn't get old.)
ul bike ride (~40 mi) around Boulder (route to the right) We then hopped into Gladys (still full of all the essential camping gear from the previous night) and headed down to Pike's National Forest to meet up with my co-worker Brendan who was going to be running on the Colorado Trail with his buddy Aaron the next day. As most of our drives seem to be, this one was gorgeous. We were driving right alongside an AMAZING lazy river for about an hour of the 2 hour drive and ended up camping right beside it. I emphasize the word "amazing" because it was actually the only thing we talked about for the whole drive and that whole night at the campsite (Spruce Grove in Florissant). Also, we later found out that the river was called South Platte and we there was nowhere nearby to rent kayaks to float down it because it was unseasonably high and would normally be good for nothing but fly fishing.
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| Colorado Trail |
Sunday: We woke up early Sunday morning after a disappointingly cold sleep, ate a quick Clif Bar breakfast and drive about 45 minutes north to the Kenosha Pass trailhead of the Colorado Trail. Brendan and Aaron are ultra runners and were planning on a 6 hour run, but we were gonna be happy with 1-2. The trail was beautiful, scenic, winding, and not too hilly. In short, everything you could possibly hope for out of a perfect trail run. I used to think they were crazy but after that run, I totally get why you would want to have to endurance to keep going on and on for hours on end. Alas, at altitude (~10,000 ft) and without said endurance, we turned around after about an hour. By the time we got back to the car, any bit of energy our Clif Bars has afforded us was long since depleted and we were STARVING. We stopped at the first general store we saw to buy Gatorade and snacks and to ask where to nearest greasy diner was. Forty minutes later, we were happily seated on the patio of the Cutthroat Cafe in Bailey, CO awaiting our "Reel Deal" breakfast specials (a heaping plate of homefries, sausage, bacon, ham, eggs, and cheese piled on top of one another). One lesson we have learned and will write about in more detail later: diners never disappoint. We drove back to our horrible apartment in Boulder, full and happy (happiness diminished as time in the apartment increased and fullness decreased). Knowing that we couldn't maintain our good moods for very long while in that place, we made plans to go over to our friends' Rob and Rudy's house. A bunch of other people from the CU triathlon team showed up and we had a potluck dinner of sorts and about five of us slept on their back porch. It was odd, but sleeping on a nice, clean porch felt like an upgrade from the usual accomodations.
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| Please, you couldn't say no either. |
Monday (the 4th!): Anybody that had not slept over showed up at Rob and Rudy's early in the morning and 10 of us piled in to two cars (naturally, Gladys and her annual national parks pass was one them) and headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. Starting at the Wild Basin trailhead, we headed up toward Thunder Lake. Three hours later, and 2-3 miles away from our destination, we hit snow. After losing the trail, blazing our own in inadequate sneakers (and even sandals!), and sustaining a few injuries, we finally arrived at Thunder Lake. A few pictures and some deep contemplative thoughts about the beauty of nature later, we turned around to head back to the cars. When we got to the bottom, we could not get back to Rob and Rudy's grill fast enough. Michelle and I went home quickly to change (yes! we actually wore the dresses that have been in the back of our closet all summer) and to retrieve the amazing cookie cake we had bought at King Soopers (it was completely covered in american flag icing, we couldn't resist!). A few more non-hikers joined us for the bbq and everybody had a great time. We ended the night by climbing on to the roof to watch the fireworks and then having a dance party (read: a watch-Rudy-put-on-his-air-force-ones-and-expend-ridiculous-amounts-of-energy-bouncing-around party) on the porch. For me, and I think for Michelle too, this weekend truly revealed to us how many amazing things there are to do in the area. We realized that the only way we could possibly be satisfied with our Boulder experience would be if we had at least a month in which we had NOTHING to do except explore hiking trails, go for bike rides, camp in cool places, and find amazing trail runs. Enter: the minivan plan.
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| Thunder Lake, RMNP |
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