As I am writing this, there is a separate party at the local bike shop going on in the parking lot, Jon and Emily are playing guitars, Edward is trying to convince Nabeel to get a Costco membership, and folks are talking, eating dinner, and about to head out for, yes, more ice cream. I often write from the perspective that this is an epic journey and we are going to all these cool places for such a great cause, all of which we are, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we have a lot of laughs. We really can’t go five minutes without a burst of laughter or joke being made, and it helps us to bond as well as get through the physical challenge of this ride. I’m going to focus a bit more on these moments when I can, because they really make up so much of this experience for us. Now, as I continue to write this, we’re singing karaoke in the church’s mini backyard, just having a good time.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 61.7
Elevation: +2453’/-4971’
General Direction: Follow CR 9 north for 2.2 miles, then turn left onto the Blue River Bikeway and follow it and the Tenmile Bike Path to the town of Copper Mountain, at mile 11.9 turn onto the Ten Mile Canyon National Recreation Trail, at mile 29 turn left onto the I-70 frontage road and at 37.5 turn onto westbound U.S. 6, follow this road to the town of Eagle and the stayover.
Points of Interest: Blue River Bikeway, Tenmile Bike Path, Ten Mile Canyon National Recreation Trail, Tenmile Creek, Gore Creek, Black Lake, Rocky Mountains: Tenmile Peak, Uneva Peak, Battle Mountain, Vail Mountain, plenty of others
Tales of the Trail
It’s pretty difficult to describe just how beautiful this ride was. Every element came together to make our ride just exquisite. Eighteen miles of climbing followed by descents for the rest gave us a solid objective and quite the show by the mountains. The Ten Mile Canyon Path through the Vail Mountain Pass was especially beautiful and felt like plunging into an abyss of bliss as the tree-coated peaks continued to rise over us. We even saw badgers, geese, and moose! Also, in a massive coincidence, we ran into Kristen, a past Illini 4000 rider who was riding a century and happened to be wearing her I4K jersey from 2012! It was such an amazing moment to meet and connect with such an awesome alum and compare how we execute each of our rides (written cues vs. Ride with GPS and Zoleos!)
Jaylen, Kristen, Nina, and Hanna at the first rest stop.
Ollie, the owner of Route 6 Cafe in Eagle-Vail who covered our lunch today(!!!) poses with the team.
The scenery changed as we rode closer to Eagle, the pines were swapped with polka-dotted brush, the whites and grays for deep reds. It was like entering a completely different and much drier climate, but still with the same topographical elements. We pushed through the final miles on a busy U.S. 6 and made it to Eagle Vineyard Church in the early afternoon. Our hosts Lee and Rebecca Adkins made us right at home in our smallest (but still mighty) stayover yet, and provided us with a delicious spaghetti dinner, plenty of snacks, and lots of camaraderie. We are settled in for the night and feeling ready to bike 58 more miles to Rifle in the morning.
New paint job for the van.
Impromptu karaoke night!
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Emily Gonzalez
How are you today? I’m doing great, I’m on cloud nine, I’m having a fantastic day! I rode with a great group and felt safe while I was descending.
You’ve fundraised thousands of dollars for our cause. What has been the most impactful fundraising experience you’ve had? Working at the concession stands. I think that was a good way to raise money for the cause but also get to know all of you. Two birds, one stone, double whammy.
What keeps you going when it gets difficult to put in all of those miles or even to get on the bike? My godfather, he’s always on my mind when I wake up in the morning, even when I feel exhausted or hurt or when I haven’t had a good night’s sleep, I remember that he had days like that too. Also, just encouraging messages from home; my sisters, best friends, and parents give me good advice and are my biggest cheerleaders.
Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform? I didn’t have one before, but I think Tim, my cow (my cow!). I got him in Yuma and when we’re done with the climbing and he doesn’t feel like ten pounds on my back, he’s coming back on my bike with me.
What’s your rest stop routine? I don’t think I have one to be honest. I get off my bike, definitely stare off into the distance for a bit, and remember I have to eat a granola bar, fill my bottles, put sunscreen all over me quickly, have a few laughs, and wait for someone to tell me its time to go because its hard for me to do that myself.
In the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most? I don’t have a specific city, but I’m really looking forward to the camping days when its clear out and you can see the stars and smell the campfire.
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
~Dictionary of I4K~
Ride with GPS: A mobile app that uses GPS signal to track position, mileage, speed, etc. Our routes are created and accessible in the app, and verbal navigation cues guide us through each route.
Zoleo: A satellite relay device that can be used to contact the van or other groups if cellular service is unavailable. Can also be used to send SOS signals to emergency services. Compact and handy, one goes with each group and one stays in the van.
It makes sense in context.