Additional Images From Denver-to-Aspen

A few more images from the 2012 Joe Lookingbill Denver-to-Aspen Classic on June 16, 2012. All photos were taken by event volunteer Dan McDonald.

RMCC Denver-to-Aspen event volunteers, Charlie Henderson and Dan McDonald

RMCCers making the ascent up Independence Pass

Eric Nelsen cruising into the Kenosha Pass checkpoint

Colorado Triple Crown Veteran on top of Independence Pass

Jason Kaminski and Keith Jenson griding their way up Independence Pass

Mark Lowe and Ryan Franz reaching the control point at Kenosha Pass after 7,000 feet of climbing

Mel Morris, feeling the effects of the high altitude, ascends past some of the impressive rock formations on Independence Pass

Michael Henderson grinds his way up Independence Pass, looking daper in his Colorado Triple Crown kit!

Tim O'Leary is all smiles on Independence Pass!

2012 Denver-to-Aspen Recap: NBTW! (Nothin' But Tailwinds!)

The 2012 Joe Lookingbill Denver-to-Aspen Classic is in the books! And it truly was a classic! For the first time in recent memory, the cycling gods and weather gods came into near perfect alignment to produce near "perfect" weather conditions, conducive for comfortable riding conditions and blazing fast times for many riders.

The Denver-to-Aspen course features over 13,000 feet of climbing (some of it at very high altitude) in 180 miles. Denver-to-Aspen, perhaps more than any of the other event of the Colorado Triple Crown, is at the mercy of the weather gods. Headwinds across the South Park Valley or the Arkansas River Valley (from Buena Vista to Twin Lakes) can easily add one-to-two hours to rider's finishing times. This year's Denver-to-Aspen, however, had the most cooperative winds in recent memory. Charlie Henderson, RMCC club president and ride leader, summed it up best, "In all of the years I have been running this event, I have never seen winds as favorable as these!" Indeed, it was a pleasant surprise to all of this year's participants to encounter light tailwinds from Fairplay to (and over) Trout Creek Pass AND a gentle southwesterly tailwind from Buena Vista to the turn-off for Hwy 82 at Twin Lakes, a truly rare occurrence for this event.

Many riders started the event with a bit of trepidation about the weather forecast. The generally favorable forecast in the days leading up to Denver-to-Aspen had deteriorated significantly in the 36 hours prior to start of the ride, with forecasters predicting a 50% chance of rain and risk of severe thunderstorms in the Denver area. Much to the chagrin on this year's participants, the wet weather never materialized west of Kenosha Pass as had been predicted. Riders did encounter a few light rain showers on the eastern slopes of the Independence Pass and headwinds off of Twin Lakes, but the generally cooperative weather had most riders grinning from ear-to-ear!

Right from the start, riders encountered a gentle tailwind from the east as they ascended Deer Creek Canyon and High Grade Road. RMCC veterans Ryan Franz and Mark Lowe, accompanied by RMCC new-comer Eric Nelsen, set a brisk pace up the first climb of the day, clearing Pleasant Park in a mere 61 minutes before tackling the westward rollers along Hwy 285 through Aspen Park, Pine Junction, and Bailey. Ryan and Mark continued to ride together, cresting Kenosha Pass (10,001 feet elev.) in record time (3 hours, 1 minute). From the moment both riders made the plunge from Kenosha Pass into the South Park Valley, it became gleefully obvious that the virtually omnipresent headwinds of the South Park Valley had taken haitus for this year's Denver-to-Aspen. Ryan and Mark continued a brisk paceline over Red Hill Pass (9,993 feet) into Fairplay. Ryan started to back off the pace a little bit south of Fairplay and Mark--salivating once again at the temptation of riding a sub-10 hour Denver-to-Aspen--dropped the proverbial "hammer," picking up the pace to clear the South Park Valley from Kenosha Pass to Buena Vista in 2:28 (23.9 mph).

With the blessing of gently southwesterly tailwinds (and with Ryan in hot pursuit), Mark continued a brisk pace from Buena Vista up to Twin Lakes and up the plush eastern slopes of Independence Pass (12,095 feet elev.), ultimately clearing the pass 8 hours, 38 minutes after the 4:00 am start in Ken Caryl. In the end, Mark and Ryan both eclipsed the 10-hour barrier, a first for this event. Mark's 18.62 average speed bettered his 2011 course record by 24 minutes. However, former professional racer Michael Carter's 19.1 mph average speed, recorded when Denver-to-Aspen was run as public double century event during the late 1990s, still remains the fastest mile-per-hour time recorded on the Denver-to-Aspen route. Steve Rudolph, at 52 years young, rounded out the men's podium with a stellar sub-11 hour Denver-to-Aspen, a personal best for Steve. Diana Benoit, our lone female competitor for 2012, also posted a personal best time on the Denver-to-Aspen course. RMCC distance legend Carol Hvrada's average speed of 16.1 mph, recorded in 2005 when Denver-to-Aspen was run as a 300 km brevet, remains as the female benchmark for this event.

Congratulations to all of this year's riders!

Thanks to Charlie Henderson and Dan McDonald for providing event support for this year's Denver-to-Aspen.

Ride Data:

• 24 Registrants
• 19 starters, 2 non-starters, 3 no-shows
• 10 Denver-to-Aspen first timers
• 19 official finishers
• 18 of 19 riders finished in sub-15 hour time, successfully completing the first leg of Colorado Triple Crown
• Two sub-10 hour finishing times (first sub-10 hour times for this course)
• New course record: 9:40 (18.62 mph)

Preliminary results (top 3):
Men:

1. Mark Lowe, 9:40
2. Ryan Franz, 9:56
3. Steve Rudolph, 10:50

Women:

1. Diane Benoit, 11:45

Full results will be posted on the RMCC main page soon.

Images of 2012 Joe Lookingbill Denver-to-Aspen Classic:

Mark can sleep peacefully, finally cracking the sub-10 hour barrier after 4 previous Denver-to-Aspen attempts.

Ryan Franz, taking advantage of his aerodynamic prowess and bomber downhill skills, also posted a stellar sub-10 hour time.

RMCC veteran Steve Rudolph posted  a personal best at this year's Denver-to-Aspen with a time of 10:50. Steve is contemplating riding the Death Ride in 2 weeks. (C'mon, Steve, I know you want to do it!)

RMCC new-comer Eric Nelsen, competing in his first ultra-endurance cycling event, posted an amazing sub-11 hour time...not bad for a first-timer! Eric is using Denver-to-Aspen to prepare for the Bob Cooke Mount Evans Hill Climb in July.

Tom Miller, competing in his second Denver-to-Aspen, battled through wheel problems to better last year's time by 2 hours 25 minutes! Nice job Tom!

Josh Horwood completed his first Denver-to-Aspen posted an impressive 11:35 time! 

Craig Howell also completed his first Denver-to-Aspen with aspirations of completing the Triple Crown.

RMCC veteran Kelly Shannon, completed his first Denver-to-Aspen since 2006. It was good having Kelly back out there! (Kelly decided to make the ride a bit more difficult this year by riding with the dog in his rear jersey pocket. :)

Diane Benoit was our lone female competitor this year. Diane posted a personal best time of 11:45. Nice job, Diane!

Mark Pfiel struggled a bit with some G.I. issues during the climb up Independence Pass, but managed to recover and finish in plenty of time. Nice job, Mark!

Riding his first Denver-to-Aspen, RMCCer Todd LeBlanc posted an excellent time of 12:07! 

Tim O'Leary completed his second Denver-to-Aspen over an hour faster than last year's time!

Glad to have survived, Mike DiPardo completed his first Denver-to-Aspen in 12:41.

RMCC club veteran and Colorado Triple Crown finisher, Dick Wiss, at the Woody Creek Tavern

Colorado Triple Crown veteran, Michael Henderson, at the finish of this year's event.

Mel Morris, who traveled from Amarillo, TX to compete in this year's Denver-to-Aspen, is using the Colorado Triple Crown series as preparation for the Furnace Creek 508 in October. Congratulations, Mel!

Keith Jenson (and son) at the Woody Creek Tavern. This was Keith's first Denver-to-Aspen.

Jason Kaminski after successfully completed the first leg of the Colorado Triple Crown. Congratulations Jason!

Duane Walborn at the finish of Denver-to-Aspen. Nice ride, Duane!

Fearless RMCC president, Charlie Henderson, once again provided event support for this year's Denver-to-Aspen.
Thanks Charlie!

RMCCer Dan McDonald also sacrificed his Saturday to support Denver-to-Aspen! Thanks for your help, Dan!

Aspen trees line the shoulders of Independence Pass as riders make the bomber descent down the pass into Aspen. 

Denver-to-Aspen: One Day and Counting!

June 16th is almost here! It's one week and counting until next weekend's Joe Lookingbill Denver-to-Aspen Classic! Here's a few extra notes for next weekend's event:

1) Weather: The weather forecast still looks pretty good for next Saturday for Littleton, Fairplay, and Aspen. However, there is currently is a 30% chance of rain showers (some could be severe) in the Denver area with highs in the low 80s in Denver. Riders should be prepared for possibility of rain!

2) Registration: You need to have pre-registered for this event! Registration for this event is now closed. If you missed the window to register, we hope you will consider trying in 2013!  

3) Check-In: Rider check-in begins at 3:00 AM at the Ken Caryl and C-470 RTD Park-n-Ride. The ride starts at 4:00 AM. Please be ready 15 minutes early for pre-ride instructions.

4) Gear Bags: All riders may provide a well-marked (BIG letters, easy to read) gear bag that can be placed in our primary support vehicle prior to the start of the ride. Coolers are acceptable.

5) Course notes:  As of June 8, 2011, CDOT is not reporting any delays from road construction on Hwy 285, Hwy 24, or Hwy 82. Please do not miss the turn for Smith Way, which is the second-to-last turn before reaching Woody Creek! It is easy to miss, especially after a long day in the saddle. Remember: it is one of the first right-hand turns after passing the Aspen Airport (which is to the west).

6) RMCC support vehicles: We are planning on having two RMCC support vehicles for this ride. Support vehicles will be stocked with extra water, a floor pump, (and hopefully a spare set of wheels, Shimano-compatible, 10-speed cassette). The primary vehicle will be driven by Charlie Henderson (cell phone: 720-480-9714). Participants riding without private SAG support should plan to use this support vehicle to transport gear bags. These gear bags will be accessible at checkpoints along the course. Participants riding with private SAG support must register their support vehicle (name of driver, cell phone number, make/model of vehicle, and license number) with Charlie prior to the start of the ride. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Please e-mail Charlie (CharDi2528@aol.com) with this information by Thursday, June 14, or if it is last second, please bring a note card with this information and give this to Charlie prior to the start of the ride.

7) Checkpoints/Passports: After much debate, we have decided to use event passports again this year. This enables riders to record their times if they get ahead of our support vehicles. All riders should plan to have their event passports validated at the following official checkpoints: 1) Conifer (the RTD Park-n-Ride on the north side of Hwy 285), 2) Kenosha Pass Summit, 3) Buena Vista (the intersection of Hwy 24 and Linderman Avenue along the right side of the road), 4) Twin Lakes store, and 5) Woody Creek Tavern. Finishers should have their event passports validated by Charlie or RMCC staff at the Woody Creek Tavern. If Charlie is not present at the finish, you can mail your event card to: Charlie Henderson, 2 Blue Grouse Ridge Road, Littleton, CO 80127.

8) Additonal Support Points: All riders with personal support vehicles can receive support at the above checkpoints AND at the following locations: 1) Bailey (Conoco station on the right) and 2) Fairplay (the Sinclair/Strip mall on the right as you enter town), 3) Independence Pass summit.

9) Special notes about support: 1) If the weather turns nasty, support can be anywhere! 2) There are no guarantees that official SAG vehicle will be able support riders at Twin Lakes store. Faster riders may out-run the support vehicle after Buena Vista and will not be to access their gear bags after leaving Buena Vista. These riders need to plan ahead and bring the supplies and gear that they will need to complete this ride! Remember: temperatures will likely be considerably colder on top of Independence Pass! Additional water can be purchased at the Twin Lakes store, but not on Independence Pass.

10) Time cut-offs: To successfully complete Denver-to-Aspen, you must get to Buena Vista expeditiously! Riders should plan to take the shortest breaks possible at checkpoints and support points. To ensure rider safety, we have two time cut-offs: 1) Buena Vista: 3:00 pm, 2) Twin Lakes store: 5:00 pm. If riders do not arrive at these checkpoints by these times, they will not receive official finishing time. 3) Woody Creek. Riders must reach the Woody Creek Tavern by 7:00 pm to receive Colorado Triple Crown credit and qualify for the other events of the Triple Crown. Riders who reach Woody Creek after 9:00 pm will not receive an official finishing time. It is RMCC policy to not have participants finish this ride by descending Indendence Pass in the dark!

11) Safety: Please ride with extra caution durign the event at the following locations: 1) Pine Junction to Baily: watch for rumble strips!, 2) Trout Creek Pass: the shoulder narrows considerably as Hwy 285 descends into Johnson Village. Traffic is fairly brisk! 3) Independence Pass (Aspen side): Hwy 82 is often littered with rocks and there are several large potholes on the descent into Aspen! The road is also very narrow in places and can have lots of traffic!

12) Abandonment: If you need to abandon the ride for any reason, please call Charlie Henderson at 720-480-9714 as soon as possible to let him know! Additionally, if you are going to leave Twin Lakes after 4:00 pm or arrive in Woody Creek after 8:00 pm, please call Charlie to let him know! We don't want to spend all night worrying about where you are! Please note that we do not sweep the course!

13) Emergencies: If you have an accident or injury that requires emergent attention, please call 911. Please call Charlie ASAP to let him know!

14) Event Rules: Please review the event rules before the ride on Saturday: http://coloradotriplecrown.blogspot.com/2011/05/rules-regulations-and-safety.html

Congratulations to Dick Wiss!

Dick Wiss, with his trusty Serotta, displays his well deserved Colorado Triple Crown kit. Dick completed the Colorado Triple Crown in 2009 and now becomes the second RMCCer to successfully complete the California Triple Crown series.

Congratulations to RMCCer Dick Wiss (64 years young!) for successfully completing the 2012 California Triple Crown! In order to become an official California Triple Crown "winner," riders must successfully complete three of the California double century events in a single cycling season. California has 21(!) different double century events that riders can participate in. All of these rides (given their 200 mile distance) are difficult; however, some of the events borderline "insanely difficult," featuring steep grades, intense heat, and between 18,000 to 20,000 feet of climbing. Like the events of the Colorado Triple Crown, the California events are not officially "races," but they are timed events. The primary goal of these events is to finish safely within the allotted time limit. However, there is a certain degree of "bragging rights" that comes with finishing competitively. And with nearly 500 riders(!) completing the California series in 2009, 2010, and 2011, finishing competitively is something to brag about! To complete the California series, Dick successfully completed the following events:

1) El Camino Real Double Century: Irvine, CA, 2/18/12
2) Solvang Spring Double Century: Solvang, CA, 3/24/12
3) Mulholland Double Century: Agoura Hills, CA, 4/14/12

Dick, who successufully completed the inaugural Colorado Triple Crown in 2009, co-resides in Boulder during the summer months and Phoenix, AZ during the winter months. Dick was able to use his intense winter training in the Arizona sun to prepare for California Triple Crown series. Dick is using these events to prepare for this summer's RMCC Colorado High Country 1200 km brevet!

Congratulations again to Dick!

2012 Foothills Climbfest Recap

Thirteen RMCCers "toed the line" for the start of the 2012 Foothills Climbfest, contested on Saturday, May 26, 2012. Starting at the Ken Caryl RTD Park-n-Ride, the Climbfest is a grueling test of cycling perseverance, climbing well over 8000 feet in 80 miles. The route includes five climbs in the foothills to the southwest of Denver, including Deer Creek Canyon/High Grade Road (a true foothills classic), Shadow Mountain/Brook Forest, Parmalee Gulch, High Drive Road, Brook Forest/Shadow Mountain (in reverse). The Climbfest has become a mainstay on the RMCC calendar over the past few years. Like other RMCC Challenge Series events, it's not officially a race...but it's as close to race as any event on the RMCC calendar. Riders are encouraged to push themselves to the maximum of their cycling limits and friendly competition is encouraged.

Riders were greeted with cool but pleasant riding conditions (temperatures in the mid-60's) to start the event. However, there was an omnipresent haze in the sky from the ongoing forest fires in New Mexico. Weather conditions became increasingly adverse as the event progressed. The passage of a front brought swirly, (and at times) somewhat dangerous riding conditions, with southwesterly winds gusting over 60 mph. Temperatures warmed up throughout the day as well, reaching an unseasonably warm 90 degrees in the Denver area. The warm, windy conditions made it very difficult for riders to stay hydrated. Other riders really struggled with the smokey conditions. Participant Josh Horwood commented, "the conditions were tough! The smoke made it very difficult to breathe." In traditional RMCC fashion, however, Josh and the other participants persevered!

In spite of the tough weather conditions, riders set a blistering pace up High Grade Road early during the first climb of the day. Seth Stingley, a RMCC new-comer from Palmer Lake, set a very hard pace up the 3,000 foot Deer Creek Canyon/High Grade Road climb, with club veteran Mark Pfeil not too far behind. Not familiar with Climbfest course, Seth made an untimely wrong turn in Conifer, allowing Mark to slip into the lead....a lead that he would not relinquish for the remainder of the event. Mark finished in 4:54. Crafty club veteran, Steve Rudolph, who fell victim to a Deer Creek Canyon "tack attack," battled back from his untimely flat finish in third position with a time of 5:01.

Diane Benoit, who inadvertently showed up to this year's event, was a bit stunned when she found out the Climbfest was not the RMCC club ride. Diane commented, "What do you mean this isn't the club ride?!?" Diane decided to participant in this year's Climbfest anyway as our only female competitor, finishing with an excellent time of 5:54.

The warm, windy weather conditions were not conducive for breaking course records. Wendy Field's 2009 time of 5:31 (14.70 mph) and Mark Lowe's 2011 time of 4:23 (18.48 mph) remain the course benchmarks for this challenging event.

Congratulations to all of this year's participants! Results will be posted shortly on the RMCC mainpage.

Mark Pfeil road a stellar event, completing the challenging course in 4:54, an impressive feat given the warm temperatures and gusty winds.

Seth Stingley, in hot pursuit of Mark Pfeil at the top of Shadow Mountain, put in a tremendous effort, finishing in 4:58. This was Seth's first Climbfest, as well as his first time riding the Evergreen back roads.

 Riding the RMCC club ride which overlapped with the Climbfest, Sargent McDonald meets up with Steve Rudolph and Tom Groves at the top of Shadow Mountain. Steve commented, "How come you aren't out here, Sargent?"

Ron Sheng and Marty Medina took a quick break to refill their water bottles on Shadow Mountain.

Kerry Stewart took a quick break on top of Shadow Mountain before beginning the final jaunt back down Deer Creek Canyon.

Tom Miller, who proudly displayed his Colorado Triple Crown kit, used the Climbfest as preparation to make another run at the 2012 Colorado Triple Crown.

The Foothills Climbfest has an abundance of beautiful mountain scenery, including red rock formations at South Valley Park.

Thanks to club president, Charlie Henderson, and Mark Lowe for providing support for this year's event!

Boulder Fearsome Five Recap

Boulder's beautiful Chautauqua Park...the gateway to Flagstaff Road

Fifteen RMCCers lined up for the inaugural Boulder Fearsome Five on Sunday, May 6, 2012, a new, extremely challenging RMCC event. This event features a unique format: participants had ten hours to climb (and descend) Boulder County's five most difficult climbs, including Flagstaff Road, Magnolia Road, Sugarloaf Road, the Fourmile Canyon-to-Sunshine Canyon Loop, and James Canyon/Overland Road (aka the "SuperJamestown") via Lee Hill Road. Mile-for-mile, this is the most difficult event the RMCC has to offer, featuring multiple climbs with insanely steep pitches. And given the steep grades and high altitude, this course is very likely the most challenging century course in the nation! The route climbs over 14,000 feet in a mere 98 miles. It also includes a tricky, somewhat technical (for road bikes) seven mile dirt and gravel section during the climb up Fourmile Canyon, through the community of Gold Hill, and windy descent down the upper three miles of Sunshine Canyon.

RMCCers at Eben G. Fine Park, the start of the inaugural Boulder Fearsome Five

When asked why the event was placed so early on the RMCC cycling calendar, event organizer Mark Lowe responded, "this event is really meant to prepare riders for the much more difficult events the club has to offer later in the summer...whether it be a mountainous brevet or one of the Colorado Triple Crown double century events. Plus the non-competitive format is conducive to greater rider participation. And even if riders can't (or don't want to) complete all of the climbs, riders are guaranteed to get a great workout!"

Most riders would agree with that. However, many riders weren't so excited about riding the dirt and gravel roads over Fourmile Canyon and Sunshine Canyon. RMCC speedster and Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) Charly Miller recipient (sub-56 hours, 40 minutes), Billy Edwards, definitely wasn't so keen about the dirt roads. "I don't know...some of those gravel sections were pretty sketchy!" Ryan Franz, also a Charly Miller recipient from last summer's PBP, disagreed, "I've ridden thousands of miles on roads like that." Club veteran, Will de Rosset, agreed with Ryan, stating that "it really wasn't that bad!"

Snow accumulating the SuperJamestown made for a frigid descent!

At the start, riders were greeted by partly cloudy skies, cool temperatures in the mid-50s (much cooler than the summer-like temperatures the Front Range had been experiencing over the previous several weeks), and relatively gentle (but chilly) breezes. As the day progressed, however, the Boulder Fearsome Five truly lived up to its name as the weather became a bit more "fearsome" in its own right. Temperatures began to plummet as the afternoon progressed, and riders experienced snow showers--heavy at times--on James Canyon Road and Overland Road, an unpleasant surprise to many riders who were inadequately prepared for the winter-like weather! A couple of Fearsome Five participants made the ill-fated attempt to complete the climb up the SuperJamestown as the nasty, bitter weather progressed, only to become hypothermic during the frigid descent. Fortunately, Jamestown locals rescued these riders, sagging them back to the Eben G. Fine park.

Dave Secunda is stunned by the snow showers on Overland Road

Event results will be posted shortly on the RMCC website according to number of climbs successfully completed, not according to time. Congratulations to Ryan Franz, however, for setting the club benchmark for the course! Ryan completed the mountainous course in 7 hours, 21 minutes, a truly impressive feat for this very challenging course! Congratulations to all of the riders who participated in this insanely difficult new RMCC event!

Interestingly, several riders felt "cheated" that the course route was only 98 miles...not 100 miles. We'll see if we can fix that for next season!

Special thanks to RMCC veteran, Dick Wiss, who gave up his Sunday to provide event support!!!

Will deRosset, Chuck Matthys, and Kelly Shannon are grateful to have survived the insane climbing and bitter cold!

What the riders said about the Boulder Fearsome Five:
"Great, challenging course! I would come back again. It's in my backyard!"
-Ryan F.

"I [was] trying to survive!"
-Tom G.

"I think you should rename the ride the 'Climb, Puke, and Repeat x 5...the CPR 5!'"
-Sargent M.

"Great event! Thanks for organizing it!"
-Sheeyun P.

"I was shivering so hard that I couldn't control my bike!"
-Chuck M.

"I can live with myself for only completing four climbs!"
-Sandy P.

When asked about the event, Billy E. didn't say a word as he prepared for his frigid descent down James Canyon Road...he just gave me the one-finger salute. (I consider that a compliment when talking about this course BTW! :)

"This course could only have been created by the mind of madman!!! Wait a second...that was me!"
-Mark L.

The dreaded tunnel along Boulder Canyon Road