Ride the Rockies

Well I just returned from 6 days of bicycle riding here in the Rocky Mountains. It was a beautiful and enjoyable ride through the southern part of Colorado. Here is the route that we took this year:

CORTEZ TO CANYON CITY
419 Miles‚ June 18 - 23, 2006
SATURDAY, JUNE 17
Cortez - Registration

SUNDAY, JUNE 18 CORTEZ TO DURANGO
48 MILES - 3,600 FEET ELEVATION GAIN
U.S. 160 east from Cortez to Durango

MONDAY, JUNE 19 DURANGO TO PAGOSA SPRINGS
87 MILES - 4,300 FEET ELEVATION GAIN
La Plata County Road 240 northeast from Durango to La Plata County Road 501
La Plata County Road 501 south to Bayfield
La Plata County Road 521 south to Colorado 151
Colorado 151 east to U.S. 160
U.S. 160 east to Pagosa Springs

TUESDAY, JUNE 20 PAGOSA SPRINGS TO CHAMA, N.M.
50 MILES - 3,800 FEET ELEVATION GAIN
U.S. 160 east from Pagosa Springs to U.S. 84
U.S. 84 southeast to New Mexico 17
New Mexico 17 north to Chama

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 CHAMA, N.M. TO ALAMOSA
83 MILES - 3,200 FEET ELEVATION GAIN
Cumbres Pass - 10,022 feet
La Manga Pass - 10,230 feet
New Mexico 17 north from Chama to Colorado 17
Colorado 17 northeast to U.S. 285
U.S. 285 north through Antonito
Conejos and Alamosa County Roads north and east to U.S. 285 (3 miles south of Alamosa)
U.S. 285 north to Alamosa

THURSDAY, JUNE 22 ALAMOSA TO SALIDA
84 MILES - 1,600 FEET ELEVATION GAIN
Poncha Pass - 9,020 feet
Colorado 17 north from Alamosa to U.S. 285
U.S. 285 north to Poncha Springs
Chaffee County Road 120 east to Salida

FRIDAY, JUNE 23 SALIDA TO CANYON CITY
67 MILES - 1,900 FEET ELEVATION GAIN
U.S. 50 east from Salida to Parkdale
Fremont County Road 3 south to Fremont County Road 3A
Fremont County Road 3A east and north over Royal Gorge Bridge to U.S. 50
U.S. 50 east to Canyon City

The hardest days for me were the first and last day. About three weeks earlier I had a crash while I was on a training ride and screwed up my knee. I decided that it would be best to rest and heal before the ride so I would be able to make the 419 mile trip. Although my knee hurt for most of this journey I had the most problems on the first and last day. I think this happened because of all of the climbing we had to do. Plus, since I did not do any training for three weeks before the ride, I wasn't in as great of shape as I could have been.


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The picture above is of Scott Quinn and I making muscles at one of the many aid stations along the Ride the Rockies route.


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The picture above is of my real good friend and favorite art director extrordinaire Nate Craner and I after we crossed the finish line. Don't we look relieved? On this day we were able to ride 24 miles in less than 50 minutes. A new record for me...... :)

I haven't posted any of my drawings on the blog in quite a while due to my laziness and lack of motivation...... Here is a PICKLED pic to satisfy my need to show this stuff.


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This was one of the centerfold images I did for my little sketchbook that I published a couple of months ago.

Enjoy.

Jack