Every 1000 feet you climb, you lose about 3% of the oxygen in the air. At the summit, there will be 42% less oxygen. No wonder I am breathing like an old smoker. I thought I was just going to come out here solo, take some photos, and bike part way to see how hard it would be. However, somewhere along the way I just decided to go for the top.
While climbing Longs Peak a few weeks prior, a friend had mentioned this ride. The road up Mount Evans is the highest paved road not only in the USA but also in North America. The best part is that the road is closed to cars this year because of the Covid19 pandemic. Finally something good to come out of the pandemic! I had the whole road to myself. Just me, the rams, and the mountain goats…
14 Miles of Straight Hill Climbing
I saw a couple of moose while heading up to the Echo Lake parking lot. The reds and yellows of the aspens were fading with the end of fall. Smoke from Colorado wildfires made an eerie mist over layers of mountain ranges. I am not really a big biker but I had gotten pretty in shape preparing for that Longs Peak hike and was used to the altitude. The sun was blinding straight in my face for the first couple of miles. It was kind of strange being up there alone. I couldn’t stop smiling. Around each bend came another incredible view. With no cars it was eerie quiet and I tried not to startle the big horn sheep that had taken over parts of the road. After a bit, I settled into a nice pace.
Suddenly a Guy with a Gun…
Part way up the mountain I came around the corner and encountered a guy with a paintball gun. Across the road was a herd of mountain goats. I stopped to chat with the guy. He turned out to be a really friendly researcher with the CPW. I asked him how long he had been following the herd and he told me that it had been something like 10 years! “So you’ve named them,” I asked? He kind of wryly smiled and then pointed at one goat. “That mom can’t find her kid and he is over there.” He pointed at a kid that had fallen behind the herd. Right then, it let out a bleat and the concerned looking mom promptly responded and ran around to the other side.
Can you imagine how much that guy must know about that herd and those goats? Because I am a curious dude, I later googled and found this article. Long story short, if you bike up Mount Evans, please make sure that you use designated toilets. The lives of the goats may depend on it 🙂
Approaching The Summit of Mount Evans
Toward the top, the steep road turns into an asphalt snake with huge bows teasing access to the summit:
The last stretch of road was pretty slow going and it was a strange feeling. I had plenty of energy but just couldn’t breathe. To make it to the top, you have to ditch your bike and hike the last bit on a rocky trail. Luckily I had brought running shoes just in case I had popped a tire or something. I enjoyed a granola bar at the summit and played around with some photo taking before heading back down. The ride up took me a couple of hours but the ride down was like a crazy thrill ride. I never thought you could get tired just riding downhill.
Coming Down
I got back down to Denver just after noon. It was strange to think that some days just fly by and here I just did this epic adventure before lunch on a weekday! Each day of fall I keep getting outside because it could be the last nice one before the snow comes. I think I’ve accidentally crammed more outdoor time into the fall than I did in the summer 🙂
If you are fitting in any last minute fair weather adventures I’d love to hear about them. If you you have any questions about biking Evans ask away…in the comments below.
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