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LOCAL FAVORITES: BIKEPACKING THE FRONT RANGE
Hey all - Drew (head of customer happiness and all things creative) here.
A few weeks back some buddies and I decided to head out on a spontaneous weekend bikepacking trip. The idea was simple - bike 90 miles across the front range of Northern Colorado in two days, beginning and ending at our front door. That may sound like the ideal, no-frills weekend strike mission, but... mother nature had other ideas. There was a major heatwave (like 100-degrees-in-early-June, major) that hit that weekend, made only more impactful due a route choice that lacked any kind of shade.
Sounds great right? Here's the good news: I decided to haul my camera along and document the sufferfest. So, strap your helmet on, crank up your A/C, and join us as we bikepack the front range... from the comfort of your recliner.
Quick-drying, long sleeve shirts were the "on bike" apparel of choice to keep the sun off of our arms.
The river (our stopping point on day 1) was an incredibly welcome sight. After 45 miles of riding in the unrelenting sun, with temps around 100℉, all three of us immediately jumped into the river upon arrival. Spirits began to rise after a long soak, and we began setting up our sleeping arrangements and planning dinner for the evening.
As the sun descended below the western horizon-line, temps remained high. We had a feeling we were in for a warm night.
The next morning found the three of us feeling... haggard. Sleep deprived after a long night of tossing and turning in the heat, we packed up, mounted our bikes, and began the trek back home. After a few hot miles we called an audible and decided to take an alternate route - a route that led us straight to breakfast sandwiches and Gatorade.
Boom - instant morale boost.
In the last 10 miles or so we, once again fully motivated by food, we changed our final destination. Or rather... added a completely out-of-the-way stop to the end of our trip: a visit to our favorite Nashville hot chicken restaurant. We put our heads down, mashed our pedals, and powered through the heat one final time.
Full of fried chicken and beer, we slowly pedaled back home with grins on our faces knowing that this 'type 2 fun' extravaganza was finally coming to a close.
Thanks for tagging along! See ya next time.
