Pikes Peak 8/14 wed

Finally we did more than just cover miles on the highway. Getting just before 0600, and rolling before 0700.

First we visited Garden of the Gods, along our route to Pikes Peak, . The plan was for a quick drive-through and get to Pikes near the 0730 gate opening. The Garden had much to offer, and we stayed a few hours. The road through the Garden of the Gods rises and falls in a loop around a garden of near vertical rock spines. The one-way road has markings for cars, bikes, and pedestrian traffic. All forms of transportation had ample representatives active this morning. Walking/jogging trails wound through the rocks. With parking peppered around.

The ride through was slowed by our need to take photos. Which landed us in the large parking lot to get a cliff photo with motorcycles in the foreground. While we snapped photos a deer walked past us, with the slightest concern for us humans as deerly possible. She hopped the fence and walked up a gravel trail. Then her spotted fawns followed. Aren't we special to be her for this. Not really. Someone walked up the paved and split rail fence boarded pedestrian path. We allerted them to our special moment, and they motioned down the trail, stating there are a lot more.

So we started down the trail. Our doe and fawns matching our movements. Sometimes they traveled the grass and brush trailside. Other times they would walk the paved sections with the humans. We continued photographing deer and vertical rocks as we walked on. At least two bucks, six to eight does and a dozen fawns. The fawns sparred, and all the deer grazed. The humans all seemed amazed at seeing the deer so close. The deer didn't seem to think much at all off the nongrazing humans.

That was cool but we spent too much time. So off we went, choosing not to take a second loop to balanced rock. Just a stop at the gift store (for stickers of course). Only this was a large store catering to everyone. I had coffee, Tucker ice-cream, Nate and I found all the stickers spread around the compartmented store. Then on our way out we passed balanced rock, and just had to stop for photos. Far more time than expected, and totally worth it.

Soon after leaving the Garden, we stopped for fuel, water and bike mentenance. Then to the top of the 14,000 foot Pikes Peak for $15 each. It is much like the Mount Washington auto road in New Hampshire. It even has a cog railroad. Just a high and longer road than it's Mount Washington counterpart. Todays summit weather was 52F, and breezy in some places. Best of all, it was a clear day, and the views were spectacular.

First action at the top was to add the warm jacket layer that was unnecessary at the 78F base. The warm very much desired on the windy slopes we rode up. Offering very few places to stop and add warmth along the road, resulting in summiting quite chilled. We wondered around taking photos off in all directions. Of far away mountains that we didn't know. The air was so thin my first walk down a few landings of steps made me light headed. Coming back up the stairs I tripped and skinned my thumb on the stair tread. My bike first aid kit to the rescue, with alcohol pad and bandage. Then back down off the summit, everything reversed,. Even the desire to remove the warm layer that felt great at elevation but hot at the bottom.

All that was left was to cross Colorado from Colorado Springs to Silverton. The main routes taken are 24, 50 and 550. All passing through beautiful mountain resorts and scenery.

Tucker had some bike stalling problems that shook his faith in completing this trip. We upped his bike's idle, topped off oil & fuel, plus poked at the sparkplugs. Better but not exactly fixed. A call to a bike shop in Montrose went well. We could not reach them before their 5pm close, but they agreed to look at it tomorrow.

Getting to Montrose involved a lot of construction sites. Along those stops and slowdowns Tucker discovered that his clutch had some drag unless it was sqeezed harder than normal. He also noticed the long ends of his new gloves blocking the full sqeeze betwen lever and bar. The working theory that explains everything is: stretched (and still stretching) clutch cable.

So Tucker stopped at a Montrose area hotel for the night. Nate and I continued to Silverton for a late dinner.

Tomorrow we'll see what trained professionals have to say about Tucker's bike.