Colorado Rockies

At the end of August, I flew to Denver for a long weekend trip through the Colorado Rockies. Arriving Saturday morning, I drove down to Colorado Springs to see a few sites including a drive up Pikes Pike, my first time more than 14,000 ft above sea-level, air-travel excluded. The next day I drove west almost to the opposite end of the state. Along the way, I saw a man-made castle, crossed the world's tallest suspension bridge, rode an aerial tram from mountain pass to peak, and hiked along Colorado's largest lake to a geologic oddity. I turned around on Sunday and headed back east toward Denver taking the long way through Aspen and stopping for the night at another famous ski town, Breckenridge. In Breckenridge, I met my best friend from high school, Dan Hadley. The next day, my last in Colorado, we set out on an eight-mile mile hike that traversed three 14,000 mountains: Democrat, Lincoln, and Bross.

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The Shortest Ride and Something Different

Though I admit I felt little enthusiasm for a ride yesterday, I had not been on my bike for two weeks and didn't want to lose my legs so I got everything ready and left mid-morning expected to complete a short 20-30 mile ride. I was anxious to get back and watch some college football. My tires needed some air so a I pulled over at a picnic table in Fairmount Park to pump them up. In the process of pumping it my front tiem, I somehow broke the valve, which deflated the tube. Since I only planned a short ride I didn't have an extra one with me. Having ridden four miles, I had to walk four miles back to my apartment

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I might have repaired my tire and attempted to make up for my short ride with a longer one today, but I had already made other plans. I had signed up for a rock climbing class in Bucks County about an hour north of Philadelphia. I had to wake up early to pick-up a car and drive out to Ralph Stover State Park by 8:30 AM.

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After an introductory lesson, we took turns climbing. I went third. The organizer took several pictures of me on my first ascent. I found this part to be to the hardest section of the that climb...



but I made it to the top. In all a made three climbs each a little more difficult than the previous one.




We weren't the only group climbing in the park. Thirty boyscouts flanked us on either side.

After the organized event, I took a short hike to look at some of the views from the various overlooks the line the top of the cliff we climbed.

Outer Banks

The first weekend in August, I took a drive down to North Carolina's Outer Banks. Driving down Friday, I swung through Washington D.C. to see a property I asset manage, the Mall at Prince Georges, and to visit with my Aunt and Uncle. I brought my bike with designs to ride through a wildlife refuge near Norfolk, but notorious traffic south of Washington delayed that ride until Sunday.

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Staying the night outside Norfolk, I had a short drive Saturday morning to reach the Outer Banks. During the day I visited a state park with the highest Sand Dunes on the Atlantic Coast, Jockey Ridge; the Wright Bros. National Mememorial; the site of England failed Sixteenth Century colonization attempt, Fort Raleigh; and the adjacent Elizabethan Gardens. However Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was the primary attraction for the day, and the main reason I took the trip the Outer Banks.

On Sunday, I managed to squeeze in a few stops on the long drive back to Philadelphia including an antebellum slave plantation, the Dismal Swamp bike ride postponed from Friday and a pair of lighthouses at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.

Jockey Ridge State Park.



Wright Bros. National Memorial

The boulder on the left marks the site of the first flights take off; the first marble marker to its right marks the site of the first landing.


Cape Hatteras Lighthouse




Another picture of the lighthouse. Oh, wait...no, that's my cookie jar. Can you see any resemblance?




Me at the top of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Conshohocken

Yesterday, I took a short ride out to Conshohocken, a Philadelphia suburb, and back. I lacked time for a long ride because I started late and had to be back in time to read at the 5:15PM mass. More than anything I just wanted to get back on my bike after taking the last weekend off for travel. The route out followed the relatively hilly Conshohocken State Road (PA-23), a pretty good challenge. I came back on the level Schuykill River Trail almost as far as Manayunk before I climbed one more big hill to follow Ridge Road into Fairmount Park.

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Statistics
Length: 31.2 miles
Ride Time: 2 hours 51 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 1 minute
Avg. Speed: 10.9 MPH
Max. Speed: 28.7 MPH
Avg. Cadence: 54 RPM
Cumulative Ascent: 1550 ft.
Max. Elevation: 426 ft.