Downtown Golden was my first destination after dropping off the car. Golden is home to both the Colorado School of Mines and Coors Brewery. Near Golden, I picked up the Clear Creek Trail, which follows eponymous stream from the edge of the mountains all the way to its confluence with the South Platte River. There, I started south (upstream) along a trail that follows that waterway in to downtown Denver. I continued along the Platte River passed Mile High Stadium and several parks until I got about as far south as my place where I turned east and used surface streets to complete the ride.
The next day, when the car was ready for retrieval, I rode directly back to the shop. It was much colder, with rain in the forecast. Plus, I barely had enough time from when I got the call until they closed to make it there at biking speed.
Full Screen Version
Colorado dedicates proceeds from the lottery to outdoor recreation like trails, parks, and open space. This commitment is evident in the quality of the trail infrastructure: surface, width, signage, bridges, tunnels, etc. I'm going to enjoy exploring more of the network. The fall colors were still strong especially in Golden and along the Clear Creek trail. Part of the South Platte trail runs through an industrial part of town that is interesting, but not particularly scenic. Near the end of the ride, Huston Lake Park, a small park around a modest lake with good mountain views, was one of my favorite discoveries from the ride.
Trip Statistics
(both segments, Monday and Tuesday, combined)
Length: 56.5 miles
Ride Time: 6 hours 8 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
Avg. Speed: 11.7 MPH
Max. Speed: 27.7 MPH
Max Elev.: 5,943 ft.
Elevation Profile
Downtown Golden
Clear Creek flowing toward Coors Brewery
Clear Creek Trail
Clear Creek
Cherry Creek Trail in Downtown Denver
Huston Lake Park
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