I took three days off from work for some much needed rest. Wednesday the weather was rather crappy, so I treated Mean Betsy to some maintenance and myself to some Paulaner Original Munich Lager. Thursday I rode 30km on some errands and shopping and so forth, but Friday I decided to go on a “real” ride.

SInce I hadn’t been on the Bear Creek Trail in almost a year, I decided to hit that and see how far I’d make it. The somewhat lofty goal was to make it to Morrison, alas I am rather out of shape and I also got off to a late start.

The weather gods were with me and it turned out to be a beautiful ride. Contrary to the newer bike trails such as the the Platte River Trail, Bear Creek is a lot different. Its very curvy in a good way, not as “polished” and it takes you through mostly wooded areas. I eventually hit Bear Creek Park and decided to challenge myself and ride up Bear Creek Dam. It’s not a very steep climb, but just steep and long enough to be pretty straining, at least to me.

I did make it up there (with a fair bit of suffering) but it was so worth it. I got a beautiful view of the foothills, spent a few words with a fellow cyclist who arrived just minutes later and took some pictures.

It was so awesome I decided to skip Morrison (it’s literally just down the dam on the other side) and ride home instead. I somehow managed to miss the trailhead, so I rode eastward on streets that had less traffic for a little and then hit the trail again.

Back in my area, I decided to treat myself to some food from my favorite Mexican restaurant and celebrate my awesome ride with one or two post-ride rehydration cylinders.

It’s days like this that make me want to never move from Denver.

More detailed info is here