Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Riding in the Rockies: The Most Epic Day Ever

I woke up this morning and drank my daily coffee in preparation for the most epic day ever. We would be riding through Rocky Mountain National Park. I ascended up Trail Ridge Road at a very slow pace. Sometimes you can't sprint up mountains.
The ride was also terrifying because the derailer on my bike fell off as I began riding after a rest stop. Luckily there were no cars in sight and the rest area was just 100 feet away. Katie, one of our leaders was driving the van today, and she loaned me her bike. I was at mile 21, and I still had 9 more miles to climb to get to the summit. I was I happy and relieved that I was still able to ride to the top. A couple of the guys helped me out when it first happened. I love my
P2C family even more because they were looking out for me. 
    Those last 9 miles were a fight, but I managed. At the summit I was famished and ate a large pretzel, and a group of us got together for a picture.
The view outside was incredible too.
Vant and I climbed a bunch of steps to a high point at the summit and did an awesome jumping picture.
The ride to the top of the mountain was mentally and physically exhausting, but I did it. I started at 7500 feet and ended up at around 11760 feet. It is the most amazing thing I have ever done. People in cars cheered us on, and fellow cyclists encouraged us to keep going. I descended the mountain at a safe pace, and I took in my surroundings. 

America truly is beautiful. Vant and I rode together for the rest of the ride into Granby, and there was a beautiful lake.
I pretty much just want to move to Colorado one day because it is incredible. I am so fortunate to be here. The mountains spoke to me today. They told me to keep climbing, to keep riding, to keep loving. So that's what I did.

-Sarah

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