Today was a people day along The Ride Across America. Imagine that!
It can be a long, lonely ride, traveling by bicycle across America. Hours on the road alone, with nothing but you and the wilderness.
But today I entered a bit of a time warp, and for a while everything changed.
When I ended the ride last night at the Pearl Izumi outlet store in Silverthorne, Colorado, the clerk mentioned something in passing about there being thousands of bicyclists on the road today. It seems today was the annual “Triple Bypass” ride – 3,500 riders taking on 3 major mountain passes in one day.
And as I got on the road, I realized I had dropped myself right into the middle of the Triple Bypass route.
About 10 years ago I did a charity bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles – 3,500 riders going 570 miles over 7 days. Looking back now, 1600 miles into my current journey, it seems like a piece of cake. But it was an amazing experience, riding with 3,500 people on a giant adventure – tent villages every day, supported rest stops, etc.
Although the triple bypass is only a 1 day event, they ride 125 miles (Oy) over 10,350 feet of vertical rise (double Oy), and the feeling was very similar. Hundreds of people in colored bicycle jerseys, pedaling along with friends at varying speeds.
And as I we turned the bend around the Dillon Dam Reservoir, along “my section” of the Triple Bypass route, there was a big glorious rest stop. Volunteers, handing out fruit and cliff shots and electrolyte drinks. It reminded me just how much fun it could be, to ride your bicycle along with 3,500 of your closest friends.
As I left the rest stop, fueled up (and feeling a bit wimpy for only having ONE 11,500 foot summit pass to ride over today), my journey took me down a different road than theirs, and again I was alone heading up the bike path to my challenge for the day – Hoosier Pass.
This is an unbelievable part of the country – riding along beautifully manicured, multi-million dollar bike paths here in Bicycle Country, USA – stopping to support the adorable kids who had set up lemonade stands for riders along the road and all the time enjoying the beauty of the Rocky Mountains by my side.
Until finally, it was before me – my challenge for the day – Hoosier Pass. A climb to 11,542 feet, the highest mountain pass in the Rockies and my highest point on the Dog Cancer Ride Across America. It was a challenge for sure – 8% grades along massive switchbacks – but I’d been training for almost 1,600 miles by now and I was ready to take it on.
And as I’m riding up the hill – doing my best 4.6 MPH shuffle (I have the WORST gearing for climbing hills – but the BEST racing gears for riding downhill and along the flats) – I’m huffing and puffing my way up when a strange and wonderful thing happened. A red car drove past me, and out of the passenger side window popped a familiar face – Andrew, our host when we stayed in Steamboat Springs last week – and his son Andy. They were actually driving up Hoosier Pass – 150 miles from home – on their way to a camping vacation.
So we stopped to say hello and reminisce about old times together (we’ve known each other for 5 days) – catching up on the family, kids doing well, etc…. It was great to see an old friend so far from home.
Before long, it was time for me to get back on the road and continue my way to the top of the pass. Pushing my way up the hill – and blocking out the roar of Harley Davidson motorcycles roaring up the hill past me. What the heck was going on here?
And as I huffed and puffed and blew my way up the hill, right to the peak of Hoosier Pass, I saw the oddest sight of all – about 100 leather clad Harley Davidson bikers standing at the peak. I thought for a moment they might be there to greet me and cheer me on (you get some strange thoughts when you’re exhausted from riding up an 11,500 foot pass). I also thought for a moment about Pee Wee Herman in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure… the scene where he knocks down all the Harleys and nearly gets killed by the Bikers in the bar (I don’t know why, but I always get that vision when I go past biker bars…)
It ends up they weren’t there to greet me. They were in the middle of their own event – The “5 in 1” – riding up 5 x 10,000 foot passes in one day by motorcycle (Hoosier Pass was their last pass of the day).
So there they were, hundreds of bikers at the top of Hoosier Pass, Harley bikes and black leather, and there I was, in my blue bicycle jersey, clip in shoes and lycra bicycle pants, walking right into the middle of the crowd. I had found my people.
As I started walking over to the sign that marks the peak (and the Continental Divide) they all started moving away to give me a clear shot – but I said, “No, I want you all in the picture with me.” So they all gathered around and we all took a picture and some video together at the top of Hoosier Pass.
When I told them what I was doing – riding to raise money for charities that help dog owners pay for their dog’s cancer care – a few of them shouted “you ride man, we’re all down with dog cancer charities.” It was a very cool scene.
And as I rolled my way back down Hoosier Pass – by the way it is ALL downhill from here, Hoosier pass is the highest pass in the Rockies and the highest point I’ll reach on the entire ride – the ride reverted to it’s previous solitary ways. Alone again on my 4,281 mile journey across America – just me and my support crew, riding across country to raise money for dogs who need us to help them get the care they deserve.
But it had been great to be amongst friends, even if only for one day, along The Dog Cancer Ride Across America.
Bye for now from The Dog Cancer Ride Across America.
I’m looking forward to seeing YOU down the road too.
- Ted Schneck
In Alma, Colorado (85 miles and a 5,000 food drop) outside of Colorado Springs.
along The Dog Cancer Ride Across America
www.DogCancerRide.com
