Ride Director: Robert Deering
Ride Co-Director: Steven Roberts
Report by: John Mott
September 25-30, 2019 Ride Leader Robert Deering and his assistant Steven Roberts delivered another amazing bike tour in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Our tour treated us to stunning scenery, challenging rides, less challenging optional rides, and comfortable accommodations. A grand time was had by all and we all experienced Rocky Mountain High!
The Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort https://mtprinceton.com/ was our base of operations. Sitting at over 8,200 ft, the majestic mountains of San Isabel National Forest surround this comfortable resort. Although we were treated to complementary daily yoga, Pilates and water exercise classes, few of us took advantage of these amenities. We did use the several large naturally-heated thermal pools and a 400” waterslide -- popular destinations after a day of exhilarating riding. Hotel rooms were spacious, clean and quiet with refrigerators, microwaves, and a patio with great views. A hearty hot breakfast was included and many of us made snacks from breakfast offerings for the morning rides.
Although most attendees came from lower elevations, there were no major altitude issues. Daily, the leaders offered strenuous and less strenuous riding options to accommodate various preferences. Ride options were often 20-50 miles at elevations between 8,000 and 12,000 ft. Rides featured beautiful scenery that included stunning mountain ranges, rivers, streams, alpine lakes, ghost towns, wildflowers, and good eateries.
For all the rides, Robert emailed Ride with GPS ride links and cue sheets were posted on the website. Some of the printed cue sheet were also available. No one got lost and directions were clear.
Every day the leaders hosted a popular happy hour with beer, wines non-alcoholic beverages, and a variety of hors d’oeuvres. Steve’s fresh made guacamole was always a big hit. At happy hour, Robert gave us an overview of the next day’s rides and let us know other details. We all looked forward to the sharing and new information we received at happy hour.
Most rides started from the resort and got progressively challenging as the week progressed. There were no serious injuries or mechanical problems, although some brakes were either screaming or smoking as we flew down from the continental divide. I broke a personal record of mine by riding my road bike from 9,000’ to 12,126’, my highest altitude ride.
Thank you Robert for “hitting this tour out of the park.” We left wishing we could have stayed longer.
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org