Twin Lakes to Aspen

So I was driving on the actual day that our group tackled up the epic Independence Pass from Twin Lakes. What worked out well though was that another rider was sick and unable to do the ride, so on our day off in Aspen we woke up nice and early to tackle up more than 4000 feet in 19 miles from Aspen to the top of Independence Pass.

I could not think of a better way to start the day than a group morning bike ride. Along the way were great views of mountains and rivers but I could not let them take away my concentration from the road. The road was along cliffs, became a single lane at times and full of potential tourists. It was a long journey but not as difficult as I had imagined to get up it. At the top, we celebrated and realized that even though the group was sleeping in Aspen they were still spiritually with us.

The scariest part was the way down as we handled the steep grades and heavy curves in an effort to maintain our speed. My biking compadre showed off her wits by passing me along the way down. As we made our way back into Aspen, we bought a feast of food from the grocery store to take back for a great meal.

We thought we were done for the day with biking but we were wrong of course. Our soon to be friend Mark from the Aspen Ski & Snowboard Club asked if anyone was interested in joining him for his lunch ride. It was a beautiful ride that is a classic for Aspen which includes a steady 9 mile climb up to Bell Mountains that surround a beautiful lake.

The climb was fun as we got to talk with Mark and enjoy the stories of the area. He gave us some insight on how long the climbs would last and before we knew it, the climb was done. It was beautiful up there as we relaxed by the lake looking at the view above our heads. We took a little walk to find waterfalls from a stream that fed into the lake. The downhill bike ride was much easier than Independence Pass with no curves to worry about as we flew down.

It was a great day when it came to seeing Aspen and its many insights. We celebrated the accomplishments by enjoying Happy Hour and getting smoothies in the park. Unfortunately we must say good bye to these mountains as we charge on!