# Left Hand Canyon



## Samadhi

I'm giving serious thought to taking part in the bStrong event August. The mountain ride starts at the Celestial Seasonings campus, heads up left hand Canyon to Ward, over to Lyons and back down to Boulder. 69 miles.

I've never ridden LHC and have yet to attempt a climb of that grade and distance, so I'll need to train up a bit.

Would anyone have a recommendation or two for a suitable training climb closer to Denver? What I mean by suitable is somthing long - like 10-15 miles. We've got plenty of hills around Denver proper but the longest one I know of - in Chatfield SP - is only a mile or so. Hill repeats are part of the plan for this summer, but I'd like to do a number of sustained climbs. Morrison to Evergreen would be an option, but I've heard it isn't exactly the safest route.

Deer Creek maybe?
Lookout Mt.?

Open for suggestions.


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## shongalola

morrisson to evergreen is fine. Easy gradient. 

If you really want to do hills I would go deer creek to high grade, down city view, down turkey creek, onto and off 285 (very short section but you have to be careful), up Parmalee gulch, then either down bear creek or for bonus miles go up Kerr Gulch to evergreen parkway, onto and off I70 at Chief Hosa, up genessee dr (its mostly dirt but usually pretty good), then down genessee mountain drive, across the highway and down 40 and back to Morrisson.

Golden Gate canyon is a great ride too. You can either go up and back or go to the state park office, down the canyon and then up drew hill road, which then loops back to the canyon. Also a little dirt but usually good (Drew hill is steep). Or go all the way to peak to peak highway, head north and come back down coal creek canyon

Lookout is always a good option. Lots of people out there on the weekend


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## Pablo

Someone should correct me with actual data, if available, but Left Hand is not that steep, generally, but for the steep last two miles. From Denver, you could ride up the Clear Creek path (or 32nd) to approximate a long sustained climb and then up Lookout to approximate the bike steep clib coming at the end of that.


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## draganM

left hand isn't steep, it climbs gradually and pretty smoothly for the first 10 or 11 miles. then kicks up to something like 14% grade for the last 2? Biggest problem during the summer is dehydration. Tow 22oz bottles just isn't enough for me , especially since I usually start in Louisville with my club.
That first watering hole where the locals fill up their jugs is priceless. Some people have claimed it has microbes in it but it never bothered me  Otherwise free water at the store and other goods to purchase like home made cookies. :thumbsup:


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## OldChipper

Deer creek-High Grade and Golden Gate are both much harder climbs, physically and psychologically, than LHC IMHO. Bear Creek + Kerr Gulch is pretty comparable including the steepest bit being at the end. Lookout+Nature Center+Mt. Vernon CC is good training too, or just ride up US 40 from the Park n Rides. The closed-to-motor vehicles road on the hogback off Rooney Road (where the dinosaur tracks are) is a good safe place for hill repeats if that's what you're after too. 

Lots of good hill training on the west side of town. What we lack is flat riding!


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## Samadhi

draganM said:


> left hand isn't steep, it climbs gradually and pretty smoothly for the first 10 or 11 miles. then kicks up to something like 14% grade for the last 2? Biggest problem during the summer is dehydration. Tow 22oz bottles just isn't enough for me , especially since I usually start in Louisville with my club.
> That first watering hole where the locals fill up their jugs is priceless. Some people have claimed it has microbes in it but it never bothered me  Otherwise free water at the store and other goods to purchase like home made cookies. :thumbsup:


Thanks all so far.

The B Strong event site says that the route gets up to 12%.

I was talking to someone at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center (sponsor) about the event and he said that steep bit at the end is something like a mile.

I have to get out of the house tomorrow afternoon to avoid an estrogen overdose (wife is having a knitting get-together with her girlfriends) ;-), and I'm thinking about making a drive up to Boulder and scout the canyon to see what I'm going to be up against.

I was curious about hydration, too. I can carry two bottles on the bike, but I'm wondering if 22oz bottles will be enough to make it? The first aid station is near the mouth of the canyon about 12 miles from the start. The second is in ward. With that in mind you could drink a lot of water on the drive up to Boulder, keep drinking a lot after the start while still down on the flat, refill the bottles at station 1, rest a little, pee and then do the climb up LHC to Ward. The third aid station is at the 50-mile mark, but you can always stop in Lyons for more fluids if need be.

I have a Camelback I could use, but I'm not crazy about using it for a long ride like that.


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## OldChipper

Two regular bottles is PLENTY unless you sweat waaaaay more than I do, which would be quite a feat.


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## Samadhi

OldChipper said:


> Deer creek-High Grade and Golden Gate are both much harder climbs, physically and psychologically, than LHC IMHO. Bear Creek + Kerr Gulch is pretty comparable including the steepest bit being at the end. Lookout+Nature Center+Mt. Vernon CC is good training too, or just ride up US 40 from the Park n Rides. The closed-to-motor vehicles road on the hogback off Rooney Road (where the dinosaur tracks are) is a good safe place for hill repeats if that's what you're after too.
> 
> Lots of good hill training on the west side of town. What we lack is flat riding!


I live off Sheridan and Florida and I've thought about using Dinosaur Ridge for repeats. It's a decent ride from home to Rooney.

I didn't know it was closed to motor traffic. Why?

There are a couple good climbs on Jewel between Kipling and Rooney Road and throwing Dinosaur Ridge in for some repeats would make for a good day's work. That might be the way to go, at least for a while.


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## shongalola

Dinosaur ridge is closed to traffic other than tour buses, walkers and cyclists. You could go from Morrisson and up the back of the hogsback to I70, return down and either do hill repeats up the hogsback or even better, up the east side of Red Rocks.Nice kicker once you get near the tunnel

and yes, my earlier examples are for the most part more difficult than LHC, but then when you do LHC it would seem easy


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## budkeg1

Dinosaur ridge is a pretty short ride, just over a quarter mile, it's a good starter hill for people not used to doing much climbing here west of Denver. I agree with other riders that Golden Gate is probably one of the harder climbs. I think I mapped it the other weekend at about 4200 feet for the 11 miles or so to the top. Does anyone know how much more elevation gain is from CO119 (end of golden gate) to coal creek and back down to Golden Gate via hwy 93?


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## Pablo

Samadhi said:


> Mountain Cancer Center (sponsor) about the event and he said that steep bit at the end is something like a mile.
> 
> I have to get out of the house tomorrow afternoon to avoid an estrogen overdose (wife is having a knitting get-together with her girlfriends) ;-), and I'm thinking about making a drive up to Boulder and scout the canyon to see what I'm going to be up against.


The road up the canyon is about 15 miles from the intersection with State Highway 36 to the sharp right-hand turn when the steep part begins. There are a few steeper pitches in these 15 miles, but it's generally pretty tame. The hard part comes in down slope winds, especially when you're in the relatively open section of the canyon past Lick Skillet Road at mile 10 or so. 

The steep part is about 2 miles from the sharp right hand turn to the Peak-to-Peak Highway (Highway 72). However, most people stop at the general store in Ward, about 1/2 mile from the Peak-to-Peak highway. The steep part would probably not be so steep, but for it coming after 15 miles of climbing. 

Be careful about climbing the canyon in the spring (or late fall). It's easy to get lulled into climbing the whole thing when it's really not warm enough. In other words, you're going uphill, i.e. you're going slow and generating a lot of heat. You get to the top, turn your sweaty body around, and then you're going fast without any effort and it's cold, really cold against your wet skin.


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## OldChipper

I measured just over 6,100' and 60 miles for the whole loop from our house. There's not much elevation gain from where we live to the start of the canyon, maybe a couple hundred feet.


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## DMH2979

+1 for Golden Gate. One of my favorite climbs though not so fun to get to from Boulder (so I only did a few times a year). If you take a right up (I think it's called) Mountain Base Road, you'll be on one of the most beautiful stretches of road around IMHO. Much harder than LHC.


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## Samadhi

I never made it to LHC over the weekend. Some other time.

However all the input/adviuce about GGC has been very helpful. I think I'll try GGC in May after things warm up a bit. I'll see if I can find someone to ride with.

Parking - Is there somewhere to park where I won't get ticketed/towed? I'd like to drive to the bottom and ride up the canyon from there.

Thanx all


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## budkeg1

When I rode it the other weekend, if you can get there early enough in the morning I parked right at the entrance off of 93 and GCC and there were a few cars there, and I was gone for a few hours and didn't see any tickets when I got back. You are smart to wait till some warmer weather as the winds up there can make the descent very cool and even some climbs will make exposed skin cool down like knees and make you stiff for the ride. I plan on riding that again in a few weeks as it's one of the better climbs around that isn't very far from me. Good luck,


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## angang

Squaw Pass is another option.
The road tends to get kinda beat up though.

Do Lookout up and over and down to the park n rides on HW 40, then back up and over the other way to your car.


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## frntrngcactus

*Sheridan and Florida*



Samadhi said:


> I live off Sheridan and Florida and I've thought about using Dinosaur Ridge for repeats. It's a decent ride from home to Rooney.
> 
> I didn't know it was closed to motor traffic. Why?
> 
> There are a couple good climbs on Jewel between Kipling and Rooney Road and throwing Dinosaur Ridge in for some repeats would make for a good day's work. That might be the way to go, at least for a while.


Ride through Morison into Red Rocks(I believe it is the South Entrance) and stay left on the road and keep riding to the top, that route is pretty steep and will help you prepare for Lefthand Canyon, otherwise I just recommend riding a bunch of miles and you will be ready. Lefthand isnt too bad, although I despise the last mile.


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## Samadhi

frntrngcactus said:


> Ride through Morison into Red Rocks(I believe it is the South Entrance) and stay left on the road and keep riding to the top, that route is pretty steep and will help you prepare for Lefthand Canyon, otherwise I just recommend riding a bunch of miles and you will be ready. Lefthand isnt too bad, although I despise the last mile.


A friend of mine is recommending that Red Ricks climb. With your rec it's now on the list.

Closer to home are climbs up Lowell and Raleigh - steep but short. I climbed the Garrison bike path/sidewalk above Morrison Rd yesterday and it really kicked my ass. It has a switchback about 3/4 of the way up that adds a really interesting twist to the climb.

I've heard that last mile up LHC is a real heartbreaker - I can hardly wait


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## COKid

Samadhi - you can park at Tom Watson park near the IBM campus. Google it. Great place to start as there are PLENTY of rides in that area. Shoot, ride up to Carter Lake, then to Masonville, then to Ft.Collins and back. Its a great ride from Boulder because you get flat riding combined with some nice hills and then flat riding back from Ft. Collins to Boulder. All in all its probably about an 80 miler with enough places to stop for water and such.


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