# Mt. Evans, CO: exploring limits of hypothermia+hypoxia



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

This Monday I traveled to Denver to ride up Mt. Evans, Colorado - at 14,130, it is the highest paved road in North America. This ride was on my schedule for a while, and I wanted to do it in August since in September the road is often closed due to snow. (Some irony there).

I decided to ride full climb, starting from Idaho Springs, which makes it for a 28 mile ascent of just shy of 7,000 ft. Colorado Rockies are not as steep as California Sierras, and the whole ride averages only 4% - with long stretches of 6-7% but nothing over 9% (compared to California climbs like Shirley Meadows which *averages* 9.6% for 5 miles which we just did in June) but the high elevation makes riders suffer in various unpredictable ways, making even 4% feel like 10%. I was a bit wary of altitude sickness, considering zero acclimation and the horror stories.

I arrived in Denver early in the morning (flying from Chicago).










I spent a few previous days obsessively tracking weather forecast for Denver and Idaho Springs. All week Denver had temperatures around 90F (on the day of my ride high of 91F) and Idaho Springs was 86F and overcast, pretty warm, as should be expected for early or mid August. There was about 20% chance of afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast, from 2PM to 6PM, as is typical in this area, but I expected to be done riding by then. Plus, 20% of thunderstorms means 80% of no thunderstorms. Right?

My tentative schedule for the day was as follows:

4:00AM (Chicago time, 3:00AM Denver time) wake up, drive to airport, return car
6:05AM (Chicago time) leave Chicago
7:30AM arrive in Denver
8:00-8:30AM get luggage, rental car
8:30AM-9:40AM drive from Denver to Idaho Springs, a bit over an hour
9:40AM-10:30AM assemble bike, change, test everything
10:30AM-1:30PM climb up to the top of Mt. Evans, about 3hours or slightly more
1:30PM-2:00PM hang around at the top, photos etc.
2PM-3PM descent
3PM-3:30PM disassemble and pack the bike
3:30PM-4:30PM cleanup, get late lunch in Idaho Springs
4:30PM-5:30PM drive back to airport
5:30PM-6:00PM return car, check in bags, etc.
plenty of time left before my 8:30PM flight back to San Diego

I stuck to the schedule for the most part. I started riding right around 10:20AM, after fiddling with Ritchey Breakaway derailleur for about 20 minutes.









I started riding from Idaho Springs where the temperatures where in mid-70ies, averaging about 12 mph on easy 4% or so slopes for the first 3 miles or so, hoping to break 3 hours for the climb, when it started raining. I was also fighting a fairly strong headwind. At some point the drizzle turned to downpour and I stopped to put on my vest and armwarmers. In retrospect I should have brought my clear plastic rainjacket, which I only used about twice in San Diego. 











After about 30 minutes of riding the road was completely wet, and so where my shorts, shoes, socks, jersey, armwarmers, cap. It was cold. My hands and toes were freezing. I was thinking of turning back to the car, but what was I going to do until my flight to San Diego at 8PM? So I kept riding, hoping the rain would stop. It didn't.










After about 1.5 hours of riding in miserable, freezing downpour (the temperatures quickly dropped to low 50ies), I finally reached the Echo Lake.










Because of the weather conditions there was a good chance I would get turned around at the entrance gate to Mt. Evans road by the Echo Lake. I secretly hoped they would. The fee at the gate was $3, but they apparently eliminated it for cyclists. I was the only cyclist through the gate that day. The guy at the gate warned me not too go too far (I said I will only ride a mile or so) and that it's most likely the park rangers will close the road because of weather and low visibility.










My fingers were freezing, even though I had full-finger glove liners, underneath my half-finger gloves. My hopes of riding to the top in under 3 hours quickly disappeared as I was averaging about 8mph, but I kept on going - after all, how much worse could it get?


Even with low visibility, the views above tree line were quite spectacular. I didn't have much energy left to take photos, and I could barely hold camera in my frozen fingers anyways. I kept climbing (slowly) - past 10,000 ft mark (these roads have no elevation markers, by the way), the highest altitude at which I ever ridden before. Still, 4,000 ft to climb. 10,000 ft is also a rough mark where most people complain of altitude sickness - some of my friends could feel the negative effects of altitude well before, at 8 or 9 thousand feet. I started the ride harboring a bit of a cold, which could have masked altitude effects (altitude headache doesn't bother you as much if you start riding with a bit of a headache) so I felt fairly good. The temperatures were now around 42F and wind only picked up - but the rain slowed to a drizzle again. Not much help as I was already all wet.










The gradients of the climb were quite steady, with extended sections of 6% or 7%, but often as low as 3 or 4%. The climb was the least of my troubles, the weather conditions were my major concern. How was I going to descend on wet roads with frozen fingers? I was thinking of trying to hitch a ride with some car at the top.









I finally reached a short downhill section leading to the final section of 11 switchbacks. I still felt good. But with about 2 miles to the summit I suddenly started feeling the effects of elevation - my breathing became very labored even as I deliberately slowed down to about 5 mph, keeping my heart rate well below 150 (it was around 155 for most of the climb). It still felt like I was dragging a piano behind me while a giant vice was squeezing my lungs, and someone kept turning the screws to make it tighter. The rain turned to sleet and snow and I could see tiny hail particles bouncing from the road in front of me. I couldn't stop now. Suddenly my brain refused do a simple math any more - I was at mile 26 of 27.5 mile climb - how many more miles to the summit? half a mile? two and a half? five? I had no idea. I started counting switchbacks, knowing there is a total of 11, but quickly lost count - I thought I was on switchback 15 and the road just kept going up.









Finally, and somewhat surprisingly, I could see the summit with some building structures just above me. A final push and I was at the top. Snowflakes are flying horizontally and I am almost cramping up from the cold. Temperature is 36F according to my Garmin, but with windchill it feels like 20F. Some guy who must have just passed me in the car came up to me to high-five me. I asked to take my picture but couldn't feel my hands - trying to find a camera in my back jersey pocket I can't feel anything, did I lose the camera? I asked the guy to look around in my back pocket and he gets the camera, my hands are just so numb, I can't feel anything anymore. I also discover that I lost my voice - I whisper to the guy the instructions on how to turn the camera on. I try to smile for the photo below. It comes off more like a scowl, reflecting perfectly how I felt.


















I hide in the bathrooms trying to warm up - my whole body is wet and cold. I am wearing three layers - underlayer shirt, jersey and warm vest, but it's obviously not enough. After about 20 min of hiding from the wind I decide to descent. I somehow gingerly make it down 11 switchbacks. Now it's snowing even where it was raining when I was going up. I stop to get my fingers defrosted again.










I keep descending very gingerly. My handlebars are wobbly. My hands and the chest are shaking from the cold, almost in sync with periodic shaking provided by hitting the freeze cracks and potholes on the road. That road is dangerous even in good weather, never mind in the rain.

Unlike California climbs, there are no barriers and if one goes off the road, there are a few hundred feet drop-offs by the side of the road - the side I happen to be descending on. I take the center of the road and ride my brakes. A lot. I descend mostly sub-consciously as it's difficult to focus on the road - the blood flow to the brain must be low priority considering combination of hypethermia and hypoxia. 









I finally made it to Echo lake tavern/gift shop. A kind waitress, Becca, takes pity on me and gives me a seat next to a space heater she fired up just for me, wraps me in blanket and brings me tea and hot bowl of clam chowder - the most delicious bowl of clam chowder I have ever tasted. Iorder another bowl. Another tea. A coffee with blueberry pie (exceptionally good).


Finally my body core temperature is back to normal. My teeth are not shattering. My clothes are only slightly damp, instead of dripping wet. I get back to the car, and it's already 5:30PM.

I am a few hours behind schedule, but I have plenty of time. I take apart the Ritchey in record time (it finally stopped raining), change, pack my wet clothes, and I am off back to Denver. My flight is delayed 30 minutes. I finally get back to San Diego just past 10PM (San Diego time), and after a long baggage claim and shuttle wait, I am home at 11:30PM, about 22 hours after I woke up in Chicago. A full and tiring day for sure, but despite all the misery, I am very happy I did it and didn't give up easily.

Suffering is good for the soul.

PS: just to clarify - I didn't enjoy getting so cold and not particularly proud of it. Climbing to the summit despite weather and all was "good suffering", getting dangerously cold on the descent was definitely "bad suffering" and not recommended for anyone. Nothing "badass" about getting hypothermia! Had I known how bad the weather conditions were at the top and how cold I would get, I would have probably turned around earlier. Then again, it's easy to say this after the fact but very difficult to "give up" and go back when you are feeling good (miserable, but good, considering).
In retrospect, I don't want to appear like a thrill-seeker who likes to take unnecessary risks, as a fool or a newbie cyclist who doesn't have respect for bad weather. I took some risks with the bad weather, I probably pushed my body a bit too close to the limits, and I wouldn't enjoy experiencing hypothermia this bad again, but this is just what life is for - some good and some, ummm, not so good experiences that we also need. I learned my lesson (several actually) but I also have no regrets, I am glad I did the ride, it was memorably epic, even though it turned out more "adventurous" than originally planned.


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## OldChipper (May 15, 2011)

You, sir, are a serious badass! That said, you're also bloody lucky you didn't die!


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## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

I'm a big fan of suffering, but it sounds like you were unprepared and got lucky. Don't do that again.

/edited for clarity


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

wooglin said:


> I'm a big fan of suffering, but it sounds like you got lucky. Don't do that again.


Amen to that! I'm glad you made it back down unscathed!

That said, let's see the video of that suffering! :wink5: I see the GoPro with the Battery BacPac and non-waterproof door mounted on your stem, so I bet you got some great footage (video and audio!). That is, unless you had the GoPro in photo mode instead of video mode.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

freighttraininguphill said:


> Amen to that! I'm glad you made it back down unscathed!
> 
> That said, let's see the video of that suffering! :wink5: I see the GoPro with the Battery BacPac and non-waterproof door mounted on your stem, so I bet you got some great footage (video and audio!). That is, unless you had the GoPro in photo mode instead of video mode.


GoPro footage is all foggy and rainy - I may post some highlights for your "enjoyment".

In retrospect, even carrying winter jacket and full rain gear probably wouldn't have helped all that much - 3.5 hours of climbing in freezing rain is enough to soak anything through and through, and winds were just brutal on the descent. I am used to riding in pretty bad weather conditions (I lived in Boston and Chicago), so riding in the rain and snow is nothing new to me. 

But getting to this point of freezing on a descent was a new ground for me. A big lesson learned for sure - weather forecasts were way off, and weather was changing by the minute, very rapid. I think next time in this situation I would have just turned around half way up, that's definitely a wiser move.

Today the temperatures in Denver are 91 again. So it was basically a 50+ degree swing from base to the summit. Crazy weather, for mid-August!


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

55x11 said:


> GoPro footage is all foggy and rainy - I may post some highlights for your "enjoyment".


In all seriousness, your footage will be very inspiring to people because it shows that you are in fact, a badass! It's the epitome of Rule #9, and while I don't take most of those so-called "rules" seriously, that one has some truth to it. 

Be sure to include the footage that shows the effect of the altitude that you mentioned in your OP. I am always inspired by raw footage of tough climbs.

My videos have plenty of suffering in them too, but nothing as intense as what you described in your OP. I must confess that I will never willingly ride in those conditions.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

wooglin said:


> I'm a big fan of suffering, but it sounds like you were unprepared and got lucky. Don't do that again.
> 
> /edited for clarity


I agree with you. This ride was more dangerous than I expected, and weather conditions much worse than anticipated. 
It's easy to critic my preparation after the fact, but in my own defense, I was well-prepared for weather that was realistically expected - I was fine for temperatures in the 40ies and some occasional afternoon showers, which is what was forecasted, but definitely not prepared for 4.5 hours or pouring, cold rain and snow with temperatures dropping to mid-30ies.
That combination (wet, very cold and long duration) is very difficult to be well-prepared for, gear-wise, anyways. I almost turned around with about 3 miles to go to the summit, but I am glad I didn't, as I would have regretted it for sure. 

This attitude may seem idiotic to some, but once you have been riding (and suffering) for 3 hours, for me it is almost impossible to give up with only another 30 min to go to the top of the highest summit reachable by bike.


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## zpl (May 7, 2007)

This sounds like an exponentially more extreme version of the Tour de Blast I did at Mount Saint Helens in June. You did get lucky, and I hope for your sake you don't take risks like that again - but also congratulations on a successful epic ride!

Scott


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## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

What an incredible ride and narrative. You had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. Were you going to make it, would you take a ride, did you crash in the rain? All this was running through my mind. 

I am glad you were able to complete your journey and come away physically unscathed.

Thanks for the ride report.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

zpl said:


> This sounds like an exponentially more extreme version of the Tour de Blast I did at Mount Saint Helens in June. You did get lucky, and I hope for your sake you don't take risks like that again - but also congratulations on a successful epic ride!
> 
> Scott


I can only hope I didn't come off as a thrill seeker who does dangerous stunts for the fun of it, or, alternatively as a total newb who has never ridden up a hill before and decided to climb Mt. Evans.

I am a fairly risk averse person and have quite a bit of experience both cycling but also running, XC skiing and other serious aerobic efforts, including in bad weather etc. I know my body well and push against the limits of suffering all the time, while keeping it very safe.

But I never experienced being so cold and not being able to do much about it or get core temperature back up for so long after getting to shelter. That part is neither badass nor it is newb stupidity. It's just that sometimes you learn a lesson about your body and this was one such event. 

Frankly, I am still quite surprised how quickly the weather and my body turned against me. One moment you are cold and miserable but fine and can do this for hours, next moment you are suffering from hypothermia. The scariest part was that it was so difficult to mentally focus all of a sudden - similar to a very bad bonk or heat stroke. As a result, my descent was super slow, like 18-20 mph, and almost coming to a complete stop at the turns. But considering how wet it was, it was still dicey.


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## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

55x11 said:


> Frankly, I am still quite surprised how quickly the weather and my body turned against me. One moment you are cold and miserable but fine and can do this for hours, next moment you are suffering from hypothermia. The scariest part was that it was so difficult to mentally focus all of a sudden - similar to a very bad bonk or heat stroke. As a result, my descent was super slow, like 18-20 mph, and almost coming to a complete stop at the turns. But considering how wet it was, it was still dicey.


See my comment on your reputation. Just in case you missed it.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

blakcloud said:


> What an incredible ride and narrative. You had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. Were you going to make it, would you take a ride, did you crash in the rain? All this was running through my mind.
> 
> I am glad you were able to complete your journey and come away physically unscathed.
> 
> Thanks for the ride report.


Thanks - I was wondering how I would descend the whole time I was going up - would it be on my bike or in a car? (and I was acutely aware of dangers of crashing - see photo of one of those wet corners!). Visibility was very low too.

There were cars around me but somehow, even despite getting dangerously cold, I felt enough in control to keep descending, rather than flagging a car for a ride down. Had someone offered, I would have agreed to a ride, but it felt strange to ask - I wasn't that desperate, yet.
Somewhat surprisingly I only realized how cold I really was when I got to the Echo Lake tavern, and saw that it took me forever to warm up. I also found that pedaling while descending (and braking at the same time) kept me a bit warmer than just coasting.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

55x11 said:


> I can only hope I didn't come off as a thrill seeker who does dangerous stunts for the fun of it, or, alternatively as a total newb who has never ridden up a hill before and decided to climb Mt. Evans.


Don't worry, you didn't give me that impression at all. We all know how unpredictable the weather is in the mountains. Anyone who reads your ride reports should figure out right away that you're no newb.



55x11 said:


> I am a fairly risk averse person and have quite a bit of experience both cycling but also running, XC skiing and other serious aerobic efforts, including in bad weather etc. I know my body well and push against the limits of suffering all the time, while keeping it very safe.
> 
> But I never experienced being so cold and not being able to do much about it or get core temperature back up for so long after getting to shelter. That part is neither badass nor it is newb stupidity. It's just that sometimes you learn a lesson about your body and this was one such event.


Very true. When I mentioned the badass part earlier, I was just impressed with your determination. That's why I mentioned how inspiring the video footage would be. If someone is complaining about a little headwind or being caught in a warm rain, looking at your video should make them realize how fortunate they are. It could always be worse, right?


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

freighttraininguphill said:


> In all seriousness, your footage will be very inspiring to people because it shows that you are in fact, a badass! It's the epitome of Rule #9, and while I don't take most of those so-called "rules" seriously, that one has some truth to it.
> 
> Be sure to include the footage that shows the effect of the altitude that you mentioned in your OP. I am always inspired by raw footage of tough climbs.
> 
> My videos have plenty of suffering in them too, but nothing as intense as what you described in your OP. I must confess that I will never willingly ride in those conditions.


Only because you asked, here some GoPro highlights. It actually looks worse than it was, at least in terms of visibility.


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

Update your will before doing that ride again.


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## Steve B. (Jun 26, 2004)

Truly amazing story and I'm glad you got thru it with no injuries. I too was literally on the edge of the seat reading, wondering how all would turn ouut
Having ridden a bit in the NM and CO Rockies, I learned to carry a full rain suit, if only to trap the heat. I rode the '99 Bike Tour of Colorado, when it rained every day, including Ouray to Durango on a 36 degree day thru 3 +10,000 foot (lets change this to passes). The state police cancelled the ride that day, due to conditions, trapping 1200 riders in Silverton (Pop. 550), all needing to get bused to Durango (But not dumb old me !). The full rain suit not only traps the heat, helping to prevent hypothermia, but also reduces the wind chill on descents, which of course keeps you hypothermic. Might have made your day a bit more tolerable. 

As well, the very first thought when I read the schedule was "from sea level to 14,000 in a day ?". Tough to do and you had a much tougher day as a result. As well your judgement, of course, goes to **** when you're hypothermic, and as you discovered, you don't know it. 

No, you made correct choices most of the time for someone who was somewhat less then familiar with variable weather conditiosns in the Rockies (or at least surprised by it). I'm certain I would have turned back at the first sign of rain,, but I never would have attempted to do what you were doing and I am impressed with it, none the less.


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## freighttraininguphill (Jun 7, 2011)

55x11 said:


> Only because you asked, here some GoPro highlights. It actually looks worse than it was, at least in terms of visibility.


You did an excellent job of capturing the difficulty of the ride with that video! :thumbsup: I would rep you, but I have to spread it around first, so I repped you on YouTube instead :wink5:

I always enjoy watching your videos, and I'm sure other riders do too, so don't feel like it's a waste of time to make them. People even enjoy watching my climbs, and I'm way slower than you! I think they just enjoy the mountain scenery and watching another rider conquer a mountain, even if they're not a super fast climber.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Great prose. An excellent story well told & augmented by pics. Congrats on making it back safely.


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## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

55x11 said:


> Only because you asked, here some GoPro highlights. It actually looks worse than it was, at least in terms of visibility.


I'm not a very religious person but watching that videos leads me to think you were not riding by yourself.

F that! Glad you made it.


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## OldChipper (May 15, 2011)

55x11 said:


> Frankly, I am still quite surprised how quickly the weather and my body turned against me. One moment you are cold and miserable but fine and can do this for hours, next moment you are suffering from hypothermia. The scariest part was that it was so difficult to mentally focus all of a sudden - similar to a very bad bonk or heat stroke. As a result, my descent was super slow, like 18-20 mph, and almost coming to a complete stop at the turns. But considering how wet it was, it was still dicey.


This is kind of the point. Rides like Evans in other than perfect conditions need more than the skill/knowledge/experience of an aerobic athlete, even on accustomed to suffering. They require the skills/knowledge/experience of a mountaineer or alpinist. Judging mountain weather, knowing how your body reacts to altitude and how to deal with it etc. etc. One of the tenets of fast and light alpinism is the experience and willingness to turn around if conditions are other than what you're prepared for (by bringing minimalist gear). Look up CircaRigel's story on this board of her accident descending Mt. Evans on her bike to appreciate how lucky you were.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Great report. That ride is on my bucket list and hopefully I'll do it one day. My brother lives in Evergreen, CO, and it is very doable from his house in the right weather conditions. We drove to the top the last time I visited, and there was plenty of snow on the ground in mid-July, and we were encountered a herd of mountain goats on the summit. I have ridden in the NC/GA mountains in cold, wet conditions and I know how painful it can be descending in those conditions. BTW, the cafe at Evans Lake is fantastic and we had a great lunch there as well.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Fantastic report. As a lover of the mountain climbs (I live next to the Sierras) I've been there done that with the hypothermia (at least you didn't get to the point of puking. . .that really sucks) but am acclimatized enough to handle stuff up to around 11,000 so I didn't have to deal with the lack of O2 to the brain thankfully. Glad to see you made it down safely and now you have a story to tell for years.

Also, as someone who does a heck of lot of climbing in T-storm country, I highly recommend a garbage bag and nitrile gloves in the back pocket when riding. They don't take up much space, weigh nothing, and are always there for the descents. It's amazing the difference wearing a bag under your jacket or vest can do on the descents.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

Ridgetop said:


> Fantastic report. As a lover of the mountain climbs (I live next to the Sierras) I've been there done that with the hypothermia (at least you didn't get to the point of puking. . .that really sucks) but am acclimatized enough to handle stuff up to around 11,000 so I didn't have to deal with the lack of O2 to the brain thankfully. Glad to see you made it down safely and now you have a story to tell for years.
> 
> Also, as someone who does a heck of lot of climbing in T-storm country, I highly recommend a garbage bag and nitrile gloves in the back pocket when riding. They don't take up much space, weigh nothing, and are always there for the descents. It's amazing the difference wearing a bag under your jacket or vest can do on the descents.


Nitrile gloves is a great idea - I used to carry them with me at all times (holds the tube in the saddle bag, also good for keeping your hands clean) - I didn't bring them with me on this trip, but will pack in the future. Garbage bag is a good idea too, I actually thought about grabbing one at Echo lake lodge, but with the wind it would be more annoying than helpful - I used the garbage bag trick before when running (especially nice before/after long rainy races like marathons). I also use a piece of plastic to stick under the jersey for descents, helps protect agains the wind, similar to newspapers they use in the pro races. Hotel brochures, restaurant menus work well for this purpose too - I carry a cut-out from a thick piece of plastic, like a transparency material but thicker and foldable.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

OldChipper said:


> This is kind of the point. Rides like Evans in other than perfect conditions need more than the skill/knowledge/experience of an aerobic athlete, even on accustomed to suffering. They require the skills/knowledge/experience of a mountaineer or alpinist. Judging mountain weather, knowing how your body reacts to altitude and how to deal with it etc. etc. One of the tenets of fast and light alpinism is the experience and willingness to turn around if conditions are other than what you're prepared for (by bringing minimalist gear). Look up CircaRigel's story on this board of her accident descending Mt. Evans on her bike to appreciate how lucky you were.


Road cycling is of course very different from mountaineering, or even hiking when you are often isolated and many hours away from any shelter. Even at the summit I was only 30-45 min or so of fairly conservative descending away from Echo Lake cafe, with plenty of shelter structures at the summit and several on the way down, and with plenty of cars in case I got desperate enough to seek help.

It was a dicey descent because of weather, and lack of barriers make it more scary and perhaps overly dramatic - but in my experience any descent could be dangerous, and it's more about state of mind and properly evaluating the risks than the descent itself. Descent down Mt. Evans is not steep or technical - it was more annoying (freeze cracks) than dangerous, especially since the weather made me descent at pedestrian speeds.

Ironically, some of the most dangerous descents I have done are the ones done in the group or solo in perfect weather conditions and generally smooth, fast surfaces on technical (often blind) corners with reducing curvature, gravel or sand in the corner. It's not just about speed either - I have hit 59.5 mph descending from South Lake in California Sierras on a straight as an arrow roads and it felt much much safer than going 20 mph down some technical switchbacks around sand patches in the turns.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Remember, to avoid the majority of the bag flapping around, put it on under the vest. You'll only have a tail flapping that way and the bag won't fill with air.


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## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

Just curious, but how did you get to your estimate of three hours for the climb?


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

dayumm. thats about all i can say, hobnails. 

that, and i woke up outside of chicago, did nothing, and will go to sleep outside chicago.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

PDex said:


> Just curious, but how did you get to your estimate of three hours for the climb?


I looked up some of the results from riders I know on strava and also the Mt. Evans Cook memorial climb results - 3-3:30 seemed reasonable.
Also, from elevation profile it seemed like 8-10MPH would be doable, which placed me at 2:50-3:30 time. Finally, on a long, steep climbs (3,000-7,000 ft) it usually takes me about 20 min to go 1,000 ft, slower for shallower rides like Mt. Evans - but adjusted for weather it was more like 30 min for 1,000 ft in this case.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

MikeBiker said:


> Update your will before doing that ride again.


let's not get too dramatic.

we get so soft in our lives that riding in bad weather and getting cold is automatically = close to death. It is not.


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

If he was truely a badass he would have incorporated the trip up Evans into the loop from hell. 

Great report and like others I'm glad you achieved your goal and made it down ok. I happen to agree with Oldchipper though. Strictly for me and my perspective, too many red flags blown through. Maybe it's because I live here and know what can happen in a very short period of time.

While cyclist ride Evans all the time it still should not be taken lightly.


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

Awesome writeup 55x11. Glad you made it back down in one piece! I'm not gonna pile on here, but +1 on the mountaineering aspect to approaching 14'ers. I felt silly packing woolies LS base layer and wooly knickers at 70F in Idaho Springs, but I was wearing them before even reaching the switchbacks. I also switched to leather full gloves (gardening style), and had a pair of insulated winter cycling gloves in the bag. And a rain jacket, rain helmet cover, and half-shell booties.

Might sound like I was prepared, but really my ego was driving me to the top when others mighta turned around due to rain and distant thunder. I lucked out because the weather was, to me, perfect - that is, light rain, no wind, decent visibility, and not much hail while celebrating up top. If the wind came in, visibility dropped, or the dampness turned into a downpour, I woulda been miserable too...


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## ispoke (Feb 28, 2005)

Oh my gosh...

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/general-cycling-discussion/i-should-dead-30-ft-fall-off-mountain-280666-post3921960.html

I hadn't even considered what an unwanted gusty tailwind could do on a descending curve. Holy smokes. This helps me to better calibrate risk when cycling the high country...


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

ispoke said:


> Oh my gosh...
> 
> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/general-cycling-discussion/i-should-dead-30-ft-fall-off-mountain-280666-post3921960.html
> 
> I hadn't even considered what an unwanted gusty tailwind could do on a descending curve. Holy smokes. This helps me to better calibrate risk when cycling the high country...


And unlike many California climbs that are steep but have gradual dropoffs and barriers, Colorado climbs like the Mt. Evans has no barriers at all and at places has very steep dropoffs. So if you do go off the road, the damage is going to be much higher.

Having said that - and having done many multi-thousand feet 50mph+ descents (similar to Crystal lake), the most dangerous thing I have ever done was to commute through the streets of Boston on daily basis. 

Humans are very bad at estimating risk (we are scared of flying, thunderstorms, germs and sharks - yet consider driving a car or eating a cheeseburger as perfectly safe).


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

55x11 said:


> And unlike many California climbs that are steep but have gradual dropoffs and barriers, Colorado climbs like the Mt. Evans has no barriers at all and at places has very steep dropoffs. So if you do go off the road, the damage is going to be much higher.
> 
> Having said that - and having done many multi-thousand feet 50mph+ descents (similar to Crystal lake), the most dangerous thing I have ever done was to commute through the streets of Boston on daily basis.
> 
> Humans are very bad at estimating risk (we are scared of flying, thunderstorms, germs and sharks - yet consider driving a car or eating a cheeseburger as perfectly safe).


Guardrails? We don't need no stinkin' guard rails.


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## snosaw (May 30, 2006)

Way to hang in there. Despite the elevation and alpine/remoteness, there are always cars full of site seeing people. It is a good choice for a ride if you need assistance. There are a couple of bathrooms along the way and one at the summit if you need to hide from the elements too. 
I miss that ride! When my wife and I lived there, we would do the ride several times each summer. Riding from Bergen Park adds some distance and another small pass, but well worth it.


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## nalaing (Aug 21, 2012)

Wow that sure is a roller coaster ride for you. The views were beautiful though and you are tough to climb that even if its too slippery and wet.


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## bobbydeethree (Jun 23, 2010)

*Colorado weather and altitude*

I have lived in the Rocky Mountain region all of my 58 years and have been in the Denver area for the last 36 years. On Sunday, June 24th of this year I rode to the summit of Mt. Evans on a club ride with Team Evergreen. We had great weather and I rode to the top and back down in just a short sleeve cycling jersey. I have been on several solo and club rides with TE and RMCC to the summit of Mt. Evans. The weather can really deteriorate quickly and anyone who frequents the climes above treeline here or anyplace will attest to that.

Lightning (hellish, deadly lightning crashing on rocky alpine tundra) is the scariest thing I have experienced on Mt. Evans. I was on a Sunday club ride a few years back and rode up and into storm clouds that were producing major lightning. There had been a death due to a lightning strike in the parking lot near the summit in a prior year. Due to safety fears, the U.S. Forest Service implemented an evacuation of all tourist vehicles, bicyclists, and hikers above Summit Lake. Everyone was ordered to get off the summit and the top 5 miles of the road was closed. A ranger put my bike in the back of a lime green pickup truck and told me I could retrieve it at Summit Lake. I rode down in a lime green Jeep Cherokee with several hikers and their backpacks to Summit Lake and got back on my bike for the rest of the descent. I was soaked and cold but otherwise unscathed.

Before being evacuated, I was starting to realize it could be my last moments on earth.

I was aware that a sizable herd of elk (I think around 30 animals) had been found dead due to lightning on the southwest flanks of Mt. Evans also in a prior year. The Forest Service was trying to go safety first. I have never heard of any other cyclists being evacuated in subsequent lightning storms but it must be something that occurs once in a great while. I have heard of hikers on 14ers being killed by lightning but do not recall ever hearing about a cyclist on Mt. Evans being killed by lightning. That's not to say it hasn't happened.


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## Jetmugg (Sep 22, 2010)

I rode up & down Mt Evans last summer, in late July. The weather was not nearly as bad as what you described, but still got nasty at the top.

The descent was terrifying. I think the combination of low oxygen, cold, and the sheer drop-offs really play tricks with the mind. I also crossed paths with a herd of mountain goats on at least 3 occasions. They were going straight up the hill, and I definitely didn't want to get tangled up with them.

After getting down to the Echo lake lodge building and talking to some of the locals, the one thing that they consistently said is that you have to start EARLY in the morning if you want to avoid bad weather. 7:00- 8:00 a.m. was the preferred departure time, and definitely be off the mountain by early afternoon.

Sounds like you got lucky to make it up and down safely. That's a dangerous place.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

I used to race Evans, but after the first year I always opted for a ride back down. That is a long, cold descent. No way would I do it in the conditions you rode in.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

55x11 said:


> I looked up some of the results from riders I know on strava and also the Mt. Evans Cook memorial climb results - 3-3:30 seemed reasonable.
> Also, from elevation profile it seemed like 8-10MPH would be doable, which placed me at 2:50-3:30 time. Finally, on a long, steep climbs (3,000-7,000 ft) it usually takes me about 20 min to go 1,000 ft, slower for shallower rides like Mt. Evans - but adjusted for weather it was more like 30 min for 1,000 ft in this case.


I think my best time racing it (as a Cat4) was 2:50. I got slower each year after that. I see on the web in 2002 I was racing 35+ and I got 97th place with 3:30--think I blew up that day. You are likely a better climber than I am so YMMV.


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## Beaker13 (Dec 23, 2009)

Evans is one of the few climbs I've done that I have NOT truly loved the descent. You can hear it on the GoPro video, the constant battering of the cracks in the road. In fact, my GoPro fell off from all the jarring the last time I rode Evans.

It's an epic ride and is deserving of its place on many riders Bucket lists.

For any that do plan on riding it (especially from out of state) remember these suggestions:
1 - acclimate. Its the best way to prevent altitude sickness
2 - prepare. No matter what the internet says, assume the worst at 14000+. At the very least, protect your hands/fingers - not being able to brake on the descent = no fun.
3- Don't pay. They aren't supposed to charge you if you tell them you are not going to stop. (there's been a TON of debate about their right to charge anyway)


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## alias33 (Sep 15, 2008)

I rode this road in august for the pro tour challenge week and it was pure hell going up and the road was crap coming down but we did it and froze our everything off on the way up and the way down. 32 degrees and raining up top and wet all the way down and scary on the decent with carbon rims and rain, I'll do it again some time!


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

bumping a very cool writeup!


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

I did it this August, it hailed a little, I'll consider it the best day to go up this year.
It was a little too rough road for my liking on the decent.


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## harryman (Nov 14, 2014)

Next time you're in Colorado, come ride Pikes Peak, the pavement is buff, it's far steeper, more elevation gain, only 125 ft lower and has fresh donuts at the summit. 

Biggest paved climb in NA and open all year..... 

Northeastcycling.com - Favorite Hillclimbs
Top 10 Road Bike Climbs in the U.S.- Hardest climbs by bike in the U.S.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Pikes Peak, maybe next year.
I got a 32 cassette to go with my compact. We'll see.


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## harryman (Nov 14, 2014)

I rode it this summer with a 36/34 and even with that the last few miles were rough. Most of the toll road is uncomfortably steep.


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