USA Pro Cycling Challenge Time Trials In Colorady Springs!

Spent Sunday and Monday in Colorady Springs to watch the Pro Cycle time trials, which is Stage 0 of the 1st US Pro Challenge race in Colorady. Lots of famous riders showed up. The race is all this week and is televised on VERSUS. 

Click on the pictures below for the HUGE version of the photos.

Olde Towne Colorado Springs hosted a car shew the day before the time trials.

The Windy alongside a stream.

We gots to the course, which was two blocks from the campground, early.

Pike's Peak looms over the time trial course in Manitou Springs.

House built into the rocks, sort of.

Gotta keep the stones off of the course.

Taking a practice ride before the trials.

VERSUS TV Cycle.

After practicing down the course, yew gotta ride back up to the start.

A practice run beside an official vehicle which apparently has run over some of the local wildlife. Heh heh heh......

Part of the large crowd waiting for the time trials to begin.

If you own the place, you get to sit on the roof.

Colorado Springs EMTs and the medical car.

VERSUS TV eye in the sky.

Practice ride before the time trials began.

VERSUS TV crew! The camera man asked me to step back after taking my pics of the riders whizzing by. Guess the world got a picture of my ample backside (I was wearing black pants and a red shirt if any of you noticed....)

"Whut'chew lookin' at?!"

Nosebleed seats, especially if you fall off!

 The team car follows close behind with a spare bike and a mechanic.

 Ben Hermans

 Andy Schleck, 2nd Place, Le Tour De France!

Levi Leipheimer 

 Cadel Evans, 2011 Winner, Le Tour De France

We'll watch the rest of the race on TV until Thursday's time trial in Vail. We'll go to Vail early and try to find a good spot along the route or mebby park and watch the race at the starting line. I really don't want to drive the Windy up theah and then not be able to find a spot to park it. We'll see...

Quick Trip To Yogi Bear's

Hmm. Weather's nice. How about heading outta town for a few days? So we did. 30 minutes south of TEH CONDOH™ we found Yogi Bear's Campground. Nestled on a hillside in a valley are dozens of private, secluded campin' sites. For fun you can watch for the occasional bear, traffic on I 25, and wave at the dozens of coal trains what pass by. Oh, there are goats.

 The monsoon returned one afternoon.

 Lots of privacy at the campsite.

 Le fleurs in bloom all summer in the altitude.

 

Wandering above Colorado Springs.

  

 

Wandering around Garden of the Gods agin'.

Rocky Mountain Day Trip

Spent a nice Friday cruising the high-high highways in the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park. Cool, crisp air and lots of sun...

The alpine landscape above tree level. Must. Take. Deep. Breaths. What air there is up heah is so clear it's hard to judge distance. See the cars far away!

The Tribby enjoys the altitude.

Back 'Ta Denver

After a HOT HOT HOT few daze in Hooton, it's back to thunder-BOOMery and cooler Colorady! This little doozy of a storm waited for us to approach Denver from the eastern plains. Most refreshing!

The Last Shuttle Launch

Click on the pic for the large version! From http://twitpic.com/5n2rfq/full

Quick Trip To Breckenridge

Nice thing about living in Denver is that the mountains are right next door. So, when the bride and I decided we'd prefer not to sit around in 90º heat, up to Breckenridge and room temperatures we went! Be sure to click on the pictures below to get the BIG version!

Our first stop was for breakfast in Idaho Springs. Mountain air makes me hungry. Everything makes me hungry.

After settling in at the lodge, off for a drive on a Forest Service road.

Looking down on Breckenridge from way up heah.

Back down in the valley, a big ol' brown barr decided he wanted to cross the road to get to the other side. 

The afternoon views from the room at The Great Divide Lodge. 

Heading back to Denver, we stopped to check out a Forest Service campground. No utilities but fantastic views. The pine beetles have been busy killing the pine trees, so the Forest Service is busy cutting down ded/diseased trees. This campground used to be much more forested than now, but as you can see, grasses, flowers, and new trees sprang up where the forest used to be. The hope is that eventually a diverse forest will grow where only pine used to be. That would mean less devastation from insects in the future.

Looking back from whence we came atop the Loveland Pass.

Well, mebby not today.

Atop the Loveland Pass. To the East, the water flows thisaway. To the West, the water flows thataway.

Why, there's I-70 down theah! If you don't want to drive over the pass, you can always drive I-70 and use the Eisenhower Tunnel. I think the view is better up heah than in a tunnel.

A Drive In The Colorado Countryside

Took a Sunday drive north of Denver. Lots of folks had the same idea!

Somebody's load o' hay caught fire, so southbound I-25 was a mess for miles.

We found a nice lake in the foothills near Berthoud. Must camp here sometime soon.

There are lots of lakes scattered about just waiting for us to visit 'em!

Great views from above the lake.