June 30, 2009, Tuesday: I have three emails about the trails; one is of more immediate concern about the Clear Creek Trail. I also have a note about two new bridges over the South Platte River and a killer ride I did.

Tom F sent this email concerning flooding on the Clear Creek: "FYI, the Clear Creek bikepath is under water at Sheridan. This is not posted on the trail either, and when the water recedes there will be 3-6" of mud and dirt on the path under Sheridan."

And from Jonathan:

"(1) This trail [Big Dry Creek Trail in Littleton] has been extended from the end point shown on the map at Ledow on a new segment opened this spring southeast to Broadway where it joins an existing piece of trail that goes to an ending point at S Washington St near Littleton Blvd. (adjacent to the football stadium at Littleton HS).

(2) There is an unpaved segment of this trail [Big Dry] that runs from the High Line Canal Trail near the Goodson Recreation Center southeast to S Colorado Blvd across from the South Suburban Golf Course.

(3) The Lakewood Gulch Trail runs generally along the edge of the old trolley line that goes out to the Federal Center in Lakewood. RTD is building their new "West Corridor LRT" on that alignment. At this point the trail is most likely closed in many locations during construction. (That was the case at the junction w/ the Platte River South Trail when I rode past it the other day.) Your map will likely need to be updated once the LRT construction is complete in the next year or two."

...

There are two new bridges on the South Platte. One connects the Little Dry Creek Trail in Englewood - this is the third trail that is a Little Dry Creek; the other two are in Littleton and Westminster respectively - to the Platte River South Trail. In the not too distant past that connection was made by crossing the South Platte River on the south-side sidewalk on West Dartmouth Avenue, taking a right on Platte River Drive, and then rejoining the trail just north of Little Dry Creek, hence the name, I suppose. Anyway, all one has to do now is cross Platte River Drive and viola, the bridge or the Little Dry Creek Trail in Englewood, depending on the direction of travel.

The second new bridge is just south of the old bridge that cyclists and golf carts from Englewood Golf course once shared in crossing the South Platte River. Cyclists use the new bridge, and golfers use the old. It is confusing at first. I have now made the turn onto the old bridge from the new traffic circle twice out of force of habit.

Both of these beauties are works of art. The stimulus package must be kicking in.

...

About ten days ago I wrote about a great climbing ride that can be done in less than 50 miles for 5,000 feet of climbing. Not content with ordinary agony, the ride I rode today adds 2,000 feet to that and takes in 107 miles of Colorado scenery. I started from my house and rode to Washington Park, south on South Franklin, west on Dartmouth, south on the Platte River South Trail to Hudson Gardens and Chatfield Park , southwest around the park, west on Deer Creek Canyon Road, south on South Deer Creek Road, south on High Grade Road to Critchell, west on Pleasant Park Road to the Grange bicycle stop and a break, west on Broken Arrow Drive briefly, southwest on Running Deer Road briefly, southeast on Foxton Road to the South Platte River, northeast on Foxton Road, northeast on Running Deer Road, east on Broken Arrow Drive, west on Pleasant Park Road to Conifer and lunch, north on County Road 73, west and north on Shadow Mountain Drive, north on County Road 73 to Evergreen and a break, east on State Highway 74 to Kittredge, north on Kerr Gulch Road, north on Evergreen Parkway to El Rancho, north then east on I-70, east on US Highway 40 and Colfax Avenue, east on 7th/8th Avenue, north on Kipling Street, west on 9th Avenue, north on Independence Street, east on 11th Avenue, north on Garrison Street, north on the Glen streets, east on 26th Avenue, south on Clay Street, east on 23rd Avenue, northeast on Platte Street, east on 20th/21st Street, and east on 23rd Avenue. The new climb is the out-and-back from Pleasant Park Drive. This 7.5-mile stretch has most of the 2,000 feet of climbing and descending at the beginning 1.5 miles and the ending 1.5 miles at 500 feet each; the middle 5 miles changes elevation 1,000 feet. From Deer Creek Canyon Road to the Grange bicyclist stop the elevation gains about 3,000 feet. The Shadow Mountain and Kerr Gulch climbs gain about 900 feet each. This ride took most of the day.

June 19, 2009, Friday: I forgot to mention that earlier this week I encountered a new detour on the Platte River South Trail. Riding south to north, the detour exits the trail at West Mississippi Avenue and follows West Tennessee Avenue and a bike trail then rejoins the trail. This detour is well marked; there are even lines drawn on the roads that show where to ride.

Today Rick, Scott, and I did what is arguably the most demanding short climbing ride on the Front Range. In the 64 miles we rode, we ascended 5,200 feet. It is possible to shorten this to 48 miles and climb 5,000 feet for true climbing agony.

The ride: We started at the RTD Park-n-ride at the northeast corner of Shaffer Parkway (just west of C-470) and West Ken Caryl Avenue in Ken Caryl. We rode west on West Ken Caryl, west and southeast on Valley Parkway, south on Valley Road, west on West Deer Creek Canyon Road to Phillipsburg, south on South Deer Creek Road to Deermont, south on Highgrade Road to Critchell, west on Pleasant Park Road to the Grange bicycle stop, west on Broken Arrow Drive briefly, southwest on Running Deer Road briefly, southeast on Foxton Road, northwest on Platte River Road to Buffalo Creek, and northwest to Pine Valley Road/County Road 126 to Pine. We had a great lunch at Zoka's - you should read the reviews then drive to Pine - in Pine before retracing our path back to Ken Caryl.

A couple of caveats: This ride involves a lot of intense climbing and requires fitness and/or way-low gears. Most of the five miles on Platte River Road are unpaved gravel, but this route does offer a way to Colorado Springs that doesn't involve US Highway 85 or State Highway 83.

I mention this ride because climbing is the easiest way to get in the best shape in the least amount of time. The 48-mile, 5,000-feet version of this rides returns from the end of Foxton Road, but then there would be no lunch stop at Zoka's, and where is the fun in that?

June 18, 2009, Thursday: I have received several emails in the past few weeks:

Bob writes on June 15th: "Just a note about the Clear Creek Trail out near Golden where it crosses over 10th/44th because right now it is closed on both ends. I have no idea how much longer it will be as they work on the south end of the new bridge, but I'd expect at least this week.The detours on either end force you onto 44th although the intersection where the Highway 58 on and off ramps meet McIntyre is a terrible intersection and wasn't rebuilt with peds or cyclists in mind last summer, so ride offensively."

Gerald B. writes on June 12th: "The new Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge just south if Dartmouth is now open, and the detour on the Platte River South Trail has been removed."

Bob V. writes on May 29th: "Clear Creek Trail now has an electronic sign in each direction near the Highway 58 bridge over 44th Avenue stating "Roadwork @ SH 58 Expect 30 - 45 min delays". No dates for the work were displayed. No delay today (5/29) when I rode to Golden and back, but there were flaggers at each end of the bridge limiting bikers to one direction at a time. Were also offering water and energy bars."

Bob V. writes on May 27th: "The detour on the Platte River South Trail - between Platte River Drive & Mississippi - is now posted to be in effect through June 30."

June 17, 2009, Wednesday: I know I haven't been my usual talkative self, but my attentions have been directed elsewhere. My favorite cycling club, the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club, needed someone to take on the task of putting together a membership system and bringing it up-to-date. Without a means of notifying members that their dues are expiring, a club can soon expire from lack of funds. And that's just what was happening. About a year ago, the one and only copy of the membership program expired in a hard drive crash with all the data and no backup. What was left was maintained from spreadsheets cobbled together from the old newsletter mailing list. The membership director was overwhelmed, so I stepped up. My motivation was not altogether altruistic: I had wanted to get my feet wet once again on the vagaries and power of Microsoft Access, and this was the perfect opportunity.

I thought such a challenge might be totally overwhelming, but I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly it has all gone. The real challenge has been how to make things work smoothly and efficiently with the least amount of effort. It took awhile to figure what is the simplest way to get the address on the envelope from one enclosure so that the inevitably error-prone task of matching the enclosure with the envelope doesn't happen. Two-windowed, self-sealed, #9 envelopes solved this one. And then there was problem of getting the backing for the membership card thickened up from the 20-pound paper on which it was printed. I finally found that clear, blank mailing labels work nicely here. I am sure there will be a few more hurdles, but most of them are now behind me. As soon as the #9 envelopes and clear mailing labels arrive, I will start on the first membership expiration notices, and then I will print and send our members a new membership card.

I have also been on the road a lot, at least for me. In April, I rode in Arizona for a week. In mid-May, my bother and I visited my parents, who live in Nebraska. And most recently near the end of May, my wife and I went to Missouri and Kansas to ride our bikes, to visit an old friend, and to visit my niece, her husband, and their two daughters. We did two bike rides, both on the old Missouri, Kansas, and Texas railroad right-of-ways. In Kansas that trail is know as the Prairie Spirit Trail, and it runs from Ottawa to Iola; we rode from Ottawa to Richmond in light rain that began as we left and stopped as we returned to the trailhead. In Missouri that trail is called the Katy Trail. We made our headquarters in Rocheport, a small mid-Missouri, river town with excellent food and arguably the prettiest part of the trail. We did two rides: one a 51-mile ride to Hartsburg and back; the other a 27-mile ride to Boonville and back. I may do a larger article about it, but don't hold your breath. I am still working on last year's Alaska trip.

Now on to items about the trails. In spite of my other projects I have continued to ride. The trails are still in good shape, and the detours are few. All this June rain, three times the average, has created flooding the most prominent being the Pecos Street Underpass on the Clear Creek Trail, the Iliff Avenue Underpass on the Cherry Creek Trail, and the Franklin Street and 104th Avenue Underpasses on the Platte River North Trail. The Platte River South Trail has low spots at the 6th Avenue, the 8th Avenue, and the Evans Avenue Underpasses, which are vulnerable to flooding but were not flooded when I rode there yesterday. I must also say kind things about the Tollgate Creek Trail, which I also rode yesterday from Alameda Avenue to Horseshoe Park. The City of Aurora has done a very nice job repaving that trail. It is now a joy to ride.

And there is more in the form of emails I will share with you tomorrow.

May 22, 2009, Friday: Bob V sent this email: "Sign at Golden end of trail [Clear Creek Trail] - Expect 30 minute delays between 7AM and 5PM Thursday, Friday and Tuesday (May 21, 22, 26) while the eastbound lanes of the Highway 58 bridge over 44th Avenue are demolished."

I have just returned from Nebraska where my brother and I visited our parents. All is well.

May 4, 2009, Monday: Today I rode a loop involving Sand Creek Trail, Platte River North Trail, Cherry Creek Trail, and the High Line Canal Trail.

The Sand Creek Trail from Quebec Street to the Platte River was clear.

The spring run-off is evident in the rise of the South Platte River. I asked a cyclist coming north from the Platte River South Trail about any flooding on the trail he may have encountered. There was none from the 8th Avenue Underpass north, and that is one of the underpasses that is the first to flood; only the Evans Avenue Underpass is more likely to flood.

Now for some clarifications on the giant plumbing project on the Cherry Creek Trail from Corona Street to beyond the Cherry Creek Shopping Center (University Boulevard). The reason there are no detour signs at Clarkson Street is because, if one is staying on the trail, no detour is needed. Only if one is getting off the trail at Downing Street should one depart the trail at Clarkson Street, and that is only to avoid the minor inconvenience of hoisting one's bike over the giant, plastic pipes. Farther on, the Cherry Creek Trail underpass at University Boulevard is closed; crossing University Boulevard is done at the intersection just north of the underpass. The traffic signals are slow, but the crossing is well marked.

Crossing the High Line Canal Trail at Parker Road and Mississippi Avenue can now be done at the intersection as construction enters its final stages.

April 30, 2009, Thursday: An email from Bob V. provides additional information about the trails:

Platte River North Trail - detour:

About 200 yards south of the I-76 underpass. Detour was in use earlier this year when a small section of the concrete path was removed for work associated with the new lakes being created. The concrete has been replaced, but the fencing and gravel for the detour remain in place leading one to think that there will be more work on the path in the future.

Platte River South Trail - detour:

The path will be closed from just north of Platte River Drive underpass (at Vanderbilt Park) to just south of Mississippi Avenue underpass from May 4th through May 29. Signs state that a detour will be provided and that bicyclists must dismount along Mississippi.

Platte River South Trail - new bridges:

One [bridge] just south of Dartmouth and one [bridge] just south of the existing bridge (used by bikers and golf course traffic) at the Englewood Golf Course. Neither is ready for use yet.

April 29, 2009, Wednesday: The Cherry Creek Trail has two large, as in 36-inch-diameter, plastic pipes on the trail around Downing Street. Coming east this is not obvious until you see the pipes. You can either hoist your bike over these pipes if you want to cross them, or you can exit the trail at Clarkson Street and take the south-side sidewalk until you are passed the pipes. These look like water pipes, so Denver Water is probably doing some repair work. I don't know how long this will last, but the pipes are a minor annoyance at the worst.

The High Line Canal Trail detour at Mississippi Avenue and Parker Road is still in place, but it may now be possible to cross that intersection at the light on the weekend when no construction is being done.

I have received a number of emails recently concerning the trails. I will share these in upcoming posts.

I have just returned from an epic bike ride in north central Arizona. The ride started in Show Low then proceeded to Alpine, Morenci, Safford, Mount Graham, Globe, and back to Show Low. The group was congenial and the weather nearly perfect with no cold, no rain, and tailwinds in all the right spots. We rode around 500 miles and climbed almost 40,000 feet. For the older, fatter guys, me among them, the climbing was a lot of work, but here we are all back in one piece.

March 13, 2009, Friday: The winter has been so nice, especially the past two months, that I have been riding a lot and mainly on the road. However, I have managed to get to several of the trails.

The only major detour is on the High Line Canal Trail, and it is major only because it has to cross the nasty Parker Road-Mississippi Avenue intersection. Parker Road is being widened at this intersection, and this may actually be a plus for bicyclists. The detour is to take the Parker Road north-side sidewalk for two or three blocks northwest to Quebec Street/Way, cross at that intersection, and return to the trail on the Parker Road south-side sidewalk.

Besides the High Line Canal Trail, I have ridden the Bear Creek Trail, the Platte River South Trail, the Platte River North Trail, the Cherry Creek Trail from downtown to the C-470 East Trail, the C-470 East Trail, the Sand Creek Trail to Quebec Street, the Grange Hall Creek Trail, and the I-25 Trail. The sections of these trails I have ridden have no major detours.

February 10, 2009, Tuesday: It has been cold. While driving on Parker Road, I noticed that there is heavy construction where the High Line Canal Trail crosses. I could not see any provision for the detour. Until I get out there to check it more thoroughly, a detour that will work, if needed, is to take the sidewalk west to South Quebec Way and back, crossing Parker Road in the crosswalk.

February 4, 2009, Wednesday: Rick and I rode south on the Platte River South Trail from REI, east on the C-470 East Trail, south on Chambers Road, east on Broncos Parkway, south on Jordan Road, east on Caley Avenue, through Cherry Creek State Park on the Cherry Creek Trail, west on Union Avenue, north on South Monaco Street, northwest on Happy Canyon Road, north on South Dahlia Street, west on Dartmouth Avenue, north on South Franklin Street and through Washington Park, and northwest on the Cherry Creek Trail back to REI.

All sections of trail we rode were clear. There were several feet of the C-470 East Trail that had cracks as wide as four inches, not something one would want one's wheel to get caught in.

What Was New

The number of visits to Trails Denver is:

provided by http://www.website-hit-counters.com