May 19, 2007, 8 a.m.
Deer Creek Canyon
Hosted by WoJ Cycling coach Sean Leenaerts--coached ride--Sean will be wearing a red sleeveless Ironman Wisconsin jersey and have a yellow helmet on.
Please RSVP to Sean by Friday if you plan to ride sleenaerts@comcast.net; Also Sean's cell is: 720.272.8492
Meet: We'll meet and start from the corner of Wadsworth and Deer Creek Canyon Rd. near the Chatfield Reservoir.
Route: the ride is 43 miles long. There aren't too many bail out points along the way, but riders can backtrack from various areas if necessary. Below is a description of the route:
Deer Creek Canyon climbs about 9 solid miles on its way to South Turkey Creek Road near U.S. Highway 285. But this route goes above and beyond Deer Creek, tackling North Turkey Creek Canyon and gaining another thousand feet. Bomb down to Evergreen and enter Bear Creek Canyon, a gradual descent all the way into Morrison. From Morrison pick up an interesting and fast section of bike path that takes you back to the start. Terrain: From the red rocks of the foothills to fresh pine forests and back again. Long, gradual climbs and descents, with a few steep ones thrown in for good measure. Traffic and hazards: Deer Creek Canyon is a well-used route for commuters in a god-awful hurry to get home. Avoid rush hours, if possible. But this is a very popular bike route with generally good-natured motorists and ordinary surface hazards (ordinary except for the occasional rattlesnake at the bottom of Deer Creek Canyon).
We'll take Deer Creek Canyon Rd. up and over into Twin Forks near Hwy. 285. At this point, we'll have hit 10.9 miles, and those not inclined for another thousand feet of climbing and turn around and go back the way we came, giving them 21.8 miles round trip. For those opting to continue, we'll take North Turkey Creek Rd. up into Evergreen. The road does not have a lot of traffic, but it is narrow. It is very important that riders ride single-file up this road. At the top of North Turkey Creek Rd., we'll hit CR 73. There is a convenience store here and at this point we'll have gone 17.2 miles. This will be the only other bail out point. Riders opting out can return the same way we came, enjoying the descent back down to Hwy 285, for a round trip of 34.4 miles. Riders continuing on will take CR 73 into downtown Evergreen to Hwy. 74. Practice your descending skills down 74 through Bear Creek Canyon and into Morrison. We'll pass under C470 and hit the C470 Trail near Bear Creek La ke Park, taking the trail south all the way to Kipling, where we'll connect with Deer Creek Canyon Rd. again and return to the start. Total ride mileage is 43 miles, although with all the climbing, it may feel longer to some.
Training Tip of the Week from WoJ Coach Sean Leeanerts:
Cycling Season Strength Training
