For Journey Is Reason Enough

Finally home from two weeks on the road with Ride The Rockies and Bicycle Tour of Colorado.
Whew. What a wild ride!
Saw a lot of this glorious state and photographed some amazing and inspiring people.
I would totally do it again.

Next year. Call me next year.

The scenery this tour was really amazing. Left me in awe.

All along the route are Aid stops, staffed with volunteers.

Port-a-lets, food, bike supplies, SAG rides; offerings are many.

On the road. Again.

Many days we had to take the same route as the bikers.

Great to see them cranking it out, but dangerous to pass when the traffic gets thick.

Scenery & self portrait, mirror style.

Aid station or not, the riders stopped when they needed to rest or re-equip.

Photographers Hunter and Dave wait to shoot the riders.

Aspen grove. I just love Aspen trees.

This trip I took a nasty spill in the dark down a rock pile with my iPhone.

The phone fared better than I, thanks to its OtterBox.

I need to get myself an OtterBox suit. Bruises and scrapes are still healing.

We had snow on this high-altitude tour as well. Beginning to end, no matter the heat, we saw snow.

Tree hugging bike jersey.

We stayed in a few campgrounds during the tours. This is the upriver view from one of them.

River front accommodations are nice.

Icy flood waters roaring by all night while one prays for sleep is less nice. Just FYI.

Here's the cabin by the flooded river. Tres cute!

 

Here are robin eggs in a lovely nest right next to the only door.

Mom robin was not pleased with our stay.

View downriver. Amazing and treacherous.

  

This, for those who don't know, is the ceiling of a port-a-potty.

I saw many of these during my two weeks on the road.

Insert your own joke here. I got nothing.

Rafters floated by while we were setting up camp.

The increased snow melt has been a boon to the industry.

We saw river runners during both tours all week long.

Shot this to show the detail of the fence made of skis.

I totally want a ski fence now. Or a nice ski chair.

Coexist.

Love this reworking of the classic peace sign.

Share the road, readers. Life matters.

More fabulous scenery.

 

Jaw bones on the side of the road by one of our photography sites.

Cool, huh?!

These are not called tee-pees, just so you know.

Loving the zoom on my new camera. Great detail.

The moon shall be our parting sign this time, dear readers. This traveling photog is tired and looking forward, once again, to her own bed.

There are more images to share; I'll work on another entry tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing my adventure, sweet followers.

The journey is reason enough.

Feeling Like a Leopard

Already working on the next post, but this deserves it's own "spot" light.

Before leaving for my cycling tours adventures I purchased these lovely Keen brand sandals.

They are comfortable, purple, and protected my toes brilliantly. I would highly recommend them to anyone in search of an outdoor/biking/hiking/camping sandal.

Full disclosure: they are antimicrobial and do not retain odors.

Your feet might retain some odors, but not these shoes.

One more thing though...

 Should you choose these shoes, be warned.

 You will be spotted.

Especially if you skip the foot sunscreening, as I often do.

Leopard print brought to you by my feet, Keen and the Sun.

Choose your shoes wisely, my fabulous friends.



Fawn Valley

Last night the rest of the Sundance Images team and I met in the rain in Estes Park, Colorado so we could be up in the rain at 5:30 this morning and on the road in the rain by six to set up before the riders of the Bicycle Tour of Colorado could get to us. We were on the job! In the rain.

Enter Mother Nature with a bit of snow. In June. June 20th. Thanks for that.

So, Trail Ridge Road, the planned cycling route through Rocky Mountain National Park, was closed after the second aid station. The organizers held the riders at an Estes Park high school (home of the bobcats!) until ~8:00, feeding them eggs, bacon, potatoes and coffee.  The bacon was tasty.

Once the okay was given, the cyclists hit the streets. We were there to capture them and they were quite thankful. Really nice group of bi-peddlers this tour. Good luck, everyone!

Fawn Valley? When did they name a valley after me?

So honored, you guys. Really, you didn't have to.

We passed this sign today and, of course, I had to snap it.

I was a bit concerned because the animal at the bottom is clearly a horse, not a fawn.

That's when I realized it must be named for me.

So, so nice.

Aspen, up close.

Nature dines in the city.

Elk nibbling grass between two convenience stores. Tasty.

Penny-farthing for your thoughts?

Actually took this last week in Georgetown, but had to share. How often do you see one of these?

Sunset in the Rockies. Luscious.

This week started out rainy but promising. Hoping for less precipitation tomorrow, please and thank you, Mother Nature.

Till next time, darling readers, stay fabulous!





Finish Empty

There's no place like home. Especially when coming home from the road. I love the gypsy life, but I also love my Temperpedic.

My incredibly hot and lengthy shower tonight was well deserved, but the state I'm in is nothing compared to the riders of the 2011 Ride The Rockies bicycle tour. More than two thousand cyclists from all over the country packed their velocipedes and gathered in Colorado to test their mettle among the mountains. Many of them older than my parents, they endured extreme temperatures and almost instant weather fluctuations. Gear ready for anything, these warriors would not be stopped.

Amazing, inspiring, exhilarating to watch these extreme few who can say they did it. They made it. No SAG, no shame.

But still, these people are nuts. Some of those uphills are practically walls. I felt winded just riding in the car from site to site. Thirty degrees, snow and lethal winds the first day. Scorching sun between frigid gusts and sudden showers the rest of the week. Sure, just normal weather patterns in the Rockies, but on a bike?  Madness.

I and the rest of the crew of Sundance Images was there to capture the riders as they slogged it out. Making them look good while they did their best to press on, revolution after revolution.

A lovely sign by a gorgeous lake.

We shot the riders just up the hill and this became part of the background.

 Cabins we stayed in during our time on the road.

Ours was on the end. Fortuitous due to the snow melt flooding in the area.

Sherpa village provided by some lovely fellows we met along the route.

Each day they set up tents for hundreds of the riders. Others stayed in high school gymnasiums or set up their own tents on the school grounds. Yet another truck full of fabulous volunteers checked bags for the riders and drove them to each campsite, ready to be gathered up again by their owners at leg's end.

 Some wonderful scenery along the course.

Panda builds bicycles out of bamboo. Ride a Panda!

Crowd at our booth viewing their images.

 Mobile showers were set up at each town hosting the cyclists. Here's a shot before the riders arrive.

And later that same day.

The finish line in Georgetown, Colorado, a darling historic town surrounded by rocky cliffs and green green trees. Crowds cheered for each rider crossing the line, cowbells clanging Olympic style.

This was the 26th year for Ride The Rockies and I'm thrilled to have been a part of it.

Next up: Bicycle Tour of Colorado!

***

Sadly, one man lost his life on this journey. My deepest condolences to his family. May they find solace in knowing his last moments were filled with his passion.

Our crew captured his image on the first day as he climbed to the summit. Less than two hours later he crashed during descent. We were able to provide our image to his family quickly, thanks to this digital age, and we are all humbled by our small part in his story. May he ride forever on the streets of Glory.

Photography means so much to the world because it enhances our memories and certifies our dreams. It allows us to relive and recall life in a way nothing else can. Every moment is precious but those captured are forever priceless.

Embrace your passion, sweet readers.  Finish empty.

Finding My Way

We were on the road again, bright and early this morning, climbing the mountain to stake out our territory. We chose a spot just a mile from the summit on the uphill climb side. A while later we decided to move. I had nothing to do with this decision. I'm new.

The climb.

This was the view from the first spot. 

Snow and green trees and blue sky - oh my!

It was pretty chilly, but lovely to behold.

This lovely rider stopped to rest at our turn out. She was quite nice and back on the trail in no time!

The view from the second location. Also chilly, also amazing.

One fearless contender. A woman and her bike.

This is Stephanie, team member, getting loved up real good by the tarp.

Mmmm...tarp hugs.

Here's the team working it. Encouraging smiles and laughter all around. We've got you covered.

Party at the summit, yo.

Restock, refuel, unload, mend...whatever the riders need, they can get it at the summit.

Bike Source is a RTR sponsor and well-loved member of the cycling community.

Bought my own bike at the local Source. Love those guys!

Snow framed peaks. Shot on our way back down the mountain.

Dirty snow sculptures brought to you by the energy of the sun and the pigments of the earth.

Great effects.

Stunning snowscape.

The riders get an amazing view and an incredible rush coasting down this stretch of the tour.

Spring thaw and runoff have waterways swollen to the limits of their banks.

After the shoot we returned to Buena Vista to regroup and strategize for tomorrow. Buena Vista is a popular "put in" locale for rafters and kayakers alike. The rapids did look thrilling, if a bit scary.

Great little town. Buena Vista indeed.

Today was mostly about me finding my spot in the lineup and learning the ropes in the trenches, literally, as it turns out most of the day was spent jumping, straddling and wading through muddy ditches cut into the road by the recent runoff. Nothing too horrible, but a few trucks and some dirt-gusting winds gave me fleeting thoughts of hazard pay. Sprintingly fleeting.

Today was great; gritty but great. Sunshine, brisk air, great work, free micro-derm abrasion...what more could a city girl ask of the big wide mountainous Rockies?

We'll find out tomorrow, sweet readers!

Till then, stay fabulous! ;)