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Mountain Biking Keystone, CO
Erika and I spent a wonderful
afternoon mountain biking the Keystone Ski Resort mountain at
Keystone, Colorado. We were joined by two special people, Jen (from
Denver) and MJ (from Breckenridge and Pennsylvania some where). Both of
these women work with me at NetJets. Jen is a pilot (Captain) on the
Hawker 800XP and MJ is a flight attendant on the Falcon 2000. Jen and MJ
really impressed us with their mountain biking skills and we loved spending the
day with them. Thanks girls for waiting up for us on the trail all those
times!
The ski lifts at Keystone open up July 3rd after the
spring thaw.
It costs $15 dollars for a one time lift to the top or twenty-something dollars
for an unlimited all day lift pass. We elected to take the one time lift
as we were already running a little later than we had planned, ala Jen sleeping
in until late in the morning! To tell you the truth, doing more than one
run down the mountain is for the more hard core rider as well as someone who has
the proper equipment to ride the type of terrain we saw today. After just
one run, Erika and I were beat. We found out that the mountain bikes we
had took a particular toll on us as we had no suspension whatsoever. It is
a rough ride when the bike does not give at all. OK, enough of the baby
whining!
What we experienced sensory wise and spiritual wise was
phenomenal. Pedaling and/or coasting
through dense mountain forests was unforgettable. How I loved smelling the
strong pine scent here and there on our travels down the mountain. The
color green was the theme of the day as the forest floor was definitely thriving
with plants, mushrooms, and little creatures of all sorts. We would pass a
stream or forest scene that was so pretty I declined to photograph them for some
reason, I don't know why. Maybe, it was just TOO PRETTY TO PHOTOGRAPH.
Little chipmunks and big ground hogs showed little or no fear of us as they
scurried around us doing their daily routine.
The weather could not have been more threatening, yet
cooperative at the same time. The entire
afternoon we
were completely surrounded by booming thunderstorms with rain shafts just a few
miles from us. However, the weather directly over the top of us stayed as
picture perfect as was possible. Somehow, we had a protective bubble that
followed us wherever we went. It was strange to have such good weather in
the bubble yet hear the loud ominous rumblings of thunder and see the rain
shafts just a stones throw away. Truly impressive!
After the ride, the girls all went home and took long
naps to rest and relax....NOT!!! The little devils ditched me and now they
have hiked up into the Rockies somewhere to spend a "ladies evening" at a remote
and truly rustic mountain cabin. No doubt, there will be mischief and evil
planning there. I doubt I will be able to pry much information of their
antics and discussions from Erika upon her return tomorrow afternoon. The
sisterhood is a tough nut to crack, for sure. Ah, just makes me love you
girls even more!
