Assault on Mt. Evans

What have I gotten myself into?

Next Friday, on August 21, my friend and Ripper-In-Training, Josh, along with fellow blogger and bona fide Senior Ripper Bob, aka Old Man Gravel, will attempt to ride to the summit of Mt. Evans in Clear Creek County, Colorado. Mt. Evans is the highest paved road in North America, topping out at just over 14,200 feet.

On July 9 of this year, Old Man Gravel published a post called “Hacking Mt. Evans“, where he outlined his plan to ride to the summit. This summer, because of Covid, no cars are allowed above the Welcome Station, around 15 miles from the peak. To have the opportunity to do the ride without traffic was my impetus to make the attempt this summer.

I foolishly reached out to Bob to see if he wanted company on his climb, and he enthusiastically welcomed my participation. I’m not sure that was the response I was hoping for.

I have spent two months at sea level this summer, just returning to Park City last Friday. Our home is at roughly 6,700 feet of elevation. Most of the riding I do here tops out at no more than 10,000 feet. The Mt. Evans ride starts at 10,200 feet, and as I mentioned, climbs to 14,200. I’m not particularly worried about the climb. It’s an average grade of 4.5%, with a maximum grade of around 7%. But as Bob points out in his blog post, oxygen, or lack thereof, is the issue. Just breathing at 14,000 feet is a challenge, let alone breathing while exercising!

Given that the ride is scheduled for next Friday, you might be wondering, why am I writing about this before I actually attempt the ride? I figure if I “put it out there”, it will be harder to chicken out. That’s not to say that completing the ride is a slam dunk. Far from it. I acknowledge that failure is a distinct possibility, and while I’m not preparing to fail, I will accept it if it comes, and will willingly turn around and descend if it turns out to be too much. I’m no stranger to DNF’ing. Remember CBD and Me!

Two things could stop the attempt in its tracks. First, and obviously, any signs of Covid will call the whole thing off. But second, and probably the bigger risk, is that there have been wild fires in the Mt Evans area for the last few days. Part of I-70 is closed as a result, and I understand the air quality is not at its best (for what little air there is!). We shall monitor the situation closely between now and Wednesday, when we are scheduled to head out from Park City.

So stay tuned for a follow up post about my experience. Wish me luck, and I hope I come out the other side intact!