Estes Park or Bust Challenge – What Drives People to Participate?

guest — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:31:58 GMT

Elk Turd Trophies.

While the highly sought after lacquered elk turd trophies are certainly a big bonus, most people aim to be a member of this group because the trophy represents a goal that isn’t easy, yet it’s not impossible. This is true for every level of endurance athlete.

The minimum distance to achieve the goal is roughly 21miles, nearly all of which is uphill. For those with loads of endurance and riding from the nearby city of Fort Collins, the round trip is more like 70 to 80 miles.

For the 2012 award cycle, 15 people earned (or will soon earn) their 12-consecutive-months-ride-to-Estes-Park trophy. Over the years, I’ve asked people what drives them to aim for the turd trophy goal. Here are some of the comments:

I knew someone else that achieved the goal and I was inspired.
A friend talked me into doing it. Without a buddy, I wouldn’t have made it that first year.
It seemed like a worthy challenge – not too easy, yet not impossibly hard.
It's just fun.
It helps me keep a longer ride in my training through winter.
All the cool people have elk turd trophies.
It motivates me ride outdoors in the winter. Without this goal, I wouldn’t be riding outside at all.
Once I started doing the ride, I became addicted.
Even though I seldom ride with others aiming for the same goal, I still feel like I’m part of the team or the group. I know others are out there rooting for me and doing the ride as well.
I like the ride memories created from some ofthe tough conditions. And, suffering is best done with others.

This isn’t an all-inclusive list by any means. If you’re having trouble keeping on track for your fitness goals, perhaps something in this list or in a past Estes blog will inspire you?

Loveland Cake Guy Chris Brown crafted the party cake.

Bill Frielingsdorf (L) wins the creative cycling outfit award. Kevin McSweeney, I suspect, is envious.

Party attendees Scott Ellis, Chris Brown, Gale Bernhardt, Pam Leamons, Bill Frielingsdorf, Lee Rhodes, Ron Kennedy, Jerry Nicholes, Kevin McSweeney, Brandy Staves, Todd Singiser and Peter Stackhouse. (The background model is not an elk, but a deer. Just in case you were wondering.)

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High Park Fire Got to the Lory State Park Trails

guest — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:18:40 GMT

I was able to download a KLM file of the High Park Fire from the Denver Post site. Last week I had loaded a ride we did in Horsetooth Mountain Park and Lory State Park into Google Earth. (The ride that I'll eventually tell about because it has the rib-injury story attached to it, along with my first chiro visit.) Because Google Earth allows me to show both files on the same view, you can see below how the edge of the fire touched the edge of the Timbers/Kimmons loop in Lory State Park and it looks like the fire burned across part of the trail. I think it burned across right where I had taken a photo of the turkey vulture a few weeks ago and posted it on Facebook.

You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

A wider view is seen below.

It looks like – so far – that the impact to Lory State Park is minimal.

Fingers crossed it remains that way.

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Blog Posts From Active Expert: Gale Bernhardt Tagged With park

Estes Park or Bust Challenge – What Drives People to Participate?

High Park Fire Got to the Lory State Park Trails