Summiting Colorado 14er Mount Evans by Bike

MOUNT EVANS. BCC RIDE.

JULY 21st, 2020

Here at BCC headquarters, we have always prided ourselves on working hard; capturing, documenting and sharing inspiring stories from athletes all over the U.S (and beyond). But we also like to enjoy the outdoors, and everything the wonderful state of Colorado has to offer. That is why we decided to do a group ride on Mount Evans!

It’s not every day you get to enjoy majestic views from the highest paved road in the United States (and 5th highest in the world!), reaching 14,130 feet (4,306 meters) while riding your bicycle without a single car around. A combination of COVID and planned road repairs allowed us this great opportunity, so we set the date, got our cameras ready, and headed outside. 

With an array of equipment, our bikes, layers, hydration, and snacks ready; we headed up, ready to document every moment of the ride. Our GoPro 7, Sony RX100 Mark VII, Sony A7R3 and the Sony 6500 were on hand for the adventure!

Dave, Marcus, Dylan, Daniela, and Nick lined up ready to start the climb. Melinda (📸) and Broski didn’t hike to the top, but had no shortage of breathtaking views on foot!

We started our journey bright and early at 7am from the Echo Lake Park, which is at 10,600 feet (3,230 meters). With a steady pace we saw our environment changing every mile, from having lush trees and vegetation, to a barren and very majestic mountain.  Every turn, we were given incredible views.  The calm air and quiet road provided a sense of peace, seldom found while there are cars around. We stopped from time to time to take it all in and get some footage of each other riding. With just a few clouds, and barely any wind, we had a pleasant ride all the way to Summit Lake.

Summit Lake, despite its name, is not the summit of the mountain.  We stopped there for a while for an up-close experience with the locals, the Bighorn Sheep!

A herd of young bighorn sheep cross our path near Summit Lake
Summit Lake, near the summit of Mt. Evans
Animal Crossing – A great opportunity to take a quick break!

Did you know the Bighorn Sheep is the official state animal of Colorado?
Those wonderful creatures were completely unphased by our presence, and they were happy to get close.  Of course, we know better than to even attempt touching them, so instead, we captured them all with our lenses.

After having some snacks and enjoying the views from the lake, we continued our ride.  Summit Lake is at about 12,000 ft, and from that point on the roads get really rough.  A few hundred feet after we got started, Marcus got a double whammy; a double flat tire, with a tire puncture as well.  The loud pop startled all of us! The potholes around that area are no joke. We pulled over and got to work.

A group effort tag-teaming the double-tire change on Marcus’ bike

Three tube changes later, and plenty of switchbacks, we reached the Summit! For most of us, our first 14er on a bike (a 14er is local slang for a mountain with an elevation of 14,000ft or more).

Marcus soaks in his first adventure to the top of a 14er
Always read the plaque! Here is a fun view where the plaque draws a line in the direction where you can look to see twenty or so notable peaks in the distance (Boulder’s Longs Peak included), as well as downtown Denver.
BCC Live Team stopped for some nutrition along the way to ensue we made it to the top.
Why not go to the tippy top! Look at the view from Mt. Evans. 
Looking down the road as Marcus is making his way up – beautiful!
Time for the tourist pictures at the top. Thumbs up for a great ride! 
BCC Live team posing in front of the Crest House ruins. Crest House was built in 1941 and partially burned in 1979. It was the highest business structure in the US.
Mel and Broski did some hiking and unexpectedly ran into an old friend 🙂

This time we were greeted by some lovely residents, Mountain Goats and their babies, and also, plenty of marmots. Truly a gift to see those creatures thrive in a such hostile environment. The views from the top are something to behold, and conquering that ascent on a bicycle makes it even sweeter.

After a quick climb up to the very rocky top, we “rang the bell” and had some more snacks to celebrate our accomplishment.

Heading down the mountain was an adventure in itself – we had a few more flats to work on. But a team that rides together manages adversity together! We made it down the mountain in one piece, we beat the weather change and the rain, and were more than thrilled to tell the tale!

Racing the rain, here we are changing what ultimately was the last of a total of five tubes throughout the day

If you want to watch all the details of our adventure, stay tuned! We will be releasing a video from our experience. Adventure, cycling, laughs, favorite ramen stories, tire changes, amazing animals, and more!

Voyage to Mount Evans,  #BCCLive style!

#Sony6500 #SonyA7R3 #SonyRX100 #GoPro7 #BCCLive #WeCanLivestreamAnything #ColoradoMountains #MountEvans #14er #WeRide