Mt. Blue Sky Trip Report 07/06/2010

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Mt. Blue Sky - 14,268 feet
Date Posted	07/06/2010
Modified	07/10/2010
Date Climbed	07/05/2010
Author	Urban Snowshoer

Evans on two wheels
Whether you want a bicycling challenge or are merely looking to check Mt. Evans off the list, this is definetly a challenge. For peakbagging purposes, pedaling up isn't a bad way to do it. I should add that there is some controversy as to whether bicycling up this peak counts as a climb, but it goes without saying that I think it counts. It may not be a climb in the strict mountaineering sense, but it certainly is challenging and and awesome way to hit this mountain. I started in Idaho Springs, although I'm aware a significant number of people start at Echo Lake. Ride up CO 103 to Echo Lake. At Echo Lake ride through a gate, and pay a fee ($3 for bikes) and the route is basically self-explanatory from there. I would add that the end of the road, though in close proximity to the summit, falls short of being the true summit. To reach the true summit just follow the obvious trail leading from the parking lot. The road terminates in a parking lot just short of the actual summit. There is a well-developed trail running from this parking lot to the official summit.After the grueling climb to the top parking lot, I found walking on this trail to hardly be a challenge. This trail was short enough that I was able to walk it in bike cleats, though if I were to try it again I would probably pack walking shoes for this. The summit, like many 14ers this time of year, tends to be crowded. Yet, the views in all directions are excellent. Though, walking in bike cleats was a bit awkward, the excursion was definitely worth it. Clothing descending Mt. Evans in nothing but a bike jersey and bike shorts is a recipe for hypothermia. At a bare minimum have the following for your descent: closed-fingered gloves, a windshell (pants and jacket), and some kind of base layer. Bike arm and leg warmers can serve as a base layer. The polypro clothing normally associated with hiking and climbing also works well. Keep in mind there are tradoffs between polypro and warmers when it comes to descending in chilly or cold weather. For cold weather descents I found Polypro to generally be warmer, especially if the temperature drops. However, it is more of chore to take on and off than warmers. Likewise, warmers aren't as much of a chore to take off as polypro. However, warmers can slide out from underneath bike shorts and jersey, rendering them ineffective. When I've done descents in this kind of weather (40 degrees or colder) I use more than the clothing listed above. I add a Polartec jacket or Polartec pullover between the base layer and outer shell. If needed I'll thrown in a face mask or helmet liner. The Road. It's difficulting to get the routefinding wrong here; however, the road is presents its own set of challenges. The pavement, especially higher up, gets sketchy in places. There are some fairly nasty potholes in places, so ride in control. The road narrows as you ascend. These narrowed sections require some give and take between bikes and cars. The cars should pass, however, a biker should be prepared to pull over to let cars by. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Evans on two wheels

Whether you want a bicycling challenge or are merely looking to check Mt. Evans off the list, this is definetly a challenge. For peakbagging purposes, pedaling up isn't a bad way to do it. I should add that there is some controversy as to whether bicycling up this peak counts as a climb, but it goes without saying that I think it counts. It may not be a climb in the strict mountaineering sense, but it certainly is challenging and and awesome way to hit this mountain.

I started in Idaho Springs, although I'm aware a significant number of people start at Echo Lake. Ride up CO 103 to Echo Lake. At Echo Lake ride through a gate, and pay a fee ($3 for bikes) and the route is basically self-explanatory from there. I would add that the end of the road, though in close proximity to the summit, falls short of being the true summit. To reach the true summit just follow the obvious trail leading from the parking lot.

The road terminates in a parking lot just short of the actual summit. There is a well-developed trail running from this parking lot to the official summit.After the grueling climb to the top parking lot, I found walking on this trail to hardly be a challenge. This trail was short enough that I was able to walk it in bike cleats, though if I were to try it again I would probably pack walking shoes for this.

3,4

The summit, like many 14ers this time of year, tends to be crowded. Yet, the views in all directions are excellent. Though, walking in bike cleats was a bit awkward, the excursion was definitely worth it.

5,6

Clothing

descending Mt. Evans in nothing but a bike jersey and bike shorts is a recipe for hypothermia. At a bare minimum have the following for your descent: closed-fingered gloves, a windshell (pants and jacket), and some kind of base layer.

Bike arm and leg warmers can serve as a base layer. The polypro clothing normally associated with hiking and climbing also works well. Keep in mind there are tradoffs between polypro and warmers when it comes to descending in chilly or cold weather. For cold weather descents I found Polypro to generally be warmer, especially if the temperature drops. However, it is more of chore to take on and off than warmers. Likewise, warmers aren't as much of a chore to take off as polypro. However, warmers can slide out from underneath bike shorts and jersey, rendering them ineffective.

When I've done descents in this kind of weather (40 degrees or colder) I use more than the clothing listed above. I add a Polartec jacket or Polartec pullover between the base layer and outer shell. If needed I'll thrown in a face mask or helmet liner.

The Road.
It's difficulting to get the routefinding wrong here; however, the road is presents its own set of challenges. The pavement, especially higher up, gets sketchy in places. There are some fairly nasty potholes in places, so ride in control. The road narrows as you ascend. These narrowed sections require some give and take between bikes and cars. The cars should pass, however, a biker should be prepared to pull over to let cars by.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

kbmountain	fee? 7/6/2010 5:13pm Good Job! The downhill must of been a blast! Just wondered if they demanded a fee if the ”free pass” option was available for bikers as it is for cars if you don‘t use the ”amenities”?
doggler	Count it 7/6/2010 5:56pm Cycling up Evans is IMO plenty more difficult than trudging up a Class 1 Front Ranger. The descent is joy.
Kitten	It counts! 7/6/2010 6:23pm Hey, I counted it as a climb when I rode my mountain bike last May. It is as hard as a class 2 hike :)
pak	I think it counts... 7/6/2010 11:17pm I know Roach at one time was adamant that riding up Evans isn‘t summiting (p. 288 in ”Fourteeners”), but he changed this section in ”Thirteeners” (p. 313). Having ridden Mt. Evans many times over the years, including a RT ascent from the steps of the Capitol in Denver, I think at least that trip surely counts! If I recall, it was the summer of 1986, about 115 miles and roughly 9000 feet of climbing. 9 hours 50 minutes was my elapsed time. I‘ve used my mountain bike for part of the approach to 4 Fourteeners (Lindsay, Antero, Humboldt, and Snowmass). We made the most distance on Antero. Since we started riding at the Cascade TH (the paved road), we had our bikes the entire 4WD road to just above 13,000‘. We pushed our bikes for at least 25% of the 4WD road, and when we did ride, we were going about the same speed as the folks hiking it. So, there is a mechanical advantage, but for anyone who has ascended on foot versus mountain bike, you tell me which is more difficult! The only advantage of a bike on a 14er approach is the descent...
cwm	Mt Evans on two wheels 7/7/2010 5:00pm I rode to the top -parking lot- in early June. Staying warm on the climb is not a problem. But it was cold - 32 degrees - at the top parking lot. The other problem was the wind. A steady 15 mph gusting to 25 mph. And from Summit Lake in the last 5 miles it seems like it is a head wind at lest 75% of the time. If it could just be a tail wind it would be easier. The problem is staying warm on the descent. Your hands and feet get very cold and there is only one short climb down to Summit Lake and one short climb down to Echo Lake. So you are just coasting which doesn‘t generate any body heat. The other problem is all of the cracks in the road going down. I am not talking about potholes but it is like riding on road with a lot of expansion joints. On a mountain bike with a front suspension it would not be as bad. But on a road bike you get a jolt every 40 to 50 feet in a lot of the areas on the actual Mt Evans Highway. Highway 103 below Echo Lake has fewer road crack jolts. The reaction of the tourists that you are riding a bike up Mt Evans is interesting. For the most part they are encouraging, often saying something positive as they you pass you in their vehicles. Then in the upper parking lot you get to hear them whine and complain about the cold and the wind as they get out of their vehicles wearing only shorts, tank tops and often just flip flops.
fleetmack	nice work 2/5/2011 12:22am nice work!! i‘ve done this 5 times (only once from idaho springs, the rest from echo lake), doing it again in one of the next 2 weekends. those washboards you ride over on the descent are BRUTAL!!! i‘ve never been stopped and asked to pay a fee while on bike before, did you voluntarily stop or did they force you to?
Urban Snowshoer	Fee? 6/30/2014 12:32pm No there was no physical barrier to force me to stop, just a sign saying the amount for bicyclists and an attendent to collect the fees. Yes, I paid the fee. There was somebody who blew through the gate, refusing to pay. Aside from ethics, refusing to pay the fee is counterproductive: i.e. it gives bicyclists a bad name.
Urban Snowshoer	Descent? 6/30/2014 12:32pm The problem with the descent wasn‘t staying warm. It doesn‘t take many winter descents of Lookout to figure out how to stay warm in 40 degree (or colder) weather. The problem was the pavement. The pavement was so choppy, it literally hurt my hands. I ended up stopping about halfway between Summit Lake and the top to line my outer gloves with bike gloves to try to reduce the impact. Nonetheless, I would do it the next time the opportunity presents itself.
Urban Snowshoer	Does it count? 6/30/2014 12:32pm The trip report states--implicitly, or explicitly--that I think this counts. I just wanted to point out that there are a few purists who think otherwise. After doing this ride I looked at Gerry Roach's guidebook. Roach lists the road as a route. Although, Roach says it doesn't count to drive up it (for obvious reasons), he more or less says that going up under your own power (biking, running, etc) counts.

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