Photos and text copyright Romping and Rolling in the Rockies 2009-2017.

All photographs and text within this blog are copyrighted.

You may not copy or repost any photos or text without specific permission from the author of this blog. When in doubt, please ask.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

An Alpine Journey

Every year, I pick out a couple of long mountain bike rides to be my big goals for the year. One is always a point-to-point ride in the southwest corner of Colorado, high in the mountains. The pack drops me off at a trailhead on a paved highway, and I ride through the wilderness to meet them at a campsite that we love on a very rough jeep road.

This year was different from most because of the drought. Usually, I see meadows full of flowers even in August. This year, most flowers were long gone. There still was beautiful color from the fiery stems of fireweed, and from the autumn colors of the tundra.

The ride starts at an elevation higher than 10,000' so there's thin air the whole way. This year, I felt nervous at the start. There's something about spending hours far away from any help, completely by myself, that gives me temporary jitters. However, after about 10 minutes of riding on narrow mountain paths, I settled down and could enjoy the beauty.

It was an odd day weather-wise for the high mountains. There was a decent chance of storms early in the morning, and then the clouds cleared out. This was early in the ride, just after the clouds stopped looking so scary.

As I pedaled along through a forested section, a sheep guard dog approached me. Large herds of domestic sheep graze in these mountains, protected by dogs who live with them in the mountains. This guy was very serious about his job. He walked toward me and then sat in the middle of the trail, planting himself between me and his flock.

I've read lots of warnings to be very cautious with these dogs. They see humans as worrisome interlopers. I started talking to the dog in the friendliest tone I can use. He never overtly acted welcoming but I could see him relax a bit. Eventually, he turned and walked along the trail toward his flock. I had no choice but to follow because that was the direction that I needed to go too.

We emerged into a meadow, and the flock was uphill of the trail. They look almost like boulders uphill of the dog.

I was pleased when the dog finally lost interest in me, and I could move forward at a more reasonable pace. A couple of sheep stood atop a ledge looking down toward the valley below.
While I do enjoy seeing the traditional mountain scene of sheep grazing, I am always mindful that sheep grazing was an excuse to kill off predators in our state well into the 1900's. Grizzly bears were driven to extinction by government bounty hunters who killed them in the name of protecting sheep. Wolves had a similar fate. The loss of those predators has left us with an out-of-balance ecosystem.

When I was clear of the sheep flock, I could pedal hard again, and I soon made it above treeline. This is the part of these summer bike rides that I love the most. I was at an elevation of well above 12,000' and approaching the halfway point in the ride. I was thrilled to be feeling incredibly strong.

I slogged up toward the high point of the ride. I met a marmot as I pedaled. He was looking fat and ready for winter. He whistled warnings to his family and then disappeared under his boulder.

After a brief chat with the marmot (for real! I talk to all the animals), I made it to the high point. Usually, I'd want to sit and enjoy it for a while... but a wicked wind buffeted me. I sent the Runner a quick message telling him where I was and that I felt great. Then I threw on a jacket and moved downhill to get out of the wind. This was the view from the high point with my "new mountain view" that I'd see almost to the end of the ride.

I was sad to see so many desiccated flowers but the autumn colors did make up for it to some extent. Also, parts of this descent used to scare me enough to make me get off my bike. Not this year! That's partly due to my gnarly trail bike and partly due to newfound confidence - despite my broken rib from crashing earlier in the trip.

After descending, I had to wend my way through forested terrain that isn't as gorgeous as the alpine tundra. However, there was one waterfall that was still running, despite the drought!

The forested part didn't require too many hard efforts... but the last bit of the ride is like a kick in the butt - it's a lot of climbing up to another high mountain pass. The wonderful part is that I was up so high that the views stretched for miles! I get euphoric when I can ride so high in the sky.

All too soon, the ride was almost over. The last mile tips straight upward toward our campsite. No matter how good I feel, it's hard to pedal up so steeply. But, I was distracted from the pain by the incredible autumn colors with the blue sky as a backdrop.

And then, there was the Labmobile, sitting in our favorite campsite in the world. I'd just completed the ride in my best time ever, and I didn't even feel tired. I was ecstatic that my spring and summer riding had prepared me so well for riding a long distance at such high elevation.
I treasure our days in this campsite... a sunny and warm day there is like heaven on Earth with truly endless views.

And our pups love it too! There's running, swimming, and dozing in the sunshine. What more could a pup want? Not much.
I wish that I were there now!

20 comments:

  1. Such beautiful sights you get to see, lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  2. SO pretty by day!
    The stars and Milky Way must feel as if
    you can reach out and touch them that high up.
    What a awesome view. Glad your back was feeling well enough
    to to enjoy the ride.
    Do you know what would the dog eat if he was left
    out there to herd the sheep?
    ♥ Astro and Mitzie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great question. Funny, I've never thought about it. I passed this flock twice during our trip, and each time I saw a sheep herder with a Border Collie walking out to tend to them. I imagine that he brought food each day... but I don't know for sure.

      I loved his Border Collie, and seeing them made me wonder if we might like to have a Border Collie someday.

      Delete
  3. Another great ride in SW Colorado! Just beautiful...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like a fantastic ride! I have been frightened by a sheep dog in the high Alps of Italy. The dog raced up to me baring its teeth and barking. I really thought it would attack me. Now if I see sheep in Europe, I give them as wide a berth as possible. I've walked far off trail across the tundra to avoid them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh wow, what a fangtastic ride! Momma says she wants to come with you some day. Your pictures inspire her!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a gorgeous ride! We are glad that the sheep guard dog left you alone.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a beautiful ride you had. I'd probably have several collisions with boulders because I was looking at the scenery. That was one serious Sheep guarding dog. Thank goodness you found the exact tone of voice to soothe him. I'm amazed by the dog and his devotion. Crazy question but I don't know so...does the owner of the sheep and the dog come back and forth periodically to check on them.
    thank you once again for sharing your breathtaking photos
    Cecilia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I twice saw a sheepherder with a Border Collie hiking to visit them. He must feed them. I don't know what else he does but the presence of a trained Border Collie makes me think that he must check the herd fairly well. I doubt that the rancher actually goes out. S/he probably relies on the shepherd to take care of the sheep and dogs.

      Delete
  8. Thanks for taking us along. Amazing that you could do that with a broken rib.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Are you in Twitter? I have a friend who hikes with her collies all over the Pacific Northwest. I think you would enjoy her pictures. Her Twitter name is @akstoneman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She posts on Twitter under that username, and Instagram as ann_stoneman_

      Delete
    2. Thanks! I will go look for her. I lurk on both of those platforms!

      Delete
  10. To you, it may not have been one of your more beautiful rides, but to us, it is wonderful. Through your eyes we get to see landscapes we can only imagine. Thank you for that. And just an aside, we talk to the animals too:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. What gorgeous views on your ride!!! Thanks for taking us along
    hugs
    Hazel & mabel

    ReplyDelete
  12. OMD, what a ride!!!!! Such beauty, butts I thinks Ma's favorite was the waterfall, that was so beautifuls! The doggies and sheep are really cool! Oh, Ma is always talkin' to animals! and burdies and fishes....she says not to worry unless they answer. ☺
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

    ReplyDelete
  13. That is amazing. It would be scary to be all alone out there, but what a great feeling as well. So happy it went well, and you had such a great time. Our Kuvasz Katie was a sheep guarding breed. She was such a love, but if she didn't like something, she had the ability to get nasty. Those sheep protecting dogs appear nice, but don't mess with their sheep.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a beautiful ride, and I can imagine the sense of accomplishment when you reached your destination. I could not go off into the wilderness alone like you do...but I do enjoy living vicariously through you. :)
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

    ReplyDelete
  15. Such a beautiful ride. Congrats for accomplishing this trip. And, as always, spectacular photos!

    ReplyDelete

If you are a Blogger registered user, you can skip the step asking you to verify that you are not a spammer. For posts older than 5 days, I have comment moderation turned on.

Thanks for your comments!!!!!