E-bikes to the Top (Almost)

The daytime weather has been gorgeous for us while staying on Madden Peak Road in Colorado. The sunny or mostly sunny skies beckoned us to traverse up this road. Our first attempt at going up was done in the Liberty, with Cindy riding shotgun, and wouldn’t you know, we got stuck! We beached pretty bad atop densely packed snow, so bad, that even with both lockers engaged, all four wheels spun easily, but it wouldn’t budge. It didn't seem like that big of a drift, but it stopped us dead in our tracks. We tried adding rocks under the tires, but that didn’t work. Then fortuitously, Tom found a couple tiny shovels that someone had left in the snowbank. I started digging snow out from underneath the rig. While I kept digging, Tom put our tow strap on an adjacent tree to have something to help pull on from behind. We had passed a guy riding his bike just before getting stuck. He caught up to us when we were stuck and helped us get out. Thanks to Cindy, who helped shovel, and to Maverick, our new biking friend, for all the help. The Liberty’s wheels were finally back on the ground, reversing out of the drift...Hallelujah! We were able to continue our day’s adventure by heading to Hovenweep National Monument.

Our e-bikes haven’t seen much action lately, so Tom got them off the back of the motorhome a few days later, and .we headed off for a ride. We thought we would make another attempt at Madden Peak (maybe the snow was melted) and pedaled our way up the road. As you can guess, it’s a climb most of the way, with just a few short downhill sections before you climb again. The peak is only 3,600 feet higher than where we are staying, however, we ended the trek after 2,000 feet of elevation gain. This old body was saying to stop. The e-bikes really made a difference, helping us climb the steepest parts, but they too were running out of juice. We made it farther than we did in the Liberty a week earlier as the big snow drift had melted and now it was just one of those puddles.

It was a fun trip, but oh, what a bumpy ride. The ruts, mud puddles, moguls, and boulder fields bounced us all around, some areas rougher than rattling over cobblestones. Along the way, spring wildflowers were a delightful distraction as they covered the forest floor. Spectacular views across the valley greeted us from up top. We could see the surrounding mesas, mountain peaks, the highway snaking through the valley , and maybe even our motorhome from up there, too, but it’s hard to confirm from several miles away.

Then came the exhilarating part: the ride down. It could’ve been lightning fast, but we had to brake most of the way to dodge those same rocks, ruts, and puddles while not going over the edge, . It was a welcome workout, especially since our bodies are not used to this high elevation anymore, but thanks to the e-bikes, we made it!

Above: Yellow Trout Lilies carpeting the forest floor.

Left/Below: Mahonia (Creeping Oregon Grape.

Right: Sagebrush Bluebells

It doesn't look that deep, but it stopped us, making us work to get it freed up. The warmer temperatures during the day and freezing at night left a hard crust that held the Liberty up. It was such a relief to be unstuck!

Some take-aways from the ride...

The bike motors, like us, would like a break from the constant uphill or they’ll reduce the amperage and assist as they heat up.

There is an issue we’ll need to address with the derailleur on Tom’s bike: the chain is jumping cogs, slipping, especially when under a load.

We ought to carry extra brake pads if we continue using them on slopes.

We need to strive to get in better physical shape.

We need to carry more water.

The road was a challenge, but the bikes were up for it, and we were too, sort of. The views went on forever. We saw the smoke from a nearby wildfire from up top. Can you see the motorhome?

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