Alpine Loop Preseason Ride

Yesterday was a great day, we (Clyde, Kelton, Brittany, Verl, myself and a couple of other guys that Brittany knows) road over the Alpine loop. We like to ride it a few times before they open it to cars each year. It is always an adventure as you don't know what you'll find on the road. This was no exception.
It was only about 39 degrees when I left home at 7:30 AM. Which means it was below freezing up on top and in the shady cooler areas even colder. We went up the American Fork side. Besides my cycling shorts and jersey I was wearing; a balaclava, arm warmers, jacket, leg warmers, glove liners, wind proof outer gloves, and toe warmers. I carried a pair of fingerless gloves in my pocket.
On the way up we had to carry our bikes over snow fields covering the road a few times but that just added to the adventure. After the third time my cleats were so filled in with ice that I couldn't clip back into my bike. Brittany, my niece and I sat on the road and used plastic tire levers to scrape the ice out of our cleats. It took us about 10 minutes. On the way down we encountered snow on the road in a couple of places but we were able to ride through them. There is always a lot more debris from trees on the Sundance side. We had to get off our bikes once because of a huge tree laying across the road, the other branches and limbs we were able to ride around. Plus side, we didn't get too cold since all the debris kept our speed down. Once we got passed the gated area and back onto the open road with speeds of 30+ my hands were so cold I could hardly feel my fingers. Brittany and her friends took the trail from Vivian Park back and Clyde, Kelton, and I stayed on the road.

We timed things just right and met up with the Provo mayor at 11:00 at the mouth of the canyon. They were having a grand reopening of the Provo river trail going under I15. It was maybe a three mile ride. I really hate the trail going that direction, even with the new changes. We also met up with Connie, Clyde's wife for the event. Somewhere we lost Kelton, I think he turned back and went home at 8th north. We were all wearing our Road Respect jerseys and showed them off when we stopped for the mayor's speech.

After the celebration Clyde, Connie, and I road back out to American Fork via Geneva road. we were going to go to Saratoga Springs but with all the construction detours I had all the miles I wanted and it was getting late so I headed back home over the Pleasant Grove over pass and back down State Street. Just before getting back out onto State Street I had to shed the rest of my cold weather gear. So I looked like a big blimp carrying all that gear shoved in my pockets. I arrived home just before 2:00 PM tired and starving with 72 miles for the day.