Last Saturday at 4am I had the pleasure of sending off three dozen avid cyclists on the 400km brevet, then heading off on a shorter foray into the mountains.
Dawn promises a fine, sunny day, with some cheerful semilenticular clouds dotting the foothills:After hefty snows and deep snowpack, the sudden warmth has sent Lefthand Creek and others churning:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUJk0MnzhV1vY1fguh_aKaWDYyakNIwJpxteV0wdNpoBq0FA9HBC6fA25WD2ECgbsg7u9Ebt6ixfCwRHkYdtLLC1jP5uS_JuqOHM2GLj9sw-phVcx_nkq8E9JyaxYwFkUyRtZqiKUPFI/s320/2010-06-05-lefthand.jpg)
At the top of Super-James, a scenic view of the Indian Peaks:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GsiVncgQFthz4NEJOCFfsnRdBCAMz_FKUmoAeH5tYiC_MKyOqKJ-NCdQsoU3CSBvgnRRD3RT72ZHgJFFN5fG_oHNTYkrATg5Ymy_Ulc4sewp8aSnTwaivAvRal0VCagTebH1zgC1eTw/s320/2010-06-05-superjames.jpg)
Brainard Lake still has some ice floating on it, and it's still pretty quiet there, as "winter conditions" preclude hiking on the snowpacked trails:
But they've plowed the main road, providing a nice place to lean your bike:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83_clyX3r12i-H_YAe87nr30zMBwlgoLUdhaDfas2Va2xcRtdBqhqeK_TOSR3wapcjPTGkhkAXV-bZ6ky6YQUSMRLBIBsu2PSISK4_Dti_fZUQpuC9wzwdE7fu-YMdZETn9Jrf7Ibg8Q/s320/2010-06-05-brainard-snowwall.jpg)
At the base of the Brainard Lake road, whom to encounter but cheery Vernon Smith and Catherine Shenk at the Millsite Inn 400k checkpoint! While taking a break, Vernon was called into service to help the Millsite staff move a pool table.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcgLwLpezqNc0DuU6zzrSurAP6hW7oQmuNwVCKpFYbSRjId4hRFxBGkB3x5Px81YPjcsS_9W7Ck6tqzOUvQKQUJ5qRi21czEvzF84sxuPRPEUADQuSOJMr86G3Tff_b-53y_X3mS2qOA/s320/brevet20100605-pix-vernon-catherine.jpg)
Most of the way up Lefthand Canyon, Brent and Beth Myers are taking it easy (if that's not a contradiction in terms climbing Lefthand) on their way to a successful 400k finish:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdgEslghMJuGlnqWqEa_0kFxGKn8PCiLD4O-KUz9n7yXG__2V-V0XlQ-2y4DgRNTTKMfIElSbbhCdqPR04ozqLS_rHzHv_siL2_QPJUk123zPudJQwT_ZTtVhp9sW-iAKlDiuK6-SiTo/s320/brevet20100605-pix-brent-beth.jpg)
... while KC Heck pauses briefly at one of the new, paved cyclist turnouts in the canyon:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyjR_E8t6BHcYOLqQ_KupraZ94M9oYdlfGjQmjgpoj9UM64sbRyWdwOBndjxUSa3QJwHi7F_2icVlbcNK8TBpi6o1kRIZE930GMbWA2EaRmySNoldLRbpT26gQa-X6GzD173XjcsV614/s320/brevet20100605-pix-kc.jpg)
Lots of smiles to go around both in the snowy realms and on the 400k, as attested by Steve Le Goff, Michelle Grainger, and Catherine:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-7rGFecUZwk-VLFfRx1Hh68qNXxz28QdQ7rOtcLIhOWvFH-36iq7FtNVui2gvofOTrnjVY0sUOHMaAohFj2c9g-1cT7pOenbs5iraBrf4tDu7FREIyM1NYNPz60UNI0t9kTKuxnw9xU/s320/brevet20100605-pix-steve-michelle-catherine.jpg)
Now that summer is evidently with us, enjoy!
-jle
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