Your Idea for a High Country 1200 Jersey, Logo?

Do you have a great idea for the Colorado High Country 1200 jersey or logo?

Send me your idea!  It can be a design element, a vector file with graphics, whatever gets your idea across.  The plan is to offer a jersey and perhaps a pin.  Recognition and a possible prize if your idea is used!

DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 15!

-jle

A Record Flock of Super-Randonneurs!

Congratulations to this year's 28 Super Randonneurs!  That's more than in any other year except the Paris-Brest-Paris years of 2007 (30) and 2003 (32) ... where riders had to complete an SR series to qualify.

What earns you this award?  Riding a 200k, 300k, 400k, and 600k in a season.  The transitions between each distance are a real leap: from part of a day ... to most of a day .. to a day with some night riding ... to (for most folks) back-to-back days with night riding sandwiched in between.  But it's all doable!

ROOKIES - Eight SR's were first-timers: Brett Cook, Cathy Cramer, KC Heck, Michael Henderson, John Klever, Mark Lowe, Tammie Nakamura, and Jane Yant.  Most of the rookies had not ridden beyond 200km before this year, so this was a fast ramp-up into the unknown.

DOUBLE SR - If that weren't enough, Tammie Nakamura and Cathy Cramer (both rookie SR's) became the first local riders ever to achieve two (2) SR series in one season.

The Audax Club Parisien's Super Randonneur series and award have been tested over time as the classic demonstration of randonneuring prowess.  These first-time riders and veterans have demonstrated that you, too, can meet these challenges over even a short range of time (a part of a season!) and then come back and do more.

Have a look at Super Randonneurs going back to 1999 ... and think about what next year might bode for you.  You can do it!

-john

Farewell to the Mountains?

Perhaps you saw Jan Heine's recent "Farewell to the Mountains" post.  Jan constructed a multi-day 900km+ end-of-season visit through his favorite mountain areas, just in advance of the coming snows in the Cascades.  I enjoyed the evocative narrative and scenes.  Surely many of us can relate.

Of course, "farewell" is far from absolute for the hardier among us who simply move to knobbies or cross-bike setups.  Or to those of us who enjoy wintersport (alpine or nordic skiing, ski randonnée, or snowshowing) ... or those who mix both! 

Meanwhile, we've gotten an extended succession of opportunities to enjoy the high country ... such as the Indian Peaks on the Lefthand Lark 200k:

... or Rocky Flats, the Flatirons, and Longs Peak with a dusting of snow:

... and, oh yes, with winter mountain snows come foothill winds!

Meeker and Longs Peak were brilliant on the Glen Haven Gallivant 200k:

... and still a hint of fall colors in Big Thompson Canyon:

Nice enough to pause for a bite and photo op at the top of Devil's Gulch.

... and nice enough that some of us, such as Ray Rupel on the James Canyon Jaunt, biked from dawn to dusk:

Hope you've enjoyed the balmy weather and the mountain views!

-jle