Saturday October 15, 2016
The Location
Cookies and Crema – 4284 Trail Boss Dr
The Ride
This week we decided to start an hour later in hopes we can continue our freeze bite recovery from last week. And warmer it was. As John rolled up, instead of his usual “Are you ready to ride like zombies are chasing you? and not the slow zombies like in “The Walking Dead” but the fast running ravenous zombies like in “I am Legend”?” or “Are you ready to ride so hard you throw up?” No. It was “I am getting naked, right now.” And the pealing off of layers began. John was prepared, like all good Coloradoans should be for the weather, but the 1.5 mile ride from his house to mine proved the preparedness needed to be in the bike bag and not on the body this morning.
Warm and beautiful it was. Although the fall leaves have began to lose their vibrant colors, they were still presenting the Fall season with authority and reminding me how much I love this time of year.
We drafted a route to ride by the Castle Rock. The Castle Rock that gives our town the name of Castle Rock. It’s a big rock, that looks like a castle.
John quickly oil painted this representation of our stop by The Castle Rock. Well done John, you are a true artist.
A short riding section of dodging cars followed our Castle Rock stop to get us to the Cookies and Crema Café. It has a side patio with waist high fencing where we leaned our bikes against one of the lonely tables and headed inside. It was a busy Saturday morning for the café and we got the usual “what the hell are those guys wearing? Why are they sweating? OMG what do they want?” looks from everyone. Don’t call the NSA, we are cyclists.
A very quirky and awkward teenage kid asked us if we were eating in as we sat down at the first table available and said “Yes.” I was starving, and quickly identified one of the absolute worst menu items for someone that has to cycle home. Biscuits and sausage gravy! This is an easy social ride and last week we got the breakfast burritos home without incident, so I went for it. I expected a tongue lashing from John, but instead he gave me a quizzical look and said “That sounds good, I’ll have the same.” I was a proud friend.
My coffee is delivered to the table. I thought I heard a growl. A few more minutes of conversation and our plates of biscuits with gravy appear before us. I definitely heard a growl this time. I don’t know where he was carrying the 9 inch folding knife, but in one smooth motion John unfolded it and swiftly stuck its tip straight into the middle of the table top with a white knuckle fist around the handle. It was then I realized his large coffee had been delayed. Luckily the teenager that brought our plates noticed this and turned back around, was there anything else? “Yes, I ordered a large coffee” “I will find out where that is.” he replied already moving to a safe distance away from us.
Needless to say they promptly brought John’s coffee. Nobody got cut. Yea!
We tap shoe back out to the patio which now has a table of dog lovers comparing notes with a couple of other dog lovers just outside the fence. Of all the states I have lived in, Colorado is the most dog loving by far. Dog on! We gather our gear and hop on our horses to ride home.
The sausage heavy gravy mandated a slow ride home even with the burst of energy having food in my stomach gave me.
The Plum Creek Trail gets us most of the way home. I truly love the trail systems in Colorado. They are so well taken care of and just one resource of many that makes Castle Rock a great place to live.
John has the Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon the next day, which as I type this, I see on Strava he ran it with an average 9:51/mile pace. Well done! I couldn’t run that far at that pace, even if zombies were chasing me.
18.1 miles for Sid and 20.5 for the knife welding John.
Riding Colorado 