It’s been years since I’ve been to Aspen so when I was asked to join a four-woman team for this event I said HELL yes!

With I-70 being closed at glenwood canyon I was worried independence pass would be a zoo but the drive was relaxing and enjoyable. I set up the 🚐 in the campsite (Difficult Campground - by far one of the cleanest sets of camp restrooms I’ve ever seen, highly recommend) and then rode into town to meet a friend for a spin-out ride.
We cruised up to Maroon Bells easy and took some requisite photos at the lake. ;) it is so gorgeous up there and I am so thankful I got to experience those views as it’s been too long since I last saw them!

I cruised back to the van and then made a nice dinner from some leftovers I’d packed (we’d hosted a neighborhood cookout Wed nite and are those not the BEST leftovers?!). I got in some journaling (no cell signal at the campsite- worth the price of admission!) and some yoga and then hit the hay early. 💤 campground sleep can be the best sleep I’ve learned, since it feels so safe and they’re usually super quiet.

Saturday morning I rolled into town early to be sure i could secure a nice shaded spot for the van.

I knew we were in for a big day and there was a little nervousness palpable in our group. The route was approximately 110 miles an over 8000 feet of elevation gain. The thing that would make the ride most difficult was that most of the extended climbing was in the latter half -specifically between miles 60 and 100.

And… Yep- those late climbs were tough!!! My garmin died close to town but my garmin varia radar/light stayed strong all day long - I really like having it alert me to cars approaching us from behind.

It was definitely a big long day (soooo much stopping and standing and waiting that part KILLED me!) but we had a great time out there; the route was really incredible, the weather was cool and wind was low- and I was thankful that a good chunk of it was on pavement and not all on gravel. 🙏🏼

It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know one another a bit better and learn more about ourselves in the process too. Liz, Micah, I-ling and I wore our red, yellow, green and blue jerseys and white socks, 🤍Going by the team name, “clean socks dirty hearts.” 😊 we were the queens of primary colors! ❤️💛💚💙

On a personal note… After the last few weeks of bike events and being more disciplined with my intervals and gym work lately, I could feel some fitness coming on and it felt great to FINALLY feel great on the bike!! For most of this year I have not felt good on the bike - most days have felt like a battle - harder than they should feel- and this time I finally felt like I had something to give to the pedals. When you return to some form and the body feels part of the bike instead of feeling like it’s awkwardly struggling - that’s a good day. 🏆

When we got back to Rapha they had an amazing dinner cooked up for us and we all hung out for a bit, savoring the day’s events.
Then I loaded up the van and started driving away from Aspen with no real plan other than to get somewhere before dark.

I ended up settling us on the top of Independence pass because- why not ! At 12k feet elevation or so I knew I ran the risk of my sleep being somewhat disrupted but the sight of the setting sun up here was worth it (albeit colored by the smoky haze we are all realizing may be our new normal due to summer wildfires across the US).

We settled in and called it a night nice and early. I woke to the sight of the sun rising and filling the van with some warmth (it’s cold up there!) and after making coffee and oatmeal, Ramsey and I struck off for a high elevation hike before the humans arrived.

We had the whole place to ourselves !! As we returned to the van, humanity was arriving and it was time for us to ✌️ out.

This is one of the biggest upsides to vanlife- being where you want to be, camping at no cost with no setup, having all your stuff with you and being flexible with plans and adventures, and being first out there and first done before the crowds descend ….