While the boys were at Winter Park gallivanting, Ellie and I were having a grand and exciting time in Glenwood Springs. We drove up Friday afternoon, right after we went to the Disney "A Christmas Carol" Train Tour. It was fun, but that will wait for another day.
A family from the team there, Two Rivers Cycling, invited junior racers and their families to stay on their land in New Castle. We knew the boys, Evan and Ryan, from the races, but we didn't know them very well. We were singing along to loud music, looking for the turn off when we missed it. Out of the corner of her eye Ellie saw Evan and his little brother happily waving us down. We turned around and followed them up their long, country driveway. On the left we enjoyed the sights of horses and llamas grazing on tender grass, soaking in the sun. On the right lay an empty field. Straight ahead we spied a large garage with a curved driveway that was home to many pieces of heavy equipment. Ethan would have loved that part. Next to it was a lovely home with great stonework. Once we got out of the car it was a flurry of talking. Both boys were excited to have us arrive and wanted to show us absolutely everything. We met the dogs straight away. Buddy and Max had to make sure we were a-okay. Once we got the all clear tail wag we put the bike in the bike room and went off to meet the horses. This was followed by a more subtle greeting by the orange cat, Iatola. He decided we could be friends. I carried him around for a while as he purred, I petted and talked. I also got to hold a few of the chickens. I love chickens. These guys did not seem to mind being petted. Later we got the tent set up. Other people arrive. Some we knew, others were new to us. It was a lot more fun than camping alone in some remote spot.
The next morning I made french toast for all of the kids there using eggs freshly plucked from the nests and milk from a nearby farm. Ellie raced in the 2009 Colorado Road Race Championship. It was a thrilling race. She came back much quicker than I had expected. She whizzed by in a tight pack of about 12 racers. Ellie was locked in the middle and could not sprint. I could see concentration and frustration on her face. In the end she came in second place. The other girl, one she had not raced against before, beat her by about 3". It was killer. She was disappointed as she had saved enough energy to break out a sprint and get in front of the pack. She and her team mate Stephen had led the pack many times over the 15 mile course. They took their turns at pulling the line. Others never took the lead. A few times they even got a jump, but then was swallowed back into the crowd. Her friend Ariana took first in her class.
After the race was over we spent the afternoon at the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs pool. The kids had a blast. I relaxed and visited with Carrie, Ariana's mom. Next up was a huge and fun party back at the Lake's house. I think over 100 people showed up. We had tons to eat and lots of people to visit with. After the party was over we fell into our tent, exhausted. Carrie had to go to Keystone so Ariana stayed with us. This allowed her to race on Sunday.
Sunday was a more relaxed morning. I made breakfast for the kids again. This time I had a larger crowd. They ate, smiled and were all quick to say thank you. The races were good, but the out of town kids all seemed to move a bit slower on their bikes. I guess the swimming and the party took their toll.
Ellie came in second again, but this time it was not a close ending. Ariana came in second as well. The races for the older boys was super exciting. One of our guys was in the lead and then got a flat. There was a mad dash to get a wheel from the truck and switch it out. In the end that young man took second place, too. Between races I took a short walk and did a little window shopping. I loved looking in the windows for "A Passion for Picnics." They had such wonderful table linens. It is a good thing that they were closed. I might have been tempted. I also looked longingly into the quilting shop that I would visit later in the afternoon. I made my way to Scared Grounds for a drink. I enjoyed their framed cards and art from cloecards.com
They made me miss my down sweet pooch. The girls got lunch and ice cream. Then we went back to watch the pro races. We were pleased to see so many kinds of women in the pro women's race. Some were short power houses. Others were long and athletic looking. The men's race kept our attention the entire time.
We were on our way home quickly after the races ended. I thought the exhausted girls would fall into a sleep quickly. Instead, they played and made silly music videos. We all wished the weekend would not come to an end. We are already looking forward to next year's race.
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