To get to the start of the ride go east on 70 toward Denver and get off on 470 south. Take 470 to the Morrison exit and turn right. The parking lot is on the right at the corner of S. Rooney Road and Morrison Road. If you are late, the bike path is across Morrison Road from the parking area, then ride east under 470. The drive from exit 205 (Silverthorne) to the start is approximately 1 hour. Plan to be ready to ride by 10 am. If it appears likely that it will rain during the ride I will send an email out the afternoon before canceling.
From the parking lot the trail starts on the other side of Morrison Road and goes through Bear Creek Park (though bikes do not need to pay). Go right shortly after the entrance shack and ride past the beach area and up over the dam. On the other side of the dam you pass a golf clubhouse and ride down the road until you get to a stop sign. Bear Creek Trail goes off to the right and follows the creek all the way to the Platte River. At the Platte River the intent will be to turn around and ride back (though you hot shots might want to also ride a ways up the Platte River Trail before turning back).
An alternate riding route for those that would prefer it would be a loop up route 74 to Evergreen. The route goes through Morrison and up to Evergreen Lake. Stay on route 74 until Evergreen Parkway. Ride on the shoulder of the Parkway until Kerr Gulch. Turn Right on Kerr Gulch. Stay on Kerr Gulch until it meets Route 74. Turn left on Route 74 and return to Morrison.
There will be no "official" picnic for this first ride but those wanting to bring their own food to eat afterwards certainly can do so. I understand from John that there are no picnic tables at the parking area, though there may be suitable options in the area – I'll try to scout that out before the 22nd but that may not be possible. Other options for those interested would be to find a restaurant either in the area or on the way back up to Summit. In the past, John and others have met at the Blue Cow in Morrison (though John admits he's not sure if that's still available). The Blue Cow is located at 316 Bear Creek Avenue and according to their web site has plenty of parking. I'll leave it to you all to plan and coordinate your own lunch arrangements.
This season`s rides are on the website SummitBiking.org. There is a lot of other useful information on the site such as safety tips and where Summit Bikers can get discounts at local bike shops. Members without a life time membership should use the website and join for the 2017 bike season. This is also a great time to tell others about our rides, since most Summit Country people are very active.
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