Ride The Rockies - Photography ~ DeCroce Blog of Photography

Septuagenerian Sister Rides Rockies

Sandee and Tom Swanson nearing The Royal Gorge in 2015 Ride The Rockies.

Pair of low angle bike riding infrared photos from 2015 RTR.

When we caught up with Sandee and Tom on the Royal Gorge Bridge, our cool morning had already morphed into perfect summer day – comfortably hot. It was June 18, the sixth day of a grueling bike ride that took 2000 riders from Grand Junction to Westcliff. My traveling companion – eleven year old Levi, and I had already had a brisk hike along the rim trail before we settled on the south side. We waited as we watched riders huff up the final incline to the Royal Gorge.

Now I thought that this sixth day was one of the easier rides in the Denver Post sponsored 2015 Ride-The-Rockies. And much of their 45 mile morning ride from Salida was a gentle downhill. But then I learned about “the wall’ – a two mile stretch so steep it looks like this /. In fact “the wall” is twelve % grade leading to the South side of the Royal Gorge. Riders were so exhausted that more than one just collapsed when they reached the shady spot we shared with resting riders. And then Levi spotted his Aunt Sandee. As it turns out, my super sister Sandee and her heroic husband pedaled the wall without a single stop.