Part of the spring skiing game, alpine start in Colorado USA.
Ready for the approach; closed road, no problem.
To continue testing the use of ebikes to access backcountry skiing, Lou and I pedaled up a gated road; our destination: Grizzly Lake under the iconic Grizzly Chute. One of our objectives was to see how the bikes fared with skis and boots strapped to the frame. We cruised along just fine with our cargo. After six miles of dirt road we came to the trailhead, nicely warmed up and eager to begin our tour.
Straps are the ticket.
The beautiful valley leading up to Grizzly Lake and Grizzly Peak. We ended up doing a shorter tour to a high point next to Grizzly Lake as we were a bit late for a Grizzly Peak summit, though another group appeared to do fine on it. The road approach with the ebikes took about an hour, with battery conservation. Turned out the 6 miles could be pedaled more quickly with a higher power assist as we arrived at the trailhead having only used about 20% of our capacity, and the return is mostly downhill. As it were, we arrived feeling fresh rather than worked. Perfect for a ski tour gated road approach.
Lisa heading upvalley, looking north at Mountain Boy Peak.
Backcountry skiing in Colorado is mighty fine right now.
When we got back to the truck, I estimated I had about 70% of power left in the bike battery. I was curious how far it would take me so I continued to ride to Carbondale, about 45 miles, most of which is easy cruising along an old railroad track. I rode through two rain showers and miles of strong winds. When my legs got too worked, turbo mode helped me keep pedaling.
About 2 miles from home the battery expired. With my skis and boots, the bike weighed at least 60 pounds and it felt like 80 as I lugged along. Thank goodness for the granny gear.
Since then we’ve gone on a few single track rides and it’s time to return the demos. My rides on the Haibike made me feel like I was 20 again, zipping along with a tailwind. Fun. And yes, still a good workout.
We will watch with interest as the future of ebikes unfolds.
Mountain bikes get dirty, so do strapped on skis.
WildSnow Girl, Lisa Dawson, is the luckiest girl in the world. Also known as Mrs. WildSnow.com, she tests whatever gear she wants. She gives the WildSnow family of websites the feminine voice.
