Lookout Mountain

Lookout mountain is a popular cycling route that is equivalent to a Category 2 Tour de France Climb.  It is 4.55 miles long with an average grade of 5.4%.  I have wanted to make an attempt for quite some time and finally got around to it.  From my house it is about 15 miles to the pillars where the climb starts.  This past weekend, I probably made it up about half way to just past the “M” before deciding enough was enough.  I even got passed by some kid running up the route.

It is very scenic and when I am a little more fit, I intend to climb to the post at the top and possibly back down Highway 40 to the I-70 Frontage Road which would result in a roughly 50 mile day in the saddle.

As it turned out, my 35 mile day in the saddle took just over 3 hours and had I not stopped at the Loaf and Jug for a Krispy Kreme and Propel on the way home, I would have really been hurting.  The next time I take this route, I will make sure to fill up the water bottles in Golden before starting the climb and taking in some nutrition.  My power meter claims 977kJ of work or roughly 977 calories expended so a couple of gels and a Gatorade would certainly have been in order.  My typical one hour rides consume half that number of calories.