Summer in the Rockies

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I love the afternoon thunderstorms we get in Colorado. The clouds cool everything down and the rain is relaxing to listen to. At least when I'm inside! But trying to work and getting in my training has meant that the relaxing rain has been soaking me rather frequently. On every after work ride this week I've gotten drenched. Tuesday, I even watched the news before Nick and I headed out, just to make sure we'd be safe. Nothing on the rader, so off we went! As we rode up Cheyenne Blvd toward the canyon, there were just a few clouds hanging over the mountains. Those clouds gradually dropped lower and lower as we rode up Columbine (I needed a punchy ride and Columbine on the SS fit the bill.) It started raining about halfway up, getting darker and threatening as we made our way through the switchbacks. Then, at the drop in from Gold Camp Road it really started coming down. Accompanying the heavy rain was lightening - lots of lightening and very, very close. And it kept getting closer as we dropped down Columbine! Scary close at times - so close that I wasn't very happy that we were even on Columbine. Add in the fact that I couldn't see anything between the rain and mud - without my glasses on, and I was really slow on the descent. Then things got even worse when we got on the roads to get home. Not just standing water, but rivers running right down the middle of the road and then flooding on the edges. And the darn cars didn't even seem to care as they drove by at full speed, splashing through the puddles and soaking us more then we were already soaked. But we got home without getting struck by lightening or washed away. I love the rain - I just wish it would wait until after my ride!

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