Sunday fun day! So maybe the weatherman was wrong about 60 and sunny.  50 and cloudy with a few snowflakes falling is still not terrible for this time of the year.   Coach Neal Henderson from Boulder Center for Sports Medicine had a big ride on my schedule and I was itching to get out on my Specialized Stumpjumper. I had a rough idea of the epic route I would conquer but I was still laying things out as I ventured forth.  It was a big climbing day with road, dirt road and 4wd trail sections.  I headed up Flagstaff leaving Boulder behind and slipped over the backside where I connected a little known 4wd road that connects over to Magnolia.  I was latterly on the dividing line between spring and full on winter weather as the snowflakes fell. I passed my friend and fellow Specialized mate, triathlete Jimmy Archer who was out for long run.   I descended down to Boulder Canyon then it was straight back up Sugarloaf.  I hit the top and turned right back to dirt stopping at the top of the Switzerland Trail parking lot to put on my brand new Curve Inc. thermal jacket. I was slightly worried about what I would encounter down the trail because an emerging Jeep came off the trail with snow packed in the wheel centers.  That means deep snow.  Luckily the trail was packed down and not too snowy.  I descended all the way down to Salina then took another turn uphill.  This time I was headed to Gold Hill and would be riding through some of the areas that were terribly devastated by the fires in September.  Riding past homes burned to the ground with only a stone foundation as a reminder. Riding through the burn area is very eerie and saddening experience.  One house was completely devastated and 20 feet away a house that was left untouched.  Gold Hill was another chance to add layers, grab a Breeze Bar and then plunge down Lickskillet Rd, the steepest grade in Boulder County averaging 15%.  I had returned to pavement and headed down Lefthand canyon then up and over Leehill and back into Boulder proper.  Not done yet though.  I turned up Wagonwheel Gap Rd and then onto Bow Mountain Rd, one of my favorites little climbs here in town.  I hit Linden neighborhood and did the full loop around and down to Boulder and the 4th Street cycling byway as it could be considered. A cycling superhighway in mid summer, it’s the perfect way to get across town and avoid all the busy roads. A quick neighborhood tour took me to Chautauqua Park, past NIST and on to the base of NCAR.  I crawled up Lehigh St. and finally rolled into my garage.  Total ride stats: 6hrs, 70 miles, 50 mph top speed, 10,700 ft of climbing and 5100 calories. Im not sure if anyone would have wanted to ride with me but I was grinning from ear to ear all day long. Great success!