Nederland before Noon

I biked to Nederland! After drinking copious amounts of espresso, I rolled out of the apartment around 8AM and headed up the canyon. When the creek trail ended, I got on Highway 109 (Boulder Canyon drive) for about two miles, and then turned onto Magnolia drive, a notoriously steep and winding road with grades of up to 14%! I followed this (paved) road for another 5 miles or so, occasionally having to dismount due to the strain on my lungs and calves. Eventually the road turned to gravel, winding its way through picturesque ranches and opening onto vistas of the Continental Divide. By this time I was totally zonked and jumped for joy when I heard from some passerby that the highway was just a quarter mile away! I descended down into Nederland (truly a lovely place) and found my destination - Kathmandu Nepalese buffet! I enjoyed various chicken curries along with spicy zucchini and cabbage, puréed spinach and carrot treats, and all the orange slices I could ever want. I rested, rehydrated, and refilled my water bottles before heading home on Highway 109. On the way back I dunked my head in the creek, my favorite feature of Boulder thus far - how cool that I get to work on a PhD studying this awesome watershed! Initially I thought I would get into the mountain biking lifestyle, but I'm totally in love with riding my road bike on the steep, curvy roads leading into the foothills. It's so much fun to climb 3,000+ feet in the morning, and then cruise at 30mph down 10% grades in the early afternoon. I was back by about 2pm, totaling about 37 miles. In my experience, automobiles respect the presence of bikers on these highways despite the narrow shoulder. Yesterday evening I cruised 4-mile canyon. Future destinations include Sunshine canyon, Left Hand canyon, and the Peak to Peaks scenic byway, all with generous shoulders.