SM: What drives you?
BH: The base of my core values is a simple phrase that carries over to every other aspect of my life: “Be Better.” I don’t mean that in a negative light. Instead, I mean it to be inspiration to always be improving myself, becoming a better cyclist and being a better friend, husband, and person. This is something I have tried to pass on to others too when talking to friends. Challenges in life happen, but you shouldn’t look at them as a daunting task or stressful, negative situation. You should look at them as an opportunity to be better and take them head on. Show the world, and yourself, that you have what it takes to be better.
SM: Tell us about your journeys, travels?
BH: Growing up, my family would always take road trips to different parts of the country. Normally it would be to my relatives in Missouri or New Mexico. We’d pack up and pile in our white Dodge Caravan and my parents would drive for hours on end for days. This is when I first fell in love with the mountains of Colorado and the hills of the Midwest.
The first time I saw the Colorado Rocky Mountains, it was unbelievable. I had never seen anything like them before in person. I suppose you could say this set the stage for my high school graduation trip and the trip I took out there earlier this year. After I graduated high school, my Dad, Mom and I took a trip out to Colorado as a graduation “gift.” We would drive around to different cities around the state, and my Dad and I would go on almost a ride a day.
The big goal of this first trip was that we would take the week to build up our ability to ride at altitude, and then finish the trip with a ride up Trail Ridge Road in Colorado National Park. We did rides in Colorado Springs at Garden of the Gods, Durango, Colorado National Monument, and finally rode from Estes Park up to the Alpine Visitor Center. The final ride up Trail Ridge Road was probably the closest thing to a religious experience that I’ve had outside of a church. You take one of the most beautiful places in the world and add that to one of the best feelings of cycling (riding on the open road), and it gives you a feeling unlike any other.
The only way I can describe the scenery there is truly majestic. We started the day under an overcast sky, but because the mountain is 20-miles long and over 4,000 of climbing, we rode up through the clouds. When we starting coming out over the clouds, the sun came piercing through the fog and it was one of the most incredible feelings and sights I’ve ever seen. It was like something straight out of a movie or something, but with no special effects needed. From there, the ride just got better with all the fantastic views along the road overlooking the different valleys. It was about as close to “The Perfect Ride” as I could possibly imagine.
After that day, we decided to make sure to return one day and do the trip again; something I had the pleasure of doing earlier this year. This time, my sister also came along and we made it a true family vacation again. Ten years to the week from the last time I rode up that mountain, my father and I were once again on the open road in the high altitude tundra, this time facing very strong headwinds, but nonetheless still both made the climb to the top. I put over a year’s worth of work into making sure I was in shape for that one climb (even though we did other rides around the state again) and it was worth every minute of preparation. Climbing Trail Ridge Road on my bike was like my own personal Everest, and I’ve had the most incredible luck of being able to climb it twice.
“Be Bold. Be Better.”
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