Bike Leans - Chatfield State Park

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With all of the heat everyone is experiencing lately - and I rode my bike 25 miles in 97-degree heat today, so I know heat - I figured I’d give you a photo of my bike leaning on a picnic bench. Ah, but look behind the bike and bench, at that nice, cool, blue lake! Looks refreshing, doesn’t it? That’s Chatfield Reservoir, part of Chatfield State Park in Littleton, Colorado. Although it serves as part of the Denver Metro Area water supply, Chatfield’s existence has everything to do with flooding. Way back in 1864, nearby Cherry Creek flooded and wiped out several downtown properties in then-still-new Denver. And while the city responded and worked to contain Cherry Creek, the South Platte River was neglected, until it flooded in 1965, causing so much damage it remains the most expensive flood in Colorado history. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work on Chatfield dam in 1967, finishing in 1975. In addition to boating, swimming, paddleboarding, and fishing, Chatfield State Park offers year-round camping (I’ve winter-camped there a couple times. It’s a blast!,) 26-miles of trails for cycling, hiking, and horseback riding, and a 69-acre off-leash dog park. There’s also a model airplane field and a floating restaurant. A pretty groovy place to spend a day, Chatfield, and a great place to take photos of your bike leaning on stuff. Like I do. Link is to a short drone video of the lake: