From Monday-

Having seen Steve Balch riding Lookout in the past, I speculated that he grew up in the Alps in Switzerland, Italy or Germany. The stingy-brimmed hat, the robust physique, and the steady pace told me he had been riding all his life. Well, to put the record straight, seventy-two year old Steve is originally from the twin cities area of Minnesota. He has run multiple Grandma’s Marathons (32 times?…did I get that right?…or was it 32 marathons total?…) the Ice Age 50, skied the Birkebeiner from Cable to Hayward and has been physically active from a young age. He does own a helmet and makes full use of it when he rides his mountain bike. All that activity put him in the “I think that maybe I could use a prosthetic hip” category- which he will receive from the Steadman Clinic in Vail in the next two weeks. Starting off as an attorney, he switched to providing advertising for attorneys (Norton Fricke), then started his own advertising firm.

Say hello to Steve, but do not be surprised if his response shows no European accent (as I had expected).

Start Wednesday, 9/29/21, 8 AM, 58 degrees
Finish 9:15 AM, 62 degrees (a perfect day for riding- cool temperatures and no wind thanks to the clouds)
Cyclists on descent 10
Vehicles on descent 5
Ratio of cyclists to vehicles 2 to 1

Chuck Haraway

Consecutive Lookout days 58
Laps 2021 182
Laps lifetime 3183 (third behind Ray and Rick)