It doesn't seem so scary any more...
Last July, when I rode The Tour Of The California Alps (aka The Death Ride), it was one of the toughest rides I had ever done. I suffered in the heat, my legs hurt on the hills, and finishing was a major accomplishment. My riding time was 10:39 (only about 1:20 shorter than my fastest double century at the time).
Fast forward a year... Since the last time I rode the Death Ride, I have completed six doubles and a triple (the latter coming only two weeks before the DR); along with logging well over 10,000 miles of riding. I can at least say that my training has been adequate for this ride. And I did sort of laugh when reading the waiver before signing it on Friday night. Yes, I am prepared; I promise!
Friday afternoon, I left work at 2:45 and was off to pick up Joan for the 4+ hour drive to get to Markleeville. Since we had to check in by 9:00 PM, we had no time to stop along the way: though the cherry stands are awfully tempting this time of year! Without much struggle, we made it to Turtle Rock Park with plenty of time to spare for check in. And after doing so, we pitched our tent and ate a dinner. It's not easy sleeping on the side of a fairly busy highway, but somehow we managed a few hours before the alarm went off at 4:30.
After hurriedly putting cycling clothes on and getting everything ready, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then got on our bikes. At 5:30 we were ready to start from the entrance to Turtle Rock Park.
The first few miles are a short descent through Markleeville and then off towards the first climb of the day. Monitor Pass seems like a nice little jaunt when you're hitting the bottom of it around 6:00 in the morning. As we climbed, the temperature gradually came up to more comfortable levels. I was feeling a little tired on the climb, but managed to make it up without too much difficulty. And then of course down for the screaming descent down the east side of the pass and down to Highway 395.
These descents in the Death Ride are some of the craziest ones I've done. It's not that they are technical; rather it's all the fast descenders who seem to think that everyone else is comfortable having people flying past them in close proximity. They just don't seem to realize that we aren't all racers!
After getting some "breakfast" (cookies and fruit) at the turnaround, back uphill for the longest climb of the day. The east side of Monitor is really just a steady ascent that goes on for something like 10 miles (though it may feel like many more if you are tired!). Highlights included: the cheering squad/water bottle fillers at the water stop (nothing gets you motivated quite like having people cheer for you), watching the streaming hordes of people descending the hill, and the photographer saying that he got Joan and me into the same shot (we'll know for sure when the pictures are posted). Before long, we were back at the top and cramming in food and water...
I think that the descent of the west side of Monitor is probably the most fun one during the Death Ride. The traffic has thinned out a bit by this point, and the road is fairly well maintained and windy but not super-technical. Just a lot of fun for a few short minutes. And then we were off to climb Ebbetts Pass, probably the toughest of the day. There are sections where the grade exceeds 12%, and you're far enough into the ride that that actually hurts. It really sort of helped seeing the guy from the Rolling Bones Team hauling the trailer complete with coffin and skeleton (we were wondering how they decide who gets the honor of hauling it...).If he can do this thing, surely we can.
But again, the climbing had to stop at some point. And it finally did, though I was really beginning to feel the miles and hills. I was having trouble keeping up with Joan; and I think what kept me going was knowing that she was still up ahead of me. I've begun to realize the value of having someone else riding in the ride with me, even if we aren't right next to each other the entire time.
After a brief descent into Hermit Valley, we went back up for the 5 mile climb to the top of Ebbetts Pass. This is by far the easiest hill in the ride, but it still takes a lot out of you this far into the ride. With a bit of willpower, I was able to get back up. And then we headed off down to the lunch stop. Of course we had stop and stuff ourselves with food there! The sandwich and cookies and chips tasted great. And the helped to fuel us for the remaining pass. But first we had quite a few miles to get to the bottom. But then I noticed that I had a flat, so I had to sit and change the tube before continuing on. That's the second time this year Joan and I have come out of a lunch stop to find that one of us had a flat (Joan's came at the Central Coast Double).
Coming uphill through Markleeville, it seemed that the entire town was out there to cheer on the riders. Another boost of morale, and at a good time for it. The temperature was getting a bit warm and I was beginning to suffer a lot at this point. And it really didn't help riding right past my car. But I did... And before too long we were in Woodfords and ready for the last major climb of the day. Carson Pass is about 15 miles long, but has a significant "flat" section in the middle. The opening part, up to Hope Valley, was rather hot at the bottom. But then some clouds starting coming in and did a nice job of blocking the sun. Soon enough though, those clouds were threatening rain, and I would see the occasional lightning bolt. But that stayed off a bit to the south (for then at least!). After passing through Hope Valley and another cheering section, we came in to the rest stop. After filling bottles and eating a bit, we were off onto the relatively flat section that leads up to the final tough part of Carson Pass.
By the time I got to the last two miles of the pass, I was beginning to get my second wind (or was it my seventh?). And I managed to catch back up to Joan (she does much better than me in the hotter weather). So we made it to the top of the final pass together. And then we got to go and check in, get our five-pass pins and ice cream bars. While we were sitting there eating ice cream and other goodies, I felt a rain drop through my helmet. A few moments later Joan felt one, and then the clouds just unleashed themselves upon us all. Then the hail came... Everyone up there huddled underneath the tents to wait out the worst of it. After the hail turned back to rain, we headed out to finish the ride (wearing high tech rain jackets made from trash bags).
Carson Pass is a fun descent in good conditions, but on wet road it is rather miserable. It was certainly good that it wasn't cold. By the time we got down to Woodfords, the road was just about dry. So we did get to enjoy the last few miles to the finish. At the finish, we had some excellent barbequed chicken and other goodies. The potato salad, beans and cookies were all delicious. And of course I had to have some pudding and ice cream for desert.
Total ride time was just a bit over 10 hours, which was about 25 minutes faster than my time last year...
Here's the route:
And here's a sample picture of what it looked like up on the pass in the afternoon:
Fast forward a year... Since the last time I rode the Death Ride, I have completed six doubles and a triple (the latter coming only two weeks before the DR); along with logging well over 10,000 miles of riding. I can at least say that my training has been adequate for this ride. And I did sort of laugh when reading the waiver before signing it on Friday night. Yes, I am prepared; I promise!
Friday afternoon, I left work at 2:45 and was off to pick up Joan for the 4+ hour drive to get to Markleeville. Since we had to check in by 9:00 PM, we had no time to stop along the way: though the cherry stands are awfully tempting this time of year! Without much struggle, we made it to Turtle Rock Park with plenty of time to spare for check in. And after doing so, we pitched our tent and ate a dinner. It's not easy sleeping on the side of a fairly busy highway, but somehow we managed a few hours before the alarm went off at 4:30.
After hurriedly putting cycling clothes on and getting everything ready, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then got on our bikes. At 5:30 we were ready to start from the entrance to Turtle Rock Park.
The first few miles are a short descent through Markleeville and then off towards the first climb of the day. Monitor Pass seems like a nice little jaunt when you're hitting the bottom of it around 6:00 in the morning. As we climbed, the temperature gradually came up to more comfortable levels. I was feeling a little tired on the climb, but managed to make it up without too much difficulty. And then of course down for the screaming descent down the east side of the pass and down to Highway 395.
These descents in the Death Ride are some of the craziest ones I've done. It's not that they are technical; rather it's all the fast descenders who seem to think that everyone else is comfortable having people flying past them in close proximity. They just don't seem to realize that we aren't all racers!
After getting some "breakfast" (cookies and fruit) at the turnaround, back uphill for the longest climb of the day. The east side of Monitor is really just a steady ascent that goes on for something like 10 miles (though it may feel like many more if you are tired!). Highlights included: the cheering squad/water bottle fillers at the water stop (nothing gets you motivated quite like having people cheer for you), watching the streaming hordes of people descending the hill, and the photographer saying that he got Joan and me into the same shot (we'll know for sure when the pictures are posted). Before long, we were back at the top and cramming in food and water...
I think that the descent of the west side of Monitor is probably the most fun one during the Death Ride. The traffic has thinned out a bit by this point, and the road is fairly well maintained and windy but not super-technical. Just a lot of fun for a few short minutes. And then we were off to climb Ebbetts Pass, probably the toughest of the day. There are sections where the grade exceeds 12%, and you're far enough into the ride that that actually hurts. It really sort of helped seeing the guy from the Rolling Bones Team hauling the trailer complete with coffin and skeleton (we were wondering how they decide who gets the honor of hauling it...).If he can do this thing, surely we can.
But again, the climbing had to stop at some point. And it finally did, though I was really beginning to feel the miles and hills. I was having trouble keeping up with Joan; and I think what kept me going was knowing that she was still up ahead of me. I've begun to realize the value of having someone else riding in the ride with me, even if we aren't right next to each other the entire time.
After a brief descent into Hermit Valley, we went back up for the 5 mile climb to the top of Ebbetts Pass. This is by far the easiest hill in the ride, but it still takes a lot out of you this far into the ride. With a bit of willpower, I was able to get back up. And then we headed off down to the lunch stop. Of course we had stop and stuff ourselves with food there! The sandwich and cookies and chips tasted great. And the helped to fuel us for the remaining pass. But first we had quite a few miles to get to the bottom. But then I noticed that I had a flat, so I had to sit and change the tube before continuing on. That's the second time this year Joan and I have come out of a lunch stop to find that one of us had a flat (Joan's came at the Central Coast Double).
Coming uphill through Markleeville, it seemed that the entire town was out there to cheer on the riders. Another boost of morale, and at a good time for it. The temperature was getting a bit warm and I was beginning to suffer a lot at this point. And it really didn't help riding right past my car. But I did... And before too long we were in Woodfords and ready for the last major climb of the day. Carson Pass is about 15 miles long, but has a significant "flat" section in the middle. The opening part, up to Hope Valley, was rather hot at the bottom. But then some clouds starting coming in and did a nice job of blocking the sun. Soon enough though, those clouds were threatening rain, and I would see the occasional lightning bolt. But that stayed off a bit to the south (for then at least!). After passing through Hope Valley and another cheering section, we came in to the rest stop. After filling bottles and eating a bit, we were off onto the relatively flat section that leads up to the final tough part of Carson Pass.
By the time I got to the last two miles of the pass, I was beginning to get my second wind (or was it my seventh?). And I managed to catch back up to Joan (she does much better than me in the hotter weather). So we made it to the top of the final pass together. And then we got to go and check in, get our five-pass pins and ice cream bars. While we were sitting there eating ice cream and other goodies, I felt a rain drop through my helmet. A few moments later Joan felt one, and then the clouds just unleashed themselves upon us all. Then the hail came... Everyone up there huddled underneath the tents to wait out the worst of it. After the hail turned back to rain, we headed out to finish the ride (wearing high tech rain jackets made from trash bags).
Carson Pass is a fun descent in good conditions, but on wet road it is rather miserable. It was certainly good that it wasn't cold. By the time we got down to Woodfords, the road was just about dry. So we did get to enjoy the last few miles to the finish. At the finish, we had some excellent barbequed chicken and other goodies. The potato salad, beans and cookies were all delicious. And of course I had to have some pudding and ice cream for desert.
Total ride time was just a bit over 10 hours, which was about 25 minutes faster than my time last year...
Here's the route:
And here's a sample picture of what it looked like up on the pass in the afternoon:
posted by Mike Deitchman at
9:48 PM
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