I used to hate climbing. I’m no huge fan of it now as it is, but I’m no longer intimidated. That’s because back in April I went out and found the biggest climb in the area and punched it in the mouth. Well…not really. I just climbed it. But for me, that was the accomplishment. A 1,600 foot climb over just under 3 miles with gradients hitting 21% (for the last 300 meters or so) and18% in at least three spots with a 19 once in there for good measure.
In April (my last ride with Chris), I did it in about 52 minutes. Today, I took Joon out for the ride and did it in 42. It’s been a good summer. But I’m still worn out as all heck.
When we rode in April, Chris and I took a right turn about a third of the way down that took us into a parallel valley. It was a beautiful ride, and it included having to once again climb back out of that valley over the same range (although not nearly as long and steep on the way out). Today, I wanted to try something different. A bit higher than the turnoff Chris and I took was a fire road that was gated off from vehicles (but not hikers and bikers). I really wanted to give it a try, and it was absolutely worth it. A beautiful, mostly gravel (with concrete in areas susceptible to erosion) descent that was both exhilarating and peaceful to ride. It’s certainly going down as one of my favorites.
We’ll see what we can do about it again next year…
