Well there is an expression "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the Kitchen " and as I woke up at 5 am to drive to East San Diego County I was wondering if I was going to live that one! Ran into JW at Starbucks in Solana Beach at 5:30 to the lady unlocking the door with the greeting "you guys are up way too early". Tea and Lemon Loaf for breakfast -- hey I was going to burn a ton of calories today so what is a bit of cake to start the day!
The drive was nice .. San Diego is an amazing place with ocean then 10 miles inland a 100% different landscape. We are lucky to live here. I was feeling a bit nervous as I had heard that this was a quite steep ride, but no shade! It can easily reach over the 100's there at this time of the year and being English, fair skinned and cold blooded I knew that would be a challenge.
The morning air in Pine valley was cool -- and we were soon off at about 7 am. The sun was beginning to warm up. This week group 4 was a little down on the numbers with a couple of riders out of town, a couple sick and we lost Dr Bob on the first decent with mechanical issues. The first climb was 16 miles straight up. It started on a lightly traveled road, then on to a no traffic fire road. This was so nice not to have to worry about cars and allowed 100% focus on the climb, how hot it was and the nagging doubts of will I make it up this thing! Funny, it always takes me a while to get in the groove and for me this is as much a mental challenge as a physical one.
What I was told was right and there was no shade and the ever rising sun started to beat down. This are is very remote and very rugged. The group was climbing at our own paces' with means it can get pretty strung out. I was alone in the middle with the next rider ahead and those behind not in sight. The thought then entered my mind -- "hey wait there are mountain lions out here" -- not normally something a road cyclist worries about but we were definitely in mountain biking country. This somehow energized my legs and I rode up to catch our ride leader Hooter who is about a foot taller than me and would make a far better meal for a family of four lions that I would. We rode together :-)
Later during the forest part we saw a rattle snake warming on the path... Finally made it to the rest area at mile 20.
During that climb though I got to ride a bit with a challenged athlete - who had had a bad motorcycle crash in had ended up in a chair--- he was doing all of this ride in a hand cycle using his arms. Those of you who have ever done bicep/triceps curls in the gym know how easily those muscles get fatigued. Here was a guy propelling himself 57 miles up some of the highest mountains in San Diego by hand.. truly amazing, and humbling in the same breath. We rode and chatted a bit and I was able to put what self-doubt I had and being able to finish this ride behind me watching this amazing example of strengh and pure determination.
The next part of the ride was really nice-- started with another climb, but then turned into fast flat, rolling roads with very light traffic in some amazing parts of the county that most are unaware of or seldom visit. This went on for a couple of hours and we were lucky since the temperatures didn't get too above mid to high 80's.
There were a couple of climbs to finish -- the last one being a grind but at the end of it -- I felt some accomplishment in riding the height gain equivalent of riding up Ben Nevis - Great Britain's highest mountain while riding London to Brighton'ish in miles.
Looking forward to next weeks ride already !!
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