climbing, deathride, fitness, training

Training for the Deathride? Here’s the Number One Thing You Should Do

A post first written back in March of 2022, given center stage again for two main reasons:

  • The 43rd Edition is just about three months out, and in talking with Marketing Guru Mel at the Deathride, we thought it an appropriate piece to resurrect.
  • A recent question was asked on the DR Strava Group. “Does it have to be Monitor?”

OH, and to be totally honest, I’ve been so busy with work, and life, and training for my new knee in June (more on that later); and community and advocacy work, including getting ready for the California Bicycle Summit in about ten days, that I haven’t had time to finish any of the draft posts I’ve started.

AND so I herewith whip out this not-too-dated piece for your reading pleasure, with the hope that it might answer some of those nagging questions you might have, and save you a bit of unnecessary pain too, perhaps.

CLIMB! And, climb some more. And when you think you’ve done enough climbing, do even more. Here in the California Alps climbing is pretty much par for the course; head out the door and you’re on some sort of incline (or decline).

Yesterday, I had the pleasure (and pain) of riding up the west side of Monitor Pass (this view is from just above Heenan Lake) and was reminded that there is no subsitute for climbing if you’re training for a ride with lots of elevation gain.

SURE, I’ve been training hard, with lots of paincave sessions, including HIIT, V02 max, and more, and some of those sessions focus on things such as building endurance, “rocking the rollers” and sweet-spot training (SST); yet I realized while “out on course” that even though my strain is up significantly from the previous week, I’m just not climbing enough.

THIS past week, including yesterday’s adventure, I rode about 116 miles with almost 11,000 feet of elevation gain.

THE Deathride – Tour of the California Alps does that in one day, though, and while yesterday’s ride was 36 miles with over 4000 of climbing, I asked myself could I do that three or four more times.

The short answer = NO. At least not yesterday. 🙁

As you can see by my happy, yet very sweaty mug, that first big pitch was hard.

MONITOR east, Ebbetts north and south (or west and east depending on your preference), and Pacific Grade (twice) would still be yet to come on July 17th. Yowza, there is work to be done!

All smiles in front of the Monitor Pass marker after my 10th ascent up the west side.
Roscoe was happy to be getting some sun! Was a chilly ascent.

THANKFULLY, we’ve all got more time. IMHO, and based on previous experience, right about now (3-4 mos. out) is when you should start ramping 😉 up your training. And it’s not just about the climbing… Your secondary focus should be on time spent in the saddle.

IF you are going to tackle the entire ride, you’re looking at a full day on your steed.

BACK in 2017, when I finished all of the climbs, I was on the bike for about ten (10) hours and my elapsed time was twelve (12) hours!

VENTURING on a velocipede for that amount of time takes a serious toll on the bod., and takes some getting used to, so don’t skimp. And, if you’re not already thinking about it, be sure to address your future nutrition needs by practicing what, and how much, you eat and drink.

EXPERIMENTING with new bars, gels or drink mixes the day of is a recipe for disaster!

So Now What?

WELL, for me that means heeding my own advice and hitting those hills and mountains more often, and taking on longer rides. I would guess that applies to you as well.

ANOTHER aspect of training that I’m working on is the gear. You may have noticed that I was wearing an USWE hydration pack. Amazing piece of equipment by the way – pretty darn comfy and it DOES NOT move. I am not planning on wearing it for the Deathride but I am going to have it on for May’s Paydirt here in the Pine Nuts. And, yes, sharp-eyed reader, Roscoe is a gravel bike. So it was a double-duty deed, if you will, yesterday – got some climbing in and did it on the bike I’ll be riding in May, with the gear and grub I’ll be hauling.

I’m thinking a 50-60 mile ride on dirt will be a similar experience to a century on the road and so I see some benefits to training for Pete Stetina’s ride now, while also keeping that next big day in July, in mind.

NEED some other ideas? Search “climbing” on this blog for myriad posts on the subject. If you’re a neophyte I’d especially call your attention to this post as well as this one.

The snow is melting and the rivers and creeks are rising and getting chocolately. This is the East Fork of the Carson near Monitor Junction.

AFTER all, spring has sprung so it’s time to get cracking!

WE’RE looking forward to riding with you in July (or sooner perhaps), and the community is getting ready for your visit.

BE sure to make those reservations early, by the way. There are fewer resources around due to last year’s Tamarack Fire.

RIDE on, be safe, and climb, climb, climb!

data, fitness, training

Peaking with TrainingPeaks – Using a Training Plan to Get Back on Track

LAST year was an interesting year fitness-wise. That blood clot that appeared in my right lung in the spring has long-since dissipated, and finally so have the after-effects. We’re still unsure of the origin of that sucker, and because of impact it may have had on my heart, I’m pulling out all the stops to ensure Mr. Corazon is happy and healthy, and to get him, and the rest of me, back in fighting shape for the upcoming racing and riding season.

IF you’re like me you probably have a good idea of what allows you to maintain your fitness. Some of you know what you need to do to improve your fitness. Recently, though, I realized that I’m somewhat deficient in that area. I was doing some high intensity interval training (HIIT) here and there. Some climbing and some longer rides, too. And yes, some active recovery and a bit of tempo as well.

WHAT I wasn’t doing, however, was following a plan; and since I’d like to do some racing this spring, and peak for those big events on my summer calendar (Truckee Tahoe Gravel; The Deathride; Mammoth Gran Fondo), I went in search of a training plan on TRAININGPEAKS (TP).

YOU loyal readers know I’ve penned a couple posts regarding TP over the last couple of years. Just search for “trainingpeaks” and you’ll find ‘em. More recently, though, I decided to take better advantage of the application and see what that Annual Training Plan (ATP) is all about. I need a goal, you know? The build in wizard for the ATP prompts you to put in some data points (e.g., event days, proposed TSS, or the like) and it spits out some guidelines in terms of where you need to be and when.

My ATP and this week’s workout schedule…

WHAT it doesn’t do is tell you specifically how to get there and that’s where a training plan comes in. So, over to my TP calendar I went, and on Training Plans I clicked. I figured I could build my own plan to get me where that ATP needed me to be. I had some previous plans in there, plus TP’s comprehensive training plan library, to pull from and I noodled and massaged for quite some time. I couldn’t get it there, though, and so took the next step and searched for a plan that would fit the bill.

I needed something in the 26-week range. After poking around for a while I reached out to Paul Ozier, the author of the plan I did back in 2021: 4-week FTP-Focus. He had an 18-week plan for a gravel or MTB race of over 6 hours (the Truckee Tahoe) that I was eyeballing, but I didn’t know what to do to fill in the gap. Coach Ozier was fantastic! He suggested other plans that I could use for those approximately six to eight weeks, and gave me some discount codes, as well as some guidance as to how and where to plug them in.

ONE more hurdle. Okay, maybe two. First, I got Covid just before Christmas. That cost me a couple weeks. Second, I had a little implant installed in my chest (on January 8th) because the thirty-day monitor I wore in November and December didn’t turn up anything conclusive. The install was uneventful (out-patient, some lidocaine, one stitch) but I was forbidden to sweat heavily for at least a week. Shit! There goes another chunk of my plan!

BACK to Coach I went and back to the drawing board he went. It didn’t take him long to reply with an alternative, and again he came through with a discount code to make yet another plan more financially palatable. The plans aren’t hugely expensive, but they are not inexpensive either. A big selling point: they stay in your TP library for future use!

The Plan! The Plan!

MY training started a week ago today. Actually, a week ago tomorrow. Monday’s are rest days. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve done almost 170 miles this past week. All indoors! Mostly due to my schedule, or the weather, but also because some of the workouts are better done on a trainer, where Zwift (which integrates with TP) keeps you on track.

ONE week down. Fitness trending up. Today’s rest day much appreciated. I’m a tad sore. More so in the rear-end than anywhere else. I’m not used to that kind of volume, if you get my drift.

SOME things that I’ve learned, or already practice, in no particular order:

  • Change kits or other gear if you’re doing long rides inside.
  • Take advantage of the coffee break on Zwift. Had no idea! Just learned about it this past week thanks to someone asking in the chat.
  • A lot of Chamois Butt’r goes a long way.
  • Too much beer goes a long way, too. I must drop some beer muscle.
  • Fans. Plural.
  • I need to ride outside more. I might have to drive somewhere to ride my bike. Meh.
Here’s where I stand after one week on Coach Ozier’s plan.
Rest day definitely needed today…

I’M now slightly ahead of my yearly goal of 6000 miles, and I contributed nicely to the CA Alps Cycling Strava Club’s weekly totals. You might think that 170 miles would “win me the week” but alas no, three other riders knocked me off the podium. Over-achievers! It’s early in the season though, so we shall see. I’m coming for you, boyz!

NOW it’s worth pointing out that I certainly haven’t peaked yet, and that means the title of this post is a bit of “cart before the horse,” but I’m thinking positively so stay tuned.

HOW about you? What are you doing to get back into the groove? If you’re not quite sure what to do, I highly recommend taking a gander at TRAININGPEAKS.

RIDE ON!

Ps. TRAININGPEAKS has an awesome knowledge base so check it out if any of my data-geekness doesn’t make sense. As my wife just reminded me, I’m now “one of those stats. and watts guys.” Perhaps…

PPs. There’s also a great book to check out: “Ride Inside” by Joe Friel. Truly worth a read if you want to better understand what can make you tick better.

gear, maintenance

Making the Best of a Covid Christmas

BOOK club perhaps. Maybe the Library Players gig. Momma C.A.C. isn’t really sure which, or even, if. Could have been somewhere else she picked up “that little nasty” as she calls it. In any case, picked it up she did and so, after almost four years of no Covid here at California Alps Cycling HQ, we’re all spending our Christmas holiday in various states of sick.

MOMMA C.A.C.’s test came back in the affirmative two weeks ago today. MRS. C.A.C. tested positive a couple days later and yours truly, after thinking I would skate by (Mom and Wife self isolated) got both the C and the T lines a week ago today. So thankful we are all fully-vaccinated, including the latest booster, or I would likely be penning a different sort of post…

FELT a little achy on posi-Monday. Worked, though, and had normal brain, and got a quick spin in on the trainer. By Tuesday I was coughing and hacking, and feeling achy and foggy-brained. No fever, thankfully — none of us have had one. On Wednesday and Thursday I was progressively worse, and Mom and wife were on the mend. By Friday I was somewhat more functional. Each day gets better, but unlike a cold, we’ve all decided, the recovery is more incremental and energy-sapping.

OH, BEFORE I FORGET…MERRY CHRISTMAS!

GOING away to the bay (area, that is) for the holiday, then, was no longer an option we agreed, and so we let that side of the family know and hunkered down for a nap. This was Saturday morning.

THAT’S where my story truly begins…

IDEALLY, you’re not reading this until later this morning, or even afternoon, if you’ve done your job right, put on your stretchy-pants and slept off that last dose of whatever if was. You should be opening presents, or hanging with the family, or something like that. But if you are reading this little missive, perhaps during that post-breakfast-after-presents “nappy-time”, and before the next round of grinds, let me regale you with some feats of bike-related prowess to which I’ve availed myself this last weekend. Why not take advantage of the down time, right?

ALRIGHT, off we go. Ho, Ho, Ho!

Waxing Some Iron

I went to the wax-side, and away from the dark, chain-tattoo-side, on my first bike, just a few months ago. Yeah, I know, I should have done it a long time ago. It’s a wonderful thing, to be able to handle bicycle chains and related w/o using degreaser afterwards. And a waxed chain is oh so quiet; I mean that drivetrain is QUIET.

SILCA was my go-to brand and I went with its Secret Wax Blend after some online sleuthing. Went all in based on advice from Mr. Keno, and got an ultrasonic cleaner, too.

The chain must be ultra-clean, including removal of the new-chain coating, before application. Silca has some great videos with all the specifics on the how-to.

AMAZON had a nice Vevor for around $50.00. Love this cleaner now that I’ve used it a few times. It has a heating element – which helps melt the old wax, while the ultrasonic action “shimmies” that road grit away.

HELPFUL HINTS – I add a bit of Muc-Off Bike Cleaner Concentrate to the water as well, and do one last run with plain water so the Muc-Off is no longer. We want that wax and all those nanos to adhere nicely.

IN terms of melting the wax. I have Mrs. C.A.C. to thank for that. Her Instant Pot is THE BEST. Sauté mode on low is what I use. Get’s the wax up to about 180-190 Fahrenheit, and then I let it cool to the desired temp. before application. Wait for the film to appear before removing the chain! Again, take a look at Silca’s videos for that data that matta.

SINCE I couldn’t do much else I decided to clean two chains, including one from my gravel bike, (that now makes two bikes with wax jobs) on Saturday (had to work in some nap time) and then, after shaking to ensure a nice jingle-bell sound (no stuff in those rollers anymore) I set them to dry overnight.

The 11-speed chains were hung by the wood stove with care, after spending Saturday in the ultrasonic clean-aer…

WAXED them up yesterday and after a bit of hanging I installed the one back on Roscoe (gravel steed) and put the other in a bag for future use. Oh, by the way, Silca also recommends Super Secret Chain Lube in between wax jobs. Been using that every 100 miles or so (re-wax chains every 1000) and it fits the bill nicely.

New Tires for Roscoe

SPEAKING of the gravel-grinder…Since I was at it I decided to switch out the rubber on Roscoe. The back tire was obviously in need with well-worn lugs, and upon inspection, I noted some cracking in the front rubber as well.

STAN’S is my go-to for sealant. I use the “race version,” which seems to last a bit longer, and is designed for more extreme conditions. The downside is that it CANNOT be injected, and so it takes a bit more effort. Still, just physical effort, not mental. While I am getting my sense of humor back, I don’t have much computational pluck. Thankfully, not much of that is required for this particular task. Patience, though, that came in handy.

PANARACER Gravel King SK’s are the treads that I tend to use here in the Sierra (and Pine Nuts). They roll well in sand, and mixed terrain, and do pretty well with mud too. Where they really shine, though, is in our local blend of granitic sand, and chunks of shale, that we seem to have a lot of in these parts. These tires are oh so durable, and grippy at the same time.

INSTALLING them while cold, however, was somewhat challenging. I have a small compressor, and have used CO2 cartridges in the past (see this post from last year for more on that), but a couple months ago I picked up an Airshot Tubeless Tire Inflator after seeing a Youtube video. What an awesome tool!

BESIDES picking yourself up one of these, here are a couple other helpful hints:

  • WARM up the tires a bit. A heater vent works well. And, set them on a 5-gallon bucket so the beads settle towards the rim channel while they get more pliable. This approach was especially effective for the fat tires I did last month.
  • ONCE installed, leave the bike upside down for a couple hours (assuming you’re not going to ride right away) and give the tires a spin every time you pass by to get that sealant to evenly coat. Ideally, you ride those tires after install but if you can’t, this works well.

A Gift For My Significant Other

LAST, but by no means not anywhere close to least, was a gift for Mrs. California Alps Cycling. If you haven’t learned yet to offset the guilt that a cycling habit can generate, I suggest you start now. I consider myself a master in this regard and as such I had a new Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt wrapped and ready for my girl.

WHILE I was finishing up the work on Roscoe, she was installing the app and setting up her profile. I then installed Mr. Bolt on her Daisy (easy there now…geez, where your mind goes!), and paired it with her trainer and her HRM so she’s ready to ride.

WELL, there you have it. My story of ho, ho, ho, which I hope sent some additional Christmas cheer your way. Self-isolation isn’t fun, especially while those Yule logs are rolling around, but if you’re going to be down, you may as well make the best of it, right?

AND, anything focused on or around bikes…

MERRY BIKE-MAS to all and to all a good bike.

HAVE an awesome Christmas! And…Go ‘Niners!

advocacy, community

Advocacy and Community – CA Job’s 1st, Ebbett’s W/O Cars and Markleeville General Store’s Anniversary

WELCOME to December! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Here in Markleeville the Friday afterwards kicks off the Christmas tree cutting season, and so there’s been an inordinate amount of traffic. LOL.

THE family and I did our part, joined many others throughout the area, and snagged a nice white pine. And being good tree-huggers, we also did our part to help forest health by taking one that should be taken, and taking it properly. If you’re interested in doing the same, check out this page.

IT was a chill visit (literally…it was in the teens some days) with the family and we gobbled ’til we wobbled. Traffic-wise, we’re back to normal, and yeah you guessed it, it is by no means city-traffic anyway. Snarls are non-existent unless one of the local ranchers is driving a herd across the highway, which, I just realized, should start anytime. Moo.

DUE to the lack of white-stuff so far, the passes have been open more than not. It’s stayed pretty cold, though, and that means most outside rides warrant Michelin-Man garb.

STILL, the riding’s good, and it looks like a small, warmer window will be open until late next weekend so now’s your chance to get Monitor in, and maybe Ebbett’s, before the snow flies. Perhaps a bit of fatbiking in and around Grover Hot Springs? The hot springs are open, by the way!

Farley taking a dip in the small creek that runs near the Charity Valley east trail.
Blue can’t go any farther today. Stopped at the gate just below Silver Creek Campground on Hwy. 4 (Ebbett’s Pass).

ALRIGHTY, then. Enough of that small talk. 🙂 Let’s talk turkey.

Update on California Jobs First/CERF

SINCE our “Musings Post” back in September, which, among other things, touched on the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF), now known as the Eastern Sierra California California Job’s First/CERF (CJF/CERF I’ll call it), things are moving along nicely. As a refresher…

CALIFORNIA Jobs First/Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) is a statewide program that was created to promote a sustainable and equitable recovery from the economic distress of COVID-19 by supporting new plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians.

– California Jobs First/Community Economic Resilience Fund

MORE data that matta…

THE Sierra Business Council (SBC) is under contract with the State of California, and serves as the convener and fiscal agent for the Eastern Sierra region, which includes Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Alpine, Inyo, and Mono counties. The grant funding this initiative has the potential to increase the quality of life in the area by helping to shape future industries (jobs man, more jobs) and diversify the economy (it’s not all about tourism, or shouldn’t be).

HONESTLY it’s the team behind the High Roads Transition Collaborative (HRTC) and “its subs” that has been doing the heavy lifting (i.e., project management) in order to keep the HRTC, and its sub-committees on track. Elaine Kabala, Executive Director of the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments, and her group hosted our last meeting in Mammoth Lakes back in October, and is hosting our upcoming meeting this Friday in Sonora, at the Mother Lode Job Training Center.

THE ESCOG team has hit the November milestone and submitted the application for CERF Catalyst Program funds. As it turns out, the state did not require details on the $9 million dollars of pre-development funds. The HRTC and subcommittees, not this application, will determine how that money is spent. Yours truly is one of the Alpine Co. members of the HRTC because it’s part of our mission here at California Alps Cycling: Numero Tres – Help the communities in which we live, work and ride.

THERE have already been many projects identified by that sub-committee and next year we’ll start the vetting process. Project ideas can be submitted here, by the way. Now with all this said I must admit that, like many of my colleagues I suspect, am still learning about the players, the process and the potential outcomes. It will develop – there are a lot of moving pieces. I’m definitely open to a convo. so get in touch if you’d like to yak about any or all!

Ebbett’s Without Cars?

GOTCHA with that headline, eh? As I wrote earlier this year, the Caltrans District 10 Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee has been working on various initiatives, one of which is opening Ebbett’s Pass, really Highway 4, both sides of Ebbett’s Passfor bikes, peds, wheelchairs, hand-cycles, you name it, for a short period of time, each year in the spring. Yosemite does something like this most years, on Tioga Pass.

THE idea is that after the road is cleared of snow, from Lake Alpine on the western side, and Monitor Junction on the eastern side, the road will be opened for anything human-powered, for approximately 1-2 days.

WE’VE gotten through a lot of the operational roadblocks, and addressed the liability/legal aspects, too. At our last meeting in October we were also told that the Stanislaus National Forest (western side) was VERY supportive of the idea.

NEXT STEPS…Reach out to the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest (eastern side) about getting its support, and most importantly, get feedback from the Bear Valley and Markleeville citizens and businesses. So, we’re not quite there yet, but what started with an idea floated my way by Rob Williams (founder of Motherlode Bicycle Coalition) is getting closer to fruition.

WOULDN’T it be cool to ride up, over; and back if you’re so inclined, Ebbett’s Pass, with snow still on the side of the road, trees glistening in the sunlight, blue skies so blue they’re almost purple, and smiles so wide we’d get bugs on our teeth?

OH yeah, and without the need to worry about vehicles!

I’LL keep you posted on the progress, and if you have any thoughts on the subject, please let me know.

Markleeville General Store

LAST month, our beloved general store, celebrated one year of new ownership. The store has always been awesome, and the previous owner did right by the community for decades.

ANDY and Avery, the new owners, have continued that tradition, and have also transformed things quite a bit with items like organic and locally sourced foods, bake-at-home goods, an even better selection of beer and wine, and new schwag, too.

LOCAL artists also have a new space to exhibit and sell their wares, so if you’re looking for some cool Christmas gifts after your trip to the hot springs, which I’m thinking would be after your ride (or maybe some fishing), then look no further.

THERE could be a California Alps Cycling corner coming this spring, too!

YOU may recall there was a chance we were going to be opening a shop here in Markleeville, but that didn’t work out (for the best, really). The notion stayed ingrained in my brain, however.

THIS is a world-class bike riding area, with a fair amount of bike riders taking advantage of the scarcity of cars, amazing views, good eats, and sweet trails (and the Deathride). Most of whom are very prepared. However, “mechanicals” happen to the best of us, so having a life raft here in town would be a nice addition, wouldn’t it?

ANYWAY, I’ve been bugging Andy about having a small selection of bike parts, accessories and clothing (CAC kits and tees are part of that discussion, of course) on hand, for those of us who on rare occasion may need a tube, tire, or even a chain. Did some homework and unfortunately QBP offers its services only to full-on bike shops so that’s a no-go. We’ll do some more poking around and see what we can figure out. Stay tuned, and if you know some one…

Basin & Range

I haven’t forgotten about the second installment of Mr. and Mrs. CAC’s most excellent Utah adventure and roadtrip. Lots of photos & videos to cull through, and other such minutia. That, and work, and life. Like most of you I’m guessing. I do have a draft in the works, though, and will get ‘er done and posted up soon.

HAPPY Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy Kwaanza. And if you celebrate something else during this season, happy that to you instead.

THAT’S all he wrote. Ride on. Be safe. Advocate. Give back. Please.

things to do, things to see

Basin & Range Road Trip, Part 1 – Great Basin and Zion

IT’S not the California Alps, no. Rather, it’s the yin to the Sierra Nevada’s yang. We’re talking about the Basin and Range and it’s well worth your time and effort to check it out.

WE made it back to the Sierra a couple weeks ago Saturday, and have fully recovered from our trip. Stowed the last of the gear today, in fact: sleeping bags that we recently picked up from the cleaners. They were a bit reeky after a week in the wilderness. Camp fire smell, too. No bueno.

WHAT a trip it was, our transit through a good chunk of the Basin and Range. Our first stop, as you may have seen in this post, was Great Basin National Park.

FROM there it was off to Zion and then we hit up Capitol Reef, for seven (7) total nights of camping. Moab was the cherry on top, especially after doing the campsite shuffle for a week; that hotel was SWEET (not quite as sweet as the shower at Ruby’s – keep reading – but close).

Part One

THIS post covers the first week of the trip, Great Basin and Zion. My next post will wrap things up with some petroglyphs, some reef (Capitol, that is), and some Moab, including Dead Horse Point State Park.

CAMPING is work. We had kinda forgotten that. Now I’m talking “real camping” not RVing or trailering. No disrespect to any of you that take that road – that too is pretty sweet. For us, though, it’s about budget, and storage considerations, so for now we’re sticking with the tent ‘thang.

OUR rig was packed to the max. Too max as it turns out. We were out of practice. It had been a bunch of years since our last camping trip and we never really did camp light anyway, and so we brought too much food, not enough beer and tequila, and too many things we thought we’d use.

WE did realize we needed a bigger tent, so we’ve got one on the way. And, my old white-gas-powered Coleman finally coughed up its last gasp of fumes during the trip, and so and we just tested out our new camp stove yesterday morning. Bacon and pancakes on the deck. Good stuff.

Items of Importance

TWO items that seemed at first to be a bit much made the camping much better.

The first was a Dometic Sanipottie toidy, and the second was a contractor’s heater that attached to a 5-gallon tank.

ZIPPER burns began to form after several days of zipping in and zipping out of our casbah, as well as our gear tent.

Our home away from home at the Watchman Campground in Zion.

So zipping less, thanks to that toilet inside the tent (just so we’re clear…no doing #2 in the tent), was a welcome respite for our sore thumbs and index fingers.

AS for the heater…

FIRING up that sucker in the a.m. kept me warm as I made the coffee.

YUP, campfires are a big part of the camping experience, and we certainly helped the local firewood economies with our purchases, but you can move and direct the heater. And it doesn’t produce smoke nor need to be doused.

BIKES? Sí! We brought two (2) bikes on the trip: a Trek Rail eMTB (Bessie) and my beloved Trek Domane, Roscoe, which was converted to a gravel bike a few years back.

That’s my boy, Roscoe, taking in the sights at Arches National Park.

I had planned on bringing a road bike too but ’twas one bike too many, and since I had a set of road wheels for Roscoe I went with that instead. Three (3) bikes for the price of two (2), if you will.

Basin & Range

FROM the Sierra to the Wasatch the Basin and Range runs. It’s an amazing piece of geology and geography that I highly recommend experiencing. Up and over a pass, to then roll across an expansive valley, and then do it again and again, was akin to hitting the rollers on a nice ride, with some added flats to space things out until the next climb.

WITH our atlas in hand, and some books on roadside geology, we learned as we hauled ass across America’s Loneliest Road. The trip was made far less lonely because of the nuggets put forth by my copilot. From rock formations to geologic anomalies to various landmarks, the “B&R” doesn’t disappoint, and having our own personal library helped us glean more knowledge than we could have with just the nav.

AFTER Great Basin, which is an amazing place, it was off to Zion National Park, which while also incredible, was PACKED.

LESSONS learned– October is the busiest time of year for this area of Utah, and it’s easy to understand why. The weather was perfect, the fall colors were popping, and the historical and geologic sites are sublime. Our sardine packed shuttles were made more so by the fact that it was fall break for kids in Utah. Oh, and an annular eclipse added even more fish to the frier.

Up there! It’s an annular eclipse!
Wait. Do these glasses make our heads look big?

Zion Canyon

GOT in a nice ride, two actually, while in Zion, both in the canyon. My first ride of the trip was the day after arrival and I took Bessie up the canyon for a recon cruise.

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IF you have an eBike that is the ticket in Zion. They can be rented in the nearby village for $100 a day, too. We didn’t move the truck much at all from our campsite. Too much congestion, and getting back into the park was a 1-2 hour wait in some cases. I could see the lines of cars as I made my way out of the park, to the local market, on Bessie. Just flashed our pass to get back in.

TAKING a bike up the canyon is itself a fantastic experience but the added bonus is that with one you can avoid the shuttles (other than pulling over for them – required in Zion) and instead lock-up at each trailhead. Zion does a good job of accommodating bikes at all trailheads and the canyon is closed to vehicles, other than the shuttles, with the exception of those going to the lodge. After the lodge there are no cars and so there are miles of road full of just us riders, like ants following a scent trail, with broad smiles and hellos all around.

Adding a little light and color to camp, thanks to our chargeable (inc. solar) light strings from MPOWERD.

AFTER a couple days of forced relaxation (one of my knees balked post-recon ride and swelled up like a melon) I was able to do the same ride on my own power, this time on Roscoe. It was chilly in the a.m. (40’s), and even more so in the canyon, so I went with knickers, a vest, arm warmers and full-fingered gloves. Two laps was the ticket as it turned out. The views change often as the sun rises or sets in the canyon so coming back up the second time was a different experience. Find and follow me on Strava, by the way (search “bikedalps”), if you’d like to see the routes, stats, etc.

EVEN with the crowds, five days in Zion was just what we needed: no TV, no email (there was service – Verizon). We used our phones for the most part only as it related to the trip, and tuned out the tech. as best we could. I actually finished a book and was able to beat my lovely wife in a couple games of scrabble, too. We worked our butts off doing that camping shtick. Time flew and we were having fun. One day morphed into the next and then it was time to go. Breaking camp was quite the adventure. We were anxious though, to get a shower, so that helped move things along.

Editor’s note: Gravel opportunities abound in “the B&R.” I drooled often as we saw some of the roads that had gravel potential. I mean there are options EVERYWHERE! Had some experience with that? Pass it on!

Laundry and a Shower

FROM Zion we took Highway 12, one of America’s Scenic Byways, about a four (4) hour drive, to Capitol Reef. We had hoped to stop and do a quick hike in Bryce Canyon before we made camp in Capitol Reef but that didn’t work out. It had been many moons, you see, since we had a shower. Our navigator (Mrs. CAC in case you hadn’t guessed) had done her homework and found for us Ruby’s Inn RV Park and Campground and for $16.00 we each nabbed a shower. That roll of quarters came in handy for the laundromat. Both experiences brought back memories, one better than the other. That shower was, we agreed, one of the best we’d ever taken in our lives.

WHILE the laundry was spinning we headed up the road for supplies. Beer, lunch and most importantly, tequila. It was an interesting experience getting my cactus juice in Utah. I had forgotten. So after some direction, and unlocking of the cabinet in “that lobby over there” by the attendant who looked very much like a gambling attendant in Nevada, vest, name tag, and all, we had our necessaries and back to Ruby’s we went.

Honey, I brought us a gourmet lunch of pre-made sandwiches, ruffles and beer. Oh, it’s so good, she says.

LAUNDRY folded. Stomach filled. Truck puzzle re-worked. Off we went to Capitol Reef. We hated driving past, and not into, Bryce, but time was of the essence. We very much dislike pitching tents in the dark so we had some motivation. See you next time, Bryce.

AND see you next time, too, and we’ll continue our adventure into Capitol Reef and Moab.

gravel, off the bike fun

Graveling in Great Basin – How a Short Loop Turned Into a Long OaB

MRS. California Alps Cycling and I finally got out the door last Sunday, and started our oh so overdue vacation. A two (2) week roadtrip to Great Basin National Park, Zion National Park and Capitol Reef National Park, with other Mighty Five parks hit up as time allows.

OF course some bike riding would be involved. Initially we had planned on bringing a road bike, a gravel bike and an e-MTB but after a consultation with Momma California Alps, and a bit of good natured ribbing from same about the sheer quantity of gear we were bringing, we went with the latter two (2) only.

GETTING in fairly late to Baker, NV, and checking in to the Stargazer Inn and Bristlecone General Store with Liz and Rachel, left us no time to do anything that night, except watch our beloved Niners open a can of whoop ass on those Cowboys. A great way to start the vacay, for sure!

ON Monday the trip started in earnest (after a leisurely morning due to our late night of celebrating both the whooping, and the start of the trip) as we “excurzed” into the park and hit up one of the Lehman Cave tours – the Grand Palace.

DAY two (2) was reserved for a bit of a.m. gravel riding for me (and reading for Mrs. C.A.) and then a trip up to the bristlecone pines in the afternoon.

AND so my saga begins…

STRAVA had a nice route suggestion of about 13.5 miles. Head east and just outside of town I’ll turn onto National Forest Development Service Road 589 (“development“should have been my first clue), and then head up a bit towards either Rowland Ranch Road or Baker Creek Road, either of which connects to Lehman Caves Road (the main road into the park). From there a super straight Champs Elysses kind of decent, but longer, back to the main highway and the hotel.

I headed out about 8 a.m. with plans to be back by 10 a.m. so we could get up the the Wheeler Peak/Bristlecone trailhead by lunch time for a picnic before the hike.

MISTAKE #1

‘TOPHER would have, and still will, have my ass. You didn’t upload the ride to your bike computer? Nope. I’m good. I’ll just follow the road(s) and signage. They’ll be marked like they are in our neck of the woods. WRONG.

MISSED the turn to NFDS 589. Not really my fault, though, there are a lot of dirt roads out in these parts.

I turned back and found the road and up I went for a blissful couple of miles, and then a bit of steep stuff, and then a fork in the road. I whipped out my phone and checked where I was – yup, that right fork is the one. Off I went.

STEEPER and rockier IT went. Definitely some hike-a-bike sections…at least for me. Some nice roads still, though, as you can see.

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ROWLAND Ranch Rd. must be coming soon, I tell myself. I’ve already gained about 1000 feet after all. Hmmm, maybe I passed it? Yeah, that makes more sense. I’ll just keep going to Baker Creek Road. Off I went.

BUSHIER and more overgrown IT went. None of my maps apps had the sufficient detail, either because this was not a trail/road, or the signal wasn’t strong enough to handle all of those damn packets, or both. Then inspiration struck. I’ve got a signal and can make a call! I’ll call M.C.A., she’s got internet at the hotel, and she can tell me exactly where I am.

AFTER some frustration on both sides, either due to her lack of understanding of technology, or my lack of patience, or both, we hung up. I have an Apple Watch and a Wahoo ELEMNT Roam. If nothing else I’ll just hit “back to start”, I told her. I hate doing that though so the bushwhacking continued. Oh, and I neglected to mention to you loyal reader, that I had been pushing my bike for the last 1/2 mile or so.

MISTAKE #2

HUBRIS is the word that comes to mind. Panic was another. I was rocking the first and holding back the second. I’ve got to be just below NFDS Rd. 590. I just went past both of those other roads and now I just have to bushwhack a bit farther and I’ll hit it. Again I call the Mrs. We can’t tell how close I am to 590. “Have you crossed Baker Creek yet?”, she asks. Well, I did go over a creek a bit ago. That must have been it. “Then you’re just below the road.” Off I went.

NON-EXISTENT IT went. Brush piles told me I was in an area where they were cutting up those ladder fuels for winter burning, which meant I had to be close. Now I’m carrying the bike over logs and brush, and gathering some decent scratches (battle scars, arrgghh) on the lower legs, too.

NOW I did learn a trick some time ago from a hunting-sensei, Fred Weitlauf. He taught me that most people get lost because they never look behind them as they walk. I had been doing that at least, and I had my computers, so I’m not really lost.

MISTAKE #3

UNLIKE Scott or Chris, I am severely DIRECTIONALLY challenged. As such, learning to use the technology would be of utmost importance. See mistake #2.

APPLE WATCH – Yes, you can retrace your steps but you have to start it so it knows where to return you. Idiot! Me, not the watch.

WAHOO ELEMNT ROAM – Correct me if I’m wrong (please!) you technoheads out there, but one problem is this: you have to be on a route (see mistake #1) to navigate back to the start of the route.

THE other problem I’ve discerned – again, all help appreciated – is that you have to know how to use the shit. Those three (3) dots on that map screen give you options, including as I’ve just learned while writing this post, one that is “retrace to start.”

WHAT a knucklehead.

HONEY, I say as I call her to tell her I’ve made the smartest decision I’ve made all day. “I’m heading back to where I started.” I’m running out of road, er trail, and I’m no where near anything, other than those amazing views.

BACK I went, and just like my wonderful wife said, it was really fun because I could enjoy the vistas, and the ride. Some more hike-a-bike back to the road, then off I went.

AFTER those few sectors of babyheads (which for me meant walking again), down and sweet IT went.

1828 feet of stress-free (kinda) descent it was, and at last I saw that water tower and knew I was going to survive. My sould began to rise. Yeah, a bit dramatic but that Bob Seger song (Roll Me Away) came to mind so I went with it.

Bragging Rights

  • 13.6 miles
  • 2255 feet of ascent
  • 1:55 ride time
  • 3 hours elapsed time
  • 3 phone calls
  • Many WTFs
  • Several “dumbshits!”
  • Oodles of fun, nonetheless
  • Countless giggles (raging laughter, really) from M.C.A.

WE did make it to the top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive about 1:30 p.m., give or take. This after a lovely picnic on the patio of the Stargazer.

PARTAKING of lunch in town made sense at that point because it gets cold up there (the trailhead is just under 10000’ of elevation) and due to my extra-lengthy sojourn we would likely get there too late to enjoy the mild part of the day

TURNS out I was right, on this occassion at least – it was cold and windy. 🤣

IN my defense, had there been better signage and such we would have been there sooner!

1/2 centuries or centuries, deathride, fitness, gran fondos, gravel, off the bike fun, recovery

All The Rides I Did Not See

CREDIT first of all to Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See. A great read, wherever you may be.

IT’S been an interesting cycling season here in the California Alps, for me at least. I’ve ridden about 3300 miles so far this year. My goal of 6000 miles is unreachable at this point, especially since I was not able to complete any of the four (4) rides for which I registered. Four sounds like a good number so I’ll shoot for a still respectable 4000 miles.

SO, let’s have some fun and give a shout out to each of those rides of which many of you perhaps were actually able to complete.

America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride

CURTIS Fong has turned this ride over to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society after many years. A huge shout out to Curtis, Di Bolton, and many others, who opened their doors to the Deathride team last spring so we could get a glimpse into, among other things, how an efficient registration process was run. It helped us up our game and we were oh so grateful.

Another bib number that I didn’t get to rock out on the course. Oh well, at least I got my schwag.

AS for the ride, while I had hoped that I could still participate. Alas, June 4th came way too soon, and Mr. Lung was not yet up to the task. That visit from an unexpected guest – namely a sub-segmental pulmonary embolism, in May, set me too far back. Thankfully it was just a little emboli in a lower section of the lung. Could have been a much more exciting adventure. Check out this post for a bit more detail.

THE name AMBRR is apropos, by the way. For those that haven’t had a chance to ride around Big Blue you should definitely make it happen. I prefer the clockwise direction, but riding in either direction won’t disappoint. Check out one of our most popular posts, “Thinking About Riding Around Lake Tahoe – Here’s What You Should Know” for some tips. There is also a video-snippet that will give you a sense of the terrain and the views. We rode it counter-clockwise that day and IMO that’s the easier direction, both mentally and physically. Going clockwise puts you on the lake side rather than the hill side and adds the climb out of Incline Village to Spooner Lake, and so it’s a tad more challenging. The rollers will keep you honest in either direction!

Truckee Tahoe Gravel

ORIGINALLY scheduled for June 10th, the ride was pushed back to July 1st due to the crazy-ass winter we had here in the Sierra. This was the second year I wasn’t able to compete in this bad boy. I was optimistic that several more weeks would do it but my breathing was still compromised and the legs did not have the necessary juice.

THANKS to a deferment this year I’m signed up for next year. And since I deferred, unlike the other rides, I did not pick up my bib number nor my schwag, hence this photo instead.

LAST year ’twas Mr. Knee that decided no dice on this one. This year ’twas Mr. Lung. Oh, those body parts…

THIRD time’s the charm?

WHAT did I miss? A beauty ride (so I’m told) in the Tahoe National Forest with landmarks such as Sardine Peak, and segments with names like “Dirty Dog Section” and “Later NERRRRRDS.” The long route, which is still my target, is 76 miles with 6800 feet of climbing. Quite a few of my “Strava buds” competed and did well (congrats to them). Reports were that it was an awesome Sierra day and based on the fine weather here in Markleeville I can imagine. The heat had not set in yet like it did just two (2) weeks later.

Editors note: The clot has resolved and things seem to be getting back to normal cardio-wise. The doctors have told me that it can take up to a year to rebuild that lung fitness. I’m trying to be patient and in the interim I’ve certainly done my part to support the medical community. 🙂

Tour of the California Alps – aka The Deathride

BIB #1; one of the perks of being a ride director! I must admit that by the time I got my rider packet I already knew I was not going to ride any of the route, so I claimed numero uno for my scrapbook.

LET’S be honest. This is one of the toughest centuries out there and so there was no way I was going to be able to conquer the entire course anyway, with only a couple months into my recovery, but I had hoped that I could do one or two climbs.

DURING the safety and tactics meeting however, I had my comeuppance. As Curtis, Michael and Paul reminded me, as the RD I was the last line of defense, if you will, in the decision making process, and so I needed to be on site. And someone needed to call in the road closures (and subsequent openings) to CALTRANS. Since everyone else on the team was doing the heavy lifting that job went to me.

NONETHELESS, this was not a bitter pill to swallow. Why? Well…

We moved to Markleeville because of the Deathride (you can read more about that history in several posts I wrote – just search “Mark in Markleeville”). I finished all of the climbs (including Carson that year) in 2017. In 2018 I had a foot injury so was only able to complete three (3). In 2019 I picked up a nasty cough the day before the ride so bagged only four (4) that year (there were only five (5) climbs up until 2022), and had it not been for my riding companion, and brother from another mother, Mr. Keno, I probably would not have even done that.

2020 never happened due to the pandemic and in 2021 it was the Tamarack Fire that did us in. The day before the ride no less. 🙁

2022 did go off, though, the first year of the new course over the crest and into the west slope of the Sierra, and I had some fun that year doing some “ambassador-ing.” Read more about this one here.

FULL circle…From moving here due to “the DR” to being the ride director and leading the team that helped us take this ride to an entirely new level was an honor that I’ll never forget. My “scraps” are even more meaningful than had I ridden it, and I’m oh so thankful for the privilege.

CAN you say “hot?” How about “scorching?” As we jokingly say, and said, it wouldn’t be the Deathride without some sort of weather-related adversity. We’ve had heat, hail, thunderstorms and more over the forty-one previous editions. This 42nd edition was no different with its hellish heat. Check out this post for my report.

BASED on the look of many of the riders who came in, I’m kinda glad I didn’t take on that challenge. I would have been thoroughly baked, or sagged, or both.

SINCE I won’t be the ride director next year (that honor will fall to some other lucky dawg) I did sign up for 2024. Thinking I’ll tackle the Ebbett’s and Pacific Grade climbs only, though.

BY the way, registration is open in case you were not aware. The team decided to get that going on October 1st and early bird pricing is available until December 31st. And, there’s a $20.00 discount if you’ve ridden it before. Take advantage and sign up now!

Mammoth Gran Fondo

SEPTEMBER 9th it was and I remember it like it was yesterday. LOL. I was still not up to snuff and so over the course of several weeks I had downgraded from the Gran Fondo (full century), to the Medio, about 70 miles, to the Piccolo (approx. 40 miles).

I was excited with the idea that I would at least ride in one (1) of the four (4) rides I had signed up for this year.

MY wife joined me and we got a hotel for the night before. I meticulously packed my gear, cleaned my bike (a clean bike is a fast bike, right?), got my nutrition nailed down and was ready to rock.

THE morning of we awoke to a decent rain. WAIT!

Puffy jump suits? WTF? These guys were heading somewhere on the morning of the MGF.

I had my cold weather gear but Mr. Meticulous forgot his rain jacket and his rain boots, or at a minimum, his shoe covers. What a knucklehead! I was feeling pretty good though, so I gave it some thought. 40 miles, 2-3 hours, wouldn’t be too bad. I could handle some soggy socks and shoes and the cold for that long, couldn’t I?

NOPE. I wussed out and we decided on a nice breakfast and a trip to Devil’s Postpile instead.

WHAT an amazing place! The wildflowers were popping, too. That was a big bonus for my other half and we posey-sniffed our way down to “the pile” and back up again, and then we hit up the June Lake Loop on our way back to the East Slope.

Howdy from the scree-pile. That’s Mrs. CA Alps and me enjoying our visit. As you can see, the storm had cleared by the time we, and another couple, took each other’s photos.

I’VE already signed up for next year and I won’t forget to pack that rain gear.

On The Mend And Trending Up

FINGERS crossed I’ve put in my time these past couple of years with medical issues and up and down fitness, and so I’m optimistic that 2024 will be the “Year of Mark.”

I’VE learned a lot about my body (and mind) over this period of angst and anxiety, and will continue to work on the recovery, both physically and mentally.

SEE you out on the gravel (and road) in 2024!

advocacy, community activities, deathride, giving back

Markleeville Musings On Labor Day

WE’VE got some tempting tidbits to share about goings on here in the heart of the California Alps, so before you load up that cooler and fire up that grill, take a minute to peruse these latest particularizations.

Deathride

JULY 13th. That’s the date. Saturday is the day. Back to that “Second Saturday,” the long-standing standard, we shall go. It’s likely to stay that way for at least 2-3 years. Why the change to Saturday #3 in 2022 and 2023? ’Twas at the request of our first responders, actually. July 4th weekend can tax local resources, and if the Deathride is too close to that weekend then the local LEOs and firefighters aren’t able to catch a breath. That was the case in 2022 and 2023, however for 2024 there’s a full Monday through Friday between the two and so 7-13-24 it is!

THE 43rd Edition of the – Deathride – Tour of the California Alps will again take on what I’ll refer to as the “Pacific Grade Course.” General feedback from the riders after two (2) years running that bad-ass mofo is that it’s harder than the most recent legacy course (arguably there are a few legacy courses) – Monitor, Ebbett’s, Carson – but prettier, and safer. Of the 103 miles, about 95 of those miles are on closed roads. That aspect of the ride is a massive logistical challenge yet IMHO it’s what makes the ride one of the best in the country, if not the world.

SHHH…Don’t tell. Registration is likely to open earlier this year than it has in the past. A little bird told me that the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce (organizers of “the DR”) is thinking of opening things up way before December 31st. Stay tuned, follow the DR – TOTCA Facebook page to get the latest data that matta, and we’ll see you next year!

It’s a leetle feesh, this one. Back in the Carson it went!

High Roads Transition Collaborative (HRTC)

COMMUNITY. The third prong of our tagline: Advocacy. Bikes. Community. is what this is about. Coincidentally, it’s right in the Chamber’s wheelhouse, too. Champions of commerce, conveners of community and providing connections for visitors are the Chamber’s focus (and the Deathride touches on all three). As the current board president of the Chamber I’m privileged, along with my colleagues on the board, and the Executive Director and her staff, to champion those causes.

RECENTLY, I’ve been appointed to the High Roads Transition Collaborative, and am one of two Alpine county representatives. It’s yet another opportunity to pay it forward for my adopted home county. On one hand I’m wondering WTF I was thinking taking on another volunteer gig, yet on the other I feel somewhat obliged to do so. With a small budget and low tax revenues due mostly to the small population, our county, as we say, runs on grants, and volunteers. What better way to give back then to do my part to help us continue to recover from what feels like non-stop pandemic-induced PTSD.

THE HRTC will guide the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) process in the seven-county Eastern Sierra CERF region and determine what projects are ultimately funded by this initiative.

THE Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) is a statewide program that was created to promote a sustainable and equitable recovery from the economic distress of COVID-19 by supporting new plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians.

Yeah, that’s a pretty color but it’s not a flower Mrs. Bee.
Ahh…good nector. A happy swallowtail getting some juice.

Speaking of Transitions…

HERE in Alpine County, especially in the Markleeville area, it’s not just jobs either. It’s housing. And to a certain extent, infrastructure. Housing continues to be a struggle, and infrastructure is a work in progress. We’ve got lots of bridge and road work going on this year, and next year our water system will get a massive upgrade, and Hot Springs Road will get a facelift, too.

FRIEND and local developer, Greg Hanson, is moving forward with his project: “Ambrosia.” With some cool cabins and a community collective kinda vibe, this new B&B is sure to be a hit and we can’t wait until it’s done – hopefully by fall of next year!

ANOTHER friend, and community collaborator 😉 , Tony Garcia, has opened up his Alpine Mobile Diesel shop at Al’s Got Gas, Bait and Tackle. It’s a big step forward to have a mechanic in town and we wish Tony all the best. I’ll definitely be taking our pick-up truck in to his place for service rather than humping all the way to Carson.

Happy Labor Day!

CHAINSAW master Joe T. is coming over today to help me get up to speed on the new Husky. The old one finally bit the dust and so Mrs. California Alps bought me a new Husqvarna so we could continue to clear out some of the damage from this past winter. Seems like a good way to celebrate Labor Day in the Sierra: take out some dead trees and buck up some wood for the winter.

man in blue shirt siting on tree branch wearing safety harness holding ropes on left hand and chainsaw in right hand
No that’s not me, nor Joe. It’s a photo by Jimmy Chan on Pexels.com

AFTERWARDS we’ll partake of some BBQ and brew. How about you?

WISHING you and yours a not too laborious Labor Day, and sending out huge thanks to everyone who keeps things moving out there, especially to those of you who do some of those hardcore jobs that others don’t, or won’t, do. WE APPRECIATE YOU!

deathride, events, rides

2023 Deathride – Tour Of The California Alps: After-Action Report

WELL, we don’t call the Tour of the California Alps the Deathride for nuffin’. Snow, hail, rain…We’ve seen all of that over the past forty-one editions. ‘Twas the heat though that we experienced for this one, the 42nd running, or riding, if you will. It was hot, hot, hot. Note to Steve at Half-Fast: I had planned to post this up last weekend my friend but WordPress crashed and the week was too busy. Apologies. 😬

THE thermometer was in the mid-90’s and hit 107 in the shade of the pop-ups, and 130-150 degrees on the pavement at the Expo. At least that’s what my trusty infrared thermometer indicated. Riders reported similar temperatures on the course later in the day, and as those of us who’ve been out on the road on a hot day know, add about 20 degrees (or more) to the ambient air temperature due to the heat reflected off the road.

We’ve got hummus. We’ve got Sprite. We’ve got noodles, too! All to be distributed throughout the course.
It’s a big trailer that holds all the food and beverage for the rest stops, so we can feed and water the riders out on the course.
Stoves and pots – gotta keep those taters warm and cook those Cup O’ Noodles’
Coolers, coolers and more coolers (and a few thermoses) being prepped for deployment to various locations on the course and the Expo.
Gels, Recoverite, Clif Bars and more, staged and ready for delivery to the rest stops throughout the course.

THE above images were taken at our warehouse at the Alpine County Early Learning Center. Sorting food, cleaning coolers and checking equipment were just some of the tasks that team tackled.

Posters, posters and more posters. We’ve got them going back to 1989. Here they’re airing out before we hang them inside the building.
Two days before the expo…The store and medical are set up.
Law enforcement get into the Deathride spirit, too.

YOU can perhaps get a sense of the heat, and the vibe, from the featured image of this post. That was taken late morning of the day of the ride. Our photog asked me to grab a few things from my booth and pose for a pic. Bullhorn – I used that to direct the riders coming into the Expo, and for a few other things, too. 😉 You may have noticed the radio around my neck. That I had so I could have direct communication with the radio van, whose crew had direct contact to the motos, ham operators and others out on the course. As the Ride Director, among other things I had the final call regarding medical transports. Thankfully I was third in line though, behind the first responders out on the course, and the medical staff at the Expo., including a doctor (see pic of Dr. G below), nurse practitioners and nurses. Thankfully my radio didn’t chirp at all other than to remind me to call in, and later cancel, the road closures to Caltrans.

MANY of these things were aspects of the ride that I hadn’t known existed. As a rider, or exhibitor, in years past, I never saw too much of what took place behind the scenes. Let’s just say this year was an eye-opener. The things that go into making this ride a success are many: Helicopters on stand-by, ambulances staged throughout the course, motos and permits…First responders on OHVs, food to be ordered and prepped, porta-potties to be delivered, merchandise to be sorted, registration to be set-up, and on and on it goes.

Motos staging before they head out on the course.
Volunteers sorting and folding shirts for the various crews.
Two days before the expo…The registration and seating area is ready to roll!
Schwag and scanning stations – getting things ready for the store and registration.

SPEAKING of radio comms and first responders…Even with the hellish heat there were no medical transports (at least to the hospital that is). We did have one rider suffering from heat exhaustion transported to TRP (Turtle Rock Park – where the Expo. and start/finish is located). I myself was on the verge of heat exhaustion at one point.

I had the distinct honor (and loads of fun) stamping the rider’s last stamp on their bib number as they came into the Expo after their ride. I was having so much fun that I didn’t realize I was beginning to feel the effects of the heat myself. As riders came in I would greet them, stamp their bib, and if they finished all six (6) climbs, pass on their number to a member of the team who would record it. Doing this in the hot sun for approximately four (4) hours took it’s toll and if it wasn’t for my neighbors telling me to grab some pine I myself might have been the target of a transport. Funny, I posted signage all around the Expo. about what to look for regarding heat exhaustion and heat stroke but I didn’t pay attention to my own warning. In the end it all worked out okay. No transport or medical attention needed, but it did take me a few days to recover.

THAT’S Dr. Katie G., “our doc.” (and a triathlete) getting a workout in while the riders were still out on the course. She and her team were incredible and we were so thankful to have them on hand.

ICE cream was/is a big perk that we offer at the Deathride. Yet another “engineering endeavor.”

That huge Ryder trailer was used for ice (both regular and dry). Dry ice, as you may not know, is colder than regular ice and it was that stuff that we put in the coolers to keep the ice cream from melting. Regular back & forths to the truck kept the ice cream hander-outters well stocked, and the cries of “Fxxk yeah!” after I pointed those very hot riders to that deliciousness were heard for hours.

OUR obsession this year was the continued RESURGENCE, and MODERNIZATION was our mantra.

SCANNING stations were a new addition, and we jettisoned paper waivers, too. Riders rec’d codes and thanks to Enmotive all the registration team had to do was scan the code, scan the bib number, print the emergency contact info and apply it to the bib number and bam. While I know this is par for the course for some rides, here in Alpine County we move a bit slowly. 🙂

KITS were drop shipped, too, and Finishers were sent an email with a link so they could order their jersey once the got home. That meant shorter lines and happier riders (and staff).

FOOD was another focus. In addition to BBQ and Indian tacos on Friday at the Expo., we brought back the Friday night spaghetti feed, and it was a lip-smacking, noodle-sucking success. On Saturday, for the rider’s dinner, we had some amazing smoked meat and chicken, and vegan/vegetarian options too. And cookies and brownies as big as your head!

SPEAKING of baked…The Deathriders, even though most were fully-baked, were so very appreciative of everything and everyone, especially the volunteers. The community comes out in full-force; of the approximately 200 or so folks involved in the ride, fewer than ten (10) were paid. There is a sense of pride that pervades the entire endeavor and it’s these incredible individuals that really make the Deathride what it is. Huge thanks to any of you who might have been part of that crew.

SOME stats and a couple of videos to wrap things up…

ABOUT 1300 registrants, 1034 check-ins and 595 FINISHERS. Incredible effort, riders!

Having a bit of fun with the first riders to check in on Friday…

Riders heading out at o’dark thirty…

IT’S ironic: Mrs. California Alps Cycling and I moved here in 2016 because of the Deathride but I never thought I’d have the privilege of heading up such an astounding and iconic ride.

IT was an honor and I’m oh so thankful.

BE sure to check out the Deathride Facebook page for lots more photos, many from the riders themselves.

NOW it’s on to 2024. Yup, we’re already in the planning stages.

deathride, events, giving back

It’s Going To Be A Wild Ride!

WITH the big day less than one (1) week out it I’m feeling it. No doubt the rest of the team is, too. The Deathride, the most iconic ride in the California Alps, and dare I say, one the most iconic in the country, if not the world, is a great source of pride for the community, or communities, of Alpine County, and the 42nd “riding” takes place this Saturday, July 15th.

IT takes a village to put on such a logistical feat, and this year, being hornswoggled into the event director role, I’ve gotten a perspective that I’ve never seen before. Like most of you I suspect, I’ve ridden a bunch of centuries and gran fondos. Getting a behind the scenes look as to what goes into making such an event happen, though? Nope. That’s a new one.

Yup! That road is also closed for the Deathride!

As I mentioned, I have the distinct (and somewhat scary) privilege of being the event director for this year’s ride. Funny…Mrs. California Alps Cycling and I moved here because of the Tour of the California Alps, but I never thought I’d be helping lead such a renown ride. Just figured I’d be riding it. Hopefully for years to come. But here in our small community it’s easy to get involved. We run on grants, with sweat-equity provided by volunteers for the most part (with some notable exceptions), and as such many of us wear many hats.

THE work, though…that’s being done by a small, yet mighty team. Some of whom are volunteers and some of whom are paid. They are, in alpha order, Michael “Bullet Points” Bayer; Corey “Chill” Bolton; Di “Bodhi” Bolton; Melissa “No Friction” Edwards; Kate “Technokid” Harvey; Dave “Register, Damn It” Scarborough, and Meghan “Numbers” Wolff. They have no idea I’ve given them these nicknames. I hope they don’t kick me in the hiney tomorrow when we all get together to kick off what is sure to be an awesome, yet challenging, week. More chillingly, I wonder what nickname they’ll give me.

Deathride Hell Week

TOMORROW, the crucible begins with a walk-through of the “flows” of the expo on both Friday and Saturday. It also starts the week of deliveries and set up. Check in stations arrive tomorrow. Generators, too. The expo store buildings are coming in on Tuesday. Dumpsters get delivered on Wednesday. The ice truck, and the all-important ice cream, come in on Thursday. The port-a-potties portage begins on Thursday and continues through Friday. Di is picking up a truck Monday, a van on Wednesday, and another truck on Thursday.

MERCHANDISE has been, and is still coming in. Jerseys, tees, pins, bib numbers, glasses, cups, food of all sorts.

Such a great kit it’s scary!

EQUIPMENT needs to be tested. Swag bags for the riders (about 1300) need to be stuffed. Posters need to be hung.

LOGISTICS are a huge lift, as you might imagine. Getting all of that stuff to the aid stations, water stations and the lunch stop is a real feat. Up and over Monitor, and Ebbett’s, to Lake Alpine, and points in between. In some cases these deliveries take place in the middle of the night or just before sunrise. Some crews camp out so they can set up, warm food and be ready for those early, Sierra-chilled, riders.

OVERSEEING the distribution of the right stuff to the right places in the right order, and then “undistributing” (i.e., reversing and re-schlepping) all that paraphernalia back into the trucks, and then back to command central takes an outfit, let me tell you. Some of “Di’s volunteers” have been at this for decades.

SUNDAY after the big day many of us meet at Turtle Rock Park and unpack the trucks. Back into storage things go. Signage, bike racks, coolers, stoves, tables, flags, cones, and on and on. Left over food gets examined and what’s safe to donate (most of it) is re-packed and delivered to local food banks.

Cha-Ching

WHILE the ride generates six-figure revenue it is by no means a profit generator. At least for the Chamber of Commerce. “Numbers” oversees our ducats, both for the Chamber and for the ride, and yours truly gets to countersign some of those large checks.

THOUSANDS of dollars for food, insurance, permits, and more. Just some examples:

  • Post-ride meal for the riders: $21k
  • Lunch sandwiches: $6k
  • Trucks and van: $1500
  • Caltrans Encroachment Permit (so we can close the roads): $7800 last year, and could be twice that much this year. Don’t have the bill yet. Cha-ching! 😉

$33,000. That’s how much we contributed to the volunteer organizations that helped us last year. Boy Scouts, Alpine Co. Fire Safe Council, Elks, Alpine Co. Search and Rescue, Tahoe Amateur Radio Assoc., and Woodford’s Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, just to name a few. This year will be no different.

ALPINE county businesses benefit from the influx of riders, too. By the end of the week, more people will have registered for the ride than live in all of Alpine County. Not kidding. Just under 1200 live in the county and we’re figuring to have about 1300 riders. With their support crews, the town of Markleeville sees and supports thousands of people that it doesn’t usually see. Hotels are full and campgrounds will be overflowing. It’s wild!

Getting Here

FOR the leadership team it’s been weeks of Zoom meetings (7:30 a.m. Tuesdays) and a bunch of in-person meetings. And that doesn’t include the individual meetings and phone calls that each of the team leaders is hosting or having.

LOCAL agencies, from the Alpine Co. Sheriff’s Office, to the California Highway Patrol, to Caltrans, to REMSA (ambulance and helicopter), to the Alpine Co. Volunteer Firefighters, to Community Development, to the Health Dept., and on it goes. We all met a couple weeks ago to make sure those safety-related plans were in place. Check.

A CAPTAIN’S meeting took place that same night at one of our local fire stations. Dozens of folks from all over the county came in to Woodfords so they could all sync-up. Ham radio operators, aid-station staffers, retail store personnel, registration greeters; all were there, and well-fed by Mad Dog Cafe. Cha-ching! 😉

PERMITS are a big deal. Two (2) are key: the Caltrans Encroachment Permit and the Alpine Co. Special Event Permit. Don’t get either. Don’t have a ride. While a stressful process (admittedly some of that brought on ourselves) it was made much more palatable by the agencies we worked with to get those permits. Coming down to the wire we were but we were able (obviously) to secure those permits. Big thanks to Alpine County Community Development, the Alpine Co. Planning Commission and Caltrans for patiently working with our team and supporting our efforts.

Let’s Rock and Roll!

BEAR Valley is ready. Markleeville is too. Speaking of ready…The roads are rough and ready after this past winter. By the end of the day Thursday, we’ll be ready too.

SLEEP? We’ll do that on Monday the 17th.