Category: events

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On The Road To A Renaissance Here In The Heart Of The California Alps

JT Chevalier (Alpine County’s PIO and Econ. Dev. Advisory Committee Chair) and I were yakking a couple weeks ago about the vibe in town due to the many new things that are happening here in Alpine County lately, and he suggested that we’re kicking off somewhat of a renaissance in the least populated county in California.

AS we like to say “One person per square mile, and you!”

MRS. California Alps and I, and Momma CA Alps (that’s her on the left), tend to agree!

NOW that spring is beginning to actually spring (after one or two more – knocky-knocky – doses of the white stuff), and knowing that some of you may already have planned your visit, or might do so after reading this post, let me whet your appetite and regale you with a list of things-a-happenin’ here from the East Slope (Woodfords and Markleeville) to the West Slope (Bear Valley and Kirkwood).

The Alpine County Resource Advisory Committee

THE renewed (there was one back in 2010 or so) Alpine County Resource Advisory Committee, “the RAC”, held its second meeting last month, and representatives, including yours truly, spent about three (3) hours reviewing six (6) projects, and I’m thrilled to say, approving five (5) of them!

  • Camp Like a Pro Program
  • Forest Service Recreation Technician
  • Scotts Lake Dispersed Campground Vault Restroom
  • Scotts Lake/Faith Valley Kiosks
  • Woodfords Visitor Information Kiosk

WITH approximately $115,000 available now, and more funding to follow, we voted to fully fund these projects, with priority given to the first four (4). Expect to see them bearing fruit starting in 2024.

LEARN more about the RAC here and read this post for some additional context.

Arts And Culture Alpine County

CHECK out this post from last month for more info. Suffice it to say things are moving along nicely. It’s getting closer to being an official entity with a brick & mortar location! Soon a name will be selected. IMHO it doesn’t matter a whole lot what it’s called yet some of us have our preferences. A rose by any other name, right?

MORE importantly, the group already has some event and gallery ideas in the works.

ALPINE County will likely see the fruits of their labor this summer or early fall, so stay tuned!

Markleeville Farmer’s Market

zucchinis and artichoke in plastic crates

SPEAKING of fruits (okay, those are veggies but we’ll have fruit, too), the county has put out an RFQ for a farmer’s market manager and we hope to see our first “fruit, veggie and crafts (including local artists) expo” in June.

COMING our way this summer…Woo, hoo!

FINGERS crossed, there might even be a market around the Deathride weekend.

Alpine County Chamber Of Commerce And Visitor’s Center

MEGHAN Wolff, Manager, has really taken charge of things since she came aboard in the fall of last year. She’s got a couple marketing professionals (one for the Chamber/VC and one for the Deathride) already hard at work, and with the help of two part-time employees, Graham and Virginia, both locals, is staffing the Visitor’s Center seven (7) days a week.

SHE and her team (that’s Meghan talking up the crowd) held an amazing mixer the Thursday before last at the Outwest Cafe (thank you Danelle and Joey) and we had the highest attendance (about 30) that a Chamber event has had since I can remember.

JT commented that it was about half the population. 🙂

Not too far off, JT!

CHECK out the newly revamped events page for some upcoming adventures from Kirkwood to Bear Valley and points in between. I hope to see you at one or more of them in the coming weeks and do stay tuned for more exciting things to come from the “ACCOC & VC.”

New Look And Feel

THE Chamber and the County have been working closely together on some re-branding efforts, including new logos and some fantastically produced videos (think “Are You Alpine?”), and those in attendance at that mixer got an early preview.

WHILE the new logo(s) haven’t been finalized, in fact we’ve got another version in the works with a Washoe artist, here’s a glimpse at one option, side-by-side with our current logo on the left. What do you think?

Renaissance Indeed!

THESE are just the new things. We’ve still got fishing (Fishmas is next month), the Bear Valley Music Festival, Hermitfest West, and East, the Deathride, Sierra Stargazing, and more. There’s so much going on this summer and fall that I’ve likely missed something. The Chamber’s Events page will capture it, though, so bookmark that sucker and make plans to be in Alpine County, and take in the Alpine-vibe, soon.

WILDFLOWER season is approaching too!

ONCE the snow melts we’re sure to see some good color. Don’t miss it!

Twelve Days of Being Alpine – A Photo & Video Diary

IT all started in Woodfords on Friday, June 17th, with the Annual Diamond Valley School Bike-a-thon (and bike-rodeo). That “annual part” has been missing until this year but thanks to the hard work of many individuals, much cat-herding by one of them (not me), and major contributions from local businesses, non-profits, bike shops and bike clubs, the event was a huge success.

YOURS truly, and many others, including Michael from Alta Alpina (thanks Michael – couldn’t have done it without you!), worked for several nights prior to the big event, tuning up the kids bikes and getting the donated bikes ready, too.

New bikes ready for a new home. These were all donated by locals, businesses and non-profits. Over 30 of them going to new homes!
The kids getting ready to head out to Diamond Valley Road. Firefighter Paul will keep them out of trouble.

GIVING back to the community, especially to the kids, is one of our primary missions here at California Alps Cycling. I was especially pleased to find some whitewalls for Nick’s old Electra, and to see him ready to rumble, with a big ol’ smile, was oh so cool!

WRENCHING on these bikes was a great trip down memory lane, too, to the days when I was a youngster and worked on my own bikes with crescent wrenches, end-wrenches, cone-wrenches and such. No hydraulic brakes, discs, ceramic bearings, or carbon frames here!

GROVER Hot Springs State Park, you ask…Here’s a quick video of a gravel ride I took last weekend. I started at the pool, which unfortunately is not yet open due to damage from the Tamarack Fire. You’ll notice other damage as you peruse the video. Apologies for the video quality…I had to save it as 720p because after one hour plus of trying to upload the “1080 version” I received this response from WordPress: “Unexpected response from the server. The file may have been uploaded successfully. Check in the Media Library or reload the page.”

WELL, it didn’t, upload successfully that is, and so 720 it is/was. Let’s just say our internet here in Markleeville isn’t the fastest. 😉

The band Ismay, just one of the many great bands that entertained us last weekend.

Made all the more fun due to the fact that the guitarist and singer-songriter/lead vocalist are locals who have put their ducats where their bocas are and have already started helping us recover, and obviously feel strongly about giving back to our community.

Thank you Andy and Avery!

LET’s wrap it up with some fishing news…

It’s been good and it’s bound to get even better! The state planted some fish Monday and the County planted some last week.

A buddy of mine fished Hope Valley and over by Monitor Pass just this morning. He caught 16!

NOTHING finer than fresh-grilled trout, let me tell you. Come wet a line here in one of our many lakes, streams and rivers and fire up that grill!

HAVE an awesome Independence Day weekend, whatever you decide to do!

BE safe, and sane, and remember, the Deathride is in just over two (2) weeks. We’ll be out at the Expo on Friday and Saturday so be sure to stop by and say hi if you’re going to partake in the Tour of the California Alps. 103 miles and over 14000 feet of climbing. Type 2 fun for sure!

An Inspirational Deathride Video – and Other Alpine County News

101 days and counting until the Tour of the California Alps, menacingly, yet lovingly referred to as the Deathride. When you’re on the course, especially on climbs 5 or 6 – this year there are six of those bad boys – you might feel like you are close to death, but thankfully no one has ever died on the Deathride.

The tertiary try is the charm we hope! 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic. 2021 “flamed out” because of the Tamarack Fire. Let’s go 2022!

THE Alpine County Chamber of Commerce has just issued a press release and an amazing and inspirational (we think) promotional video. We’ve never done anything like this before (at least that I’m aware of) regarding our beloved “DR” so it’s yet another first from the Deathride team.

HUGE kudos to Becky DeForest, Exec. Director of the Chamber, for herding the necessary cats to get it done.

GET’S me fired up when I watch it and I’m certainly honored that several California Alps Cycling members, including yours truly, are in it!

LET me know what you think. If you were waffling, did it change your mind? If you had never considered riding it, are you now? Will you perhaps share it on your social media channels to get others excited?

Some Tree Planting and a Community Clean-up

THE above images are courtesy of the Markleeville Water Company. They show some members of CalFire and the California Conservation Corps doing the “seedling shuffle.” 😉

READ their post for some more information on this planting, which took place just over two (2) weeks ago. It also has some links to register for the tree plantings that will take place on April 9th (this Saturday) and May 1st, so if any of you have some spare time and would like to help us with our restoration efforts please do sign up. We’ve love to have you!

MARKLEEVILLE’S Enhancement Club (MEC) has scheduled its Spring Clean-up for Saturday, May 14th. This all-volunteer beautification committee will be doing some work in and around town, picking up trash and biomass, trimming trees and bushes, picking up litter on two (2) Adopt-a-Highways stretches of Highway 89 (California Alps Cycling’s section from Turtle Rock Park to Camp Markleeville and Alpine Watershed Group’s section from Camp Markleeville to Monitor Junction), and doing a bit of landscaping and such at Al’s Got Gas (our local fuel depot).

RIDE here? Hike here? Boulder here? Here’s yet another chance to give back. Email me if you’re interested and I’ll add you to the list.

Other Upcoming Events

WE’VE got a few other things in the works this year, on both the East Slope (east of the Sierra crest – Hope Valley, Markleeville, Woodfords) and the West Slope (west of the Sierra crest – Bear Valley, Kirkwood).

HERE are some ideas:

  • Live Music at Cutthroat Brewing Company – Fridays 6 – 8 p.m., Markleeville
  • Women’s Fly Fishing Retreat – May 13th -> 15th at Wylder Hope Valley
  • High Sierra Archery Shoot – June 11th -> 12th at Bear Valley Resort
  • Ebbetts Fest – June 12th – Benefiting the Ebbett Pass Scenic Byway Asssocation
  • Music in the Park – Starting June 25th, Alpine Co. Library, Markleeville
  • Bear Valley Music Festival – July 22nd, Bear Valley
  • Stargazing – August 27th, Alpine Co. Airport, Markleeville

FOR specific details on these events, and to peruse other options, go to the Events Page of the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center.

Last But Not Least – Our Local Passes

MONITOR Pass is open!

Ebbett’s Pass should be soon based on the Caltrans activity I noticed on a lunchtime ride yesterday; a beauty day here in the California Alps. That’s me in front of Raymond Meadow Creek (RMC), at the 7000′ mark of Highway 4, just below Silver Creek Campground, on the Ebbett’s Pass Highway.

I chatted for a few minutes with a trio of mountain athletes from Sacramento before I turned around and headed back down the mountain. These dudes had just come back from behind the “7000′ gate” and were hanging out basking in the glory of their day’s adventures. They told me the road was just plowed but they didn’t get all the way to the top so not sure how far up the snow was removed. It was cool to see some skis, a mountain bike and a gravel bike nearby. Talk about being Alpine!

COME and get some! And remember to check our local weather and air conditions page for current weather and air quality before you head up, down, in or over.

SEE you soon!