JANUARY was wild and wooly here in the heart of the California Alps. Many of us residents of Alpine Co. – certainly everyone I know – were a bit “snow-shocked” from those nine (9) dances with water we had here in the Golden State. Blowing snow, shoveling snow, chipping away ice, trying to get propane; and dealing with roof leaks caused by the enormous quantity and type of snow (sierra cement for the most part – heavy and wet) combined with the freekingly freezing temperatures kept yours truly, and our neighbors, especially busy.
HERE’S what we awoke to on New Year’s Day!
IT didn’t end there. Just about a week later we made the network news as the next storm made its way through the Sierra.
AND just a couple days later…
JUST a week after that it was still dumping that wonderful white stuff. I can say that now, “wonderful” that is, but admittedly I was big-time whining. I’m smiling here because I was thankful I had such an awesome snowblower, and I was listening to some good tunes, and I was getting closer to being done for the day.
Breathing Room
FINALLY. We got a bit of a break and I was able to get outside for a couple rides. More importantly, I was able to give my VERY SORE hands, wrists and shoulders a break and send my friend Arthur Itis home for a few days. Still, even with all the “snow-work” I was able to ride 387 miles last month. All but 37 of those miles were inside as it turns out. I finally ordered the rim strips and stems I needed, though, to get my fatbike ready for some snow. Hoping to get Farley set up soon so I can partake in some of that POW all my cycling friends are enjoying.
HERE are Roscoe and I on one of those two (2) outside rides. This one from HQ here in Markleeville, up to, and just past Monitor Junction.
THEN it was Blue’s turn. A bluebird day (and not too cold – high 30’s) reward for our Diamond Valley Loop ride.
WHILE I’m happy to be back on the bike in earnest, and stoked to see my fitness trending up, I must admit that I’m jealous of my cycling friends who are having some of the best skiing of their lives up here in the Sierra, at least that’s what they’re “saying” on Strava.
I need to learn how to ski. Thinking nordic, not alpine. But hey, maybe I should first get my backside outside on those snowshoes.
IT’S just so easy to jump on the trainer, and it’s warmer. Am I getting a bit soft in my old(er) age? Not sure but I can tell you that I, and my neighbors, are definitely looking forward to spring!
NEXT week…Some updates on our advocacy efforts, some deathride news, and some headlines from the community.
OUR wild ride started about ten (10) days ago here in California Alps Cycling country. Things have been in disarray since, made all the better (not!) by some extended travel time, and other challenges, and so my apologies for not getting this report out a bit sooner.
NONETHELESS…
‘TWAS Wednesday, August 3rd, about 3:00 p.m. That’s when the skies opened up, and within hours the waves of mud and debris came tumblin’ down Markleeville’s Main Street (aka Hwy. 89).
THERE I was, sitting on said Hwy. 89 just north of town, at the temporary light constructed by Caltrans, just after giving blood (1 gallon milestone, by the way!) in Minden, NV. Another car was coming up the hill in the one lane that was available for travel – hence the light – and I was surprised at how much, and how fast, that puddle it just passed through, was growing. Then I noticed the mini-boulders on the road.
AND then I looked up and saw the water, rocks and mud beginning to flow from the scarp above me. “This isn’t good,” I said aloud. Then I began yelling at the light to change (there were no more cars stopped opposite me). Also aloud, and with some, as you might imagine, colorful language.
IT didn’t change fast enough (that detritus above was getting chunkier) and there were no cars coming up, so off I went. Just over a mile and home I was. The rain was just getting started as it turns out. I learned a little later that Mom came in ahead of me. She had hitched up her wagon to go to town (Gardnerville, NV – just so. of Minden) and do some shopping at the general store, i.e., Raley’s. 😉
WE both got home about 3:30 p.m. Thunderstorm-palooza then began in earnest.
This was the scene on Friday, after much of the mud had been removed.
2.2 Inches In About An Hour!
OUR weather station’s console read “It’s raining cats and dogs!”
HERE’S a little little video to give some sense of the rain rate and intensity. That’s Hot Springs Road between us and the fire station across the street.
Mrs. California Alps Cycling and I had seen that message before but not displayed for so long and not with so much associated ca-ca (i.e., sticks, mud, pinecones, etc.) in the run-off outside. I donned my foul weather gear (including hard hat) after awhile so I could do some cleaning and clearing in order to keep things moving the right way. My wife and I did a lot of whoa!-ing and holy-s*&t!-ing, let me tell you.
DIDN’T know how bad it was in town until the next day…
MARKLEEVILLE’S Post Office parking lot the day after – and this was after much of the mud was cleared away. Still, needed my muck boots to pick up yesterday’s mail. We were shocked when we got into town. We had some idea that it was going to be a mess, but this? Not on our radar…
Mud and debris fill the north pull in area at Al’s Got Gas.More locals helping out up post-thunderstorm. Notice the large pile of mud on the right.Locals all came together for the clean up post-thunderstorm. The heavy equipment had already come through.Close-up…Mud and debris fill the north pull-out area at Al’s Got Gas.Some images of town and many of our hard-hit businesses. To clarify that hard-hit part…Thankfully hardly any mud, and not much water got into the buildings, with one unfortunate exception. However, having to close for a couple days, combined with lack of access from the Hwy. 88 side, and the fact that this is disaster #3 in three (3) years…The hits to our businesses just keep on comin’.
SO many have been so generous already and if you too can help out, please do. Our little county doesn’t have much of a tax base (1100 people in the entire county) so grants, donations and the like are so very helpful.
MAKE a donation of $50.00 or more and I’ll send you a t-shirt as a small token of appreciation.Go big ($200 or more) and I’ll send you a windvest. Just send me an email with a screenshot and I’ll follow up with ya!
WE are grieving (again) but we are NOT wallowing so please don’t feel sorry for us. We, like so many communities throughout the world, just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
OKAY, so back to the story…
THURSDAY afternoon it was. I found myself filling sandbags with so many of my friends. Everyone had rallied at the fire station so bags could be positioned in town to protect the buildings from what was supposed to be the next wave. Thankfully it didn’t come. It might, however, this week, and if not, IMHO it’s likely to occur before summer’s end. We’re resilient though if nothing else, and more importantly there are a lot of skilled, Sierra-forged individuals – with heavy equipment 😉 – in the area.
Deep mud, and silt, and debris. Pretty much everywhere.
WE needed all the help we could get. And that help also came in the form of two (2) bay area fire departments making the trip to Markleeville and spending several days helping us dig out.
THANK YOU Menlo Park F.D. and Oakland F.D!
Heritage Park, just south of town, is where Caltrans is storing heavy equipment and more for the Markleeville bridge reconstruction. As you can see it too became a mud bath. Caltrans has already dug out though; work on our bridge will continue!
What’s Next?
ABOUT another week of going over Monitor Pass to get to Nevada or South Lake Tahoe, for one. We’ve all been doing that since the 3rd, but the temporary bridge over the ~20 foot gap on northbound Hwy. 89 should be in place by the 22nd. Just this past Friday the sheriff’s escort started, though, so we can get in and out via a side-road constructed just for that purpose. Twice a day only, between 7-730 a.m. and 6-630 p.m.
Otherwise it’s a southbound trip down Hwy. 89 then east up and over Monitor Pass and then north on Hwy. 395 only to turn west in Gardernerville and head up Hwy. 88 to Luther Pass where it’s north again to Big Blue.
SO, what is usually about a 40′ trip to So. Lake Tahoe takes about two (2) hours! No fun. Especially when at the 1.25 hour mark you end up at Woodfords Junction, six (6) miles north of Markleeville.
GROVER Hot Spring’s waterfall beckons (and the campground is open)…
I did a mountain bike ride up to and around the park, followed with about a 1/2 mile hike up to the falls. A special treat it was to dunk my head under one of those “little drips.” From town it’s only three (3) miles or so up to the park. There’s a nice spur trail too, to get you into the park – Charity Valley East. Check it out!
EBBETT’S Pass is still rideable…
Was a beautiful ride last weekend for my 19th ascent up the south/east side.
Like I Said, Grieving, Not Wallowing
ALPINE County is still one of the most beautiful places in the Sierra.
AS the saying goes, one (1) person per square mile (it’s actually .6754 persons), and you!
DON’T give up on us. We’re not going anywhere and we’re looking forward to seeing you again soon.
AFTER all Hwy. 89 into Markleeville will be open next Monday! You can buy me a beer. I’ll pick up the second round.
WELL, it finally happened; a good snowfall that is, and among other things it helped make the unsightly remnants of the Tamarack Fire a bit more sightly. Those blackened trees look much better with a coating of snow.
MORE importantly, the white gift from above is a good start (albeit one that is a bit later than we’d prefer) to what (fingers crossed) could be a decent winter season.
SINCE moving to Markleeville in the summer of 2016 we’ve experienced two (2) good winters: 2016-2017 and 2018-2019. We had only one serious dumping of snowflakes last year and we feared we were going to have another dry winter this year. While it’s certainly too early to prognosticate, we’re cautiously optimistic that this year will be different.
MARSHAWN, our two-stage snowblower purchased last year, is finally getting to do some beast-mode blowing this year. My neighbors suspected it was that purchase that canned last year’s snowy season. While I wish I was that powerful, however, I’m not. Marshawn is, though, and he moved these recent snowdrifts with ease. No choking on the Sierra cement, and that dude can throw it let me tell ya!
SNOWBLOWERS were something I had only heard of, or seen on post-east coast blizzard highlights on the news, before we moved here. Initially I figured I’d just shovel the white-stuff. It would be a good work out I told myself. Well, after about two (2) weeks of that, and the sore shoulders and back that came with it, I made a call to Sears and picked up our first snowblower. A one-stager it was but it did the trick.
UNTIL last year that is when the snow got so heavy and deep that we realized it was time to upgrade. That’s where Marshawn came in and it was the wife who named him. If fact, he’s such a beast that he took out (Honey, it wasn’t me, it was Marshawn!) one of our deck pickets and also cut out a nice chunk of one of the 4×4 posts. I definitely need some more practice managing Mr. Beastmode. Let’s hope I get plenty in the days and weeks to come.
That’s Marshawn and me cutting a rug just yesterday.
AS for riding, I’ve got a plan there as well. Farley (read this post for more info. on him) and I are looking forward to our first fatbike foray out on the trails. Fingers crossed we can get out there this weekend, if not sooner.
WHILE it’s an agreeable alternative to riding outside, the pain cave isn’t quite the same. It is, however a must-have here in Markleeville, and other snowy regions I suspect. I also find that for the most part I can do a better job at structured workouts on Zwift or FulGaz; it’s challenging to do sprints, intervals, HIIT and such when you’re climbing as soon as you leave the house.
Avalanche warnings are coming fast and furious lately, too. This recent snow on a weak snowpack is cause for concern and yesterday we received some advice to stay out of the backcountry for a few days. Good advice indeed. An avalanche is NOT a good thing to experience (stating the obvious I suspect), especially when you’re not trained in what to do or don’t have the right equipment, or both. This weekend, Mrs. CA Alps Cycling and I will be attending our first avalanche course. It’s not the full blown outside experience but it’s a start and we’re looking forward to learning more about snowslides.
RIDING a road bike in snowy and icy conditions can be a kick, though, as long as the roads are plowed. If the gates are closed at Monitor Junction it can be a sublime experience with no cars to worry about. On the other hand extraction can be an issue so you really need to be comfortable in those conditions, have the necessary emergency gear and make sure “your people” know exactly where you’re going and when you’ll be back.
A few photos to whet your appetite…
I’LL follow up with a post-ride post on my fatbike experience once I’m brave enough to take the plunge.
IN the meantime, if you do decide to confront the crystally conditions yourself, whether it be on a bike, snowmobile, snowshoes, skis or what have you, please be prepared and most importantly
BE CAREFUL.
I’D like you to be able to keep reading my posts, k?
LAST weekend’s storm dumped about six (6) inches here at HQ in a 36-hour period! Reminiscent of the first winter (that drought buster) we spent here in the California Alps (2016-2017), this storm was a hair-raising reminder of that particular season of rain and snow that seemed to never end. Let’s hope the pattern continues.
Images of Hot Springs Creek (fka the Middle Fork of the Carson). Clockwise from top left: From this year’s recent storm – swollen and blackened (from the ash); after the storm with detritus dropped at the high-water mark; a raging, chocolately version from the winter of 2016-17; from the winter of 2016, before the storm-door opened.
THERE was a definite difference this time, however: this storm came post-Tamarack Fire. That difference was apparent in several ways.
Alpine Co. Unified Command cautioned all of us to have three (3) days worth of supplies in case we were “locked-in” and also warned us to be prepared to evacuate.
The Sheriff’s office staged a trailer of quad runners at the fire station across the street just in case debris or mudslides blocked access to Hot Springs Road. Forward thinking as usual…Thankfully though those “runners” weren’t busted out.
The sandbag station at the fire station was re-supplied and frequently visited. Not by us as it turns out; since it was across the street we decided not to load up bags unless we absolutely needed them.
The water was black (instead of the usual chocolate milk to which we have become accustomed) from all the ash being washed downstream.
That old black water making its way downstream…The creek was a bit menacing, and an unearthly color, due to the ash from the Tamarack Fire.
WELL, as you might imagine, we weathered the storm and all has returned to some semblance of normal here in Markleeville (and beyond). Hope the same holds true for you.
The Clean-Up Has Begun!
NORMAL these days frequently includes the sounds of chainsaws, log-haulers, bob-tails and other heavy equipment rolling up and down Hot Springs Road and Highway 89 between Woodfords and Markleeville. It’s a good thing (albeit somewhat sad and depressing at the same time); dead trees being removed, batting and such being laid down…Stuff like that.
MANY organizations and community leaders have met, and are continuing to meet, including tomorrow night and Tuesday. We continue to work hard to bring the area back to what it should be. It will take some time, and some of us may not see it, but the process has begun.
Fishing, Peeping and Riding
THE Carson is back to its clear, swiftly moving self and there have been more fishermen (and women) casting their lines recently. Haven’t heard of, nor seen, any whales being taken out, but hey, any day fishing, right? The weather has been glorious since the storm. We’ve even had a couple high-60 days!
Glowing aspens on Hwy. 4
In town…Looking upstream from a friends house
FALL colors abound and they seem especially florescent this year. The leaves are dropping but there’s still a few leaf-peeping opportunities here and about. There are patches of red, orange and yellow on Monitor, Ebbetts, Blue Lakes and today I heard that the Walker, Coleville area (Walker River fishing! Oh, boy!) was glowing.
MONITOR is open so you can come here and do some riding in Alpine Co. and Mono Co.
FYI, as of Friday, Highway 4 heading from Markleeville to Ebbetts Pass was closed at Centerville Flat. That’s the campground at Wolf Creek Road. I did ride past the gate several miles to Scossa cow camp – there are NEVER any cows camping there, though -and there is snow on the road. Not sure when (if) they’ll open that gate but fingers crossed we’ll not get too many more chances to try and make the pass this year.
WE need that snow, you know!?
WE’RE off to the annual Halloween parade here in town. Trick or treating is a bit challenging in our little mountainous area so the sheriff’s office closes the road into town, the fire department volunteers fire up the trucks, the kids put on their costumes; and they all parade into town from the library where we greet them with cheers, and gobs of candy.
I’LL have to bring an adult beverage or two to wash down that chocolate.
STAY safe, ride on and let’s kick some spirits’ asses. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
IT’S Monday night, August 30th, and I’m thinking about what’s happening here in the California Alps, which includes one of the jewels of the world, Lake Tahoe. These fires…it’s surreal and they’re taking on an almost human quality. Or should I say a demon quality?
I’M a firm believer in balance and so I understand, and welcome in the right circumstances, fire. And water (thinking of you New Orleans). I also believe that we are reaping what we have sewn. Not going to go there – down that “climate change is here, damnit” path – that is. Oh wait…
SO, as I was saying. Life around here since July 16th has been strange. Scary, anxiety-ridden, angry, sad, happy, fulfilling, disappointing, unhappy, pissed-off, irritated, STRANGE. I don’t recall ever feeling such a range of emotions over such a short period of time.
NONETHELESS, life goes on. And we go on and try to be normal as best we can. Since Sunday, we’ve had these little windows of fresh air in the middle of this smoke-filled firestorm that has seemingly targeted the area.
GREEN AQI all day today, for example. It’s eery…Just a few miles away, to our northwest, is a nasty looking smoke plume from the Caldor Fire. I took the pic at the top of this post yesterday (Sunday), on my way home from a ride up Hwy. 4. There was a “good-air window” and I took it. I cut the ride short, though, as the smoke seemed to be pushing in. That is what I saw from Monitor Junction on my way back to HQ.
Thisis what I saw this morning, looking north towards Lake Tahoe from Hwy 4. at Raymond Meadow Creek.
If you look closely you can see the smoky haze in the distance.
OH shit. That doesn’t look good, I said to myself. Been saying that a lot lately…Also been attending a lot of live fire-briefing events on Facebook.
AND constantly checking Twitter or other sources for the latest intel while trying to separate the wheat from the chaff as I go.
NEVERENDING. And last night, Mrs. California Alps Cycling and I began thinking about yet another evacuation. Just 6 miles away, in the Mesa Vista area of Alpine Co., they’re on an evacuation warning. The fire has reached Christmas Valley and has made its way into South Lake Tahoe so the way things are going, we figure, we could be under evacuation warnings sometime soon ourselves. Hopefully not but we are getting good at it. Something I hoped I’d never say.
In Other News…
OUR internet is working again and that’s making life much more liveable. I remember when internet was a nice-to-have (yes, I’m old…er) but today it’s a must have, IMHO. Yet so many people less fortunate than I don’t have it. We learned through this experience that good internet (and cell service) is as necessary as power and water. Eye-opening for sure.
THE Markleeville General Store is still closed. 🙁 Sad but true. Repairs and such post-fire.
OUTWEST Cafe, as well as the Toll Station, and the Cutthroat, are open.
FISHING is pretty much non-existent. There have been no plants since before the fire and there is hardly any camping here since our national forests are closed, but the Carson River Resort is open and based on what I’ve heard, pretty booked up.
AIR quality? you ask. We feel guilty. Honestly. The air here has been great this entire week. What I saw Sunday never made it any farther south and I got out for a ride this morning. It was so pretty I almost forgot what was happening in South Lake.
RED flag warnings there (and here too), but the wind that is making the Caldor Fire do what it’s doing is pushing the smoke to our north and east.
This was a/o 2:45 p.m. today.
WATER is an issue, too. Since our watershed was hammered pretty hard, and we have limited resources, at this point we’re on water restrictions with limited outside watering. Thankfully that recently changed. Up until about ten (10) days ago landscape watering was not allowed at all. Small (yet big) victory.
WE’VE been invaded by bears! Well that’s not really true. They were here first. Nevertheless they are more prevalent and getting a bit more brave. Earlier this week my neighbor’s car was torn up pretty well. First time since we’ve lived here that I’ve seen that.
THEY, like other fauna, are hungry and since so much of the surrounding forest was torched, animals and birds are coming to any oases they can find. Lucky us (kinda), we’ve got one. The wild-turkeys, with their youngins, are especially welcome.
With That Said…
WE’RE thinking about our friends and neighbors here in Alpine Co. (some of the county are on evac. warnings due to the Caldor Fire) and everyone else who has been effected by “our fire” as well as the Caldor Fire, and other fires raging, mostly in the west.
LIFE will get back to normal at some point. The new-normal I guess. Whatever that is.
WELL, this isn’t exactly the after-action report I’d hoped I’d be writing; rather than regaling you with tales of the ride I am instead addressing the Tamarack Fire’s impact on the ride.
LAST Friday I, along with a bunch of other vendors, were at the Expo and basking in the glory of the next day’s event when at approximately 2:00 p.m. we noticed a plume of smoke rising to our southwest. In speaking with the local LEOs (Alpine Co. Sheriff’s Dept. deputies) on site I learned that it wasn’t the Henry Fire, but instead a new fire, what would later become the Tamarack Fire.
The scene at the Expo before the fire…That’s me at our booth in the image on the right.
WE (vendors, organizers, etc.) kept doing our thing and hoped that the fire would be knocked down quickly.
IT was such a great time talking with riders who knew me and came by to introduce themselves and tell me how much they enjoyed reading about our adventures in the California Alps. I was making some sales, and giving riders tips on what to expect the next day.
AT about 3:00 p.m. I called in for extraction from the Expo as the fire was looking pretty nasty. The below image is what I saw when I got home. We already had items staged and go-bags handy so we began gathering other items in anticipation of the forthcoming evacuation.
The fire just getting going on the afternoon of Friday, July 16th. In the photo it’s about 2.5 miles southwest of our home/CAC HQ.
ACROSS the street, at the firestation that temporarily became Deathride central, the team was still hard at work loading the trucks for distribution throughout the course. We had yet to receive the evacuation order. These pics were taken Thursday.
Trucks coming and going to the fire station with supplies for the DR rest stops and Expo.
Stocked and ready to distribute! The re-tasked fire station across from our house/CAC HQ being used for the DR warehouse.
MY family and I, along with our cats, as well as the residents, campers, riders and other visitors, were all evacuated safely and calmly at approximately 5:00 p.m. thanks to the great planning and swift and efficient execution of the evac. plan by the Alpine County Sheriff’s Dept. and the Alpine Co. Volunteer Fire Dept.
WE were heartbroken. Not just for the riders and the community but also for the Deathride team that had worked so hard to get us to this point. Life can be cruel. No ride last year due to the pandemic and this year, the day before the ride…
The after…Our booth was destroyed but some anchors are still holding. 🙂 Notice the blackened forest behind.
AS usual, though, the community rose to the challenge as did Curtis Fong (Ride Director), Di (Asst. Ride Director) and their teams. On Sunday, the day after the ride was supposed to take place, we were unloading trucks at the Douglas County Senior Center (evacuation central). There were cases of watermelons, bananas, oranges, PB&J sandwiches, drinks, snacks and more that the Chamber donated to the community. Becky DeForest, Exec. Director of the Chamber, and I, moved items from inside the trailers so that others could shlep them into the center.
Hot spot map as of 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
ON the other side of the county, Terry Woodrow, one of the county supervisors (her district includes Bear Valley) was, in addition to her usual duties, distributing water to fire crews in the area.
WE are so grateful that there were no deaths or serious injuries and as of the writing of this post (Weds. a.m.) that is still the case.
IF you’d like to help out, the Chamber has set up a GoFundMe page. Click here to go there.
FOR the latest information on the fire, click here to view the Tamarack Fire page on Facebook, the official page set up by Alpine County.
PLEASE send thoughts and prayers to all of those effected by this tragedy, as well as those throughout the country, and world, dealing with their own emergencies.
Fulgaz is an option, too. Perhaps a Wahoo or Garmin workout instead? I dunno. I do know this, though: the chance of moving lots of snow today (blowing, shoveling, etc.) is extremely high!
FOR now, since I’ve finished moving some of those flakes (so I could get the images for this post), I’m content to just blog away, watch the snow fall and revel in the fact that we finally have a shit-ton of that white stuff. About a foot or so since last night, with a lot more expected. Hallelujah!
Cleared this path in the snow to get to the weather station so I could clear it of snow!
Kinda hard to get current wind conditions when the weather station is snowed in!
AS a professional cyclist — written with tongue firmly planted in cheek — I have the luxury of not being too hasty in my decision making this morning (or any morning for that matter). “Professional cyclist,” at least in my case, is code for unemployed. My most excellent friend, Mr. Keno, gave me that moniker, around the summer of 2020 I think it was, because I was able to spend an extraordinary amount of time (and still am) training.
ALAS, I wish the situation was different. I do need to earn more ducats than I am currently but am appreciative of the EDD help and oh so cognizant that there are people far worse off than I.
Indeed, I continually wonder how I held down a full-time job, got those many homestead chores done, stayed involved in the community, and trained.
I did it, but as my wife points out, I was a lot more stressed. And admittedly I didn’t spend quite as much time working out then as I do now. That’s something that will change at some point; either I’ll be back into the corporate grind or working at the California Alps Cycling shop, or both, in the near future.
IN the meantime, I wish you a happy hump day and hope that you too got the weather you needed or wanted.
I’m off to the pain cave.
Icicles, some of which are almost 3′ long, hanging from the roof here at HQ.
Snow still coming down and the icicles continue to grow!
I’LL leave the icicles alone for now.
MAYBE later, when I’m doing some serious snow-moving, I’ll pull a few of ’em down and start my ‘cicle garden.
Fall is giving way to colder temperatures, including some sub-freezing readings here lately, and so I’m working hard to get some of those special rides in, film some fall colors for FulGaz, and knock off some more of those honey-do list items before our epic winter (putting out those Game of Thrones vibes, if you get my drift) sets in.
As you may recall I published a post late last month about riding around Lake Tahoe (aka Big Blue), and one of our loyal readers, Roy Franz, urged me to try the ride again, this time on a weekday and taking the clockwise direction.
And so it was that yesterday I found myself in Stateline, NV, on a fairly brisk morning (about 45 fahrenheit), gearing up to do just that.
Lake Tahoe on one of the most beautiful (almost windless) days I’ve experienced here in the California Alps. These images are of/from Meek’s Bay.
Prepping for the Shoot
Yesterday morning I was up at o’dark thirty so that I could prep. my gear and the bike and get the GoPro mounted and ready. There is a little bit of work involved to make sure the camera angle is good, the battery back-up is charged and the top-tube pack that holds the back-up, cable and tool is not flopping around. A bit of “tape-work” is also needed in order to secure the cable to the bike, and to keep the GoPro’s battery and cable connection secure as well.
Before I headed out I used the very cool preview feature to make sure that the horizon was where it should be on the camera and I also double checked the settings too, or so I thought.
The plan was to record the entire ride in three (3) manageable sections, each approximately 1.5 hours long.
Stateline to Meek’s Bay
Meek’s Bay to Incline Village
Incline Village back to Stateline
Rolling…Kinda
All geared up. Settings good. Camera angle good. Power button pushed. Requisite beep heard. Hand waved in front of camera to signal the start for FulGaz’s engineers. Off I went.
Switching tacks for just a moment; let’s talk biology. There are a few times during the year that for whatever reason I seem to lose a lot of water weight. Typically a few days after hard efforts or too much mexican food. That salt, you know? I wasn’t expecting this day to be one of those but that’s the way the water works I guess, especially when you have (as my friend Mike would say) a bladder the size of a peanut.
A bit more context…If you do stop while filming a ride for FulGaz (FG) then you just go back about 20 yards from where you stopped and start again. I make a mental note of those instances so I can pass that info. on to FG. The team then edits that section out and for the most part you don’t even notice.
So, after about five (5) stops in the first 30 minutes, I was getting frustrated. Really bladder? Now? Today? Seriously? I kept doing my thing, and re-starting and apologizing to Klaus (their lead-dawg engineer), by commenting during the video. Finally, Mr. Bladder had gotten rid of the excess fluid and I was able to get to Meek’s Bay without another stop.
Beep. Upon my arrival I pushed the button and heard that comforting sound that acknowedged I had in fact stopped recording. I also stopped the ride on my Wahoo and saved it as well; the .fit file then syncs up nicely with the video. It’s also important to toggle off auto-pause or things get a little screwy, and to my credit I did do that. What I didn’t do, though, was look at the camera before I took off from Stateline.
Had I done that I would have noticed that I was in photo mode instead of video mode!
Yup, that’s what the FUBAR portion of this post’s title is all about. After all of that prepping, nature-breaking and riding from Stateline to Meek’s Bay I had NOTHING! Zippo! Nada! Oh well, I thought, at least it was an amazing day so far and I did have a section of this section recorded (when Chris and I did the counter-clockwise route in late September) so I’ll just use that. Still…shit! Or FUBAR! You pick.
Meek’s Bay to Incline Village
I planned on redeeming myself on this portion of the ride and what a BEAUTIFUL segment it was! Not too much climbing and a lot of the course was really close to the water so it should be a really pretty video. I made it to Incline without another bio-break and had a nice encounter (seriously) on the way with a Placer Co. deputy sheriff who pulled up next to me to remind me that two (2) ear buds is not better than one (1) when on a bicycle.
Frankly I’m a bit anxious to look at the clips for fear of another SNAFU (see “FUBAR-link” above) but based on what I saw on the GoPro’s screen (fingers crossed) I got this one so on to the next.
Incline to Stateline – The Finish
Looking down at the emerald green waters of Lake Tahoe from Highway 89. This photo was taken just south of Incline Village.
There’s a bit of climbing to get up and out of Incline so it was somewhat of a taxing finish but I thought it would be a nice juxtaposition to come from such a beautiful place to Stateline with its casinos and such. However, just after I went throught the tunnel at Cave Rock I heard a telltale series of beeps from the camera that indicated that either the battery had died or the media was full. Shit, again. And again, the oh well…If nothing else the FG ride will be Incline to Cave Rock. We shall see. Still not brave enough to look.
The Moral of the Story
Roy was oh so right. What a day of riding in one of the most beautiful places on earth! Clockwise, on a weekday that isn’t a Friday is definitely the ticket. There was much less traffic, the view from the lake side of the road is much better (there are some drop-offs but nothing too scary) and there were fewer tourists. Don’t get me wrong, I like tourists. I realize some don’t right now and I get that, too. IMHO they infuse the area with much needed ducats, yet it seems that sometimes they leave their brain at home, especially when confronted with such amazing scenery.
As for the FulGaz Faux Pas’, what can I say? Apparently I left my brain at home too. I’ve never (add saracastic tone here) done that when I’m doing the tourist thing.
The beauty of it, though, is that I can head back anytime before winter rears its oh so wonderful head and take another whack (or two or three) at it. Looking forward to that!
Having spent most of my life cycling in the San Francisco Bay Area I was very accustomed to the conditions there and so was well prepared when I hit the road. When we moved up to Markleeville in the winter of 2016, though, I quickly learned that what worked “in the flats” did not necessarily translate to the Sierra Nevada.
Several months ago I posted an article entitled “Climbing Mountain Passes – 5 Key Things to Know.” This follow-up post expands on that one a bit with some more specific recommendations.
Equipment
Top row: Jersey pocket. All the items except the tube fit in that pouch on the right. Middle row: That Lezyne carbon fiber pump is mounted on the bike. Bottom row: All of these items fit in the saddle bag. Notice the chain pin inside the patch kit.
Sure, most experienced cyclists carry some sort of mini-tool, a patch-kit, Co2 cartridges, etc. but it’s important to have some redundancy where you can. Some examples:
Two (2) tubes instead of one. I was bombing down Hwy. 4 a couple years back and hit a pothole. I double flatted and had only one (1) tube. The patches I had wouldn’t work as the holes were too big; had to call for extraction.
Tire boot, duct tape (or both). I don’t carry an extra tire but I do have a tire bootand some duct tape wrapped around an old toothbrush handle. On one particularly frigid morning I put the duct tape around my fingertips – the gloves I had were not doing the trick.
Chain pin. Ideally you’re checking your chain wear regularly but even then, ca-ca occurs. I learned this the hard way, too. A pin in my chain starting coming out while on a ride (I hadn’t checked my chain in awhile) and I couldn’t get it fully inserted with the chain tool. Again, I had to call for extraction.
Sat-com. Speaking of calling for extraction…How do you do that with no cell service? I mentioned this in that “Climbing Mountain Passes” post, too but it bears repeating: cell service is basically non-existent in the mountains. Now that’s not to say I don’t carry my cell, I do, but having a device like the Garmin inReach Mini will allow you to communicate with “your person” when you are out of cell range, and its SOS feature could save your life. The monthly subscription for the basic plan is relatively inexpensive (about $12.00 a month).
Identification and dinero. I hope this one is a no-brainer for most of you yet I’ve heard of some who don’t carry one or the other. Not only do I carry my driver’s license but I also carry my medical insurance card, my debit card and some green. And, speaking of redundancy, I wear a Road iD. In my case, just the ID itself, on the band of my Garmin fenix.
Footwear and Clothing
Yours truly, in jersey, vest and neck gaiter (bibtights and boots not shown), in front of a snowbank across Hwy. 4 just south of Silver Mountain City, this past winter.
Foul weather in the mountains is not always cold, or stormy weather IMHO. Heat and sun can also foul up a good ride. Here’s a bunch of suggestions:
Cycling boots. No, I’m not referring to those lycra-type shoe or toe covers. I’m talking full on, waterproof, boots. With sleet, rain, mud and road spray I’ve found that shoe covers just don’t cut it. I invested in a pair of Sidi Gore-Tex Cycling Shoes (ankle-high boots, really) and my feet don’t get cold or wet.
Neck gaiter/tube. I’ve got several types of these, some lighter, like Buff’s and some heavier, like Castelli’s Arrivo 3 Thermo Head Thingy. Keeping that neck warm is key to keeping those colds away and it can be used for the noggin as well. Once, when I forgot my vest, I stashed it under the front of my jersey to help ward off the winds a little during a descent.
Vest or jacket. When you head out from 5000′ and it’s 85 degrees it’s easy to forget that it can often be 20-30 degrees colder at the top of thatclimb. A vest or jacket, especially if you can strap it to your bike somewhere so you can save some pocket room, can make the difference between a shivering descent and one that is much more comfy.
Extra gloves and hat/cap. First, let me say that I’m a dripper; one of those “two-towels under the spin bike kinda guys” so when I’m doing long climbs things can get a bit schweaty. I’ve learned to carry an extra set of gloves, cap and oftentimes an extra gaiter, and will exchange the sweat-soaked pieces for the drier ones once I reach the summit.
Climbing bibs (or shorts) and jersey. Like I wrote at the start of this paragraph, in my book foul weather isn’t always cold or wet (or snow). It can also include heat (or wind). I’m a Castelli devotee and so I went with their Superleggera bibshort and Climber’s 3.0 jersey. I climbed Hwy. 4 to Ebbetts Pass last week, when it was a tad warm, and what a huge difference those items made! So much so that I checked my shorts a few times to make sure they hadn’t split at the seams. Nope, just the material doing its job. Breezy!
Weather
Thunderheads, other cloud formations, and rainbows, over Diamond Valley just this past Monday.
Having an understanding of regular weather patterns, e.g. daily t’storms, regular wind patterns, is helpful when cycling in the California Alps (and other locals for that matter).
Get some intel. from a local rider, club or bike shop so that you know that right now, for example, up Tahoe way daily thunderstorms are a regular thing. Getting caught on Carson Pass during a hailstorm isn’t pretty. Just ask our friend James Hurst who experienced just that on the Deathride a couple years ago.
Check the forecast before you head out and prepare for the worst-case scenario. I like Weather Underground, in large part because they have a network of folks all over the country who have personal weather stations. That allows you to get weather data closer to where you are or will be. Yup, we have a weather station here at HQ so you can get Markleeville weather realtime.
Know what to do if the shit hits the fan. Are there places to shelter? What do you do if a thunderstorm (and the associated lightning) happens where/while you’re exposed on some mountain road?
Be Prepared
The Scouts have it right. Be prepared. Or said another way, plan for the worst and hope for the best. Having the right equipment, understanding and addressing footwear and clothing options, and getting a handle on the weather are all key to having a good ride or perhaps avoiding catastrophe when you are cycling — or gravel riding, or mountain biking, or hiking, or backpacking, or 4-wheeling, or fishing…
Okay, you get the idea. Gear up, be ready, be aware, and enjoy the day!
Happy hump day! I hope this post finds you and yours happy, healthy and safe. I thought I’d take moment and provide an update on some goings on here in the heart of the Sierra. I’ve got some news about cerveza, the 411 on the trout fishing in and around Markleeville and a bit of info. on the weather front.
Oh yeah! Local brew coming…
You may have seen our Facebook post of last week but when it’s about beer it’s always worth repeating as far as we’re concerned! For those of you who recognize the Cutthroat name you know that the “brewing company” addition is new.
So is the sign – remember that ol’ fish sign? A cutthroat trout it was and it’s where the bar got its name. I’ve heard some crazy stories about what the bar used to be, including the bras that were nailed to the ceiling.
The new owners, though, have decided to go in a different direction with a more family friendly pub and their own brew! They are working hard to get “Markleeville’s Cheers” open soon and we can’t wait. Markleeville brew will come later on.
4 lb. + trout-whales
I caught these babies in Silver Creek last month. I took the pic right after I caught the second one and as you can see I was a bit excited. Screamin-excited! I would have had three (I swear) but the first one spit the hook just as I was getting the net under it.
Overall, the fishing has been pretty good this season and the trout that Todd Sodaro, Chair of Alpine Co. Fish & Game, has planted, have been large, lovely and oh so tasty. He gets them from Oregon and they have a nice pink/orange flesh and are more flavorful than the white-fleshed trout that are also around.
Last Friday he planted another batch of these beauties (East and West Forks of the Carson) and the average weight was 4 pounds!
I took a ride up Highway 4 this a.m. and was pleased to see that the chocolate milk of Monday was gone; the clear, green water that we, and trout prefer, was back. Apparently many fisherpersons got the word – there were lots of them out there so come and get ’em before they are on someone else’s grill!
Stormin’ Norman weather lately
This image doesn’t do what we’ve had the last couple days any justice – even General Schwarzkopf would be impressed.
In the above photo the clouds are beginning to form (this was just over HQ, by the way) but lately we’ve seen increased activity and severity. Today is supposed to be the worst day so far this season with the potential for large hail, big winds and flooding in some regions, especially burn-scarred areas like those that exist around the Numbers Fire. There were reports of quarter-sized hail yesterday!
For the most part, I must admit, we locals are welcoming the cool, damp and windy aspects of the storms. It’s been so frickin’ hot! We are however wary of the potential fire danger and so it’s a mixed bag for sure. Thoughts, prayers and good vibes go out to everyone who may be affected by these storms, or any storms for that matter.
And to the firefighters and others battling the blazes, we salute you. Your courage and fortitude, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, is inspiring.
As I sit here punching these keys I’m hearing the rumbling, and the blue has disappeared. Haven’t seen any lightning today, though. Yet.
My wife just reported from Woodfords (just above Alpine Village) and said there was some hail but that it had petered out by the time she got to the Fredricksburg area.
This is our typical weather pattern for this time of year – I have to remind myself of that sometimes; being born and raised in San Jose I didn’t get much thunderstorm experience. Around the Eastern Sierra, though, you can almost set your watch by it.
Brings back memories…Two years ago, James, one of our members who was riding the Deathride, was caught in a downpour, with bonus hail, as he descended from Carson Pass. You never know what you’re going to get here in the California Alps so it’s good to always be prepared.
Speaking of prepared…
If you do decide to come to Markleeville and partake be sure to bring, and more importantly wear, your face coverings.
We are strictly adhering to that requirement and ask that all visitors do the same. The virus, though, like the weather, shall pass. Especially if we all do our part.
Stay safe, drink beer, catch fish, enjoy the weather and go and kick some passes’ asses!
