Tag: deathride

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.

road conditions, training

California Alps Roads Report – Getting Things Ready For The Deathride

OKAY, I’m taking some liberties…It’s not ALL ABOUT the 42nd Tour of the California Alps. Fishing access (a delayed Fishmas celebration is in the works) is important. Getting over Monitor Pass into Markleeville is vital for our little town’s businesses, and saves travelers to Tahoe tons of time. Our OHV friends can’t get to some of their favorite 4-wheel drive trails. Either can the “beelers”, as in snowmobilers.

Road Everywhere Were Hammered This Year

THAT we all know. From a cyclist’s perspective we’re champing at the bit to get some training in on those passes that are currently closed: Ebbett’s, Monitor, Sonora, Tioga, and from a Deathrider’s perspective, we’d like to be able to hit up Pacific Grade, too.

SOON, very soon…Per our friends at Caltrans District 10 “Paving is now tentatively scheduled for May 8th and 9th, weather permitting. Highway 89 would open sometime after the 10th. SR 4 is currently closed at the Junction of 4/89 with no ETO. Crews indicate that they will not be able to give an ETO for Ebbetts for several weeks.”

WELL I can imagine! Based on what Monitor looks like and based on the experience of 2017, when Ebbett’s opened approximately two (2) weeks prior to the Deathride, it’s going to be interesting to, 1) clear all that snow (thank you Caltrans), and 2) find out what’s under that snow.

IN 2017 a chunk of road about a mile below Cascade Creek was damaged. The D-10 crew came through, though, and we were able to hold the event that year.

THIS will be the 42nd running of the Tour of the California Alps. It’s never not been held due to road conditions. Pandemic – yup. Fire – indeed. Roads – nope. These guys and gals know these mountains, even these latest winter-of-22-23-crazy-conditions, and so I have faith that the crew will come through.

“Training Options?”, You Ask.

WELL, in terms of the the pain cave, I recommend Fulgaz, as it has lots of climbing options, from all over the world, including Mont Ventoux, Alpe d’Huez, and all five (5) of the classic Deathride climbs. They just wrapped up (today was the last day) the Virtual Deathride. Lucky me, I just finished it today, the last day to do so. Tired legs after doing 4 outta 5 this week, including the last three (3), Monitor East, Ebbett’s North and Carson Pass, three days in a row. Zwift is certainly another option.

AS far as outside, at least here in Alpine and El Dorado counties, Kingsbury Grade and Luther Pass are open. Luther has some fairly nasty potholes, FYI. And speaking of potholes…Pioneer Trail in S. Lake Tahoe has recently been renamed by the locals. Its new moniker: Pothole Trail. Here’s hoping that changes soon.

DIAMOND Valley and surrounds is an awesome area to ride and having ridden it, and Emigrant Trail, and out to Genoa and back, recently, I can tell you those roads aren’t too terrible.

LOOKING for something more formal? Then be sure to take advantage of Alta Alpina Cycling Club’s training series.

NEXT weekend it’s two (2) passes (Kingsbury and Luther I heard) so sign up if you haven’t already!

AACC also holds weekly races, too, if you’re so inclined. The club does races in and around the area, with TT’s, road races, and crits “mixed and matched.”

Chocolate milk flowing into Milberry Creek, just outside of Markleeville, CA.

OH, yeah. And water, we’ve got lots of water.

FLOOD concerns. Like a lot of the state. And, country. More than concerns in many places, as we’ve all seen.

AS of today, we haven’t seen any flooding but it’s possible the West Fork of the Carson will crest in Woodfords. TBD of course.

THE eternal optimist in me likes to think only about the fishing yet to come, the amazing wildflowers that will soon pop and the swimming holes later this summer.

D Nile is d longest river in d world. 😉

HERE are a couple other links to good sources of road info.:

NO doubt that Caltrans and NDOT will be busy for the foreseeable future. Be sure to give them plenty of room to work and an attaboy or attagirl, too. If it wasn’t for these fine folks putting in a shit-ton of hours we likely wouldn’t be seeing pavement for quite awhile up here in the heart of the Sierra.

RIDE on and ride safe, and we’ll see you soon!

advocacy, community activities, deathride

Updates From Markleeville – Caltrans, Deathride, Grover, and Arts & Culture Alpine

ADVOCACY. It’s THE reason we (Mrs. California Alps and I) founded California Alps Cycling. Not just for cycling and cyclists, or mountain biking and gravelleurs, but for the all of those that are Alpine; or wish to be Alpine, if only for a little while.

SURE, our primary mission is to “spread the gospel of cycling, all types of cycling,” yet it’s also about stewardship of the Sierra; helping to ensure that we, and others, have skin in the game, if you will.

CHAMPIONING for the area has become a passion. One that I’m reminded of everytime I ride a bike, or go fishing, or hunting, or birding.

Caltrans District 10 Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)

AFTER five (5) meetings we’re getting to know each other better and our relationships are getting stronger. The committee, comprised of members of the public from the eight (8) counties in District 10: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne, and Caltrans staff, has had productive conversations about rumble strips, how they effect cyclists and potential alternatives.

WE’VE begun exploring bicycle event permits, how they’re handled and the financial impact they have on the mostly non-profit local groups that host these events, including Mr. Frog’s Wild Ride, the Ride & Walk4Art and the Deathride.

THERE have been frank conversations about unsafe intersections in Stockton (for pedestrians) and missed stretches of sweeping on some highways within the district. The Caltrans Team has been oh so gracious, and inviting of the criticism.

COMMITTEE Chair, Charles Carroll, has been instrumental, at one point reaching out to me to set up a meeting with leadership and legal, so we can continue exploring the idea of allowing bike and pedestrian (including wheelchair) access to Ebbett’s Pass or Monitor Pass, here in Alpine Co., after the roads are plowed but before they’re open to vehicles.

rock formations

YOSEMITE does something similar on Tioga Pass most years and I’ve had exchanges with their team to learn more about how they do it.

CREDIT to Krishna Rao for this post, by the way. It pointed me in the right direction.

WE still have a few things to work through/understand: liability, is one example, the possible use of permits, another.

Thank you Caltrans. We’re building bridges, and we’re all being heard.

We Continue to Adopt

HARD to believe it’s been five (5) years of pickin’ but it has. Holy detritus, Batman!

WELL, the work will continue for another five; we’ve just renewed our commitment to toiling on the turnpike. Not much work to be done presently, though, due to so much snow on the highway. Dang. 😉

The Deathride Is In Excellent Hands…Again

YOURS truly moved up here to Markleeville because of the Deathride. Since that fateful day in the fall of 2016 I’ve ridden in it three (3) times, doing all the climbs once. I joined the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce board back in 2019 because of the ride. For those who are not aware, the Chamber owns and operates (with a LOT OF HELP) this one of kind ride.

I’m currently the Board President, and along with my fellow “Boarders” – we all volunteer – and our amazing manager, Meghan, with institutional knowledge (and assurance) provided by our former Executive Director, Becky DeForest, we’ve begun working on this year’s ride. Professionals are the name of the game and so we’ve again inked a deal with Corey Bolton, last year’s Ride Director, to fufill the same role this year! We’re also very excited to have Di Bolton, the other half of the Bolton Team, taking on the role of Logistics and Volunteer Coordinator. We’re blessed to have these two fine individuals (key members of Curtis Fong’s Bike The West Team for many years) as leaders of ours.

MICHAEL Bayer, who’s headed up Alta Alpina Cycling Club’s (AACC) Alta Alpina Challenge for many years, and was part of some of the original AACC Deathride teams, has been instrumental too, and is guiding us on so many levels this year.

SPEAKING of Alta Alpina, the Club is hosting a training series this year. You can register for it when you register for the ride. For a nominal fee you can get some training in with these local experts so be sure to take advantage!

VOLUNTEERS, including our intrepid Kate Harvey, Boy Scouts, and more, help complete the team. Pacific Grade will again be the double-feature this year. We had such great feedback from riders regarding the course last year so it was a no-brainer for the 2023 ride.

Blue, green or ??? Samples of some of the artwork we’re considering for the 2023 Deathride logo.

OVER 600 riders have already registered and we’re grateful. Check out the website for more information.

BE sure to get your training in. For on the road training, if you’re looking for organized ride options, I suggest you funnel as many ducats as you can to those club-run or non-profit-benefitting rides like the Wildflower or Mr. Frogs. These events are often their biggest fundraisers.

We’ve published some posts on that very subject, training that is. Click here or here for a couple suggestions, or search this website yourself if you’re so inclined. For indoor training, Fulgaz is our go to; there are rides we’ve filmed available for your suffering, including all five (5) climbs of the “DR classic course.”

Coming Soon To Alpine County

THE Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) has received proposals for six (6) projects and we’re looking forward to reviewing them. From wayfinding to “Camping Like a Pro,” we’ve got some good juju focused on our local forests. Check out this recent post for more on the RAC.

MARKLEEVILLE’S water company, known as the Markleeville Water Company (who’d a thunk it?), on which I volunteer on the board, and am our webmaster, is hoping to finally get things flowing on a major project this spring. We’ve been working with the state for some time now on a grant to replace the core of our infrastructure, with new water lines for the town and surrounding residences. Timing is key because after that project, comes another for the town.

HOT Springs Road repaving would be it. The partial redo of one of the two (2) main roads in town, this one on the way to Grover Hot Springs State Park, will give us some buttery pavement on which to walk (and ride) and some wider shoulders to do it on.

SPEAKING of Grover…While the hot springs themselves are doing what they have for thousands of years, the infrastructure that funnels that hot, mineral-rich water into a walled pool, is not.

Camping is open on a first-come, first-served basis, and will continue to be, including for the Deathride, but the plumbing (among other things) is in need of repair and a start date is unknown at this point.

WE continue to communicate with the state, and fingers crossed we’ll come up with a solution soon.

BRIDGES? We’ve got bridges. And we’re working on them. Well technically it’s Caltrans and their contractors that are but we’ll reap the rewards. There are approximately five (5) in the county that are on the list, a couple of which have been started, including the bridge just south of town and the one on Highway 4 near Silver Creek.

LAST, but definitely not least, is the Arts and Culture initiative. Our former District 1 Supervisor, and Club-Mom, January Riddle, is heading up the effort. Our mentor, and sponsor, Arts and Culture El Dorado, has been instrumental in guiding us and will continue to be our partner. Work has begun on a tentative program to kick things off, and the team is forming its board and getting ready to file that “(c)(3) paperwork” with the state and the Feds.

THESE last few years have been a bit of a wild ride here in the heart of the California Alps.

HEY, the rest of the world has been experiencing its challenges too.

IT’S not just us. It’s all of us.

NONETHELESS, while we may still be grieving a bit over what was lost in the Tamamarack Fire, and the ensuing natural disasters that followed, we are NOT WALLOWING. In fact, as you have read, we’re rising!

MORE surprises are in store so stay involved and keep visiting, especially this spring and summer. We’ve got a good one (or ones) queued up for you!

community activities, events, fishing, off the bike fun

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!

climbing, deathride, fitness, training

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

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!

deathride, giving back, pandemic

Deathride 2021 – Five Reasons You Need to Attend

As you know, we had to postpone the Deathride, aka The Tour of the California Alps, until next year, due to the pandemic. We were looking forward to the ride, which was to take place on July 11th, for so many reasons. Alas, it was not to be this year so let’s talk about why you need to be here next year.

Reason #1 – It’s an Amazingly Beautiful Area!

Especially one to ride a bike in…And, in case you forgot, you can ride about 70% of the course without worrying about cars.

Take a look at these photos we’ve taken, some of which are from past rides:

Reason #2 – It’s the 40th Anniversary of THE RIDE!

Yeah, ’twas to be 40 this year but since the ride didn’t happen then next year is the BIG 4-0! The ride will be extra special for that reason but also because:

  • We have a new executive director at the chamber and she ROCKS!
    • She and her staff have a renewed energy and direction
    • They’re already doing cool shit, e.g the Ghost Ride.
  • We have a professional ride director (Curtis Fong of Bike the West) and he has an AMAZING staff.
    • These are the same individuals who put on America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride and the Tour De Tahoe.
    • We’re talking professional traffic control and mapping, radio communications throughout the course, sweeps, and course marshals
    • The Bike the West team has experience with hosting events in the Sierra that is second to none!

Reason #3 – It’s Markleeville’s Largest Fundraiser

The Deathride is the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce’s largest annual/regular influx of ducats, by far. Sure that helps us continue to support the ride, and our amazing staff and members, but most importantly it (riders, really) pumps a whole lot of money back into the community. Without the ride this year our community has taken a big hit (as have many others, no doubt, some much worse) and therefore so have many of the organizations that we help.

Last year we pumped about $90,000.00 back into community businesses and nonprofits, including the Alpine County Fire Safe Council and Alpine County Fish & Game ($ for fish plants is a fairly large chunk of our budget).

Reason #4 – Pacific Grade Instead of Carson Pass

Now before we get too excited (and I know…some of you purists want to keep Carson) let me caution you that a new route into Bear Valley (the ride won’t go quite that far but close) is NOT YET APPROVED.

The map and profile of Peter Stetina’s FKT ride on the proposed new DR route for 2021.
103.41 miles, 5:15:45 moving time (AYFKM?!), 14027 feet climbed

Curtis and team began the process of working with the various stakeholders, including Caltrans, the CHP, the Alpine Co. Sheriff and Alpine Co. Fire, last year and the discussions were fruitful. Most importantly, everyone got to know each other a bit better. There are many things to consider in order to pull off an event of this magnitude and so there is still work to be done and discussions to be had. Nonetheless, we are hopeful that we can get this new route approved for 2021.

That brings me to reason number 5…

Reason #5 – Because Peter Stetina Says So

Yesterday Pete rode the new course and set the current FKT (Fastest Known Time) – see the map and profile above. I hadn’t met Mr. Stetina (this guy definitely deserves “the Mr.”) until yesterday but I had heard lots of good things about him and I’ve followed him on Strava for some time.

He’s an extraordinary gentleman and giver of his time, name, energy and largesse. Yesterday was no different. As I understand it he didn’t have much time to prepare since Curtis, Becky and team made this little event happen pretty quickly. Still, he spent most of his day riding this course and promoting all the area has to offer, for no compensation from us (other than some little gifts of appreciation).

From L to R: Pete’s trusty steed; Di (Bike the West); Pete; and Becky (DeForest-Hanson, Executive Director of the Alpine Co. Chamber).

In Pete’s own words…

A screen grab from Peter Stetina’s Strava post on his Deathride FKT attempt of 8-11-20.

Oh, and perhaps there’s one more reason, or twenty-seven reasons actually, for you hard-core Deathriders to attend.

There are now twenty-seven, yes, you read that correctly, 27!!! KOMs that you can attempt to take back.

For this mere mortal that will never happen but perhaps you have it in you?

What About Covid-19?

Certainly we’re thinking positively in that we are planning on not having to social distance on July 17, 2021.

Let’s hope this virus has been vanquished by then, for many more important reasons than this ride, which in the overall scheme of things, with people dying, losing their jobs and suffering immense heartbreak, is trivial.

Still, it’s something to hope for, train for and pray for…

We hope and pray that we’ll see you here next year!

Stay safe, ride on and Let’s Kick Some Passes’ (and the virus’ ass, too) Asses!

covid-19, deathride, virtual rides

The Ghost Ride Cometh to the California Alps

Last Saturday, July 11th, was Deathride Day. For many of us it’s an annual holiday but this year, due to the pandemic, there was no holiday. 😢

Like many other organizations that had to regroup for their road, gravel or MTB events, we had to make that call, too.

We is not California Alps Cycling, by the way. Full disclosure, or for your edification, depending, as it can be a bit confusing and we’ve had people ask us when they could register for the DR.

The Deathride (the DR) is also known as the Tour of the California Alps. And of course we are known as California Alps Cycling (CAC). So it’s understandable that there may be some confused looks on your fine faces.

The Deathride, however, is owned and operated by the Alpine Co. Chamber of Commerce (based here in Markleeville, coincidentally and to add to the confusion, just like CAC). Mark Schwartz – (that would be me) your intrepid blogger (weird wearing both the 1st person and 3rd person hats) and founder of California Alps Cycling, is a member of the Chamber board.

Lucky him (me) as it’s an awesome and solemn duty (not kidding) to be a part of such an historical event. Let’s be fully clear in that respect too. It’s a group effort, with many volunteers, community, county and state agencies, and many moving parts and balls to juggle. Most of the heavy lifting, however, is done by the Chamber’s Executive Director, Becky DeForest-Hanson, and Curtis Fong, our ride director, and his team at Bike the West.

Alright, that’s better. Let’s get on with the big announcement…Drum roll please!

The Ghost Ride – Tour of the California Alps COVID-19 Edition is here!

From the Ghost Ride Facebook page:

Tour the California Alps by bicycle! This COVID-19 edition of the Death Ride is done on your time, at your pace. Come visit Alpine County to do the ride or experience it remotely via FulGaz, high-quality virtual rides from anywhere in the world! Once you are finished, upload your results to Strava. We’re all in this together – let’s see how many people we can collectively get over the 5 passes!

It’s going to be a scary good time. I know, I know. Cheap pun. Couldn’t help it.

You sharp-eyed readers probably noticed the reference to FulGaz and you know that we’ve (yup, really me so should be an “I’ve”) written about that company/product quite a bit. In last week’s post that Mark guy mentioned that we’re (we/I were/was referring to the Chamber we, not the CAC we – isn’t this fun?) putting together a DR library.

So far three (3) climbs have been filmed: Monitor West, Monitor East and Ebbetts North. Ebbetts South (from Hermit Valley) is scheduled to be filmed tomorrow and Carson Pass, the final climb of the DR, will be filmed next week. Monitor West has been tested. Again, lucky Mark (me), he (I) gets to film them and then test them in the pain cave – a double whammy certainly but it’s oh so cool to be able to really pay attention to the scenery, and what scenery it is. You are going to love it!

Now it’s likely that these virtual climbs won’t be available until August (one reason why the Ghost Ride goes into August) but we (FulGaz and me, uh, Mark) are all giving it our best efforts to get them posted for public consumption ASAP.

A few images from past Death Rides; something with which to whet your appetite.

So for those of you who can participate here in Alpine Co., you don’t have to wait. For those of you who can’t make the trip out to the heart of the Sierra though, stay tuned.

You’ll have your chance to suffer virtually. Or would that be virtually suffer?

Okay, you’re right…you’ll literally suffer, you’ll just be doing it in the privacy of your own virtual world. Huh? That’s incorrect – it’s a real world, you’re just riding virtually. Wait! You’re really riding but that’s not you on the screen. Okay, this makes our collective brain(s) hurt.

Let’s just say this:

However you do it, do it well and Let’s Kick Some Passes’ Asses!

And while we’re at it, let’s kick that viruses’ ass too, k?

deathride, education, virtual rides

Thinking of Filming Some Rides? Here are a Few Things to Consider

Like some of you I suspect, I’ve been wanting to film some of my rides for my own archives, and to share with friends and family (and perhaps become the latest YouTube sensation). Hey! It’s good to have big hairy audacious goals, you know?

As it turns out, because of the cancellation of the Deathride this year (the ride would have taken place this Saturday) due to the pandemic, I’ve been given a unique opportunity to fulfill that dream: filming rides in the California Alps for FulGaz. FulGaz? you say. Check out these posts from March of last year or January of this year, or click on the image below, for more on that most excellent app.

Okay, so back to the Deathride thing…Our (the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce) forward thinking Exec. Director came up with the idea of having some sort of event, or events, to keep riders engaged while we waited for July of 2021 to do the actual 40th Anniversary Resurgence Tour (of the California Alps, that is – it’s other name as you may know).

I shouldn’t say much more because that’s her cat to let out of the proverbial bag, but one of the concepts we came up with is to offer virtual rides of some sort. Having spent some time (especially in the winter) on the trainer I had experience with FulGaz and so I volunteered to reach out to them.

We’ve since begun the process of putting together a Deathride library!

I’ve filmed a bunch of rides over the last month or so for that endeavor and I’ve learned a lot, some of it the hard way.

Here are my suggestions with the hope you too could be the next Francis Ford Coppola.

Get the Right Ca-Ca

As in equipment.

  • My GoPro6 wasn’t going to cut it so I went with the GoPro8 Black.
  • The mount needs to be ON YOUR BIKE and it needs to be CENTERED unless you want to see the bars, or your shadow, etc. I went with an integrated K-Edge mount. This was, by the way, a FulGaz recommendation.
  • If you are having another rider film a ride for you make sure you know their set up so you can adjust if needed.
  • Have back up power. The GoPro battery will give you only about an hour. I attached a small top tube pack to the bike and ran the cable from the camera to the bag and so I can get about 4 hours.
  • Make sure your microSD cards have enough memory. I’m using 128GB cards.

Get the Right Angle

Take a look at these two images:

Notice the top of the bike computer and the right hood in the left image (you may need to click on the image). Also note there is too much sky. I used a top of the bar mount (my friend Shane filmed this one and we didn’t have the right mount for his bike – see bullet #3 above) and so had to point the camera up higher. The image on the right (just yesterday I re-filmed what Shane and I did last month) is much more balanced in terms of the horizon and has no distracting computer or hood (K-Edge mount).

See what I mean about the mount? And, to reiterate, it’s not just the mount you need to be concerned with; make sure you have the right balance of road to sky. FulGaz recommends centering the horizon vertically in the image. The GoPro8 has a very cool feature that makes this easier – preview. You can look real time through the camera via the app on your phone while on site!

Get Good Internet

This is one I learned the hard way. Our internet here at HQ in Markleeville is not NEARLY what we had in San Jose. It uploads as slowly as molasses in winter.

Here’s me the day after I filmed my first ride: “I’ve got a great video of a bitchin’ ride and I’m ready to upload it to Google drive so the crew at FulGaz can download it and start processing it tomorrow. Sweet!”

WHAT? 60 FRICKIN’ HOURS TO UPLOAD A RIDE?

AYFKM!? Sound it out. You’ll figure out what it stands for…

The files are large, like many, many GBs large, so account for that!

Aren’t there some options? I’ve tried a few things, sure, but here in Markleeville those options are limited. I gave a couple local businesses (faster internet in town) and the Starbucks in Gardnerville, NV (30 mins. away) a shot and it was much better (tongue firmly planted in cheek). Sixteen (16) hours instead of 60. Ouch.

Needless to say I can’t do 16 hours at a Starbucks! So my current approach is to leave the Mac on and uploading for as long as it takes and then go off and film the next ride (or work on the honey-do list); the team at FulGaz has other work they need to do anyway, okay?

Get Some Help

FulGaz does have a support page and on it they do have a video that was helpful. In my back and forth with their engineering and release team, however, I also obtained a written guide. The latter I use as a checklist before every ride.

Some hints:

  • Bike computer features we cyclists enjoy, like auto-pause for example, are problematic when trying to sync up the video with the .FIT file. Turn off auto-pause when filming.
  • If you stop for a nature break or some food you need to back up about 20 meters when you begin again. That will allow you (or them) to more easily edit the gap, as it were.
  • Visual cues, like waving a hand in front of the camera when you start and stop, are helpful. I like to look at the camera just before I start. That gives the editor their visual cue and lets me confirm that the camera is rolling.

So What Have We Learned Grasshopper?

Do your homework, get or have good internet, make sure you have the right angle of the dangle and while it will take some investment on your part, get the right equipment. Do these things and you too can become a filming guru (or at least move in that direction).

That’s a wrap.

Only another 73 hours to go until my latest ride is ready for download at the other end. Sigh.

deathride, fishing, road conditions

Weekend Update – Two Alps Passes, The Deathride and Fishing

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I had some news that I wanted to pass on. And, since I’m an old school SNL guy I thought I’d go with the “Weekend Update” reference (Aykroyd was the best anchor, IMHO).

Ebbett’s Pass and Monitor Pass

From our FB post this past Wednesday: “Yesterday afternoon I had an email exchange with David Griffith, one of our Supervisors here in Alpine Co., and he told me that yesterday morning “the Board of Supervisors approved a letter requesting that CalTrans *not* open Monitor or Ebbetts Pass until May 15th. Should perceived danger from covid-19 recede it may open sooner. I was assured that it only applies to motorized vehicles so walkers, hikers and cyclists etc. should be exempt.” It should be safe to go past the gates on Monitor a/o today he said, but there is still snow plowing being done on Ebbetts, so walking, hiking and cycling is discouraged there – for now.”

David was kind enough to ping me yesterday to say the signs that prohibit pedestrians, bicyclists and motor-driven cycles (moped? e-bike?) had been removed.

Signage at Wolf Creek Road on April 21st. The gate is open as of today, though.

Monitor Junction, where highways 4 and 89 intersect, is north of Wolf Creek Road (the above image) and the gates there ARE CLOSED. However, the “peds, cyclists and mdc prohibited” signs are no where to be seen! Just like David said. So, you can ride both of those roads if you wish. Of course, you’re assuming the risk – flat or have a mechanical and depending on where you are it could be a long walk. As for a true emergency? No cell service much past town so if you don’t have a sat-phone or a buddy…

Nonetheless, I partook today, along with other riders and hikers, and road part way up Hwy. 4 (aka Ebbett’s Pass) and part way up Hwy. 89 from the Junction (aka Monitor Pass). Wasn’t into the Full Monty (yeah, another old-school reference but I won’t expand – Google it!) today so just did sections of each. Still, got about 3000′ of climbing in! The roads are in good shape, btw, with not too many rocks, no run-off and no snow.

  • Looking downstream at the East Fork of the Carson from Monitor Junction.
  • A somewhat raging (seen it higher) Raymond Meadow Creek.
  • Raymond Meadow Creek rapids up close.
  • My shadow (and some leg) hanging loose while on the way up to Raymond Meadow Creek.

If you do decide to come up to Markleeville keep in mind that public facilities are still closed, BUT Alps Haus, the J. Marklee Toll Station, and Stonefly are doing take-out so you can grab some grub! Oh, and so is the General Store (open, that is).

Deathride Resurgence

If you’ve signed up then you’re probably already aware…we (the Alpine Co. Chamber of Commerce and our Ride Director) decided to cancel this year’s ride. Postponing it was discussed but based on the fact that many other rides that have done that already, and therefore the ride saturation that may occur in the fall will be heavy, and because of the logistics of ordering merch. (had to do it now for July and push it back to July if we did a Sept. ride) that was not an option. We also wanted to be considerate of our community and didn’t want to inundate our little town and surrounds with thousands of people just after we recovered from the pandemic (if we had/have). So next year is the year of resurgence! Hopefully in many, many ways.

This years’ ride was canceled but the Resurgence Tour will occur on July 17th, 2021!

Fishing Season Postponed for Alpine, Inyo and Mono Counties

Our Chamber posted this up on its FB page this week:

“We have received a lot of inquiries about the fishing opener, originally scheduled to kick off this weekend. Due to COVID-19 precautions and the limited resources in our small Eastern Sierra communities, the season opener has been delayed. “After talking with the county representatives, we agreed this was a necessary step toward being responsive to local needs in this public health emergency,” said CDFW Director Bonham. Read the full press release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife here: https://bit.ly/2KuMi64. Fishing is at the heart of Alpine County, and we are looking forward to the opener as much as our visitors.”

Looks like we’ll have to wait until as late as the end of May, depending…But, as it turns out, the delay is not such a bad thing since the water (at least on the East & West Carson) is moving too fast and looks too much like chocolate milk.

Looking downstream at the East Fork of the Carson from Monitor Junction.

So, there you have it – our little weekend update.

Now get out and get some and be sure to do it safely and with the proper distance, k?