From here it's up-down-up-down along Mulholland Highway until the "Rock Store" climb. It's mostly 7% for about 2-1/2 miles. I've climbed up it once before. I don't remember it being hard like this.
We zoom down the other side and turn off onto Little Sycamore Rd. I wasn't prepared for this!!
It's not that it was too long (2-1/2 miles) or overly steep (5%). I just wasn't expecting it. Somewhere, I thought we'd be going downhill to the coast and there'd be no more climbing before then. :stupidme:
Climbing Little Sycamore...
The SAG stop on Sycamore and where we still have to go...
At the top of Little Sycamore, the road got a bit nasty: cracks and ruts all over it. Then we had a nice long descent (4.8 miles) on this stuff. In one sharp corner, there was a group of people. I happened to notice some blood on the pavement. I did not see anyone down, though. Just a reminder to take it easy.
Then we turn onto Cotharin Rd. It's a nasty little climb!! Again, unexpected. It's short (less than a mile) but steep--average grade of 9%! This is average grade. Some sections were at 14% and some around 4%. Nasty.
At the end of some rollers, which-by this point-I was not rolling over but struggling on, comes a descent down Deer Creek Rd. I usually like going downhill, but on this one--nope!! It was steep (12% down) and long (2.2 miles) with corners in the road where you couldn't see what's coming up. One misstep, and I was going over the side and down the cliff!!
Finally, we're on the Pacific Coast Highway again. Unfortunately, there's even a few little climbs along this section. But the views are always nice...
