Originally Posted by
david58
My speedometer was not working - I put the magnet on the wrong side of the spokes for my Polar, and the shop bumped my other computer sensor so it didn't work - and couldn't tell in the dark. I suppose we were close to you on speed - your taillights were in view most of the descent. I love it - descending faster in the dark than I have the guts to in the light.
Devon (the young guy) was a madman on that descent. Since I've done it many times before, I told him about the surface, curves, and that it was safe to bomb at full speed so we got a good run on it and went in full aero tuck. Only afterwards did I mention that I almost collided with a couple deer there a few years ago. BTW, we did see a few deer by the road at different places.
Originally Posted by
david58
I was surprised at the number of cars on the road - and more power to you descenders that like the rough roads.
A lot of it is knowing the course. The same spots are crappy year after year so you can figure out lines that work and you know where to be careful. Plus I look for smooth/bad spots on my way up. In all honesty, it looked like they fixed a few spots.
Originally Posted by
david58
I might have been able to pull off Castle Lake if we hadn't lost the hour with Gary's cramping situation. But given the way I felt riding the few miles to the park hint at the fact that it would not have been much fun. Next year.
You'll be amazed how much easier it is when you know what to expect.
Originally Posted by
david58
As we age a bit, the ego actually listens to reason if we let it. I've fallen asleep in my first beer from exhaustion before, and I much prefer to enjoy my barleypop, at least the first couple, consciously.
Precisely.
Sleep induced by heat exhaustion = bad
Sleep induced by beer = good
Originally Posted by
david58
Did you notice what the bear thought of the idea of riding a bicycle up to Parks Creek Summit?
Oh yeah. Since it hadn't been there long, I was hoping we'd get a glimpse of it. Preferably not behind us on the way up.
Originally Posted by
Phil85207
I have two daughters that live in Mt. Shasta and have cone Castle lake oodles of times but never attempted to go up mt. Shasta. I was afraid I would run out of air in the altitude.
Mt Shasta itself is almost a junk climb. Total elevation gain is decent as is peak elevation, but the pitch is gradual. The view from the road is really not much. The road is smooth and wide, so you can take it at full speed. No thanks to the pitch which doesn't exceed 6% for any reasonable distance, you'll never get going very fast. Frankly, Castle Lake is a far better climb even though you only get about 2K elevation gain.
If you're looking for a better climb in the area, go for Parks Creek. Great scenery and the pitch is better. As David mentions, it is rough so be mindful. If you're looking for more challenge, do Mumbo. Not as scenic, but especially the top half is more challenging and way better than Shasta itself.