The Eastern Sierra Double Century (ESD) is probably my favorite ride ever. It has outstanding scenery, and the weather is typically ideal, as you start off at lower elevation at the start (so it is not to cold at the start), head up to higher elevations as it heats up in the lower valleys, and then descend back down late in the day.

On paper, it's not particularly difficult as DCs go, but it is a bit deceiving, as most of the ride is at 7000+ feet, and that does make a difference, particularly when it is dry. Dehydration can and does sneak up on people.

I hadn't done a lot of long rides in a good long time, the last one being the 2022 ESD. I do 20-30 miles with 2000 feet of climbing most every day, but would that be enough?

The ride starts out in Bishop and most start at 5AM ... just before sunup. The temps are typically in the mid 50s, and you only need a light for the first 1/2 hour or so.


Pre-Ride dinner at the Pizza Factory


Crowd at the start


The ride tools around the cool and empty meadows of the Owens Valley, and it's a great warm up. Eventually, you circle back to US395 and head up the alluvial fans to the base of the Sierra. The great thing is that the dawning sunlight is typically just kissing the Sierra right in front of you.

After the first rest stop, you start ascending the Sherwin Grade. This climb is steep in sections (>9%) and is unrelenting. It's pretty typical to have a light headwind through here, as the colder air at the higher altitudes spills down the canyon and to the valley below. But today, we had some pretty stiff headwinds (15-20 MPH), and they sure did not make the climb any easier. But the real concern was whether we would be facing headwinds all the way up to Lee Vining, 100 miles distant. Oy, that would suck. Or blow. lol


Starting up the Grade

Lucky for us, there were no significant headwinds at the top! Phew.


The False Summit

After heading through the false summit and Rock Creek Canyon, we slipped by Tom's Place and took Old 395 through the Long Valley, by the beloved Little Green Church, to the bottom of Highway 203.

Oy, I do not like the climb up Highway 203 to Mammoth Lakes. It is perennially headwindy (and it was this morning), has significant traffic, and ... well ... I dunno why I do not like it. I just don't.

Once you pass through the Village at Mammoth Lakes, there is another short climb, and then down the Mammoth "Scenic Loop." I put that in quotes because it is not particularly scenic. It was built probably 30 years ago after an earthquake revealed that they needed an alternate (escape) route. Mammoth is essentially a dormant volcano, and people get nervous about such things.

In any case, the descent back down to US 395 is very sweet.

From there, it is a short climb to the second rest stop. At this point, I'm feeling OK, but a little beat up.

The next climb is up Deadman Pass. It is only 1000 feet or so, but at the altitude, feels like more. Deadman Pass is named for a nearby creek. The creek got its name for a man found murdered and scalped, floating in the creek. It seems that a local fraudster had advertised in San Francisco that he had discovered some gold ore and needed a grubstake investor. Someone responded, and foolishly, brought all his cash with him. That was the person found in the creek, scalped to infer that the local Paiute were responsible. No one was fooled, but the murderer was never caught ... he soon disappeared with the money.

Over Deadman Pass a short distance, and you get to the southern terminus of the June Lake Loop. THIS is the highlight of the ride. It is mostly downhill, and you fly past soaring peaks, waterfalls, and through the aspens. Very sweet.


The June Lake Loop. That is Carson Peak back there, and June Lake in the foreground.


After the June Lake Loop, we head north on US395 for lunch at a local park in Lee Vining.

Oy, I was ready for a rest. I got of the bike like the old man that I am and could almost hear my bones creaking as I straightened up. The usual hotfoot issues had reared their ugly head, so I took my shoes off to give the dogs a rest.

Lunch was Costco sandwiches (quite good), chips, sodas, and the like. It is a good idea on doubles to eat whenever you can, as you never know when your appetite will disappear. I ate as much as I could.

After lunch, we rode past the Yosemite cutoff and headed east on Highway 120. We now had a pretty rippin tailwind, so we flew through here pretty rapidly. That was good, as it gave me a chance for a little rest before hitting the final big climb of the day.

Sagehen is a terraced climb. It's not that steep bottom to top, but there are some steep little kickers. By the time I got to the top, I was glad to get there, but felt better than expected.


Half way up Sagehen, looking back towards Mono Lake


At the top of Sagehen ... looking back towards the Sierra.

Oy ... and the ride from the top of Sagehen. It is mostly downhill, but with a few up sections. And with a good tailwind (which we had that day), you can power up on those sections. I hit something like 46 MPH on the downhills.

The road drops you into Adobe Meadows. A place with an old abandoned stage stop, and wild horses. We didn't see any this time, they are quite the sight when they are there. The area is also known for huge whoop-de-doos .... and they are steep!


Adobe Meadows. That is Montgomery Peak back there.

It is also known for being headwindy, but today, we had tailwinds! I pretty much flew through here. I felt as good or better than I had all day.

Up a short little kicker:


The kicker at Black Divide


The View from Black Divide. Those mountains are not as far away as they appear. This was taken the day before the ride.

And now the downhill to Benton. Oy, this is a beautiful downhill. You are up on a hill at perhaps 5500-6000 feet elevation, looking at 14000 foot peaks only a few miles away across a deep valley. Trust me, this is beautiful,

After a short rest, we had before us the last 40 miles or so of the ride. This section is generally downhill or flat, and generally windy. Sometimes, it is a headwind, and sometimes, a tailwind. When it is a headwind, people team up in pacelines go get through. But today, we had a big crosswind that also had a little tailwind component to it, so even with just Ron and myself, we made pretty good time getting to Benton. I love this section too ...watching the sun get low on the horizon, shedding light on the White Mountains looming over our left shoulder.

We rolled back into Bishop just before sundown. I was pretty beat up, but not too beat up for a BBQ sammy at the end.

Great day! I was exhausted at the end, but recovered nicely the next morning and went fishing.