Is it what they call an Epic ride? It was tough for sure.
I started the ride with a friend at 5:10, we almost finished at the same time, alternating the lead position yet only being together at rest stops. Temperature was cool going down to Markleeville but quickly warmed up climbing Monitor Pass, so much so that I left wind breaker vest and arm warmers in a bag at the top of Monitor only to see them again at the end of the ride, a mistake it turned out.
I think I saw BenRidin (Hammer jersey) pass me between Markleeville and the base of Monitor. The base of the front side of Monitor surprised me a bit. I didn't expect it to be that steep, unless it was the effect of altitude. So much so that my HR jumped above my target at 90% max. The rest of Monitor was really very scenic with open vistas and the nice hues of the rising sun. Reaching the top and getting the first sticker was very uplifting... 4 more to go and a nice descent ahead. Indeed the descent toward the Nevada line was fantastic, very nice pavement, wide turns. The bottom was unfortunately very dangerous as riders were everywhere, going up, going down, 3 side by side each way and all at various speeds. Some riders were like bullets zipping in between riders on the center line. Rest stop 2 at the bottom was extremely busy, a real zoo.
Yet we got sticker #2 there with pass #2 yet to climb. This one is a long, steady grind. At some points you can see the long line of riders going up the mountain for miles. I found it quite depressing when at the bottom of the line... still all that to go! At the middle of the climb a bunch of teens refill your bottles without having you stop. A kid grabs the bottle, sprints uphill to the tank, and hands it back to you in perfect synch... very fun. My problems started at the end of the climb when I started cramping, way earlier that I had expected. I had to stop a bit and managed to control the pain, yet it put doubts in my mind as to my abilities to complete the 5 passes. Indeed the cramps lasted to the end of the day with constant intake of Endurolytes, Zym tablets, and Accelerade to control them. They made the ride much tougher than it should have been.
Close to the top of the second Monitor climb I got called out by Ramon who was going as strong as ever as he passed me. I saw him again at Turtle Rock on the way to Carson when I was resting and getting some fresh liquids at my car (I skipped the lunch stop). Wearing the NorCal jersey made it easy to be spotted, I met RyDaddy (on Monitor) and Reid (on Ebbetts) for the first time. I also saw Jonathan a couple of times, we were on top of Carson at the same time.
Going down the front side of Monitor was a blast, I hit my new speed record at 50.2 mph. Ebbetts was to follow though. It starts on a mild side along the Carson river and then with a shallow grade to the Scossa rest stop. A bunch of girls were lined in front of an old cabin sending kisses at us, kisses of death??? Then it was a long, tough one, although very scenic. By the way, the published elevation map of the ride is a big lie, max grade shows at 10%, my Garmin said 14% which seemed more in line with the suffering I was experiencing. After a couple of cramp control stops I was happy to reach the top and get my third sticker, the hardest sticker to earn. 30 miles and 6000' of climbing separated sticker 2 and 3. Going down was the most dangerous descent with riders everywhere, very narrow road, and bad pavement. Hermit Valley is a nice spot for a rest stop, plenty of space and trees offering very appreciated shadow spots... and they had some chairs, V8, and Coke. And we got sticker #4 there (after only 4.5 miles of descent), I actually got two stickers ending the day with 6, does it qualify for a special recognition?
The climb back to Ebbetts was the shortest but probably the steepest one of all, yet the long descent back to Markleeville made it worth it. It's not as fast as Monitor but the road is nice and goes on for 16-17 miles. I skipped the lunch stop, hitched to a pace line (I stayed in the back the whole time) along the Carson river, and stopped at my car. The support throughout the ride was really excellent but no rest stop had cool water, I thankfully had plenty of that in an ice chest.
I then started the last hurdle, skipping the Woodfords rest stop and heading up to Picketts Junction and the Carson Pass. The ride to Picketts was, for me, the worst pass of the day. Traffic was non stop and it's boring except for the storm and thunder going up the mountain above the pass. Well... it was a sign of things to come, the rain started to drop when I arrived at the rest stop. So I headed to the tent canopy to wait for the Summer storm to pass. The rain became a drench, it was pouring and I started to get scared as my unique short sleeve jersey was a poor shell. Thankfully they had a bunch of plastic trash bags, a ride savior. The tent canopy quickly became a rat nest, it was packed, I was in the center of the crowd, well protected and warm under my bag. It was then announced that we had about 45 minutes to leave if we wanted to earn sticker #5. It was still pelting up there but some lighter skies could be seen to the West so I waited an additional 15 minutes, I must have stayed there 30 to 40 minutes. I left under very light rain then it stopped and then it was hail time (should I say hell). With hail hitting my bare arms, cars rushing by and ... splashing us, this was an interesting experience. The start of Carson is quite mild, then the grade picks up quickly and it's a long grind to the top especially after a century and more than 10,000' in the legs. Yet the skies cleared and the light was fantastic when I reached the last section above Red Lake. I had a take a break, not for cramp control this time but for a couple pictures. Light after storms is always dramatic and this one was. Then it was Nirvana, the last turn of the last climb, the 5 pass pin, the right to buy the 5 pass jersey, the right to sign the poster (which I missed), and... the icecream. I chatted a bit with Jonathan and found a chair and relaxed under a nice sun ray just to get warmer before the descent back to the barn.
Going down Carson with still 20 miles to go was just pure joy despite the rain and grime splashing from bikes before passing them, the rain had stopped and the road was safe. A last couple hills to reach Turtle Rock and it was 'Mission Accomplished'.
All in all it was a great ride, this was my first DR so I am thrilled about completing the 5 passes. I don't think Carson was fun (rain or no rain) because of the heavy traffic. The rest of the ride on closed roads was really awesome and the support was excellent.
Luckily my tent (mesh top, no rainfly) was all dry when we arrived at the campground so I slept like a baby and feel great today. I guess the rain was very sporadic.
Stats:
123.75 miles, 14,725' of climbing.
Ride time: 10h 42', total time: 13h 51'.
Average speed: 11.5 mph, max: 50.2 mph.
Carson Pass profile is screwed as the hail storm prevented the Garmin Edge to properly record the elevation.
