I thought my ride in Ione was so pretty I had to haul Tricia up to see it, even if it did involve riding through a creek that crosses the road. I did a better navigation job, so we didn't get lost once. I just love RideWithGPS.com for making it possible to find routes like this. And because the cue sheet is from a GPS and I'm riding with a GPS, the mileage cues are perfect!
It really is a heck of a ride, and a big 'ol climb as well. The first 36 miles are all uphill with 4800 feet of climbing, increasing in steepness until the pitch hits an extended 15% with spots as high as 21. It was a grunt, but a beautiful grunt. It all pays off with a screaming decent from Daffodil Hill into Volcano on baby-butt smooth roads. From Volcano it's mostly downhill all the way home.
We started under cloudy skies, worried about rain, but got lucky as it stayed dry. At around mile 50 of our 60 mile trip the sun came out and the day turned perfect. We finished in wonderful light, with a delightful 5313 feet of climbing.
DMD Volunteer Ride Fail
Following our Thursday adventure I played tennis on Friday, then got up at 3:30 on Saturday to ride the first 70 miles of the Devil Mountain Double as part of their Volunteer ride (I'm not riding it, but I'll be at the Mines Road rest stop handing out goodies.). I had a brake rub when I left the parking lot. Even though I fixed it quickly, the group was gone and I found myself riding alone.I must have been beat from the last two days because I had no pop at all. The weather was cold, but I felt even colder. Even with warm clothes and full gloves I was freezing so much it hurt. I got near the Diablo Summit and said "Why am I doing this?" and headed back to the car. I still got over 4000 feet of climbing, so it wasn't a total bust. But I was sure glad to get into a car with a heater.
Up at 3:30 am climbing in the freezing cold = No Pop. That's easy math. Love that picture going through the river.
ReplyDeleteIt's so incredibly green out there.
Good luck on the DMD
I'm not riding the DMD, I'm a volunteer!
ReplyDeleteCurtis you really know how to capture the light in your pictures.Love em'
ReplyDeleteOK...I thought the volunteer's did their own ride. Maybe I'm just confused? I am 57 and I hear you really start to lose it at that age... :)
ReplyDeleteThat's the greatest place to ride but from running water photo looks like you went down HALE (Hell) ROAD. Good Volcano loop is start in Sutter Creek--go up Volcano Road--Up Shake Ride, and then left turn at Daffodil Hill to go down Shake Ridge Road back to Sutter Creek.-route sheet here http://pumpkincycle2008.blogspot.com/2010/09/plymouth-sutter-creek-slug-gulch-real.html
ReplyDeleteYep, that was Hale Road, where all the 15% and up incline was. It was really pretty for the most part, though we did go past a couple of "Deliverence" looking places.
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