Yesterday I completed the "Tour of the California Alps" -- aka the Death Ride -- with my friends John and Steve. It was my first time riding this event. The route is approximately 125 miles over 5 major mountain passes, climbing about 15,000' total (at elevation). It is advertised as one of the harder organized rides, but in truth there are a lot harder I think. In any event, this was a pretty good challenge for me and certainly the longest and most committing ride I've done to date. The ride was 80% a great time, and 20% one of the most miserable experiences ever. Despite wildfires burning all over Northern California, we had a miraculous window of relatively clear skies and perfect temperatures . As we began riding up the fifth pass (Carson Pass), the rain started. This soon progressed into small hail. By the time I reached the top, the heavens opened up. I collected my "5 pass finisher" sticker and pin, then turned tail and bombed down one of the scariest and coldest descents I’ve ever done. The car was a very welcome sight.
For stats nerds, here are the numbers:
Total Ascent (ft): 15,399
Total Ascent Distance (mi): 57.1
Total Descent Distance (mi): 66.4
Moving Time 09h 04m 12s
Average Moving Speed (mph): 13.6
The route map is here:
http://www.mtbguru.com/trip/iframe/6245?width=800px&height=600px&type=3
