Obviously, it’s not as hard as the first time I climbed it, but then again the first time, I didn’t really know what I was in for, so maybe that’s not true.
The first time we did the ride, I was actually excited. It was a major milestone for me and I approached the whole climb with that mindset. It was a long tough climb, but it didn’t really seem that bad.
The other times I’ve climbed it have been both easier and harder. I think they’re easier in that I know I can do it and I’m in better shape, but I think it’s also harder because you know full well just how long the climb is. There’s no hope that “hey, maybe we’re close” plus there’s the knowledge of what’s in store on that last section.
Last night was the first time this year for the mountain and it was a great ride. We started at 5 in the evening thinking it would be cool by then. Um… not really. My computer showed
102 but actually dropped to 99 as we left the parking lot in Danville.The climb was warm the entire way, but there were some pretty nice breezes which really kept it nice.
For my buddy Jack this was to be his first time to the very top and he did awesome. We took our time and chatted the whole way. The views from the top are always amazing. Sky is a little hazy due to all the fires, but the wind really helped clean things out.
Of course the downhill is the best part of the ride and we had a great time. With the exception of that one idiot on the harley that couldn’t stay in his own lane. I met him coming down a fast smooth, perfectly banked right hander and squeezed by without any incident other than an elevated heart rate. ( and total disdain for motorcycle riders that can’t control their bikes) The road is in excellent shape except for a couple of places where they’re installing drainage across the road.
We saw a couple of coyotes at one point and stopped to try to get a picture, unfortunately it didn’t come out that well.
All in all, a great evening and an awesome ride!!
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