Monte Cristo

The first good ride of the season - FINALLY!

Note the elevation on the sign.  The Garmin said I peaked at 9,030 feet this morning.  Thin air!

Man, it's been a tough year.  Between work and other commitments, it's just been hard to get on the road.  It was time for a good ride, if for no other reason than to find out what I could really do.

Monte is a favorite, but it always has a price.  Today was 84+ miles, just under 5,200 feet of climbing and a meager 4,100 calories.  Overall, not a bad morning ride.  I hit key markers about where I should, even when I'd otherwise have more miles under my belt for the year.  I was able to manage the nutrition well enough to not have any problems there either.  Hitting the campground in just a shade over 3 hours, without much effort, was a solid indicator.

I only stopped to get a little water, snap this picture and one stop on the descent to stretch.  Right after this picture, I caught a pretty good rain storm and just kept riding.  Kind of stupid; at 8,500 feet, no rain gear and all by my self.  Brilliant! The road was wet enough, throwing rooster-tails, I couldn't really open it up.  Rather, I had a death-grip on the bars, holding to under 25 MPH, where normally it would be 42 - 44 MPH.  At Ant-Flat road, I had to stop to let my hands get some feeling and stretch.  Immediately back in the rain, I had the same thing for the next 10 miles.  By Red Cliff, I couldn't feel my hands again but just kept going.  By South Fork Camp Ground, the road was dry enough to let it go.  At that point, it was kind of too late.  Still, only 5 minutes of total stop time, for a nearly 6-hour ride - not too bad, just too long.  I'll take it.

I go back a long way with Monte Cristo.  Riding it is seldom an easy push and always hurts.  Still, there is something about that ride that just makes things right - at least for the moment.  I was lucky to not have the heat, but even in the worst of conditions, it makes me feel free.  No phone service, little traffic, thin air and never-ending vistas if you can get high enough.

I guess you'd have to be there..................

Speaking of being free...... it's been 40 years since we lost the best soul guitar of all time.

The Great Terry Kath

Ride HARD!