The ride to Bartlett Lake is a 40 mile round trip from the Carefree Sundial (near the corner of Tom Darlington Rd and Cave Creek Rd.) There’s a lot of climbing on this route — almost 4,000 feet worth.

April 14, 2013

As another edition of the Los Coyotes Sunday ride, I led a group of four out to Bartlett Lake and back. Well, “led” is somewhat a misnomer, as Roland, one of our companions, zoomed up the climbs and out to the lake in short order. He was way ahead of the rest of us. I stayed back with Nancy and Josephine, the two gals that came out, to encourage them up the first climb and on to the lake. This route is tough even if you are in shape, and neither of them had done that much riding this spring. I would have been more worried about them, but Lynsey also came along – in her van, and served as sag for us. I knew if anybody got seriously gassed, they’d have an easy ride out.

We almost had a fifth rider, as Thad did show up at the start, (and he gets credit for that!), but his attempt to fix a flat tire at the start was not successful, and we noticed said tire was really in poor shape, with threads showing. He decided maybe that was a sign he should just head over to the Black Mtn Café for an early breakfast.

I was almost glad I “got” to ride slow and stay with the gals. I didn’t have that much energy in the first place, and it was nice to have time to enjoy the scenery and take a bunch of pictures.

Speaking of which …

Nancy and Josephine top the climb to Bartlett Lake Junction northeast of Carefree.

I’m still decked out in early morning layers, eight miles in. It was a bit chilly at the start, but the day was really quite nice.

The ride to Bartlett Lake has some mighty fine scenery, especially in the spring.

The three of us at the lake. Photo by Lynsey.

Josephine starts the long climb out.

Nancy all a smiling – for some reason. Isn’t there 14 miles of climbing to do?

The desert in its seasonal splendor.

About four miles up at this point.

Hmm, Nancy, where’s that smile now?

Near the five mile mark – the first climb just about completed.

Desert globe mallow in its splendor.

Nancy tops the first climb. She was determined to finish the whole route, and she did, all 40 miles of it. Way to go Nancy!

“Sheriff Joe” was struggling today, but managed to do all but the last climb. I give her a lot of credit for trying – many of our riding buddies never even bothered to come out. Too bad, they missed a really nice outing.

One of the bikes had an untimely demise on the way home. Here’s what happens if you don’t strap your bike to the rack properly and it bounces off on the freeway. Names shall go unnamed here.

A metric century starting from the Gainey Village Shopping Center in northeast Scottsdale, looping around to Fountain Hills, Beeline Hwy, Gilbert, and through the streets of Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale. Approximately 1,300 feet of climbing.

A fast and fun metric century route

A few weeks ago, while on a casual Los Freeloaders ride, the weather was so nice I couldn’t resist tacking on a bunch of miles, and ended up on an impromptu metric century ride by myself out to Fountain Hills and then down the Beeline Hwy for a few miles, turning down Gilbert Rd, and then south all the way to Gilbert.

If you’ve never ridden the Beeline heading southwest out of Fountain Hills, you’re missing a treat, for this section of highway has a very wide shoulder (almost as wide as a lane of traffic), is fairly free of debris, and the best part: it’s downhill. You can easily cruise along at 25 mph without too much effort. And this is after coasting down Shea Blvd in Fountain Hills to the Beeline, after you’ve reached to top of Shea at the intersection with Palisades Blvd. You have almost 35 miles of downhill before reaching bottom in Tempe.

No one I know personally has done this loop. Not that it’s hard or mucho miles or anything, but many of my riding buddies would never attempt it, thinking that it is too far. But that’s a misperception.

Yes, Gilbert & Guadalupe may seem like a long ways away from the Fountain Hills area, but in fact it’s only 20 miles. And the loop shown above comes out almost exactly a 100 kilometers – a metric century. Long, but not 100 miles long.

The only really dicey part of this ride is the short few miles south along Gilbert Rd, after leaving the Beeline. You have to cross a bridge over the Salt River, and there is very little shoulder here — and potentially a lot of garbage truck/trailer traffic heading back from the area dump that sits just north of the Beeline at Gilbert Rd. Other than that, this route is about as safe as any urban ride is going to be.

In the route shown above, instead of going straight down Gilbert Rd, I made a jaunt east on McKellips, heading over to Lindsay Rd, before turning south again to Gilbert. Why this little jaunt? Because Lindsay Rd has bike lanes all the way. Gilbert Rd does not. It gets dicey through the center of Mesa.

Instead of riding all the way south to Guadalupe Rd like I did, you could just turn off Gilbert Rd and head west on Brown, and eventually hook up with Rio Solado Pkwy before hitting the streets of Tempe. This would shave off an estimated 8 miles, making this a 54 mile adventure.

I may make this shortened version the official Sunday ride Los Coyotes ride this weekend. I can probably convince a few sacrificial victims to try it.

Actually, it’s a great loop if you want some fast, wide-open riding, which this route features a fair amount of – for an urban area, anyway.

The Carefree Towers Loop, clockwise, from the Gainey Village Shopping Center in northeast Scottsdale. 59 miles with approximately 2,300 feet of climbing. This route tops out at 3,240 feet (according to my GPS).

April 7th, 2013

Another edition of the Los Coyotes Sunday ride, this time, a favorite loop of mine up to the “towers” in Carefree (at Bartlett Lake Junction). Four of us were out on this fine day: Me, Roland, Lynsey, and Phil.

I totally sucked on the 6.2 mile climb up to the towers, averaging around 9 mph from the Shell Station (the corner of Tom Darlington and Cave Creek Roads). I remember the days of 13-14 mph average up this stretch. Ah well. As Phil said to me after my lamenting of this fact, “Don’t worry about what was. Just be happy with what is.” A very yoga-like comment there, Phil.

So far, I haven’t had to repeat any of the routes for these Sunday rides. I wonder how long I can keep that up?

Rio Verde Loop counter-clockwise, the “Cowboy Way”, starting from the Gainey Village Shopping Center (Scottsdale & Double Tree Rd). Approximately 2,500 feet of climbing.

The Cowboy Way around Rio Verde Loop

On Sunday I led the newly dubbed “Los Coyotes” ride, taking the pack around the Rio Verde Loop, featuring a climb up Nine Mile Hill. This made for a 58 mile, 2,500 feet-of-climbing adventure, and I think all were all glad it was a nice cool morning to go out and tax our climbing legs (48 degrees at the start, warming up to the lower 70s by the time we finished.)

Going counter-clockwise on this popular route in the Fountain Hills area, up Nine Mile Hill, isn’t the easy way, but it is the Cowboy Way, (props to the band Riders in the Sky for that expression.) Most groups do this loop clockwise, down Nine Mile Hill, and while it’s fun speeding down the endless miles, it’s just as “fun” (I think so anyway) to go the other way – a kind of “Feldenkrais” exercise. (Hey, google it buds!) The sense I’m talking about here is to purposely move in an “opposite”  way than you are used to, in order to get to unstuck from your habits, and develop more flexibility and functionality of body and mind.

Relax into Infinity

The Rio Verde Loop makes a good route to toughen those climbing legs. I tried to keep the group pace at an aerobic effort, though the short, steep climbs through Fountain Hills made that difficult to do, and several kept “hammering” off the front. (They shall go nameless, ha ha!) But kudos that they could even do that! Me, I was often last up the really steep stuff through Fountain Hills, ironically, (what with being the so-called lead coyote), and mid-pack on the long climb.

If you’ve never climbed the arrow-straight Nine Mile Hill (Rio Verde Dr, on the eastern, downhill slope of Dynamite Blvd), it’s not a steep hill (mostly a steady 3% grade), but it goes on seemingly forever, with an endless line of light poles fading into the uphill distance. It’s a good place to test your yoga-mind and see if you can stay in yoga-zone and relax into infinity.

Good group to hang with

Eight riders made the trip with me today, and it was a good group of riders to be hanging with: Tom, Ted, Eric, Tabitha, Phil, Kevin, Lynsey, Roland, and myself. It’s been a dream of mine to get friends to come out and do rides like this with me. It’s the reason I volunteered to be head coyote on the Los Coyotes Sunday rides – an offshoot sister-ride of the milder Los Freeloaders Saturday adventures.

Fountain Hills circuit (minus the big  kahuna – the top of Golden Eagle), starting from the Gainey Village Shopping Center. 38.5 miles with roughly 2100 feet of climbing.

Early spring edition of “Bryan’s Sunday Ride”

I know – I need to come up with a better name than “Bryan’s Sunday Ride”. But on my way to the start this morning I saw two coyotes standing in the middle of the road on Double Tree. So maybe I should call my Sunday Ride the “Dos Coyotes Ride.” I’ll use that for a while, and see if it sticks. I don‘t know who or what the “Dos Coyotes” are, so that’s a puzzle.

Anyway, five riders came out today: Tom, Lynsey, Roland, Stephanie, and yours truly. All are commended for choosing to ride today, as opposed to many of our cycling friends who would rather stay home and lie on the couch and watch TV and eat Cheetos – or whatever they do on Sunday mornings. Some of our cycling friends chose to go hiking today, instead of biking. I mean, really … (just teasing!)

Spring in the hills – and a spring in our step

To those who didn’t come out today? You really missed a treat. This was a great day for cycling. Gorgeous weather: sunny and clear, with brisk-to-cool-to-mild temperatures. A mostly pleasant route, (with great views and fast descents), spring flowers providing splotches of color to enjoy, snow on the mountains northeast of town, and cycling companions adventurous enough to try whatever hills I threw at them. What more could a person ask for?

Mountain Pose

This was a “Mountain Pose” ride – a day to be “in the state of hill climbing.” Not to do a set number of hills, but rather to go out in the direction of said hills, and climb them one at at time, till we felt like not climbing any more. We managed to do all but two on the menu: Golden Eagle (a 20% monster), and Scottsdale Mtn (a 10-12% monster – mild in comparison to Golden Eagle, though). One rider has a regular double chain ring on his bike that would have made it difficult to tackle Golden Eagle. Another rider is still a bit afraid of going downhill fast. So I steered us around the really steep stuff.

Lynsey and Roland from the top of Palisades Blvd.

Stephanie and Tom pausing before the downhill. ‘Tis not often you see snow from Phoenix so late in the winter.

Some random guy that Tom happened to take a picture of. Looks like that guy stole my bike.

Stephanie keeps going and going

A special call-out and kudos to Stephanie for coming out and doing all the climbs with us – even after saying she wasn’t going to do the last climb (Hidden Hills). A trooper you are Stephanie, and quite a bike rider given the number of times around the sun you’ve experienced. We’re all impressed.

Reatta Pass Loop, starting from Gainey Village Shopping Center (Scottsdale & DoubleTree). Approximately 1600 feet of climbing.

Ramping up the fitness

The past few weeks I’ve been trying to get back into some semblance of fitness, and part of this has been to lead Sunday rides – mainly comprising of riders from the Los Freeloaders group. Some are good at climbing hills, some not. Though I’m willing to climb any or all hills, my climbing kinda sucks these days, really. That’s why I tackle the beasts. Guess I like to torture myself or something.

Last Sunday’s edition was up to the Reatta Pass area, where we climbed the hill on Dynamite Blvd, and then threw in an additional climb up Jomax. From the Gainey Village area, this makes a good route to toughen those legs. Featured is a lot of 2% grades – the kind of grades I suck at. I’d rather have either flat roads, or 6% switchbacks, personally.

Though cloudy, we had relatively nice weather, and all six in the group finished just fine. Featured were Tom, Joe, Phil, Lynsey, Roland, and Moi. Kudos to those who actually came out to ride. As for you others, ahem … (just kidding.)

Legend Trail out-and-back, starting from the Coffee Bean, Gainey Village Shopping Center, SE corner of Double Tree Rd and Scottsdale Rd. 47 miles, with approximately 1,500 feet of climbing.

Some fine downhill riding

Legend Trail, a road that drops down from Stagecoach Pass (Carefree area) and curves round in a half-moon shape towards Pima Rd, is one of my favorite areas to ride. From Stagecoach Pass, it’s downhill, with good views of the McDowell Mountains and the Phoenix valley. Legend Trail is a divided four lane road with good bike lanes, and at least for now, little traffic. If there’s no headwind, you can easily ramp up to 30-32 mph down to the intersection with Pima Rd. And then, you can continue the high speeds down Pima – though this road has a lot of fast-moving traffic these days, and is not quite as nice for cycling as it used to be.

I went up this way last Sunday, with three other friends. (Two of them, ahem, wimped out halfway up, so it was just me and Tom for the whole distance.) We started from the Gainey Village Shopping Center, which makes a good staging point, as there is plenty of parking, and easy access to the northeast valley. Plus, there is the Coffee Bean coffee shop for afterwards, or Paradise Bakery if that floats your boat.

A New Sunday Ride?

The four of us got to thinking we should start a Sunday group ride from the Gainey Village center. (I know at least one other group does this – the women’s only No Women Left Behind group). For many of my Saturday riding friends, which tend to live further south, staging a ride from Gainey Village would give them the opportunity to try more routes in the northeast valley, which is a great area for cycling in the Phoenix area. You can ride up to Reatta Pass, or up to Carefree, or over to Rio Verde / Fountain Hills, and keep the rides in the 45-65 mile range.

While it’s possible to do more of a loop on the Legend Trail adventure shown above, taking alternate roads back, (such as heading west on Pinnacle Peak Rd over to Hayden and then south to the Scottsdale Airpark area), on this day we decided to just do an out-and-back, since the roads taken on the way up make for the best route anyway.

I actually started from home, adding 12 miles to the trip, making a 59 mile day for me. And I needed the miles. After not having ridden much this year, (only six, count-em, six rides so far!) I’m feeling fat and slow. This ride, on a beautiful day — sunny, temps 45-65 – reconnected me with my cycling spirit, and made me remember that yes, I really do like cycling!

My yoga practice has been sporadic, and as a result my legs and arms feel like concrete, so inflexible they are, and not being able to get full range of motion with my shoulder is a downer. The warrior poses aren’t comfortable, triangle pose painful, and my experience with crescent pose is hardly recognizable from what it used to be. I remember when that was my favorite pose and always felt good and just challenging enough, especially when we used to add the balancing twists to that pose.

I’m simply not enjoying the yoga classes these days, and really have to push myself to go. I miss going to power yoga class, doing repetitive sun salutations, and frankly, have been finding basics class kinda boring.

But all is not lost! Why, just the other day, I did my first downward dog that didn’t hurt – for the first time since my accident — over a year and a half ago! Woo hoo!

Granted, my form for this pose isn’t quite there, but not having it hurt is quite the milestone.

And, without me doing much in the way of specific exercises for it, my range of motion is coming back. External rotation is almost back to normal, and internal rotation too. Much to my surprise, I can do yoga mudra, something I thought I’d never do again. These are significant accomplishments, of which I am grateful.

Next up? I’ve been mulling over cycling goals for the year, and have mostly decided to focus my attention on other things. That being said, I think I will do the Grand Tour Double come June. It’d be a nice goal that’s quite doable, and will keep me training on the bike. And the Grand Tour is one, big, all-day rolling party.

I’ll probably sign up for the Death Valley Double next fall too. Maybe the fourth time will be the charm.

I’m not much into riding when the temps drop to the low 40s in the mornings. Sure, I could go later in the day, but then the … well … day gets in the way. And the traffic is much worse after the early morning hours.

Besides, this time of year my body wants to go into hibernation mode. So I let it, and in the meantime, I’ve kept myself busy with the programming project I’m working on. I’ve put in a lot of late-night hours on that, holed up in my computer/man cave.

I’ll crawl out of my hole sometime in January, and start thinking about whatever cycling goals I can dream up for 2013. Meanwhile, I’m rather enjoying the hibernation/hiatus.

Everyone have a happy New Year!

The Fall Death Valley Double Century Route, starting at Furnace Creek, going out to Stovepipe Wells, then on up to Scotty’s Castle, and then north/northeast to Hwy 95 in Nevada for the turn around point, returning to Scotty’s Castle, then out to Ubehebe Crater, and then a fast blast down the “Grapevine” to Daylight Pass Rd/Mud Canyon/Hell’s Gate, where a last climb awaits, before a fun descent back to Furnace Creek. Roughly 197miles with 9,000 feet of climbing.

I made it as far as the top of Hell’s Gate. Though missing the last 21 miles, I did all of the climbing.

It was a spectacular and epic day, my most memorable one on the bike yet.

October 27th, 2012: So close, yet so far.

I guess I’m not supposed to finish a double century in Death Valley. Oh, I’ve tried, this my third time. (Well, the fourth time if you count my crash during training for this event last year, which resulted in a broken arm/shoulder.)The first time, in the spring of 2010, I managed 150 miles. (Saddle issues ended my day.) The second, the spring of 2011, 85 miles. (Extreme winds thwarted me and most other riders.) And today, I was oh so close, managing 176 miles of the 197 total. All I had left was a fast 10 mile descent, followed by another 11 miles of “flat” riding.

Except I wasn’t able to do that part. Oh, my mind wanted to – be sure of that. But my body was not cooperating. For you see, on top of that last climb I had no proof I could actually control and steer the bike down the descent, and had plenty of proof otherwise, as I was unable to keep the bike balanced and straight on the climb up. It was all I could do to get on the bike and move and stay balanced long enough to clip in. When pedaling, my bike kept weaving to the left in a disconcerting fashion. Off the bike, I had trouble walking straight. Apparently, I was just totally exhausted and my legs and balancing system were no longer functioning properly.

So how did I get into such sorry state of affairs? Well …

Friday, October 26th, 5:00 PM: The night before the ride.

The Bullshifters finishing the last of a hearty meal the night before our big ride. (I took this picture and hence am not in it.)

Saturday, October 27th, 7:00 AM: The Start Line at Furnace Creek

The Bullshifters at the start line, all contemplating the big day ahead.

Yours truly, looking a bit bleary-eyed, though I actually got a fair amount of sleep the night before, and had no dreams/nightmares of today’s attempt. That can’t be said of earlier in the week, as I had recurring dreams of getting dropped, lost, chased by packs of coyotes – you get the picture. Apparently, I’m not able to “visualize success” like I’m supposed to. Ha!

I’m shelled on the very first climb

We leave with the first wave of riders at 7:00 am, at 165 feet below sea level, and once on the highway, I notice the way is downhill at 4% grade, which seems to go on for miles. It doesn’t really, but I’m very surprised, for this downhill barely registers on the elevation profile. It means we’ll be climbing later on in the day. And here I thought it would be a downhill all the way back to Furnace Creek.

On the first little rise, I’m shelled off the back in short order. I can see how this day is going to go. I wait for another downhill to come, and scramble to catch the group. Jim and Dennis in particular are really motoring, taking advantage of a strong pace-line in front of them. I knew Jim was striving for a good time, trying to maintain his #1 status in his age group in the ultra-cycling ranks. It was apparent we wouldn’t be riding very far with him today. At least, I knew I wouldn’t be. I simply could not maintain the pace he was riding, not for 200 miles.

By 5 miles out, our group has split in two, with me, Scott, and Matt in the rear, most of the rest now 1/2 mile ahead. Tatyana is some ways behind us. She had decided not to do the double today, but rather, just ride easy and ride as far as she felt like.

In other words, she is out to simply enjoy the day, unlike us other fools, who think we just have to finish this double century. Ha!

By 17 miles out, we have climbed up above sea level, and are soon turning off to Stovepipe Wells, where we’ll be doing a little out and back. Here, the road dips down again, along a 4% grade that’s 6% in spots. We pass Amy, who had stayed with Jim and Dennis for a while. Sand dunes soon come into view.

Some of the scenery just before turning south/west for Stovepipe Wells. Death Valley has a stark beauty that not everyone appreciates, but I suspect most people would today, for the air is very clear, it’s sunny, and in the early morning hour, the scenery is very dramatic. I would like to have stopped earlier to capture the alpen glow on the mountains,  but it’s all I can do to maintain contact with the group.

Scott on his way to Stovepipe Wells.

The sand dunes just outside Stovepipe Wells. There’s a photographer with tripod poking up amongst the dunes. My wife and I have been here before for photography. Death Valley is a tricky place for that. Under the right conditions, it’s spectacular. But if it’s overcast, it’s a dreary, dreary place, and does not photograph well. Stormy weather is best, or, like today, complete sun.

A photo I took in 2002 in the dunes outside Stovepipe Wells.

Mile 32. Along the Grapevine Mountains to Scotty’s Castle

We have our first checkpoint at Stovepipe Wells. Jim and Dennis are there, but they soon head off, and we would see little of them the rest of the day. Scott, Matt, and I head out together, and after seven miles, including a mile-long 4% climb, we are soon heading northwest for Scotty’s Castle.

Having never been here before, Scott is totally amazed by the scenery, and keeps wanting me to stop and take pictures. I have to keep reminding him that we cannot afford to do that. If we dally, we’ll never make the time cutoffs. It’s downhill for a while, and I know we must take advantage of that while we can. We’re basically at sea level, but Scotty’s Castle, some 36 miles away, will be close to 4,000 feet in elevation. There’s climbing to do, that’s for sure.

Once the climbing begins, it’s a steady 2% grade – exactly the kind of grade I do not excel on. I struggle to maintain contact with the others. Soon, they are a 1/2 mile ahead and fading into the distance.

Mile 55. A water stop along the Grapevine.

Here, the road turns steeper, now often at 3% grade. I reach a water stop and take a breather. Matt and Scott are there, but soon after we take off, they once again pull away into the distance.

The grinding climb on the way to Scotty’s Castle. This part of the day kinda sucks, really.

The Grapevine Mountains in mid-morning light. This would be the last picture I’d take for a while. Time was becoming an issue, and I simply could not afford to be dallying.

Mile 65. The Grapevine Ranger Station

Here, the road swings north, with Scotty’s Castle just 3 miles away. But it’s a steep 3 miles, often at 6% grade and beyond. Every now and then, the road swings to 8% grade, and my back don’na like that. I crawl up the slopes, losing lots of time.

Mile 68, 12:00 noon. Scotty’s Castle.

By the time I reach Scotty’s Castle, at noon, my back is killing me. I stumble off the bike and go to lie down in the grass and stretch.

One of these two events would become significant later in the day.

Scott and Matt were waiting for me. They’d been there almost a half an hour. Wow, am I that pathetic? I knew my climbing would not be good this year. I could tell that in training. I only hoped I could get through the climbing without getting too far behind, and could make up time on the flats and downhills. That was my strategy, anyway.

After stretching out my back, using various yoga poses that help in this regard, I quickly down a sub-sandwich and am ready to head off with Scott and Matt. Amy comes in just as we get ready to leave. She’s struggling today. She had finished the Solvang Double just two weeks ago, and wasn’t fully recovered from that.

Miles 68-72: A winding, gravelly mess.

We are informed that the road ahead is closed, due to a washout. But the park service is allowing us cyclists to ride it anyway. We just have to watch out for sections of road damage.

No more than a 1/4 mile up the road, Scott and Matt are already pulling away. I hope they wait for me on top. There we will have a long stretch of flat, plateau riding, that historically is always windy, or so I’ve heard. Having someone to draft with would be a good thing here.

I take a wild guess that there’ll be six more miles of climbing. It’s a good guess, for I had studied the route before this ride. Scotty’s Castle sits at 3,870 feet in elevation, and the top of our route would be at 4,100 feet, somewhere past the Nevada State Line, outside the park.

The winding road soon turns gravelly, and it’s a mess, frankly. Coupled with the steep grades, it’s not very fun. And all I’m thinking is that on the way back, it’s going to be dicey, and we won’t get to take advantage of the downhill. At one point, I pass a section of road that’s completely caved in, on my left. I make a note to stay in the middle of the road on the way back.

At the end of the road closure, Kim, one of the Bullshifters that’s volunteering today, is manning this point, there to advise motorists that the road is closed. He gives me some water, and I down some Advil for my back, and just as I’m leaving, Amy comes in. It’s apparent she’s a better climber than me. Heck, almost anybody is.

I take off, knowing there’s another mile of climbing, and that Amy would most certainly catch me, where we could then draft together.

Miles 73-95, Bonnie Claire Flats: A mind-numbing ride in the wind.

Death Valley is a hard place to judge distances and grades. Except for your legs screaming at you – or not – it isn’t always possible to tell if you are going up or down. A GPS helps, and my GPS is telling me I’m at 4,000 feet, and that means there’s still another 100 feet to climb. It may not seem like much, but after 42 miles of steady climbing, I’m ready for it to be over.

Finally, 4,100 feet comes and I know the road will be leveling off. I have a few brief moments of relief – only to now be blasted by a headwind!

Soon, I see a shadow behind me.

“Is that you, Amy?” I ask.

“Yes, it is,” she says.

We draft together for the next ten miles. I do most of the pulling. The headwind is getting strong, but I’ve seen worse. Death Valley, Spring 2010 comes to mind. Those of you that did that ride know what I’m talking about.

The wind is more annoying than anything else. Even so, it keeps our speed in check, around 15 mph. Time is becoming a factor. The next rest stop, at mile 95, closes at 3:30 pm. I don’t know what time it is now, and make it a point not to find out. I just put my hands in the drops and spin best I can.

Somewhere along here, Mike Sturgill rolls by, coming the other way. He’d already reached the 95 mile checkpoint and was heading back to Scotty’s Castle. He’s a good 30—35 miles ahead of us, in the grand scheme of things.

At some point, I notice no shadow behind me. Amy has fallen off the pace. I hesitate, wondering if I should wait for her. But if I were to ride a pace she could manage, it’s possible neither of us would make it. I decide to maintain the pace I’m going. It’s not a strong pace anyway. Maybe she’ll latch back on.

At mile 85, Jim and Dennis pass by, coming the other way. Since the turn around is at 95 miles, I’m 10 miles from there, and that means they are some 20 miles ahead of me for the day. Good job guys!

A while later I can see trucks off in the distance. That would be Highway 95, our turn-around point. The trucks look to be only a mile away. My GPS says differently. It says 6 miles to go. My average on-the-bike speed to this point is 12.5 mph. That’s borderline for finishing this ride on time.

A few miles from the turn-around, Scott and Matt pass by, heading the other way. I had been chasing riders off in the distance for miles now, and wondered if it was them, but had never gained any ground on whoever it was. I was a bit disappointed Scott and Matt hadn’t waited for me at the checkpoint (I found out later they had), but more disappointed I wasn’t able to muster enough speed to catch them.

Mile 95, 3:15 pm: The Nevada turn-around

I reach the turn-around with just 15 minutes to spare. They are packing up the food and tables, getting ready to close. I wait a while for Amy to come in, but at 3:27, I decide to head out, and don’t see her until several miles up the road. It’s doubtful she’ll make the cutoff-time. I ask her as we pass each other if she wants me to wait. She says no.

I count six other riders besides Amy coming the other way, and would not see any more. So I’m near the tail-end of those doing the double. I wonder how many of us will make it.

Miles 96-116: I go into yoga-zone

The headwind is now a tailwind, and the riding is sweeter now. I’m able to cruise at 20 mph. The road is flat and straight and seems to stretch forever. I go into yoga-zone, spinning, focusing on my breath. Though the miles tick by ever so slowly, they also seem to go by fast. It’s a curious thing, that both of these can be true at the same time.

I pass the 100 mile mark without even realizing it. I also pass by a large, dry lake bed. That would be the Bonnie Claire Flats, and it’s amazing I did not notice this lake bed on the way out. A good picture could be had here, but I do not stop. Time’s a wasting.

I catch and pass several riders along this stretch. Up ahead, I see more riders. I’m gaining on them. Indeed, on the flats I’m an okay rider, where my power-to-weight ratio is not a disadvantage.

The tailwind, though, has changed into a headwind. Not a real strong headwind, but annoying just the same.

Near the end of the plateau the late afternoon sun is casting soft light on the mountains and scrub brush off to my right. I’m compelled to stop and take picture. Could be that tiring legs have something to do with this. Yes, could be.

There was an interesting soft light here that does not translate on “film.”

Miles 116-121: A sketchy descent to Scotty’s Castle.

Stopping for a picture means losing contact with the riders up ahead. It also means those I had passed earlier come zooming by. Oh well.

I reach the road closure sign. No one’s there, and I ride the descent down the canyon all by me lonesomes. It’s a sketchy descent, requiring much concentration finding lines that have the least amount gravel. At times, the late afternoon sun is in my eyes, and I have to slow way down around the corners, not being able to see properly.

All the while, I’m thinking, “If I’m going to fall, I’m leaning the bike to the left. I am not going down on my right, onto my recently healed shoulder. Nuh-uh.”

Except for the crunching gravel on my tires, it’s quiet through here, with very little wind. I haven’t seen anybody for a while. I haven’t seen any wildlife either, nor at any point during the day, come to think of it. Not that this is any surprise. What would they live on out here?

I no more think this when, around a corner, a coyote stands in the middle of the road. Hmmm … is he part of my dreams and nightmares of earlier in the week, coming back to haunt me? Is that really a coyote? Halloween’s only a few days away, ya know.

I wonder if there will be standoff between me and Mr. Coyote. But he soon scrambles off into the brush and disappears. I go round another bend and there is Scotty’s Castle. Of course. If I was a coyote, this is where I’d hang out too.

I roll into the rest stop sometime after 5:00 pm. There’s quite a few people here at first, including a large group of Adobo Velo riders. They soon head out.

I quickly down another sub-sandwich, take a few pictures, and head out myself.

Scotty’s Castle in the late afternoon light.

The volunteer crew is packing up, ready to close this rest stop soon. That’s Kim helping out with the duties.

Another shot of Scotty’s Castle.

Mile 121-130: The day turns sublime.

One of the Bullshifters had told me before this event that the 52 mile ride out to Nevada and back was the sucky part of this double, and to just get through it. “The ride will get better,” he said. “Just remember that when you are fighting the winds of Bonnie Claire Flats.”

He couldn’t have been more right. After leaving Scotty’s Castle, I zoom down the non-sketchy part of this canyon, and the late afternoon sun is putting on a spectacular display of light and shadow. The day turns magical.

Three miles down, I turn west for the road out to Ubehebe Crater. The sun is hovering low over the mountains to the west, leaving a rosy glow both directly and indirectly on the bare slopes and rocky plains in the clear desert air. The temperature is absolutely perfect. The only words to describe the setting are “sublime” and “awesome.” Perhaps overused words, but exactly the words needed here.

It’s this part of the ride I will always remember, and it’s this part of the ride that makes this day the most memorable day I’ve ever spent on the bike. Something about being surrounded by the stark beauty of Death Valley, at sunset, after 125 miles – miles ridden under my own power. It’s a potent combination.

It’s six miles from the turnoff to Ubehebe Crater. The first few miles are a 4% downhill, peaking at 6% at spots. Drats. This means more climbing on the way out. I knew that, both from studying the route profile beforehand, and from having been out here before, on a photography trip. I also know there will be climbing up to the crater itself. I remember it being steep while driving here in a car, some ten years ago. I hope my memory is wrong.

I encounter Scott and Matt coming the other way. We stop and exchange hellos. Matt says his knee is hurting a little.

“I’ve never had my knees bother me on any of these rides,” I say to them.

Those who know me also know I should never use the word never.

Mile 130: Ubehebe Crater – and a harbinger of things to come.

The road to Ubehebe Crater soon turns upward, looping around to the west and south, before turning east to the rim of the crater. The road here is at 9% grade. I think I hear someone breathing behind me, and notice I’m in the middle of the road, possibly in their way. I steer my bike over the right, only to have it drift back to the left. It wants to be there instead.

Strange. But at the time I don’t give it much thought.

I reach the rim of the crater just as the last alpen glow is shining on the mountains to the east. With the nearly full moon in the sky, it’s a striking setting, and I’ve picked just the magical moment to be here. The group of Adobe Velo riders, having reached here before me, take off just as I arrive.

I reached the rim of Ubehebe Crater right as the last strip of light still shines on the mountains in the distance.

Another shot, showing the nearly full moon as well.

I don’t stay long, even though there’s plenty of scenery to take in. Kim is manning the water stop, and I top off my water bottles, soon heading down the hill, away from the crater.

On the way back to the junction with Scotty’s Castle Road, I encounter the six riders that are behind me in overall miles. They pass one by one. Apparently, they were able get their number tags marked at the Nevada turn-around and were doing their best to complete this ride. Just like me.

I would find out later that Amy had made it as far back as Scotty’s Castle, and sagged it from there.

Mile 136: The Grapevine Ranger Station, and a glorious descent.

At the Grapevine Ranger Station, just a ways down Scotty’s Castle Road, past the Ubehebe turnoff, I stop to turn on my other taillight and put my AyUp headlights on full. I also hook up an external USB battery for my GPS. Yes, I wish I had a newer GPS that had longer lasting batteries, but it is what it is.

A glorious descent greets me in the twilight – full moon shining, 20-25 mph, no pedaling required. Temperature: perfect. Wind: not a factor.

The road rises a few times. During these times,  I pass one rider, and then another. I guess I have some energy left in me.

There is very little traffic on the roads this time of day – not that there is ever much traffic out here anyway. I see car lights coming from behind and notice I’m in the middle of the lane, almost skirting close to the center line. I steer my bike back to the right shoulder to let the car pass.

A while later another car approaches from behind. Again, I notice I’m riding in the middle of the lane, almost skirting close to the center line. I steer my bike back to the right shoulder. It does not want to stay there. After the car passes, I force the issue, and discover it’s hard to follow the white line on the shoulder. It’s taxing my motor control.

My left arm is sore and tired, especially my triceps. My left foot seems weak, left knee too. I dwell on these things for a while, and then don’t dwell on them anymore.

Mile 146: A water stop.

I had carried a Camelbak on this ride, even though I hate wearing one. But I figured I’d be out late in the day, perhaps even last, and did not want to rely on water being present at any of the supposed water stops. On the way back, I had filled the Camelbak half-full of water at Scotty’s Castle, just in case. So far, I’d had no problem finding water at the stops, and there is water here as well.

It’s 23 miles further to the bottom of Hell’s Gate, the second to last rest stop. I urge my bike in that direction.

Ever since the Grapevine Ranger Station, I could see Stovepipe Wells off in the distance, and up above it, car lights coming down Emigrant Pass. The sense of scale is staggering. The moon shines brightly, giving the valley an ethereal glow. So far, the temperature has been perfect, and there is no need to put on any layers.

Night cycling can’t get any better than this.

Mile 150: The ghosts of Death Valley toy with me

The grade flattens a bit, and it’s back to pedaling full-time. It’s not as fun as it should be, for my left knee begins to hurt. Not long ago I was telling Matt and Scott that my knees have never bothered me on these doubles. I should’ve known. “Never say never,” should be my motto.

Also, there is that propensity for the bike to drift to the center line. My whole left side feels tired: arm, shoulder, leg, foot. Have I been overly compensating for a recently healed right shoulder all this way? It does seem to take a lot of work to steer the bike. Come to think of it, my shoes are fairly new too, and maybe the left cleat is not positioned properly. If so, this had gone undetected during training.

During the weeks leading up to this event I did rides of 120 and 150 miles. I never noticed any problems on these rides. But of course, now that I’m riding past 150 miles, the problems show up. Of course they do.

Or perhaps there are pre-Halloween ghosts out here, trying to push me over. Yeah, that’s it. Maybe they are conspiring with the Death Valley Vortex, the one that sucks me into doing these rides, only to thwart my attempts at finishing.

Yet more climbing

My hope of having downhill / flats all the way to the bottom of Hell’s Gate gets shattered 15 miles later, for I’m climbing again. This stays that way for the next three or so miles. Really Death Valley? More climbing? Won’t Hell’s Gate be enough?

I see tail lights up ahead – another rider or two. I’m gaining on them, but never quite close the gap.

Mile 169: The bottom of Hell’s Gate

I reach the second to last checkpoint at the bottom of Hell’s Gate. I’m surprised to find a lot of riders here. It’s like a big party, music blaring.

I roll in to the parking lot and while unclipping, I stumble and nearly fall off my bike – to the left, of course, and almost onto someone else’s bike. I stagger to the tables to fill my water bottles, barely able to walk straight.

I have little balance. Little at all.

Scott and Matt are here. Perhaps it was them I had seen up the road, never quite able to catch. Scott says Matt had been far ahead of him, and that he’s been here no more than ten minutes. He wonders why I’m having trouble standing and walking.

I sit down to rest, partaking of a cup of noodle soup and can of soda, the latter of which I almost never drink. But perhaps it will cure what ails me.

It’s 8:00 pm, and we have 4 hours to finish the ride. With only 28 miles to go, it’s in the bag, I’m thinking. I will finally finish a double here in Death Valley. All I have to do is make it to the top of Hell’s Gate, and it’s a piece of cake from there.

Bwah-hah-ha!

Miles 169-176: The climb to Hell’s Gate

I leave the rest stop before Matt and Scott, telling Matt I want to get a head start, for I know they’ll eventually catch me. I ride with a pack of Adobo Velo riders for a while, but they soon pull away.

At mile marker 1, up this 7 mile climb, the grade steepens, and I’m having trouble holding a steady line. My bike keeps drifting to the left. It’s getting disconcerting.

Now, there is very little traffic out here, and very few bike riders either. But still, not being able to stay on the right side of the road is not a safe condition.

At mile marker 2, I stop for a breather and find, much to my consternation, that it’s very difficult to get on my bike and pedal long enough to get moving and balanced and clipped in. It takes several attempts.

Soon, Matt comes by and asks how I’m doing. I say not great, but I don’t realize it’s him I’m talking to until he’s already past, and I’m not able to catch up. I struggle to hold my line while trying.

Scott passes a while later. I ask him to stay with me if he can, for I don’t know what’s going on with me. I end up with a routine of riding to each mile marker, then resting and getting off to walk the bike. Good thing I wear mountain bike shoes.

Scott rides on ahead and waits every so often.

Near mile marker 4, I try getting on to ride again. Before I have a chance to clip in, I do a complete U-turn, to the left, down the hill, and then back up. I’m not able to control the bike, no way, no how.

This is getting ridiculous.

We are by ourselves, out in the middle of a hostile, remote valley, though beautiful with a full moon shining. I can see taillights off in the distance, all the way up the pass – taillights that represent riders who will finish this double. It’s getting ever more doubtful I’ll be among them. The other direction, a few headlights bob and weave up the hill, but no sag vehicle is in sight.

Near mile marker 5, a sag vehicle comes by, and they find me walking my bike a bit erratically. “We’ve seen this kind of condition before,” they say. “You are probably just over-exhausted.” I tell them I’m going to the top, even if I have to walk the whole way. They say they’d let me fight it out a bit longer and check on me later.

Scott decides to take off for the top. If he finishes today, he’ll get his second Triple Crown. Matt’s already well up the road. This will be his first Triple Crown. Kudos to them!

But Triple Crown, schmiple crown. I earned a Triple Crown in 2011. Now I just want to finish Death Valley once, okay?

Trick or treat with the ghosts of Death Valley?

I wonder, did I not eat and drink correctly during the day? Not enough electrolytes? I had two lunches coming and going at Scotty’s Castle, and ate the usual amount of food at the other rest stops. I drank religiously all day, using a Heed and Perpetuem mix. It’s true, though, I didn’t use quite as many Endurolyte Fizz tablets as I have in the past.

Something to ponder when I get back home. But for now, I get the idea to use another gel pack. I reach for one in my jersey and happen to pull out a Hammer Espresso Gel, with caffeine. I’ve never used this particular flavor before, but brought a couple on the trip in case I needed a pick-me-up.

Big mistake. That gel was awful. Truly awful.

I wonder if I can trick the Death Valley ghosts with my other packet of Espresso gel, and bribe them to push me up the hill in return. Yeah, that’ll work.

As it is, the espresso gel does nothing for me, other than make me want to gag.

Just so you know, my heart rate along here was at 145 bpm, a Zone 2.5 for me, right in the middle of the aerobic range, and very typical for me at this stage of a long day, climbing a hill.

A determined soul

A ways up the road I pass by a sag vehicle parked on the other side of the road. The driver tells me that Scott told them to pick me up. I’m having no part of it.

“It’s only another mile and a half to the top,” I tell them. “I’m going there if I have to walk the whole way.”

They look at me with disbelief. “What good will that do?”

If I get in their sag vehicle, my day is over, with 100% certainty. If I make it to the top under my own power, there’s a chance, however slim, that I can finish.

I’m not in denial about this, I know my day is probably over. Though frustrated, I’m taking it all in (wobbly) stride. I feel good (except for not being able to balance!), my energy levels are fine, and I’m in good spirits. Might as well continue on and experience Death Valley in the full moonshine as long as possible. Plus, you never know, I might recover.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” I tell the sag people.

At mile marker 6 the road dips down a bit. I figure this is a perfect opportunity to try and get back on my bike. I can let the bike roll on its own to balance while I clip in. This works, and I ride happily if a bit tentatively towards the rest stop, which I think I see in the distance.

I reach to turn on my headlamp and check my GPS, just to see if I really am near the top. Big mistake #2. My bike immediately swerves to the left, almost into the ditch. Somehow, I manage not to fall over.

Okay, then. Walking it is.

Mile 176, 10:15 pm: Hell’s Gate

I reach the top and it seems they were expecting me. While marking my number tag, they ask how I’m doing, and whether I’ll be continuing on. I say I’d sure like to, but express doubts about actually being able to steer my bike down the hill.

“Oh, well, that doesn’t sound so good,” says Chris Kostman. “And if you aren’t sure you can make it, neither are we.”

They hand me another cup of noodle soup and I sit in a chair to eat, wondering if my day is truly over. I ask for the time and they say it’s 10:15. So, I’d actually made it under the cut-off time of 10:30 pm for this rest stop. But could I make it to the finish, for the final cutoff of 12 am?

At 10:45, they load my bike in one of the vans. I don’t object. It’s clear my day is over. I have no proof I can actually control my bike, let alone downhill at high speeds. No, to try and do so, on an unfamiliar descent, at night, in the middle of nowhere, by myself, is insane. One moment’s lapse could be catastrophic.

There’s a guy who looks familiar at the rest stop. I ask if he volunteered in the spring of 2010, thinking maybe he’s the one that sagged me in that day. He looks at me funny. No, he rode that ride, he says.

Ah yes, this is George Vargas. I remember now. He came in first that day – a day when only 10 or so riders finished. I tell him I remember him passing me on that ride, just outside Badwater, (he had ridden 50 more miles than me by then), when the wind changed from a sweet tailwind to a hellish, full-on, frontal gale. I tell him I enjoy reading his blog, and that it’s an inspiration to me, even though I will never match his feats.

George says he likes to get pictures of people that read his blog, so I have someone take one with my camera:

12:00 am: The Finish Line at Furnace Creek

After all the riders reach the last rest stop, I’m sagged to the finish by a very nice couple from Las Vegas. It’s past midnight when we reach Furnace Creek. It’s been a long day, fabulous, but ultimately unsuccessful. Scott is there and I talk to him a bit, and in the confusion, I forget to check in at the desk. Hope that didn’t cause any problems.

After having my bike unloaded from the van, I try getting on to ride back to our room. It’s not a problem … Well, at least until I try to stop and unclip at the motel.

I stumble one more time.

Sunday, October 28th: I try tree pose

Tree pose is a yoga pose where you balance on one leg, and bend the other leg partway up the balancing leg, raising your hands up high:

Tree pose, from an image stolen from the web.

On Sunday morning I try doing this, first with my right leg, and then my left. I manage both, which means my balance is back. I’m still a bit wobbly, wanting to lean to the left a little, but it’s not bad.

By Monday morning my left side is very sore, much more so than my right side.

I just know I was sabotaged!

On the drive back to Phoenix on Sunday, I jokingly accuse Scott of putting bug killer in my noodle soup, at that second to last rest stop.

“That’s why I was circling around to my left,” I say. “Just like a bug after being sprayed with pesticide.”

Ha!

Of course, I was having symptoms before that rest stop. But it makes a good story.

“I can’t believe you didn’t cash it in at the bottom of Hell’s Gate,” Scott says. “You couldn’t even walk straight.”

“Walking is so overrated,” I say, laughing. “Besides, I didn’t need to be able to walk straight, just ride.”

The problem was, I couldn’t do that either, apparently.

The most memorable ride ever.

I have to say, due to the circumstances, both good and bad, that this was my most memorable bike ride ever. I will always remember riding down from Scotty’s Castle and then west to Ubehebe Crater, and then down the Grapevine, in near perfect temperatures. The sublime and awesome beauty of this valley at those moments will always be with me.

I know Death Valley is not everyone’s cup of tea, but the Death Valley Vortex holds me firmly in its grasp. Will I be here for another double?

If you asked me that during portions of Saturday, I would have said, “No. Hell no!”

But I know such proclamations aren’t worth the breath expended to proclaim them.

If nothing else, doing the ultra-century version of this ride (144 miles, skipping the mind-numbing ride out to Nevada) would be a super ride on its own. You’d see all the major scenic points, and have a nice downhill on the way back. You’d just miss out on the Nevada portion. Such a tragedy that would be … not!

Anyway, till next time …