Day 63 - An Epic Day of Riding

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Uncle Dave,
Tell Brian to keep the car. I've got my bike. I'm just going to have to get some snow tires...

The toughest mountain pass of the entire trip would be the last one. About 25 miles into my ride from Carson City I began going up. Not before I crossed into California, though.

A bit anticlimactic, wouldn't you say?

In Carson City, I ate two sausage egg and cheese McMuffins at around 7AM. Then, right before the climb started at 10AM, I stopped in Woodfords and had a ham and swiss sandwich. While eating, a cycling couple in their mid-50's that had just arrived started talking with me. I told them I was going over the pass today. Immediately they told me how steep it was and the guy told me I would be going 4 mph the whole way up. I assured them that I made it this far and would be fine. They then told me it would be even worse because it was so hot out. 

In fact, they were so concerned with the heat at 10AM that they were in a rush to leave to get back to their car. We went outside and then the guy saw my bike did not have any low climbing gears. He told me that I really should have gotten a bike with a triple crank. The woman also mentioned how if they ever did a tour it would be a fully supported one in Italy. 

So, they got on their bikes to get to a car and then shower and air conditioning before it got too hot out. I was happy to be going the opposite direction. 

The opposite direction was up to Carson Pass over the Carson Range in the Sierra Nevada's. The climb was steep and long and certainly the hardest of the trip. Despite the dry air, I was drenched in sweat and it was dripping from my nose and running down my sunglass lenses. It was also one of the most beautiful. At only 8500 feet at the top, I was eye to eye with snow. 

Never went below 6mph and only stopped once for about 30 seconds.

Caples Lake

On the descent, I stopped in Kirkwood at around 1:30 to have my third meal of the day. It was a tuna melt with sweet potato fries. I also had to refill all my water bottles. I still don't think I had consumed more calories than I had already burned that day.

Further along on the descent, I missed a turn. It was a terrible time to miss one because I was going nearly 40mph. After about 2 miles I realized what happened and had to turn around to ride the 2 miles back up the hill. It was pretty frustrating, especially because I had already done 90 miles by this time and was in no mood for more climbing. I was distracted by the views though.

The day ended just outside Placerville at the Mother Lode Motel 118 miles later. The longest ride of the trip! I ordered spaghetti with meatballs for delivery. That's over 290 miles in the past 3 days. I'm definitely in the best shape of my life. 

I am only 135 miles from San Francisco. That's just two days of riding. It's hard to believe I'm nearly there. 

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life=good