Mounting Mt. Baldy

Friday, May 18th

The Boyfriend wisely decided that we should explore Mt. Baldy the day before the crowds came for Stage 7 of the Amgen TOC.  "San Antonio Peak, known to locals as Mount Baldy because of the absence of trees is the highest point (el. 10,064ft) in the San Gabriel Mountains."   The day began cold and misty but a few hours later, we were greeted with sunshine and blue skies.

Me:  Will there be cocktails waiting for us at the top?
The BF:  Sigh.

The BF went on to do the steepest part of the climb, taking on another 2,000 feet in 4 miles; whereas I stopped in Baldy Village in search of cocktails at 4,000 feet.  He said he had to stand up on his pedals to handle the 15% switchbacks, going maybe 3 mph, which means that I would have toppled over had I tried. 

 Lookey, SAG support for me....

The scenery was spectacular, with wildflowers everywhere.   It was lovely to have the mountain to ourselves.   I biked 49.45 miles in 5 hrs, 21 min.  We stayed at the Rt. 66 Best Western in Glendora.  They serve freshly baked cookies each afternoon. 

My Man on Mines

You may recall that a few months ago, The Boyfriend and I did not complete Mines Road because I flatted repeatedly.  Today, we had a successful and wonderful outing, completing the ride and enjoying the scenery, from the sweeping views to the hawks flying above to the goats and cows and horses in the valleys.

Yes, of course, firemen at the beginning of the ride waved to me, and cyclists along the way paid me attention and the studly tow truck guys probably wanted to pick me up, but today was all about my man getting to see why I like this route, having done it back in December for the first time with Miss P.  The temperature was warm but the winds helped.  We sweated a lot but no big deal.

Next week, we're off to Mt. Baldy to follow the Amgen TOC and then more cycling in Solvang.

Once again, my stats were similar to previous ones despite thinking that I had banged it.  The BF banged it, finishing 20 minutes ahead of me. 

Just the Stats:

57.56 miles
11.6 avg mph
29.5 mph descent
4 hr. 55 min.

Grizzly Peaked Again

This year, Miss. P and I did the Grizzly Peak Century, well, we did the 75 mile route with 5,750 feet of climbing while the The Boyfriend did the 109 mile route with 8,550 ft of climbing.  I did the ride for the first time last year and was blown away by the beauty of the East Bay.  Above is a sign on a park bench at Inspiration Point from the GP Cyclists that they dedicated in 1999. 

The BF left at 7am and 5 minutes later, I realized that my prescription glasses and Power Gel were locked in his car.  I thought all was lost.

Jumping ahead:  I didn't think I could bike without my glasses but I managed, mostly by looking at the pavement for most of the ride.  And luckily nothing flew into my eyes. 

Not 10 minutes after The BF left, I met a man while waiting for Miss P to arrive.   He said, "Hello, I don't suppose you are waiting for me?"  Oh oh, I forced myself to behave.  At 7:30am, Miss P arrived to save the day with 3 types of gel for me to choose from; I wasn't sure that I could make it to the first rest stop at mile 19 on an empty stomach.   I tell you at that very moment, I thought, wow, I am so fortunate, what a friend! 

Once again, the ride, relentless with its climbs, all doable but over time, exhausting and a test of endurance, proved to be spectacular, with the green hills, the sweeping views of SF and the East Bay.  It was fun to watch Miss P. fly by other cyclists on descents.  She probably hit a speed in excess of 40+ mph. 

The temperature quickly rose and around mile 50, my feet began to ache.  I think the Santa Cruz Mtns. Challenge is a harder ride but the East Bay pushes you too because of the heat and the continuous rollers and climbs.  I think I started to lose it around mile 60, thinking odd thoughts, like how I really wanted to brush my teeth.  10 minutes after we returned to the start, The BF arrived, too. Wow! Luckily, he missed me chatting with men I had met on the ride, men, I don't remember meeting, partly, because it was hard to distinguish one from another without my glasses, though, jerseys helped and also, I was plum pooped and really just wanted to take my nap.  Honestly, I really enjoyed all the people I met and conversations I had with them.  Thanks GP for a great ride.  It was so fun to ride with Miss P., too.  Regrettably, there was one accident, as relayed by the divine Miss M. who was also on the ride  - a cyclist collided with a turkey.  The BF saw emergency personnel on the road.  We hope the individual is okay. 

My stats were very similar to last year's. 

Just the Stats:

75 miles
11.4 avg mph
33.5 mph descent
6 hr 35 min.