Climb to Kaiser

The Saga Of The Climb to Kaiser part deux (2009)

Stats
157 miles
14000 plus feet climbing
63 to 104 degrees
Calories burned equals: a lot!
Total time: 14 hours, 9 minutes
Riding time: 12 hours, 30 minutes
Average speed: 12.4 mph
No smoke from fires!

Yesterday was my second run at the Climb to Kaiser. It was very tough. It is a very hard day, no matter how in shape anybody is.

After how difficult it was last year, I made every effort to train hard enough to be ready. In the few weeks before the ride, I spent as much time climbing as I could, concentrating on steep climbs with very little flats. In the 2-3 week period before the ride, I climbed 20,000 feet in 7 days! My legs got so sore, I had to taper off before the ride. It paid off, as my legs certainly were ready.

Unfortunately Larry could not make it this year. If you read the story from last year, you would understand. Anyway, he was in Holland on a bike tour with Diane. David Freeto, a gritty veteran of the ride, did make it, however, so there was somebody to share the pain with! We agreed that we would each do the ride at our own pace. For a ride this long, it is important to maintain your own rhythm. If you go faster or slower than what feels natural, your body will start to cramp on you that much easier.

Like the year before, we stayed at Huntington Lake, at 7000 feet, for two nights prior to acclimate to the altitude. We drove down early Saturday Morning for the 530 start. This year, I was lucky enough to get a few hours sleep the night before!

We had a police escort out of Clovis and we rode out in a pack. Despite a couple of missed turns and mass turn-arounds, we got out fast. A racing pack sort of left the rest of us in the dust, but we had a line of 30 to 40 riders to share the first 25 miles before the climbing began.

As we are riding along at 17 to 19 mph, a pair of racers passes us on our left. I seize the opportunity and jump behind them. I was in the middle of the pack before that. We make our way to the front, where Dave is second in line. Dave jumps in behind me, yells some explicative, and the rest fall in. These guys are pushing. We are going 22 to 23 mph. We take a left turn and I hear a bike run into gravel. I look back, and see Dave breaking hard as he somehow he ran into the gravel! He looked ok, though, so I rode on. We go a little further, and I notice that we dropped everybody else. Nobody is in site. These two push on trying to shake me off. After a few miles they slow down and ask me to work, which I do, riding ahead. After a few, another racer catches us and I hear them all chatting that they are doing some short loop. They are not even doing the ride! I should have noticed they had no numbers! The rider that caught us asked them to follow him as he will pull them on. He takes off fast, and they follow. I do not even try to keep up, as I have 135 miles and all the climbing to go!! I feel good, though.

In the process of riding with these guys, I had caught a few of the slower riders that were riding with the racer pack. I come to a right turn, and the racers I followed and others were standing there waiting to take a route back to Clovis. They all looked pretty smug and I could tell they were pissed I kept up with them!! Whatever. There is a long way to go!!

The first climb was Wildcat Grade, which is a 4 mile climb that only rises 900 feet. The first three miles or so are fairly gradual, but the last ½ mile is pretty steep, up to 16 percent. It is short, though, so the pain is not so great. It is the break-in hill. At the top was a rest stop, where I stopped for just 5 minutes, got the food, electrolytes, and fluids I needed, and took off. I wanted to finish this ride as fast as possible to get out of the heat, without killing my legs!

It was then gentle rollers to the next climb. As I described last year, we rolled through beautiful ranches with horses, cows, a lot of oak trees, creeks, etc. The hills are all golden brown. It was nice, because it was not even 8 am yet. It was not as surreal as last year, with all of the smoke in the air at that time. It was also different from last year in that I was riding completely alone. I missed having Larry with me to talk with and make silly comments, all in an effort to lighten the mood on a difficult day.

There was some comraderie with the other riders, of course. As we approached Burrough Grade, the second climb, a smallish Filipina was riding behind my wheel when she exclaimed, "I am drafting behind you! I hope that is okay! Yes, I am cheating!" I told her that was completely fine, as I was just cruising along at a moderate pace and if it helped her, no worries! She told me that she missed the cut-off to Kaiser last year. They would not let her climb the last climb because she was late on time. You have to get to the top before 5 pm or you are disqualified. I told her that I finished last year and we were pretty much the last ones to make it off Kaiser, Larry and I. I wished her the best of luck as we came to the Burrough Grade climb and accelerated.

This climb was 8 miles long, but, again, only 900 feet of climbing. However, it was uphill mixed with downhill, just enough to annoy you and wish you could save more for the big climbs ahead! I climbed along at a moderate pace, saving energy for the big ones coming up....

We then arrived at a rest stop just before the first big climb of the day, Tollhouse Grade. I again stopped quickly, getting what I needed and answering the call to nature. As I was leaving the rest stop, there was Dave Freeto at the entrance to the parking lot standing over his bike!! He was making great time! I said to him, "Who let this groveling old man on the course?" He was obviously pre-occupied, as he was mumbling that his derailer was messed up and his wheel was frozen. I knew that the crew at the rest stop would help him with his wheel and I was anxious to get on, so I wished him the best of luck and headed for Tollhouse Grade.

This climb starts at about mile 40, and it is a tough one. It is 8 miles long and climbs 2700 feet. About 1 to 1.5 miles of that in the middle is fairly flat. It is a hill that just keeps going up and up and up without rest. It averages only 7 percent, but is between 7 and 19 percent. I settled in immediately at a pace I knew I could hold for a long time without killing my legs. I knew that Big Creek, the mother of all climbs, was ahead, and I wanted to save for that! There were quite a few riders around....everybody going at their own pace. We all yo-yo'd back and forth. Some very fit individuals rode by me and took off. Even those folks, however, would tire and would slow down, speed up, and never pull completely out of sight. The views are pretty spectacular down below, but you really do not have much energy to look much!

At the last part of the climb is a small rest stop. Most people stop here for a break as, after most of this climb is done, the last 1/2 mile is crazy steep, 16 to 18 percent, and then there is seven miles that climb 1200 feet or so on Highway 168, which has a lot of traffic and basically no shoulder. It is an exhausting few miles after such a long climb. I stop for a few and reload at the rest stop. Most of the riders now are people you have seen along the whole route. We become more friendly as the day goes on...
The next ½ mile is slow and somewhat painful. After spending so much time climbing steep hills in Napa, I pace myself, standing and pushing slowly up the hill. Still, it is very taxing on the legs. We get to the highway, turn right, and then do the next seven miles with tired legs….

The Shaver Lake rest stop is then a pretty sight. The volunteer staff, which is the best, most friendly volunteer staff I have ever seen on a ride, take your bike, fill your bottles and Camelback with whatever you want, and send you off. It is very refreshing. I talk to a few fellow riders about the ride and how the next hill, Big Creek, sucks so bad! It helps to share the pain with others!

I head off, riding along Shaver and then turning left for the seven mile descent and re-ascent to Big Creek. During most of this portion, you can see the cliff face in front of you that you have to climb with the winding road that courses up the hill to Huntington. It is a very intimidating site to see! Ugh is all I am thinking! My legs remember the pain of last year, and the view of the steep hillside is only a reminder!

I get to the rest stop before the big climb, THE MOTHER OF ALL CLIMBS, as it has been termed numerous times by many people. We all sit, stand, meander, eat, drink, and babble about how hard this is going to be. One by one, we all set off for the tortous four miles to come….

For the second time, I set off on my bike up this tough grade. Within 200 yards, it winds up at over 12 percent with absolutely no rest. I stand for most of it, as it is so steep and unrelenting that sitting requires you to pedal very slowly with a lot of pressure on your quads. The road just keeps going up and up. Your legs tire. You wonder when there will be a break. You want to stop so badly, but it is so steep that there is no way you can get your bike started again if you do stop. Finally, after almost 2 miles, there is a flat section at a hairpin turn where Larry and I stopped last year. I stop there to take off the pain! Just five minutes! It is a long day, so there is no reason to rush it and push your legs to the limit without a rest! I stop for a few, stretch, and then push on.

The hill is not quite so steep for about a quarter mile, then you run into the hardest, steepest section that is about a mile long. You can see the whole route, as it heads towards Huntington on a cliffside with small trees, rocks and bushes. It basically goes straight up into a valley you can see just below the dam at the west end of Huntington Lake. I ride on, my legs burning and my lungs on fire. After a quarter mile, I am pedalling so slow and I begin to think it would be so much easier to just walk. I push on and go as far as I can. Finally, I figure I can walk as fast as I am pedalling, so I dismount and walk. This feels good. There are few riders around me. The ones in front slowly pull away from me. There is nobody behind me, but, eventually a couple pass me. After almost half a mile, I catch some of these riders on foot! I find a flat spot, remount and get through the last steep stuff, into a flatter section, and pass all the riders that passed me when I was walking, as well as others. Everybody is in so much pain at this point! We are all suffering, big time.

This hill sucks! Luckily, it flattend somewhat, and then I got to the last ½ mile section that I had just ridden the day before that I knew was not so bad. I accelerated and passed a few more riders, got to the top, where the dam was and a spectacular view of the lake! What a welcome site! It was then just five miles of mostly flat and some rollers to the wonderful Huntington Lake rest stop!!

Despite the toughness of the Big Creek Climb, I felt pretty good when I got to the rest stop. This was a stark contrast to last year, when I was pretty much delirious and in shock from that climb. Instead of stopping for 45 minutes, I did so for only 15 or so. I got a sandwhich, which I could hardly eat, had a coke, a few cookies, drank a lot, then took off on my bike to get the last climb over with!

We rolled through the remaining mile or so of flat terrain along gorgeous Huntington lake, a place of many fond memories for me from childhood, and then we crossed the Highway and turned left up the road to Kaiser Pass. This climb is fairly long at about six miles, but the first four miles are fairly gradual at about 6 percent. The last two miles are tough, running from 12 to 18 percent, made even more difficult by the altitude. The top is nearly 9200 feet! There are four riders just ahead of me as we ascend the two lane highway and settle into a rhythm. My legs are pretty darn tired now, and six miles seems like such a long way to go! I stay the same distance behind the riders ahead of me for the most part. After three or four miles I start feeling even better so I accelerate some and pass a couple of them. After what seems like an eternity, we reach the one lane road that signals the last two miles of climbing.

This part is tough. Remembering how badly my leg went into spasm near the top of this climb last year and feeling pretty tired, I stop for a couple of minutes to let my legs recover a little. The riders I passed on the way up go by me. I figure what does a couple of minutes matter? I just want to make it in one piece without agonizing pain! I then remount and settle into a rhythm. This is a narrow road that winds through rocky terrain. There are fantastic views as the road winds cliffside. It is starting to get steep, and everybody slows as we approach the top. I pass most of the folks that rode by me when I stopped. We can then hear an approaching siren of ?an ambulance? I sure hope somebody is not that ill at the top! We pass the point where my leg went into spasm last year, and I am still riding! Two ambulances approach! The road is narrow. A couple of riders ahead of me stop at the side of the road. I do not want to stop at this steep section, so I ride right on the edge of the road, in no way impeding the path for the ambulances. They go by, and I ride on. We can now see the top! Another ambulance approaches from behind! The road is wider here, so I figure keep riding. However, two riders right in front of me suddenly stop, impeding my path! Arrgghhh!!! I had to slam on my brakes (not that I was going fast!) and stop! The ambulance goes by. I am pissed because it is so hard for me to get going with my Look pedals on a steep grade like this. A couple of volunteers had walked down to us, and they attempted to push start me a few times and, finally, I get going! I get to the top to much fanfare from the dozens of volunteers! What a relief! The hardest parts are done!

The ambulances are not there. Luckily it was not a rider that was injured. Hopefully the person needing help is ok.

I get some needed fuel and sit to rest for a bit, basking in the glow of making it to the top. It is now about 3:15 pm, a good hour and a half earlier than when I got to this point last year! I am very pleased, as I realize, barring something bad, that I will finish before dark! I chat with some of the other riders. At this point we have been seeing each other most of the way up, yo-yoing past each other much of the way. One fellow who is a strong climber tells me he is 58 years old. His friend is 69 and has ridden this ride 20 years straight! After a bit, I get back on the bike and leave with the volunteers cheering me on.
I go slow down the first two miles of the steep, one lane, winding road. So nice to be coasting! Once I get to the two lane highway, I am able to coast along at 30 to 40 mph for the next four miles. On the way down I look at all the riders going up, trying to find Dave. I see a lot of riders with last year’s Climb to Kaiser jersey on, like he was wearing, and do not see him…. Finally, there he is!! He is about half way up the climb. It is now about 4 pm, so I know he will make it! He will probably finish in the dark, like I did last year, but I know he will finish! I yell out at him and he shouts back. Good deal!

By the time I get to the bottom, my arms and hands are killing me from all the rattling of the bumpy road. I turn left at the east end of Huntington Lake, and head up Tamarack Ridge.

This is the last hill of the day. It is not that steep, at 3 to 6 percent most of the way, but it is loooongg!! It is agonizingly slow. I just keep pedaling, knowing that it will eventually end. There are actually three peaks with a descent in between them. I know it is 9 miles long, so I count down the miles as I slowly make my way up. During the descending portions, my legs are ever so greatful! Finally, I make it to the top!!

I start the ten mile descent to Shaver Lake with a big smile on my face. The climbs are done! Yahooooo!! I remember this point last year, when I was crying uncontrollably as Larry had to catch a sag wagon at this point because he was starting to hallucinate. I think of him and am sorry he could not make it this year, as I am sure he would have finished!
The descent goes down a good 2500 feet and seems like it will never end. It is fun, with some long straight-aways where you can really pick up speed. I am too chicken to go faster than 40 mph, however. My arms start to get really tired as I approach the bottom. When I reach Shaver, I am relieved to give my sore arms a rest! It is now some rollers to the Shaver rest stop. I stop there for just about five minutes, anxious to get to the finish.
It is now the fun, banked turn section down the highway back to the top of Tollhouse Grade. This is a blast! I thoroughly enjoy this descent! I then get to the top of Tollhouse road and, instead of turning left down that or going straight down the four lane highway, I turn right to get on Auberry Road. There is a slight hill, and then I come to another rest stop, where I stop quickly to answer a call to nature and fill my Camelback with Gatorade as I know I am doing to descend into the Valley of Death. Okay, that is a little dramatic. I do know, however, by looking at my iPhone that it is now 104 degrees in Clovis! Ugh!
I then descend down 3000 feet on a fun, banked road, seeing the golden hot valley below. As I go down, you can feel it getting hotter and hotter. The wind is like a furnace blowing into your face. I make it down a series of sharp turns, then hit the straight-aways into Auberry. Eventually I again reach highway 168, then I turn right onto Auberry Road approaching the road to Millerton, where the final rest stop is. There is only 20 miles left! It is now a gentle descent with some rollers, but I am able to cruise along at about 25 to 30 mph. I am now, and have been for some time, completely alone.

I reach the final rest stop. Only about 10 or 11 miles to go! It is so hot, though. They have cold, wet towels that we all put on our heads. I drink and eat a little, and quickly get out of there as I want to get out of the heat! I am cruising along at 20 to 22 mph, passing a good number of riders that are better climbers than me. I know this portion of the road well, as I used to ride on it quite a bit as a teenager. I fly into Clovis and reach the finish! It is now about 8 pm! I am so happy! I remember finishing at 945 pm the night before. This is so much nicer!

I put my bike away and get some food that the volunteers had made for us. I have a hard time eating much, as I am so bloated from all the food and drink (and cokes!) I had during the ride that was mostly undigested. I sit for some time and wait for Dave to arrive.
I am getting so tired! At 945 pm, there’s Dave! He has his headlamp on and looks completely worn out. He gets some food and sits down. He says that every part of his body hurts. He also says that it will take some incredible convincing on Larry’s part to ever do this ride again!

So ends what was another epic day. It was not as dramatic as the year before, but I am very glad for that. I feel proud that I was able to finish this ride, under such harsh conditions, in one piece. Will I do it again? Well, if Larry wants to do it next year, I will. Big Creek is so damn hard, though. I wish we could just leave that part out! We will see what happens.

Jim