On the SoCal coast!

The last ride of the year, Fallbrook to San Diego
Leaving Fallbrook under blue skies on our last day of the ride. It's been a treat!

posted via cell phone at 8:01 AM

A beautiful day on the SoCal coast.

(posted via cell phone at 9:59 AM)

UPDATE:
The day started out clear and bright. The rain of yesterday was....well, yesterday's news! We were advised to be in San Diego no later than 3PM since the organizers had a rental truck to return and all the "toys" had to be put away.
For most of us that would not be a problem, there were less than 60 miles to ride and a net elevation loss on the route.

The weather was gorgeous and the ride was really quite uneventful. I continued to take in the view as I rode. I was by myself most of the ride today. I pulled off in a shopping center parking lot a few hours into the ride to drink one of the Ensure's that I carry. While stopped a car with two older couples pull up next to me and ask directions to a restaurant! I started telling them that I wasn't from the area when I remembered that I had my car GPS in my pack just in case I needed it for "off route" navigating. I pulled it out, got a fix on the current location, then had it find nearby restaurants. They were only a couple of miles away and only a couple of turns to memorize. Worked like a charm! They commented that they needed to get one of those things.

Having done my good deed for the day I pedaled onward. The route had us traveling in an arc heading first west then south. We made a sharp turn to the west and hopped on a bike path that brought us to the sea at Oceanside. As far as bike paths go this was a good one, smooth, and few other users. As I pedaled along about 18 mph I caught up with another of our riders. I slowed up and we rode together for the next 20-25 miles. I finally dropped him on one of the climbs along the coast.

Much of the last half of today's ride was on bike paths. One paralleled I-5, a welcome alternative to riding the freeway shoulder. (I don't think it's legal to ride the freeway in this area anyway) Then on some low traffic light industrial streets, then we were routed onto the Rose Creek Bike Path. I had ridden this many times in June. The lower portions of it were my route to Fiesta Island and rides out to Mission Gorge. Today as I pedaled up to the northern end of this path I saw Ronaele peering over the precipitous drop off to access the path. I had ridden with her the very first morning of the ride, 6 days ago. Now I would ride the last leg of the ride with her. We pedaled along the Rose Creek path, into Pacific Beach, along Mission Bay Park, past Fiesta Island, and made the turn up Friar's Road towards the University of San Diego, our finish location, the same place we began our adventure.

We pedaled up the last little hill to get to the parking lot at USD and it was all over. I loaded my bike, got out of my bike shoes, retrieved my overnight bags, milled around a bit, then was off for a shower and rest at The Marriot in LaJolla. A few hours later I joined about a third of the riders for a bite to eat and a chance to share stories and contact information at a Mexican restaurant near USD.

It had been a nice 6 days of riding. One afternoon of very light rain, the rest of the time was mostly cloud free. Temperatures were pleasant. SoCal lived up to it's nice weather reputation and was a nice change for this webfooted Oregonian. As it ended up nearly 10% of the riders were from Oregon. I think we all had the same idea!

It was a good ride and a nice way to finish up the year of riding, a year where I achieved all my riding goals..........except one.

Looking forward to the coming year!




+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles Today
.................57...............0.................57
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1322.....+.........0........=......1322
August total...1603.....+.........0........=......1603
Sept total.....1403.....+.........0........=......1403
October.........503.....+.........0........=.......503
November........664.....+.........0........=.......664
December........941.....+.........0........=.......941
Year to date..10,717.....+........30.......=.....10,747 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Day 5, Hemet to Fallbrook

54 miles today along the road to Fallbrook. Passed trough avocado and citrus orchards. Light rain noon on.

(posted via cell phone)

UPDATE:

As we ate breakfast this morning the rumor passed through the group that there was a 30% chance of rain today. Having been in San Diego in June when they had a "rainy day" I wasn't too concerned. What they call rain in SoCal passes for heavy fog in the Pacific Northwest. I packed my goretex jacket and pants in my pack and wore wool socks but didn't go all out and carry long fingered gloves, helmet cover, and booties.

Given that I didn't have tire issues now in a couple of days I became brave and decided to ride an alternate route today. I had eyed the Sage alternate for the last several weeks. It was two miles shorter but had 1000 ft more climbing than the official route. It appeared on the map to be more rural in nature and likely to give some nice views.

I started off with a large group of riders who had decided on the same option. It was a good group of strong riders. As we made our way out of town, our group had been separated by a traffic light so we had a good chance to visit as we waited to regroup. Before long we started climbing. We all climbed at our own pace then regrouped at a turn. It was all about hanging together as a group today, at least until lunch.

We stopped as a group at California Bagel Bakery for lunch. Knowing my system's aversion to "real food" when riding I stuck with the powerbar and Ensure Plus that I had packed. We sat around for about an hour before getting back on the bikes.

After the climbing of the morning we were enjoying some generally descending runs. As the day progressed our group fragmented as fast sustained pedaling descents coupled with some scattered climbing weeded us out a bit. Before long it started raining ever so slightly. After a bit of this drip drip stuff I stopped to put on my rain gear.

It rained lightly on and off the rest of the afternoon. Probably not more than 0.01" all day, but surprising none the less. What the rain did mostly was take away the good photo ops. The views into canyons were obscured by fog and low clouds. The fabled De Luz canyon was still very pretty. The low traffic route wiggled it's way back and forth through trees and rock outcroppings.

Before long I reached Fallbrook. I had a bit of trouble finding the overnight facility again. My GPS said I had arrived, but arrived where was big question mark for me! As I was sitting at the edge of an intersection getting my paper cue sheet out to see if it had better information I noticed a familiar rider up the hill to my left about 2 blocks away. I pedaled up the hills and sure enough there was the Penske truck along with the rest of the entourage. I parked my bike under the truck to keep it out of the rain. (after checking to be sure the truck was NOT going to move before morning!)

I went into the building and visited with many of my new found biking buddies. As the afternoon progressed others pedaled in, and wet clothes began hanging from just about every place that you could hang them from! Seems that Oregonians are a bit better prepared for rain than San Diegans! I didn't have my shoe covers along so my wool socks were wet, but feet were warm.

After a filling meal the organizers had a "reverse hot seat" planned. Instead of getting up and telling everyone a bit about ourselves as we had done the first night, we stood before our compadres and answered questions or tolerated "roasting" comments. After our "trial" we got to pick a t-shirt out of the supply of donated shirts. I picked a Rock and Roll Marathon Road Crew shirt. I had some experience with the R&R Marathon so thought it was a good find.

Tomorrow is our last day. :-(




+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles Today
.................54...............0.................54
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1322.....+.........0........=......1322
August total...1603.....+.........0........=......1603
Sept total.....1403.....+.........0........=......1403
October.........503.....+.........0........=.......503
November........664.....+.........0........=.......664
December........884.....+.........0........=.......884
Year to date..10,660.....+........30.......=.....10,690 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

hung with the group for the first half of the day

30 miles so far today. Bagel stop! ;-) A few sprinkles..... they say it's raining! LOL!

Palm Desert to Hemet

64 miles today, much of it into a 30 mph wind. After FC 508 .....no big deal. Less wind and only lasted 30 miles!
(posted via cell phone)

UPDATE:

Woke up to a beautiful morning. We were at a much lower elevation than previous mornings and there was no danger of frost today! I had been riding most of the ride so far at my own pace, and was solo much of the time. Not that I mind that, but decided I should attempt to be more social today and try to ride with the group. As I was preparing my bike I noted that the battery on one of my speedometers had died. I was glad I had a backup and figured when and if I passed a store that had batteries I'd try to get a replacement. We were notified that after loading our gear on the truck there would be a group photo so most hung around for the "official start".

Before long the group pedaled off, me included. The route today took us to Hemet, along the way there was a section that was notorious for headwinds. Probably a good day to be in a group! The group moved along about 13 mph, a little slow for me, but this wasn't a race. I was about 2/3 of the way back in the pack. The accordion action was a little frustrating. I moved up around the group to get photos of the leaders. As I pulled up next to them the leader asked "Don't you like to ride in a group?". I snapped the photo and dutifully got back in line.

I visited with the gal I was paired with, found her name to be Sheila. She was frustrated with the pace as well. We forged an alliance to form our own little breakaway when an opportunity arose. Before long that opportunity came around. The group pulled off at a gas station/convenience store to use the restroom. Something about me taking care of that before riding, and the sight of 30-40 people lined up for the one restroom made me think this was as good a time as any to just ride on.

Sheila missed the opportunity having need of the stop.

I pedaled on westward. I was making good time, riding along about 18 mph, just enjoying the morning. I was riding in a valley paralleling a range of low hills on each side. As the valley turned a bit and narrowed I began to experience some of those fabled headwinds. Before long wind generators came into view, telling me that wind here was not uncommon! The wind eventually was directly in my face at ~25 mph. I was on the aerobars with head down and just pedaling. I was holding about 11-12 mph. I was beginning to think about that peloton that was surely gaining on me in these conditions. I was wondering how long it would take them to catch me. Finally my mind wandered to that night in Death Valley where I was riding against the 40-60 mph wind. I smiled. Unlike during the Furnace Creek 508 where I was riding 4-6 mph with the prospect of doing so for the next 230 miles, here I was riding twice as fast, with the end of the day's ride only 30 miles away. I could do this, I am the Desert Coyote! I put a bit more power to the pedals and continued on.

After about 25 miles the valley opened up and the winds subsided. The peloton had not caught me. I sat up, took in the view and cruised along.

About the time the winds were abating a bit I came to Cabozon. There are stories of Furnace Creek riders hallucinating after many hours of hard riding. I began to think that this little wind had done me in. On the horizon I saw.....dinosaurs.
I took photos of a few of them, just as my crew and I had taken photos of scorpions in Death Valley to verify that they were real and not just imaginations running wild. ;-)

I pulled off the course to take a closer look at the dinosaurs and make a stop at Dairy Queen for a light snack.

Before long I was back on the bike pedaling into the remnants of the headwind.

We had been warned that part of the route had not been scouted. I experienced that first hand. As I crossed over the freeway onto a frontage road I noted that it was a very low traffic route. It was paved but there were signs it wasn't used much. After a couple of miles I came to a slight bend and dip in the road. It turned to, what can only be described in the most generous terms, gravel. It was a mix of sand and rock, some the size of baseballs. I walked the bike, having had enough trouble with tires already this trip. This primitive roadbed continued for 0.97 miles. I hopped back on the bike and pedaled on.

I came to the town of Beaumont and passed right by a Walmart. I stopped to get a battery for my speedometer. There was still a bit of wind and as I leaned my bike against the stone pillars by the door the bike rolled back a bit....putting the first scratches on my carbon fiber frame. :-(

They did have a battery though, and I installed it and re-calibrated my speedo.

There was a nice long scenic descent as the route made the final turn to Hemet. I noted a lush green valley below..........and crossed over a sucked dry San Jacinto River. Coincidence? I think not.

I arrived in Hemet quite early. That was good since I had kitchen duty tonight. I had plenty of time to prepare the bike for tomorrow's ride before helping out with dinner.

A good ride today..........except for the scratches on the bike!





+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles Today
.................64...............0.................64
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1322.....+.........0........=......1322
August total...1603.....+.........0........=......1603
Sept total.....1403.....+.........0........=......1403
October.........503.....+.........0........=.......503
November........664.....+.........0........=.......664
December........830.....+.........0........=.......830
Year to date..10,606.....+........30.......=.....10,636 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

windy today on the way to Hemet. Surprised?

108 miles today to Palm Desert

108 miles today counting the ride to Best Western. Absolutely awesome ride, 17.6 avg. Better focus on nutrition today paid off.
(posted via cell phone)

UPDATE:

As usual, I woke up early. The wind was just howling, perhaps 35-40mph. At our breakfast the entire group was talking about the winds. Luckily by the time we started out it had died down a bit. There was a century on tap today and I was determined to keep better tabs on my hydration and caloric intake.

The route started out with a downward sloping run with a following wind. I can do those! ;-) We took a turn and began climbing. It was a blustery morning and with the course turn the wind was slightly in our face.

It would appear that wind is a common occurrence given a street name of "Breezy" and road signs warning us of winds.

After about 14 miles I summited the climb. After a bit of rollers the fun descent of Montezuma Grade began. The views into the Colorado Desert were amazing as I made my way down the long grade at 35-40 mph. Speed was kept in check by the headwind.

The fun descent ended at the "snow bird" community of Borrego Springs.

I was feeling great and pedaling strong. Paying attention to eating and drinking was paying off. The wind had died down and wasn't a major factor on the desert floor. I continued to be in awe of the desert landscape. I noted that one of the varieties of cactus had a few red blooms on it. I was stopping from time to time to take photos and just take the view in.

As the route turned towards the Salton Sea we hit a section of ROUGH pavement reminiscent of the rough Kel-Baker section on the Furnace Creek 508. Luckily it only lasted a couple of miles.

Reached the shores of the Salton Sea and turned northward. We were riding along a busier road but had a nice wide paved shoulder. Life was good.

I continued riding generally northward towards Palm Springs. Our stop for the night would be in Palm Desert, a Palm Springs metro suburb.

As the route crossed the Riverside County line there was a notable increase in greenery. In this case the cactus of the desert had given way to dates, palms,and citrus.

I stopped at a small convenience store and replenished liquids, grabbed a snack, and visited a bit with delivery driver who was there on his rounds.

Back on the bike I continued along the route. I was just toodling along about 15-17 mph when I see a large group of cyclists gaining on me. Before long I was overtaken by about 20 cyclists in a double paceline being led at better than 20mph by James and Drew. They howled and greeted me with a "Hey Desert Coyote!" as they passed. I knew where my bread was buttered and latched on.

After a mile or so I worked my way to the front to see if they wanted me to pull for awhile. They declined! I fell in behind them and began taking a few photos and visiting with them. Drew was riding with PowerCranks and explained that soft pedaling with them was very difficult so he preferred to pull.

These two guys continued pulling the group the last 15-20 miles into Palm Desert at 22 mph+. Animals!

Reached Palm Desert early in the day, just prior to 2PM. I had averaged just over 17 mph (with help from the paceline for the last miles) and felt great.

The attention to food and water had payed off.

That evening as we ate and socialized I heard many who were suffering a bit after a 100 mile ride. 100+ mile rides are my strength. I just smiled and shook my head when asked if I was tired. ;-)

Tomorrow we ride to Hemet, a shorter ride, but likely with fabled headwinds.



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles Today
................108...............0................108
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1322.....+.........0........=......1322
August total...1603.....+.........0........=......1603
Sept total.....1403.....+.........0........=......1403
October.........503.....+.........0........=.......503
November........664.....+.........0........=.......664
December........766.....+.........0........=.......766
Year to date..10,542.....+........30.......=.....10,572 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

entering Riverside County

Riverside County, oranges, lemons, grapefruit,dates. 74 miles down,26 to go. Great ride today.

(posted via cell phone)

Fun desent to Borrego Springs this AM, now nearing Salton Sea

(posted via cell phone)

100 miles io Palm Springs

100 miles io Palm Springs on tap today. The wind is HOWLING!
(posted via cell phone from my tent in the pre-dawn darkness)

64 miles today from Lake Morena to Warner Springs

64 miles today from Lake Morena to Warner Springs via Mt Laguna. Over 6000 ft elev, lots of roadside snow.
(posted via cell phone)

The rest of the story:

We woke up to 27 degrees in the morning but a bright sun in a clear sky promised to warm things up quickly. As we would throughout this trip, we had a fulfilling breakfast that would provide good energy for the day ahead. By the time we finished breakfast, cleaned up the facility, and loaded our bags it was already well above freezing.

There was an alternate route today that would ascend Mt Laguna via Kitchen Creek. I had read a lot about this route on the San Diego Randonneurs website as well as through some Adventure Corps events. I was looking forward to riding this route, however with the tire issues of the previous day (and now riding on gluelessly patched tubes!) I decided it better to stay on the official route with the possibility of rescue via support should I have more trouble.

The official route backtracked our previous afternoon's route back several miles to I-8 where we kept heading north towards Mt Laguna. Before we got to I-8 however we got to pass through a Border Patrol Check Point. Gee, I don't know but I'm thinking if I'm trying to sneak across the border I'd jump out of the vehicle a few miles before the check point, sneak along through the underbrush and rejoin the vehicle a couple of miles beyond the check point. Certainly the locations of these apparently permanent check points must be known to those who transport illegals?

I visited with border patrol for 10-15 minutes. They were amazed that I and the rest were riding a planned 60+ miles that day. What would they have thought if I had told them that I've ridden more than 200 in a day many times? ;-)

I crossed the freeway and passed through the towns of Descanso and Guatay. I picked up a better patch kit at the little store in Descanso, and saw the first roadside snow near Guatay. From there our route went out to Pine Valley then turned onto Sunrise Hwy.

The road continued a moderate but relentless climb towards the 6000 ft summit of Mt Laguna via the Sunrise Hwy. We were climbing through low growing shrubbery and dwarf trees called chaparral. I was climbing well and managed to be able to stop to take a lot of photos and still gain on the pack. When I got to the top at the Mt Laguna Store I stopped and got a Snickers bar to munch on while visiting with the rest of our party.

Before long it was time to saddle up and begin the descent. I saw a flock of 30-40 wild turkeys not too far beyond the store. I also stopped to talk to a couple of deer hunters who were waiting for a buddy on the side of the road. Got another flat tire as I finished talking with the hunters. :-(

In sharp contrast to the mostly green chaparral that I had climbed Mt Laguna through, the other side was absolutely treeless. Not a speck of green as far as the eye could see. I was standing at nearly 6000 ft in elevation looking down into treeless valleys that dropped below sea level. In the distance I see the Salton Sea. Our route would take us along it's shores in two days.

The route took us to Julian, famous for it's apple pies! The little town is quite the tourist mecca evidently. It reminded me a lot of the Central Oregon town of Sisters, though busier. I availed myself of a piece of apple pie.... just because a visit to Julian wouldn't be complete without it! Just outside Julian I got another flat! One of the glueless patches had failed. I always consider them temporary but on this trip they were pressed into full time duty because there no other options.
I was told that adhesion of these glueless patches can be improved by using a alcohol wipe instead of sandpaper to prep the surface. I'll have to put a little wipey pack in my repair kit.

Jeff, the guy who had helped on a couple of my previous flats rode up as I was repairing the flat. We rode together for a few miles. He had speedplay pedals and some dirt had lodged in his shoe cleats keeping him from engaging the pedals properly. As we began a steep climb he slipped out and went down hard. After a bit of checking for damage he remounted and we both pedaled away cautiously.

I got to Santa Ysabel where our route now backtracked the course I had ridden in June on my Mt Palomar ride.

I got into Warner Springs, our stop for the night, well in the pack of first finishers. Though I was navigating via GPS, and had the paper cue sheet along, it was not entirely clear where our facility was. It might have been nice to have a sandwich board out front, or red arrow on a post for us "out of towners". I could see the school but didn't see a soul around. After poking around behind buildings I finally found the Penske truck and additional associated vehicles.

I set up my tent, showered, had a couple of cups of hot chocolate, then just milled around and visited as folks came in.

Another good dinner that night, followed by a spirited tire changing competition.

I was noting that I was way more tired these two days of riding than I should have been. Sure, both days had more than 5000 ft of climbing in just over 60 miles but that shouldn't be a concern for me. I've done enough miles and hills this year that shouldn't be an issue. It finally dawned on me as I was getting my supplies ready for the next day's 100+ mile ride. I had two bottles on the bike for today's 63 mile ride. Planned on refilling along the way. Instead I had consumed about 2/3 of a small bottle of water, and none of my Accelerade. That was it for hydration. The problem was confirmed by the color of my addition to the "sandbox". I needed to DRINK more even if it was cool and I wasn't thirsty. I also wasn't eating enough.

Tomorrow's plan will include mandatory drinks on a schedule!




+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...............Road Bike.....LifeCycle.....Total Miles Today
.................64...............0.................64
Jan total.......501.....+.........30.......=.......531
Feb total.......614.....+.........0........=.......614
March total.....860.....+.........0........=.......860
April total.....790.....+.........0........=.......790
May total.......901.....+.........0........=.......901
June total......543.....+.........0........=.......543
July total.....1322.....+.........0........=......1322
August total...1603.....+.........0........=......1603
Sept total.....1403.....+.........0........=......1403
October.........503.....+.........0........=.......503
November........664.....+.........0........=.......664
December........658.....+.........0........=.......658
Year to date..10,434.....+........30.......=.....10,464 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++