So I started the mid-week stoke out on Tuesdays with a ride out at Sycamore Canyon and boy was it hot. The heat has always been my nemesis and it takes me what seems like the better part of summer to acclimate to it. I took the UZZI out here mainly because that was what ended up in my truck. There is no reward to speak of for riding a 7″ travel bike out here. It was however a good workout and it was a good test for figuring out how the bike would work me over in an XC enviroment. Overall the bike will git-r-done but it is going to make you work for it. I was good and pooped by the time I finished up the ride.
Wednesday, I met Steve out for some Alpine Action and it was even toastier. It was 92 when we started from the bottom which mean some of the “dead air” zone on the climb were more like 95-97. We were shocked to see some organ donors on this climb. No helmet, no water and rocking an old-school Wally World bike. There was some water donated and some “best to turn around now” advice was given before we continued onward and upward.
Now that Steve had an audience, a clown bike show was in order. This was when I whipped and my 4lb DSLR to realize that my battery (that is good for 1,500 pictures) was completely dead. This is only second time in a handful of years of toting around a big camera that this has happen. The mental result was still the same, a 4lb camera with a dead battery in your pack feels like a 10lb camera. Ahhhh, yes the stupid shall be punished!
The rest of the climb went well as far as climbing in the heat goes. I have certainly suffered much harder out here in the past. None the less, I was feeling worked at the top. I did not feel particularly comfortable through the first set of features as things were just not clicking. I think getting worked over on the climb took some “snap” out of my reflexes.
That was not the case with Steve as he had the juices flowing and hit the “Garth Gap” for the first time on the black clown bike affectionately known as “Shoniqua” (named because she is Big, Round, Black and Sticky… just like his…..)
This was Steve’s last shot from his camera before his battery went dead as well. The rest of the ride went well. I made really good time on the final run down the hill but there was some scary turns here and there and the summer conditions are pretty much set in now that offer some “exciting” corners traction wise. The post-ride chatter included tasty beverages at Alpine Beer Company along with a tasty pulled pork sandwich. (FYI for you Hop Heads, The Pure Hoppiness double IPA is Da Bomb!) Bottom Line — I have had far worse Wednesdays.