Death Ride Scouting

I went for a ride last Saturday that scouted half of the famed Death Ride route. Death Ride is 5 passes around Tahoe over 135 miles. We put in 70 miles with 8000+ feet of climbing at an elevation of 5200' or higher. The highest pass we crossed, Monitor (a Cat 1), reaches 8314'. I had a good time though two of the climbs took 60+ minutes and were brutally hard. I cracked about 60 miles in with 1500 feet of climbing left to do into a 35+mph headwind. Things went from bad to worse when I ran out of water. Luckily I found a country store to get some water and food at then got my legs back to make it over Luther pass.

Climbing Luther pass from Tahoe

A hint of snow on Luther above 7500'

Headed up Monitor, another 40 minutes or so of grinding left to do

Looking back

So sexy

At 7500' and still climbing, the peaks in the background are 9500-10000+'. The road in the foreground is the only "flat" part of Monitor

This little stretch is where you climb through 8000' for the first time

Sweet jesus

Time to head back

River crossing

Almost to the road with the killer headwinds enroute to Luther Pass

Lake Tahoe

The hardest day

I put in, mile for mile, the hardest ride of my life today. The ride ranged from graded fire roads to technical XC while I was on a cross bike with 700x30 slicks and 34/34 easy gear. The 17 miles to Tam was over three ridges (Rodeo, Tennessee Valley and Muir) which lead to the final 7 miles of climbing up to Tam. I spent 2.5 miles on flat paved rode during that time and all the rest was uphill or downhill. All in all there was about 5500 feet of climbing.

Have to drop down into the valley then ride to the top where those antenna are

Riding up towards the antenna, I had been climbing for about 15 minutes at that point and didn't reach the top for another 25 or so, the road was very well kept in this section but had some 15% grades

Headed down from the antennas and looking down into Tennessee Valley at the next climb

I really should just go to the beach and quit doing this

Climbing out of TV on the Coastal Trail. The pitch at the end was one of three or four that was 20% or steeper. I cleaned all but one of them.

Looking back towards Rodeo after beginning to climb out of TV.

The Gunnar Crosshairs in all her 34lbs of glory

Muir Beach in the distance

The descent begins

Made it safe down the steepest worst part that would have been tough on my FS 29er only to fall shortly after this photo was taken

The white dot on the top of the furthest ridge is my goal

On that furthest ridge looking back

From there it was an easy 4 mile climb up to the top of Tam by way of Old Railroad Grade and then a downhill blast back home on paved roads.

I was greeted with some of the best fog I've ever seen, it was rolling in only at Baker Beach with the winds blowing 35+mph.