click pic-Up at the shack, snowing though it
is hard to tell in this shot.
Right across the road from the shack, starting
to come down.
Just starting to come down heavy.
Seeing how I had left my phone at home when I went to work last night, I had no idea that I had received a text from EyeMage to meet him and Beanz at the bottom of GMR at 1PM for a ride to the top. Took off from the house about 2 in the afternoon, into what I thought was to be no more than a cloudy ride, if done quick enough. It was my first ride in over 3 months, so I really wanted to take my time and enjoy it. There was no traffic on the way up, and at the first saddle it started to rain ever so slightly. Just a little bit higher, the temperature took a noticeable dive, and it started hailing like crazy. Seeing that I was already over half way to the top, I didn't want to even think about turning around, even though that was exactly what should have done. Just a little before Newman's Point, I came around a corner and rode past Eyemage. It being as cold as it was, I decided to not stop, thinking if I did, I would never keep going to the top. Just after passing EyeMage, Beanz comes down the road in what is now a snowing condition that is getting worse by the minute. He says Hi and I reply like wise, and once again keep going to stay warm. It doesn't take long for me to realize that heading for the top was a stupid decision, but being stubborn, I keep pedaling uphill. Long story short, I finally reach the top in what are now very serious conditions for someone on a bike. I go past the shack to the top, not stopping there as I usually do, but head back down to the shack to put on some needed clothes. By the time I get on wind pants and a dry shirt , the ground is completely covered, as I am also. The hands were starting to freeze up by this time, so I was unable to take more than the 3 pictures I snapped off when I first got to the shack. Heading back down, I was looking more like a snowman on wheels than anything else. My red jacket was undetectable under all the snow that was clinging to me. Conditions were by far and a way the worst I had ever been on a bike in, and I never hope to be anywhere near such conditions again. The one saving grace I had was that the pavement was so warm, that the snow didn't stick to much of it, but melted off for the most part. The ground had easily over an inch of snow on it, but the road was not much more than EXTREMELY wet, with streams running all over the place on it. It was without a doubt the slowest descent of GMR I had ever done. Brakes were on the entire way down, hands turned into frozen blocks, jacket as wet as it could ever get, and my outlook starting to scare me. Once below the snowline, a noticeable warming took place, but what is the difference between 30 degrees and 37 or 38 when you are as completly soaked to the bone. The longest 11 miles of my life ended back at the house, with my body completely in a state of convulsions that I could not control for the life of me. The only experience I could compare it to was Stan's and my spending the night out on Whitney in winter without any shelter that happened way back. After getting out of my soaked riding clothes, having a cocktail, and a very long hot shower, I thanked my lucky stars for getting back in one piece. This ride could have ended up like something you read or hear about in the news. with an ending other than the one I had. Live and learn, just thought I was a little smarter than letting myself get caught in such conditions.
click pic-Up at the shack, snowing though it
is hard to tell in this shot.
Right across the road from the shack, starting
to come down.
Just starting to come down heavy.
Seeing how I had left my phone at home when I went to work last night, I had no idea that I had received a text from EyeMage to meet him and Beanz at the bottom of GMR at 1PM for a ride to the top. Took off from the house about 2 in the afternoon, into what I thought was to be no more than a cloudy ride, if done quick enough. It was my first ride in over 3 months, so I really wanted to take my time and enjoy it. There was no traffic on the way up, and at the first saddle it started to rain ever so slightly. Just a little bit higher, the temperature took a noticeable dive, and it started hailing like crazy. Seeing that I was already over half way to the top, I didn't want to even think about turning around, even though that was exactly what should have done. Just a little before Newman's Point, I came around a corner and rode past Eyemage. It being as cold as it was, I decided to not stop, thinking if I did, I would never keep going to the top. Just after passing EyeMage, Beanz comes down the road in what is now a snowing condition that is getting worse by the minute. He says Hi and I reply like wise, and once again keep going to stay warm. It doesn't take long for me to realize that heading for the top was a stupid decision, but being stubborn, I keep pedaling uphill. Long story short, I finally reach the top in what are now very serious conditions for someone on a bike. I go past the shack to the top, not stopping there as I usually do, but head back down to the shack to put on some needed clothes. By the time I get on wind pants and a dry shirt , the ground is completely covered, as I am also. The hands were starting to freeze up by this time, so I was unable to take more than the 3 pictures I snapped off when I first got to the shack. Heading back down, I was looking more like a snowman on wheels than anything else. My red jacket was undetectable under all the snow that was clinging to me. Conditions were by far and a way the worst I had ever been on a bike in, and I never hope to be anywhere near such conditions again. The one saving grace I had was that the pavement was so warm, that the snow didn't stick to much of it, but melted off for the most part. The ground had easily over an inch of snow on it, but the road was not much more than EXTREMELY wet, with streams running all over the place on it. It was without a doubt the slowest descent of GMR I had ever done. Brakes were on the entire way down, hands turned into frozen blocks, jacket as wet as it could ever get, and my outlook starting to scare me. Once below the snowline, a noticeable warming took place, but what is the difference between 30 degrees and 37 or 38 when you are as completly soaked to the bone. The longest 11 miles of my life ended back at the house, with my body completely in a state of convulsions that I could not control for the life of me. The only experience I could compare it to was Stan's and my spending the night out on Whitney in winter without any shelter that happened way back. After getting out of my soaked riding clothes, having a cocktail, and a very long hot shower, I thanked my lucky stars for getting back in one piece. This ride could have ended up like something you read or hear about in the news. with an ending other than the one I had. Live and learn, just thought I was a little smarter than letting myself get caught in such conditions.
No comments:
Post a Comment