I waited for the main storm front to pass this morning and that worked out really well with the work meetings that I had scheduled. The storm didn’t seem as intense as predicted in terms of rainfall, but the winds sure were whipping. Gusts on Mount Tamalpais were already hitting 60+ mph and that’s where I was headed today. Riding on my road bike today, and on wet pavement during such high winds, wasn’t my cup of tea, so I opted for the mountain as my preferred choice again.
I waited for what looked like a break in the storm and then geared up for a mountain bike ride up Mount Tamalpais. I was really committed to making it all of the way to the top today in spite of the conditions. I prepared carefully, and had my best cycling clothing on, and extra clothing in my jersey pockets.
As I ascended the mountain it became colder and colder, as the case has been for days now. The waterfalls were flowing even harder today, and new ones had appeared in places that haven’t had water flowing through them in years. My tires felt like a bulldozer as they pushed through the soggy water saturated fire roads. My knees are being put through the test these days. My bike when wet and muddy weighs in at over 31 lbs., and that’s at least 4 lbs. more than normal. Add in five layers of soaking wet clothing, and you'll get the idea. These rides are incredibly tiring for meAs with previous days, when I reached Double Bow Knot things started to get rough in terms of the winds and rains. I was determined today to make it up to the summit, because I thought that the views and photographic opportunities would be really amazing. So I forged onward and upward towards the West Point Inn with my goal of being reaching East Peak.
I reached the inn about fifteen minutes later, and about ten minutes slower than I've done during the past several months, and this was due to the HEAVY WINDS that I encountered along the way. At several times today I was forced to get out of my saddle in order to pedal hard enough to continue moving forward, and even then I was almost thrown to the ground by the wind gusts. I can’t even begin to explain how hard it was to ride above 1,000 ft. today.
Once at the inn I noticed the waves out in the Pacific Ocean, which is some five miles away. They were big enough for me to see them clearly, so they must have been over 20 feet tall. I also noticed that I was perhaps 100 ft below the cloud deck that surrounded the mountain. It was decision time for me. Should I risk heading deeper into the storm by continuing to the summit, or head back to where the winds weren’t as strong and temperatures are were higher. I opted for the latter and headed back down. I had to forgive myself for not being tough enough to make it to the top, but I do believe that giving in to my gut feeling was the right choice. I was on the mountain for 1.5 hours today, and I didn’t see a single person. These gray and stormy solitary rides are hard for me to do. I always knew that winter was going to be very hard for me, so I’m not complaining in that way, and instead I’m just passing on what it’s like for me during these difficult days in the saddle. It's a struggle to get out the door, and it’s even harder to complete the rides, hen the weather is like this. A week in a tropical spot, while doing nothing, sounds really good right now. How about June 19th, 2010?
Distance: 18.75 miles
Calories burned: 1,476
Time: 1:52:40 hours
Elevation gain: 2,275 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/22824219
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