Ceder Creek Camp - We started our ride again with a long uphill climb. This was not on the map and it continued to wind around the mountain pretty much the whole time. It was a beautiful view and we saw only a few trucks, one being a huge logging truck and a few pickups.One time we came around a bend to see a parked truck empty, but a man coming out of the dense forest with a shovel. He was obviously burying something or checking on a previous burial. We startled him, yelled a "good morning!" but we were doing about 15mph and didn't stop to chat about it.
We were averaging 3 miles an hour and we needed to do about 39 miles this day. The map described this section as rolling hills- but this was not the case. They obviously didn't ride this section!
What's interesting about the uphills is the grade. This one was a 10 percent grade with very few flat areas. Maybe a few 100 yards of straight-aways and downhill runs, before the climb continued around the whole ridge.
At around 12 noon we stopped for lunch by a creek, fired up the Jetboils and made lunch. If you don't know about Jetboils, they should get an award for the greatest invention since the pot! It is a large aluminum mug that sits on top of a fuel canister. It boils 2 cups of water in 2 mins. And now with starbucks instant, there is no excuse for a bad cup of joe.
Anyway, we had hot food to prepare- a dehydrated chili mac for Dirtbaby and I, and NumbStuff had a chicken risotto. We boiled 2 cups of water and waited 13 min. To eat it. It tasted great!- the question remains to be answered... Were we just insanely hungry, or were they really really good? I don't think I would take a dehydrated meal if I didn't have to so I can't answer that one.While we were waiting, Matt and I rinsed our shirts out and put them back on wet. It was down right hot out.
After lunch we started a single track which wound around the base of the mountain. I was relieved that this one was not too long because we had a lot of time to make up. I love single track riding - we have really technical single tracks in Fallbrook that can take all day, kick your butt and you only did 5 miles. This was just a straightaway trail, but we were squeezed by the trees on either side. I was riding point and I must of sang every Barry Manilow song I know (heard it was the music for scarring off bears...Johnny Cash works too). A surprised bear is not a happy one. Thank God it started to sprinkle and I switched to "rain drops are falling on my head" which seems to work well too. After the single track we were back on an old forest road-uphill climbs and short downhill runs.At one point NumbStuff and I were riding together and we surprised a turkey which proceeded to chase him and the BOB trailer! He was a smaller terrier size but full plumage and huge attitude about us being in his area. 16 miles left to go! We ran into the support crew on a mountain road which were really nice! That meant the road was not too far away.
About 5 miles before our final destination point, we were surprised to see our support crew driving towards us on FR 9591 to meet us on the road! You got to love that! It seemed like a long haul to get to the end point today, but our support crew, Deb and Judy, had set us up in a cabin at Holland Lake Lodge which was beautiful, and a great treat after the primitive Cedar Creek Campsite. Dinner, breakfast, AND lunch was included with our accommodations prepared by an excellent chef!! The fillet Mignon on the dinner menu had my name written all over it, and it did not disappoint!!- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad!!!!!
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