conquer palomar ride report

[caligurl]

okey dokey! finally a ride report (i have a disclaimer here... i had a GREAT excuse to not get this done earlier! yesterday.... after my ride... we left for the movies... johnny and orlando *SIGH*... then got sidetracked shopping.... today i had an eye appointment... so here's the delayed report!)

we left bright and... errrrr... dark and early for the ride.... 2:45.... many of you know we're near the sawtooth fire.... when we got to yucca valley.... the smoke started coming into the car even with the recirculate setting... ICK! once we hit the lower desert... we opened the windows to air the car out..... side not.... do you know mcdonald's won't serve you breakfast until 4 a.m.?????? i wanted a very unhealthy mcgriddle.... but couldn't have one til 4..... we drove down the street and got steak and egg burritos from del taco instead... THEY didn't have a problem feeding me breakfast!

we got to the start of the ride about 10 til 6.... whoa.... yes... "I" got to a ride earlier than the planned time! (6 a.m.!) since i had time.... i took my time getting ready.... got registered... and then... left LATER than i planned! sheesh! only 10 minutes late though! the temp was nice... comfortable!

the ride started with a climb.... they weren't messing around with us!



we hairpinned back a bit and the start point is on the very left....



as usual... hubby caught and passed me....



the area was really pretty.... lots of cows! lots of tree cover/shade! something i'm not used to! i was noticing the "sown" portions at the beginning of the road.... cuz i knew i'd have to climb those coming back!



i got a bit further down the road and there was a truck parked in the middle of the road (rich's truck... for those of you familiar with R&B...) i think to myself "why are you parked int he middle of road?" well.... a few seconds later i see why: rider down..... then i hear "i'm ok, hun" or something like that.... OH... hubby's there too... he peeks around another rider standing on the side.... i continue down the hill and it's steep and curvy.... LOTS of breaking (NOT a hill for the white knuckle club!) i stop and try to call hubby to warn him that the rest of the hill is as steep as the part where the crash was.... no answer.... ok... maybe he's on his way down? (all the time thinking... "i have to climb this bear on the way back! ACK!")

i continue on.... past lake henshaw......



then we make the turn up east grade....





i kept expecting hubby to catch and pass me... but nope.... no hubby... so then i'm wondering... did he crash when the guy crashed? and why isn't he answering his phone? i arrived at the rest stop/overlook









they were talking about the crash.... so i asked... "was the guy on the ground the only one hurt?" and they said yes.... so then i said "well.... then where's my husband?????" i continue on up the hill....

[caligurl]

i'm riding along.... it's a nice ride... nice climb.... nothing too bad.... so i was surprised when i passed a guy that said the climb was grueling? no.... not this part of the climb! however..... it was gorgeous.... the sky was blue... the air was clear... and it wasn't too hot!





finally the phone rings... and it's hubby! YAY! he's at the rest stop... he stayed with the crashed guy until the ambulance came and he was all loaded up.... such a nice guy!

i continue on... and hubby catched and passes me.... i get to the next rest stop shortly after him..... load up on dudley bread and try a bar... (OMG! those are SO GOOD!) fill my bottles with ice and water... (yes... they had ice for us at both/all rest stops!) i took off while hubby was still talking.... as he caught and passed me again.... i yelled ahead... "wait for me at the observatory"... (i wanted to take pics!)



hubby asking "what's taking you so long?"




then it was time to head back..... a nice descent to the 2nd/3rd rest stop....

more bread.... more ice.... more water!

mostly descending to the next (4th/1st) rest stop.....

i REALLY don't remember seeing anything fly in front of me when i took this.... maybe it's a UFO!



back by lake henshaw...... then..... the climb up THAT hill on mesa grande.... ya.... it was everything i thought it was going to be..... plus it had started to heat up by then..... a LOT of people were stopping along the way when they'd come to a shady area..... i even stopped near the top cuz i could hear my "blood pumping/heart beating" in my ears (does that make sense) so i stopped in the shade til it stopped..... got back on the bike and continued on.... there was a headwind... and for once i was happy to have it... it felt good! i passed a gal who was walking... and she asked "is that the top?" i said "i don't know... but i hope so!" (it was... just ahead!)

i continued on.... passed and moo-d at the cows! lol!



then.... about 5 miles out.... i got a flat.... &(&^(^*( ^^)^%)& %%(*&^(*&^ well.... at least there was a shade tree.... i stopped there and the gal came up and asked if i needed help... i told her if she wanted an excuse to stop in the shade.. then sure thing! we got my tire changed... in the meantime... a friend of her's came by... i guess checking on her? and they had a pump.... so i saved a CO2.... however... i guess he thought i didn't have a pump.... cuz i found out when i got back... he was telling them he "rescued" someone with a flat who didn't have a pump! oh well!

after that.... about 5 miles left.... another small climb.... then the last descent to the finish line!

they had a nice sign set up! of course i had to be a ham!



and a nice pic, too!



i checked in.... got my t-shirt... and ate some GREAT dudley cookies! (they make great bread.... great bars... and great cookies, too! i'm glad i don't live near them!)

we sat around talking.... nice group of people... tony.. the organizer is VERY nice and VERY receptive to suggestions/recommendations!

we were in a REAL cow pasture... and i wanted pics of the cows.... there were 3 near... but by the time i got around to taking pics.... only one was left.... i walked out to her... and when i got too close... she took off running away from me....



i stopped walking.... so she stopped... and looked at me.....



isn't she cute!!!!!??????

then we headed home!

we hit anza and saw smoke! oh no! they had just had a small fire earlier in the week (same day as the sawtooth started, i think!) we climbed a rock to watch... didn't see flames... but saw the water-dropping airplane.... ) too many fires in socal!

[caligurl]

i was REALLY impressed with this ride! for a "first time"... it was so well organized... and so well run! the ONLY two things i would recommend to them: put either a sign at the top of the mesa grande descent or a note on the route sheet... and... if it's that warm again another year.... have a water stop at the top of it (even if a "self-water, icky warm water!)

otherwise... i've been to a lot of rides that have been on-going for years that aren't run so well!

by next year.... all you "white knuckle club" riders should be fine to sign up for this!

i know i'll be back next year! even with the 3 hour drive!

OH! forgot to mention earlier... NO traffic! there were VERY few cars and VERY few motorcycles on this route!

[tprevost]

of course I had to sneak and look at all the pics before you posted... no patience hee hee hee

What a great report! I'm glad the ride went smoothly and it seems that Tony did a really good job (especially since this is his first one). I guess Rich was supposed to help a bit more but he had a pre-planned vacation of 3 weeks (3 weeks vacation... SO out of my realm of reality!) just before the ride!

Thank you for all the wonderful pictures, it sure looked like a beautiful day for a ride! I'm still trying to figure out if I could make it up that road.... maybe I'll just go try it some time and see LOVE the pictures at the observatory and at the finish... really cute!!!

Stay safe over there CG!!! All those fires are starting to give me the creeps!

Trac'

[maillotpois]

Great report! I love the pictures - they realy brought me back in time. We used to live in SD, and I lived right near Palomar for a summer in high school.

And WOW - I had completely forgotten about Dudley's bakery. Dudley's is GREAT!!

[caligurl]

i told tony that i drove that far FOR THE DUDLEY BREAD! the ride was secondary! lol! i REALLY wish i hadn't tried the bars... OMG were they AWESOME!

well.... tony did an AWESOME job even without rich being there the whole time! i was SO impressed! and the biggest thing... he's willing to listen to the riders.... compare it to 3 harbors.... 30 minutes to check in? and i was pre-registered? and THEY have no interest in changing... at least that part????

tony's all in to listening to what the RIDERS like/dislike/want!

and you know me... i'm the "queen of organized rides!" lol! feed me GOOD food.... give me water (and ICE! OMG! i had COLD water the WHOLE RIDE!)

tracy... you have a whole year...... you'll be able to do the mesa grande climb next year! if not... there's no shame in walking... trust me... there were a lot of people stopping to rest and some walking! the palomar grade part you could do now! (both up and down! the down part of mesa grande would freak you now... but you're gonna overcome that! i have confidence!)

the fires have moved away from us... and last i checked.... 70% contained.... the sky looked clear to me when i rode this morning! and even yucca and morongo were a LOT clearer when we drove through there yesterday!

so unless something freaky happens.... i think we're ok!

[snapdragen]

Good job Caligurl! You are a teeny thing, aren't you!

[caligurl]

And WOW - I had completely forgotten about Dudley's bakery. Dudley's is GREAT!!

ya..... i'm SO glad they are too far away for me to visit!

[caligurl]

Good job Caligirl! You are a teeny thing, aren't you!

i'm short! lol! i'm not teeny this year! (too many post ride trips to in-n-out.... tommy's.... and coldstone!)

[tprevost]

i'm short! lol! i'm not teeny this year! (too many post ride trips to in-n-out.... tommy's.... and coldstone!)

don't pay attention to her Snap, she is very cute and petite... with legs of STEEL!!!!

... aren't we all our own worst critics?

Trac'

[caligurl]

don't pay attention to her Snap, she is very cute and petite... with legs of STEEL!!!!

... aren't we all our own worst critics?

Trac'

yes we are!

[Tiffanie]

Great pictures! Looks like it was a very nice day! Thanks for sharing.

[snapdragen]

don't pay attention to her Snap, she is very cute and petite... with legs of STEEL!!!!

... aren't we all our own worst critics?

Trac'

Cali's obviously an animal on the bike, I know men that avoid Palomar!

and I mean animal in a good way!

[redhot3368]

Good job Cali!!
Great report and pics!

You are amazing

karen

[Brandy]

Thanks for the report caligurl!!