Very unpleasant and cold Mackenzie Pass ride.

[Sky King]

Whew, crazy. We have been making an effort to carry our emergency kit, regardless of the length of the ride but like you, I may have just kept riding. Glad you recovered quickly, hypothermia = no fun.

[Helene2013]

Wow. Talk about a thrill of a lifetime! NOT!!!!

Seriously, glad you got back to safety and warmth.

I remember when we did the Pike Peaks (in car) in July. We left it was something like 23c at the bottom and when we got to the top, it was something like 3c. Just below freezing point. It was soooo cold. And when we drove back down, rain (which was more like a slush) had started. By the time we got back to sea level, it was sunny and hot! Gotta love the mountains!

[Wahine]

Thanks for the kind words. No, it wasn't fun but I also never felt like I was truly in danger. I was very cold but I knew if the descent was clean we'd be back to the van soon and the van has a furnace and warm dog inside. The biggest danger was crashing from poor bike handling due to the shaking, so I just kept my focus and speed under control, hands in the drops at all times. If we had a mechanical, it would have gotten ugly. But we were lucky that way.

[ny biker]

Cold can be manageable, rain can be manageable, but for me cold+rain = stay indoors.

I recently took a first-aid course taught by some local EMTs. About half the class focused on bicycle-related injuries. One thing they mentioned was that you could develop hypothermia in relatively warm temperatures if your clothes are wet. They recommended keeping a mylar blanket in our bike bags. I already do that for non-summer rides, and I recall someone else here once mentioning that they have one, also.

I'm glad your ride turned out okay.

[Crankin]

As with NY, I would not have even started, given the forecast. You are lucky, Wahine.
I had hypothermia from getting caught in a downpour when it was about 60 out and I only had a wind jacket, not a rain jacket. I didn't stop shaking for about 3 hours after I finished the ride, even after stripping off the wet clothes in the car, wrapping myself in a towel with the heat blasting, taking a hot shower, drinking tea, and sitting in front of a fire. This was about ten years ago, and I still remember the feeling quite clearly.