Resevoir high atop Banquet Canyon
High desert country - total desolation on the way to Victorville, CA
Joshua Tree on the road out of Palmdale, CADay 2: Valencia to Victorville
90 miles, 4,392 feet of climb; 1978 elevation gain
What a contrast from yesterday. Today was brutal on the group. After only two miles of warm-up we started on a 21 mile climb of 2,600 feet up Banquet Canyon Road. I hung with the "peloton" for ten miles only to fall off their pace to settle in on my pace for the climb to the top. Of the eight riders, I was fifth up the mountain out of the group of seven that started together. One rider left 30 minutes early; he beat the peloton by less than five minutes to the refueling station.
After a nice descent and refueling stop we hit the high desert country of California - total desolation with temperatures on the road over 106 degrees. By the end of the day everyones riding pace came to a crawl. My riding partner, Matt Richardson of Wisconsin developed cramps over the last 10 miles. My training in the heat and humidity of Florida helped me today. A few of the others in the group suffered cramping as well. Although I drank gallons on the ride, my face was still covered with salt deposits.
Tomorrow is more of the same as we ride the desert for 90 more miles to 29 Palms. Once there we will be in the low desert, on our way back at sea level. Only problem is we still have over 3,000 ft of climb to do before we drop over 4,000 for a net drop in excess of 1,000 feet.
So far there have been two flat tires, one each day. Fortunately, not my tires!
3 comments:
Hi Mark,
Well, financial institutions are collapsing around us, Wall Street is in meltdown, and we are circling the wagons to try and weather this particular storm. I'd rather be riding throught the California desert! Must be nice to wake up in the morning knowing exactly what you have to do that day. Enjoying the photos and blog. Ride on.......
Rick
I enjoyed the photos that you added to the first two days! Your surroundings became barren a lot quicker than I expected. We're having a cold and rainy day in the mid-Atlantic...sound like you're facing the very opposite! Really, you should try some e-caps or salt tabs to keep your sodium levels replenished in that desert heat (if your guides have them).
Hi Mark,
Glad to see the journey is off to a successful start! Your days on the journey will bring tough challenges and memories of accomplishment. This ride will certainly test your physical and mental aptitude. We know it’s in the bag, "Live Strong"...we will all help push the pedals on the tough days. All is well here, CTX is going good. Talk more later.
Dave B
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