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Day 05
Up and down...but what a down!

ROUTE: Truckee to Sparks NV DISTANCE: 51 Miles WINDS: Nice tail winds down the mountain
WEATHER: Sunny, 48 at departure, cool at the top of Rose and mid 80s in Sparks TERRAIN: Two big climbs...Brockway and Rose to 8900 feet. TOTAL CLIMBING: 4800 feet

DAILY DOINGS: Just another great day to be on a bicycle.  Of all the times I've ridden this day in the past, this was probably the best weather day we've had.  One year we even had a blizzard on top of Mt Rose so we didn't ride that day.  A van ride to Sparks was in order, but not today!  We did have some concerns about construction just before turning on Mt Rose Hwy near Incline Village, but the flaggers let us go through with the cars and there was plenty of room for us anyway.  We also ran into construction on the top of Mt Rose but again we were able to go up the final couple miles against traffic on the shoulder and since pilot cars were escorting cars up and down, there were periods of no traffic at all and when there was traffic, they were going pretty slowly behind the pace car.  Maybe the politest drivers we've had on the entire trip so far.  Maybe because we all had to get through the same area under the same conditions everybody just cooperated...what a concept!

As I said before, it was a beautiful morning with crisp temperatures but the sun made it feel much warmer than the 48 degrees on the thermometer.  Our first couple miles were downhill out of Truckee so the legs were allowed to get a little blood flowing before we hit our first climb of the day on Brockway.  I was riding today and was looking forward to a good day of climbing, but I'm not sure after sitting in the van all day yesterday that my legs were all that crazy about pedaling up Brockway, but by the time I got about half way up, I was finally getting some blood flowing in my old legs.  I spent the time on the hill taking photos of riders as they puffed up the hill and then I'd get back on my bike and find someone else to photograph. 

I told the riders that today's ride was only 23 miles which was the SAG at the top of Mt Rose.  From there we had a screaming, scenic descent into the valley floor below.  The descent was so beautiful, it was hard to keep your eyes on the road but as the windy road went whizzing by, it kept snapping your eyes back to what they should be looking at...the next curve ahead.  The top of the descent was pretty technical, but when we began to level out near the bottom, we were still scooting along near 40 MPH with a nice wind at our back too.  When Karen and I got to the bottom, we turned around to ride to an eating establishment and were almost blown backwards.  A harsh reminder that if we'd been riding in the opposite direction our attitude would have been much different.

All in all, it was a pretty calm afternoon.  Everyone got in fairly early with a little time to relax before rap and dinner.  We ate at a casino that put on quite a spread.  I think several of the riders didn't want to leave while there was still food to be eaten...and there was lots of that.

After dinner a few of the riders stayed and tried their luck at the casino and a couple made a little profit.  I won't use any names since I have friends that follow this site that work for the IRS.  I didn't have the heart to tell the winners that this is the western border of the casino state.  They let you win as you enter the state and when they get us to the interior, they slam the door.  Better walk away before it's too late.

Tomorrow we start across our second state...Nevada.  We'll cross the whole state from here on I-80 until we get to Salt Lake City and our first rest day.  But that's getting ahead of ourselves...tomorrow we pedal to Lovelock...91 miles.  See you then...be safe.  M

DAILY DISCERNING DIALOGUE:

"It's not Donner Pass, but I'm ready to eat someone!"  Miller group.

"I read and reread the rider kit from the office and no where did it say, "Bring a portable oxygen tank."  M. Miller.

"If you get lost ask for directions!"
"No, no, no!  If you do that you have to surrender your man card!"  Steve K.

"I call my wife everyday and she said I get quoted a lot on this website, I'm running out of one liners so now I'm going to keep my mouth shut.  Oops, I did it again didn't I?"  Clarence.

"We got to the top and none of us have flat lined yet."  Team Florida.

"Yeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaw!  What a downhill!"

"Do we get a degree for this?"  Tim, when I informed him that CO2 leaks out of tires faster than air.

 DAILY DUH: Tim excelled in this area today.  At mechanics, he wanted to get his spare parts out of the van.  "What does it look like?" I asked. 
"It's in a bag like that," He said pointing to a WalMart plastic bag.
"Like this one?"
"Yeah, that's it."  "No, must be another one like it."
"Is this it?" 
"Yeah...no...but it looks like that."
"Maybe this one."
"Yep, that's it...no it isn't it either."
"Sorry Tim, there are no other bags like that in our parts box."
"Let me see...Oh here it is!" As he picked out his parts wrapped in a brown paper bag encircled with a yellow belt. 
"Tim, that doesn't look anything like what you asked me to find for you."
"I know, but we found it." 
"Yeah, thanks for the help."  

DAILY DIGITAL DELIGHTS

Jenny wanted to get full credit for the 7179 feet at the summit of Brockway, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get up the slippery slope to the sign.  That's OK Jenny, 7175 ain't too bad.

Always the gym rat, Karen never passes up the opportunity to spot someone in the weight room...even the exercise bear at Incline Village.

Alan had absolutely no trouble with the climbs today until the big burley, tattooed guy in the black jacket found him sitting on his bike.

Being fairly warned about the "Controlled Burn" area, Karen thought she'd take off her leg warmers for 5 minutes only.

Mark and Greg would have gotten to the top of Mt Rose much faster if they hadn't had to stop for me to take their photo.

Herb was contemplating all he could do in this area...play golf, ski, fish, or any number of water sports...but he was having too much fun riding his bike up Mt Rose to even think of doing anything else today.

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