Crusty Cassette

Scott had to impune Doug's manhood to get him to come out on the wet pavement, but the Death Valley Team minus Steve made the Lapwai Loop Saturday morning despite wet pavement, east winds, and Scott's insistence that we ride it reversed.

Scott and Jen live in the Orchards near where Cliff used to lilve. They had already ridden down Tammany and didn't want to ride back. I was just glad anyone had shown up at all.

Doug and Scott have mapped out a four day self-supported tour in Death Valley and I have joined in. They report about 176 miles of cycling on mountain bikes with trailers, panniers, the whole disaster. Now they have begun to mention four mile high passes. Since I hadn't done anlything ride longer than 35 miles, I really wanted to push myself a bit. They must have felt the same for there was nothing inviting about the morning's dark aspect.

I'm riding with a gps these days and I like knowing the grade and seeing total elevation afterwards. The backside of Web Ridge turns out to be 9% at its worst. Too bad that comes after a couple of miles of 3, 4, and 5% riding.

Just to top off the day, Doug and I had a head wind down Tammany. Doug kept saying he didn't mind 'cause it was downhill. I hate having to pedal downhill. Didn't Sean tell me this Pilot would pedal itself?

For the ride of it. --Corrie

Touring, touring. I've fallen in with bad company. After having resisted blandishments from Sean and Steve to outfit myself as a tourist--you know the drill: panniers, racks, trailers, gear to weight you down and prevent that feeling of regained youth and mobility a good road bike delivers.

After resisting such blandishments I find myself actually considering a tour in Death Valley of all places. Last year it was McCracken who kept getting me in trouble. This year it looks to be Doug. He's got his friend Scott and his fiance, Jen, as well as Steve all lined up to drive to Death Valley in the middle of February.

So I'm looking at trailers-Burley, BOB, Extraheel and studying weather and road maps for places as welcome sounding as Furnace Creek and Funeral Mountains. The ground temperature at Furnace Creek was 206 degrees once when the air was a cool 128 degrees. Okay so the forecast is for more than average rainfaill--over 2 inches when the average is 1.6 per year and February is the rainiest month of the year with an average of .35 hundreths of an inch.

But Funeral Mountains?

What am I thinking?

Doug's email wasn't firm. "I'll try to be at the boat launch at 11," he wrote.

My reply was even more ambiguous. "Watch out for wet weather." I really had meant to confirm that I'd ride Saturday morning. Honest.

After a week of cold, clear days, the weather turned threatening. In retrospect I'd probably have been better off cycling in the sunshine. The wind had been minimal. By 11 am the wind was significant.

Doug had brought along his friends Scott and Jen. This was perhaps Scotts second ride with the club and Jen's first. Doug wanted to stay close in to town in case the weather delivered on its rainy promise. Scott suggested reverse Lapwai but thought better of it when he learned it was 42 miles. "Too far to go on a cold day." Yeah, it is 31 degrees on the reader board on Southway. And then there was the wind chill.

We headed out to the Casino into a strong east wind. The return trip on the frontage roads was great and we went on around Red Wolf. I decided to ride back to the boat launch with the group before riding home for about 34 miles.

My toes were cold inside my wool socks and booties. But we had a good ride. Companions can keep you warm.