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Hard CoeRe 100 - 2014 Edition
I had pretty high hopes this week. I figured I would do the Hard CoeRe 100 solo. I asked Patrick but he had hurt his knee last week road riding and wanted to rest it in preparation for his next adventure: a 1,000K ride in Carolina. I thought a 4:00 am start, or something close would make sense, everybody else was starting at 6am, and not that many this time. Most were concerned about the heat. Understandably since it would be in the 90's.
I got my stuff together and set the alarm for 2am. An hour for the drive down and an hour to get ready. I picked up a radio in case there was any problems along the way. Who knows? With the heat, I may be helping someone out.
I roll at 3am and pick up a radio at CDF. I come in to the lot at Hunting Hollow and park by an orange late model sedan with a mountain bike on it. Looks like someone is here and sleeping in the car. Time to get ready.
Thoughts of Coe go through my head. It has been a long time. The hills are steep and the heat will be huge. All the trails are harsh and I wonder how I might do. A fear of the unknown runs through me. One trail at a time. That is what it will take.
Up I go. Hunting Hollow Road to Lyman Willson Trail. Up I climb. Odd doing this in the dark but I told myself that this was similar to the midnight start Dirk, Patrick and I did a few years ago. Only thing was, it would get light sooner.
Over to Steer RIdge Road. My climbing skills are a bit off but that wasn't the point of this ride. Survival was. Climb, then come upon Spike Jones Trail a fun singletrack down to Timm Trail. I don't miss the turn off, that would not be good. Tim Trail even without the jumps is still a blast. Clear of trees so no dismounting necessary.
Hints of light appear and that's good. Ride up Coit Road then Anza Trail. Anza/Jackson. My old nemesis. Such a tough climb on Jackson Trail. I pass by the upward elevator shaft glad that I won't torture myself on that one. Coit Spring Trail. Then Cross Canyon. Then down Cross Canyon Trail. I think it may be cold in the canyon and the fun ride down proves I am correct at the bottom. Navigating the rough trail sure is different than asphalt. I will be on dirt for a long time, just like old times. So much of riding for me is proving myself, riding up tough, high percentage climbs. I have been letting that go. Distance. Tough but not near as much mentally challenging. A break of sorts.
I get to Willow Ridge Road and take a break, eat. I have sesame covered cashews and dried apricots. The apricots go down well. It is 9am and I can already feel the heat. Break complete I ride on. WIllow Ridge Road I pass by "That Rock". How many times have I been here? Too many to count. I pretty much lived at Coe every Saturday. Taking it farther and farther, tougher and tougher rides until I just had to leave. Without the weekly riding this place has become a bit of a monster again. More so than before.
Hoover Lake Trail, the airstrip. Ride on the flattest part of the park. Down to Hoover Lake, switchbacks, tough terrain. I stop at the lake. I've never seen it this dry. Coe needs water. Even more than usual. The earth is cracking. I finish off the trail and head on up Willow Ridge Road again and then fly down Willow Ridge Trail. Memories of cleaning this trail finally after many attempts. Such an amazing feeling. So driven was I. It was everything cleaning a chosen trail. The mental strain of it and the failures that would break me as I cried out in anguish. Is it wrong that I don't do that regularly? Am I really a good climber that I can't just do a climb like this at will?
Down into the creek and up the Narrows. Then, the wall. I try but save myself. Up Lost Spring (the Preferred Route). I get to the top and take a break. I will myself to eat my 1st sandwich. That goes down pretty easy, I have problems eating in the heat. I feel I will need the food. I'll be out a while. I pack up to leave and I hear a vehicle. It is Ranger Jen. I wait for her to drive up. She says she is surprised to see me. I tell her it is finally hot enough to ride Coe again. We talk, then I ask her for the procedure for radioing in an emergency. She gives me the numbers of on duty rangers on a piece of paper. I thank her and am on my way. A rider rode up (French guy named Mark) while I was talking to Ranger Jen. I talk to him and he is one of the riders that headed out on this 100 mile epic. He remembers me and my Coe explorations and also how they just ended. No more posts on MTBR. I have moved on. He told me about the others that were out riding. He was with a couple of riders and named the guy in the orange car after I told him about that. He was on the same trek. Funny, I haven't seen anyone, and yet they were ahead of me.
So I rode the China Hole Trail, down, then up. It was getting hotter. Up Manzanita Point Road. I come upon one of the fast riders and (Bob) and we talk for a while. He is waiting for a couple of others then he will ride with them. I tell him I might ride with him. He waits at the gate and I move on to headquarters. I see the guy from the orange car (can't remember his name). He is on the ride also. He is thinking he might just do the 100K though. I go in to buy water, gatorade and a food ticket for a hot dog. I come out and put water in my camel back and talk a bit more with the guy from the orange car (let's call him Tim). Then I go get my food and eat. I see several of the people of Coe and say hi. I eat. Quickly. I spend way too much time and I see Ranger Jen again and tell her this and she say, " you've been up since 4:30, give yourself a break!" When you are riding as far as 100 miles you need to be efficient. I spent too much time there.
I finally pulled away and asked Tim if he wanted to come along. Seems he needed a push. I figured his route was the same as mine although wasn't sure. We rode in the heat and took on Middle Ridge Trail. Very dry and slippery. One tree down. I join Tim again at the end of the trail and we continue on and ride up Poverty Flat Road. Up, and up. Where it becomes powder and steep we get off to walk. All about finishing this. Then onward and soon we get to Bear Mountain. Although I have cleaned almost all of this mountain in the past, it wasn't about cleaning today. We walked and chatted. Tim talked about hiking of which I had done my share of. With a heavy pack. He said ultra light is the best way. I tend to agree. Also, he mentioned a diet where you don't have to eat much. As we go, I am able to ride some of the hills and pull ahead. I stop occasionally and finally stop and wait at the top of Bear Mountain. Tim catches up and we both lie in the shade and pass out for a while. Then I awake and saddle up. Tim grudgingly gets up and we are soon bombing down Bear Mountain Road and then County Line Road. As we ride we see Mississippi Lake in the distance. I tell Tim of how I nearly cried when I saw it on a long and hot ride in the past.
Mississippi Lake Trail on to the gazebo and we get water. There is a large water tank that we use which makes it convenient since Mississippi Lake is so low and scummy. Bad drought. We ride on and fly down Heritage Trail. Tim waits at the end of Heritage Trail where there are 2 trails. I lead and partway down Pacheco Creek Trail, Tim stops and say he has to wait and digest his food. I ride on and water up at Pacheco Camp. I realize I am stopping too long (again) but while riding my light was flashing every once in a while. Strange. I turn on the light and it seems like it is acting a bit funny. I fear that there might be an intermittent like before. Bad design by Magic Shine. I get it solid and as I am leaving I see Tim again. I say goodbye again.
Up Pacheco Ridge Road and try to find Phoneline Trail. I fail. Fuck it. I ride down and then County Line Road to Turkey Pond Trail. That goes OK in the dark and I don't get lost. Then up County Line Road and on to Dutch's Trail. Riding along and getting from one trail to the next. As I am riding my light goes off. Just like that. I turn it on again and as I start riding it goes off again. I try again and again and still the same thing. I am in the middle of Dutch's Trail before the steep bits and I am stopped. I ponder my options. It is warm. I could sleep here. I would have to wait until light. I just sit there for a bit, amazed at my stupidity. No back-up. I later am quite thankful that I wasn't with anyone as I would have had to ruin there ride. I'm glad Patrick didn't go. I would never had forgiven myself.
I get up and soldier on. The moonlight is bright enough that I can see the trail. Dutch's Trail. I get to the creek after an eternity. I really could not ride at that point without a light. It was all hike. With an awkward bike with the pedals hitting my ankles occasionally. Up from the creek and on. I turn the light on every once in a while to make sure I am still on the trail when it becomes unclear. The trail is visible, no real confusion luckily. Helps that I did this trail so many times. Finally I am at Yellowjacket Pond. Then the climb out.
After another eternity, I get to the North Fork Trail. There it is tough going. A struggle of a trail in the light. Not enough room to walk a bike. Still, what choice? I get across the creek at the end and lug my bike up to Kaiser Aetna Road. I hike most of it. Just not enough juice in the legs. 2 miles. And finally I get to Dowdy Ranch. The whole way up I am hoping that some volunteer might be there and I can get a ride back. The gate is open and seems like it might be a possibility. I ride down and no, no one is here. Well, another decision. Or maybe not really. I thought I didn't have a moonlight to get all the way back. Burra Burra, Center Flats, Wagon Road to Lyman Willson/Bowl. Yeah, too long. And I was tired. So, it was spend the night at Dowdy. It was warm. I tried to sleep on the bench but couldn't get comfortable. Finally I settled on the bathroom. I took turns sleeping on the floor and on the toilet doubled over. It was from 11:30pm until daylight. I would wake up from time to time to switch from the toilet to the floor. I did sleep. The hours passed. I wasn't extremely comfortable. But the hours did pass. And that was the main thing. Had to get to daylight.
Finally I look out and the window indicates light. I get out, pack up and ride out. Right away on Burra Burra it is hot enough to pull the arm warmers and leg warmers. I was sweating at 7am. Burra Burra was a struggle. The steep bits I walked. Then Center Flats Road. Ride some, walk more. But I carried on. Finally I got to Wagon Road. On and then my rear derailleur seems to have issues. I look at it a bit and expect to be walking again. But it seems to be a shifting issue. Front derailleur was partially shifted. I fix it and ride on.
Then Bowl Trail and Lyman Willson Trail. I get to the parking lot and it is cooler. So hot on the trails and cool here. I get some chocolate out of my cooler and notice that my sandwiches are floating in water. I eat my bag of chips and go home.
Roy.
Page Views: | 412 |
Departed: | 4 oct 2014 4:27 |
Starts in: | Gilroy, CA, US |
Distance: | 84,6 mi |
Selected distance: | 84,6 mi |
Elevation: | + 15720 / - 15674 pie |
Max Grade: | |
Avg Grade | |
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FIETS | |
VAM | |
Ascent time | |
Descent time | |
Total Duration: | 28:45:27 |
Selection Duration: | 103527 |
Moving Time: | 14:11:32 |
Selection Moving Time: | 14:11:32 |
Stopped Time: | 14:33:55 |
Max Speed: | 27,3 mph |
Avg Speed: | 6,0 mph |
Pace: | 00:20:24 |
Moving Pace: | 00:10:04 |
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Way to keep at it. Next year a Coe primer before the big ride. look forward to seeing you out there and
Here's to sweat in your eye
Mud
Another tough one, Roy. Interesting how just passing time can become it's own struggle. Thanks for sharing the write up. Glad you were able to find some shelter and are ok.
Hello Roy,
This is Alex - I was riding with Bob that day ...
Great summary of your ride ... Bob and I were on a mission - like always when I am out with Bob !
Talking about light: My headlight went out 5min before we arrived at the parking lot - but I had a backup headlamp with me - never trust MADE in CHINA.
I hope we meet soon out on the trails ..
Alex
Thanks Eric. Yeah, long hours. Could have been worse though.
Hello Alex,
I'm glad you made it! Congratulations. Stupid not to have a back up. I'll have to buy a spare.
A story that makes me want to cry... just like those others from years ago. Yep, Roy and Coe reunited! Oh, if it's any consolation, Roy, your track is pretty much identical to Mr. Mud's aborted Coe 100 from 2013 (http://www.strava.com/activities/90143386) and he even had plenty of working light left! I'm pretty sure you two were not the only two who did it because that's the most natural Coe 100 mission abort route from Downdy Ranch visitor center, a most natural place for self reflection and introspection on that long journey. It's worthy of a course and a KOM of its own!
Your bathroom ordeal reminded me of my night of shiver bivy up on a ridge in Yosemite from pre-Mud era. Amazing what our body can get through. Maybe it's time to look into emergency bivy or e-blanket? Oh, an inflatable pad would provide a lot of comfort. So much more to carry!