The Wall

The normal route to work involves a long rid on Calavaras Road through the rolling hills and quiet backroads of the bay. In the am, siting a car is a rare thing. Seeing eagles, turkeys, deer, and of course, cows, is a very normal thing. Occasionally, we'll see a bobcat, coyote, Thule elk or, even more rarely, a wild pig. But our normal route is from east to west and includes a steep drop back down into civilization, we call "The Wall." It's a great and fast descent with twisty turns, sticky pavement, and the occasional turkey that crosses the road too soon and makes for a near-miss and early turkey feast and added bonus trip to the hospital.

Recently, we've begun to drive in to work, leave a vehicle and ride out. Racer X did it last week and I did it this week. The Wall sucks riding from west to east. It sucks big time. It is 2 miles of near constant climbing in a steep 6+ degree pitch. There are two short flat spots that allow you to get your heart back in range, before the final .5 mile climb that concludes with a 12+ degree 200 yard heart attack inducing, out of the seat, will power testing climb. No matter how good my physical condition, I hate that hill. I have a mantra that seems to get me through, however, and even allowed me to overtake and outclimb another rider which I repeat with every turn of the crank for those 2 long miles: "The road wants you to climb it; the bike wants you to roll."

I know it's a lie, but it helps. The Wall is only interested in your suffering.