Who Knows?

My bike computer records the temperature, but since the sun is beating down on it, the readings are higher than the actual air temperature. I generally ignore anything other than the minimum temperature. Today's minimum was 70 degrees F, with a maximum of 114 degrees F; the average temperature was 100 degrees F. Who cares about the air temperature? The bike computer was baking in the direct sun, and so was I.

The last time I visited Paicines, I was helping with the Low-Key Mega Monster Enduro. It was so cold that my fingers were numb until well past sunrise. One thing I do know: the next time I climb Quien Sabe Road, the season will be winter (or maybe, early spring).

When I decided to do this ride earlier in the week, I said I would only do Quien Sabe if the weather was not blazingly hot. After refilling my water bottles at the Paicines General Store, I decided I would tackle the climb anyway. Yes, it was already hot, but I felt pretty good. I knew it was a long climb, and I had studied the terrain map. I had not studied the satellite view.

Quien Sabe Road is what one would call "an exposed climb." What does that mean? Great views, precious little shade. Another clue: to reach Quien Sabe, you pass through the town of Tres Pinos. I took my cues from the locals (cattle), and sought respite beneath any tree that cast an accessible shadow. There were, oh, at least a dozen patches of shade over the principal five and a half miles of the climb.

A first for me: I ran out of water. Around mile 45, I dropped to two mouthfuls at each mile mark. I knew I wasn't in trouble, but I knew I would run dry before I finished the ride. Shortly after mile 50, I passed a school. Must ... find ... drinking ... fountain. Sure enough, it was near the playground, and nicely shaded behind a building. About one liter and twenty minutes later, I comfortably finished the last two miles of the ride.

Conveniently, we had started our loop near a Foster's Freeze. Prescription: reduce core body temperature. One vanilla cone dipped in chocolate, taken by mouth.

Another milestone: Climbing 3,235 feet over 52 miles on today's route puts me at a new all-time high for a single year: 3,520 miles and 201,315 feet of uphill. The year isn't over yet ...