I can think of several ways to describe a 17% grade. Landslide, for one. Or lunacy—there's another L word. Our route for the day included Redwood Gulch, which gains 690 feet in altitude over 1.3 miles.I will never forget the first time I tackled this climb. I felt like the proverbial lamb being led to the slaughter. My heart rate peaked at 199 beats per minute on the steepest pitch. Plug that into the common formula for estimating maximum heart rate:
Ah, if only that were true! It was no more true today, when I took a short break at 186 bpm. I could see that the brutal grade was about to relent, but I felt perilously close to stalling out. I should be less of a wimp; I could have made it.199 = 220 - (age, in years)
After Redwood Gulch, the rest of the climb to Saratoga Gap felt like a piece of cake. Our reward was the sheer delight of descending Highway 9. The authorities recently reduced the speed limit to 30 mph, which was just as awkward for the silver F430 heading up as it was for my silver Trek heading down. I averaged 29.7 mph—close enough, okay?
Speaking of cake, we proceeded to The Prolific Oven for lunch ... where they serve not chips, but a wedge of cake (!) with each sandwich. Output, some 1400 kcal; intake, turkey sandwich on a fresh croissant and chocolate cake. Works for me.
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I would have thought Redwood Gulch hit 20%. Is 17% really the maximum? Quimby West and Rolling Hills (which I still have never successfully ascended) are steeper I think, and Summit Springs is close. That short little Saddle-Stirrup off Arastadero near 280 is awfully steep and short as well.
ReplyDelete-- Alison, who rode from Paicines to New Idria summit, which is much flatter