Pine Creek

Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

I had not spent time in the Eastern Sierras before this trip. Some club members have been leading rides here each fall for the past few years, and this was the year I managed to join the group. The hotel clerk had commented “You folks like to suffer!” when the leader shared our plans.

Pine Creek Road was our first climb in the Bishop area. In the first editions of his Complete Guide to Climbing (By Bike) books, John Summerson listed Pine Creek as the 49th most difficult climb in California, and 81st in the United States. (In the second edition of the national guide, it has fallen off the top 100 list.) I tackled it with some trepidation, but did not find it difficult (despite the altitude, and the heat). The scenery was even more stunning than I had hoped. The slower I climbed, the more I could take in.

We marveled at the robust flow of Pine Creek (given our extended drought), and wondered about the source. In a rocky, brown landscape studded with sagebrush, it was easy to trace the water's path: just follow the green line (trees, bushes, grasses). At higher elevations, I even saw some ferns!

The public road ended at a gate to a (closed) tungsten mine; our highest point, about 7,250 feet. Starting my descent, a cautionary sign caught my eye: Trucks Use Low Gears. Translation: Cyclists Use High Gears. My highest was maxed out; I surrendered to gravity and coasted. The pavement was smooth and clear, with long straight stretches—a glorious descent!

Back on the valley floor, we followed the route across the highway into a small gorge, passing through some gates to follow an access road alongside the Owens River and Pleasant Valley Reservoir. We marveled at the exposed pink walls of the gorge—Bishop tuff, pumice formed by a massive volcanic eruption some 760,000 years ago.

For the day, 48 miles with some 3,770 feet of climbing, and no suffering at all. Really.