Best Buddies 2020 Challenge: Stage 15

There are many advantages to riding in an organized event: rest stops with food, water, and portable toilets, and SAG (support-and-gear) vehicles that can save your day. As I thought about designing a suitable ride of my own for this year's Best Buddies Hearst Castle Challenge, I regrettably decided against attemping a 100-mile ride. Restrooms, food, and water are not reliably available; facilities in public parks, for example, are often shuttered. The possibility of being stranded far from home was intimidating in this era of social distancing.

I considered four 25-mile loops; my home would, of course, be a fine rest stop. But that wasn't very exciting. A friend thought I might Everest and offered to support me. That was flattering, but . . . no.  And so I hatched this idea to bike on 15 consecutive days, which would beat my previous personal best (9 days).

Hazardous air quality interrupted my ride series; I managed three stretches of consecutive days: 5-4-5. I had reached out to former teammates to join me for some rides, but unpredictable conditions made planning infeasible. I wanted the final stage to be significant, but not wanting to delay it indefinitely I settled for a modest route through a part of the Bay Area blessed today with a temporary respite from wildfire smoke.

On a Sunday morning, this route was particularly traffic-free. The cycling infrastructure has been improved, including a lovely bit of green bike lane at an intersection I generally avoided after being bumped by an inattentive driver. Good to know, but it will be quite some time before I might bike to the office again.

 

I'd brought some snacks to refuel, but as I puttered along I had a better idea. Sugar. Butter. Flour. Might that bakery be open? [Yes!] After all, completing my Challenge called for some celebration. A too-rich, decadent chocolate truffle cake was my lunch.

By adding a few hills, I climbed 1,225 feet over 42 miles. On my road bike, there was no excuse not to tackle the climb to the water treatment plant. I felt strong heading up the hill, why did I think this would be so hard? Then the final punishing stretch came into view. Photos never quite convey steepness, but in this view from the top notice how the road seems to disappear.

I had saved one more special treat for this day: my last Mango Tango.

And thus concludes my Best Buddies 2020 Challenge: 15 stages, 370 miles, and 13,272 feet of climbing.