One big, outsized climb. Gained over 6500' and the climb topped out at 9453'. I was told it goes to 10,024' but I could not find the hookup for the final 600'. It's about 40 miles r/t from the turnoff at Whitney Portal Road. Four bottle ride - there's water at the trailheads up top. The second climb was to have been Whitney Portal but I had to bail. The temp was 105 when I started the Portal climb. My HR was at 90% max on the jump ups before the switchbacks so I turned back. High humidity is tough for me. Beautiful climb. Have never seen a bigger, steeper, higher reaching ride. The Jumbotron.
Sierra locals: here's where I topped out - 9453'...according to my computer. Anyone know what the elevation is at this point? Is there another trailhead around here (paved) that I could take to get over 10 grand? Thanks.
Did a short recon over on the Movie Flats area. Movie Road looks like a nice easy 15 miler on dirt to Independence. I'm a movie buff and enjoy seeing the locations of so many movies from back in the day. 'Gunga Din' always was a favorite. A great looking area to ride. 'Movie Flats' in the 1930's: http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index.jsp?cid=116180
Excellent! Did it in 'winter' conditions once, only made it to Walt's Point. The snow conditions were excellent, grippy 'styrofoam' except for a few big drifts. Met some dumbarse dudes in an El Camino trying to drive through one of the drifts, thought they could get up to the meadows to camp. Uh...yeah... Those are some serious switchbacks!!! BTW, I was lucky enough to travel that road about 1 or 2 years before they paved it. Yes, it was unpaved and ended about 1/4 mile before it's current end. We were meeting a big group for a backpack into the lakes, and I got a ride from some crazy dude in a '68 Camaro, and we were smoking spliff the whole way...made those unpaved switchbacks mighty scary. :O
Haha, funny stuff. Yea, these Sierra climbs are a real push for an old goat like me. The descent off Horseshoe is a lot faster than Whitney Portal because the switchbacks are so long and there really aren't too many tight turns. Unpaved? That must've been something.
How'd you get down? Some hidden ST mebbe? Or was it an OAB on the road?... Love those hills, especially the Movie Flats area. Wicked rocks. - shud
Road all the way. Fun descent - not too many tight turns. Road cracks off the top and first couple of miles are a bit of bizness tho. Hands were numbed out, that's 20 miles of fast riding. Movie Flats I want to connect with an Onion Valley Road climb on the 29'er. Need connector from Onion Valley thru to Movie Road. Know any?
I love that area; shot a lot of quail between the Alabama hills (movie flat) and Manzanar over the years.
You're about 9640' there (if you're the trailhead for the northern trails). The road continues to a parking lot at 9950' and side roads to camp sites above 10,000'.
I'm pretty sure the Horseshoe Meadow campgrounds at the end of that road are over 10k. So just keep riding till you are at the campsites. LOL. That's where we go to acclimate before we tackle Mt. Whitney. You are a beast. Keep it up man. You are an inspiration to all us youngin's.
OK, thanks. I was riding up/down the different campgrounds asking hikers for alitutude #'s. They probably thought I had a bit much already.
Hey thanks. Those guys that can do the doubles & Death Rides out here amaze me. This is high-altitude boot camp for real. What a inspiration these mountains are!
"Sweet Home, Alabama (Hills), Lord I'm coming home to you." Dude, you're bringing back some good memories. Now here's a thought.. ride every road on the East side to the pavement's end; stash your bike and run up the trail to the 10,000 foot level. Run back to your bike and ride down to town.. get cleaned up, eat a monster burrito; drink a pitcher of beer. Sleep/ eat/ repeat. Good idea?
Drove by this climb yesterday on my way back from Tahoe. I was hoping it was dirt, but a great accomplishment nonetheless. Great to see somebody get it. :bang:
If you want a dirt monster with that kinda vert, try Silver Canyon (White Mountains) or Mazourka Canyon (Inyo Mountains). Silver is brutally steep, Mazourka is mellow.