The many faces of Ed Hokanson

2006-02-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Climb To The Clouds

2000-09-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

At Pinkham Notch, NH July 23, 2000 6:00am (start time was between 5:00-7:00am) Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb (Practice Run) 4,700 feet of climbing in 7.6 miles, at 12% average grade, 22.5% maximum (the "Merriman Wall" is 15%) Fee: $20.00, plus $16.00 for your support vehicle and driver.
Me and about 50 others idiots showed up to take on "the toughest climb in the world". The mountain didn't look like much from the base parking lot, but knowing its weather patterns and climatic zone changes, I was expecting a long grind. Pre-ride information told me that gearing was the key. Not knowing what exact terrain was ahead, I dropped into my granny ring and decided to spin; I didn't want to blow up early and not have anything left to finish, nor did I want to get caught in a panic shift and possibly have to unclip.
BOOM! No lead-in, you immediately started upward! (my 10 mile warm-up in the valley proved to be beneficial). Good decision on the gearing selection. My clothing was also optimal. The camelback was invaluable - easy hydration. I pedaled through the dense forest at 6-7 mph; the weather was clear, calm, and in the mid-50's. Only 1-2 miles into the climb and I was passing other cyclists. I could see that some were in over their heads; insufficient gearing, clothing, conditioning.
But that's the purpose of the practice run. Steadily onward. The road was barely 2 car widths wide, some sections were hard-packed dirt, and no guardrails (a little hairy above tree line, in the wind and fog), yet plenty of turnoffs for support vehicles to lend assistance. Good thing the road was closed to the public until 8:00am.
My plan was going well, and I was enjoying the scenic challenge. As the trees started to thin and diminish in size, I passed more cyclists. None of them were smiling, as I was. Some had stopped, defeated, waiting for their ride to the top. Going 5 mph, I couldn't believe I was passing people. It gave me a rush; I jacked it up to 5.25mph! My support vehicle would go out ahead of me, pull off, and wait. As I passed, pictures were taken, and we exchanged some jokes. I hadn't needed him until the 4 mile/4,000` marker. The wind started to picked up and it was getting cooler. My first stop. Up came the arm warmers, on with the wind jacket, and a good shot of GU. A little bit farther, a girl was walking her bike down the hill. Her husband was out ahead, and she was going to wait until he came down. Onward.
BAM!! 5 miles, 5,000 feet, and tree line = dense fog, 39*, and 50mph winds! and that = 20 foot visibility and 9* wind chill factor!
Now I started to laugh. My bike was being blown sideways (remember no guardrails and narrow road). No standing up here. And some of the earlier riders were now being driven back down the hill. Oops! headlights 20 feet ahead; I better move to the right, nearer the edge! I got my support driver to ride next to me, to block the wind. It worked well, except now I was an easy target for his water pistol! It didn't matter, the dense fog had already soaked me, and I couldn't see squat through my glasses. What I could see and hear though, was him and a female passenger yukking it up at my expense. The girl that was walking her bike down the hill, was now riding up the hill in my support vehicle. Guess that ended my support!
What I couldn't imagine was, that at my pace, why nobody was passing me. There had to be some "150 lb. rockets" on the hill. Where were.......SWISH!! Just as I thought it, two "2-ringers" came cruising by. I started to ask them about their gearing, but their bare legs and arms vanished in the fog, as quickly as my thought to chase them down left me. Nearing the finish, I slowly passed another rider. I let him know I was approaching, and started with some dialogue. He said that he didn't speak English too well, and I remarked that he should be able to understand me, because, at this point, neither did I.
O.K. I could see the parked cars at the top, 20 feet in front of me. I started to ease up on the pedals and prepared to dismount. "To your right, to your right; the finish line is up there!", a staff member shouted. OOOPS!, I had forgotten about the 50 yard, 22.5% grade finish! I cranked up the rpm's (good thing I was in first gear), and spun up the wall. I had to dodge the two "2-ringers" as they toppled to the pavement, unable to conquer the incline. It was a terrific opportunity to ask them about their gearing!
We visited the summit lodge, talked with other cyclists, and read about all the deaths that have happened on the mountain and the horrific weather that occurs there ( world record 231 mph wind!). On our descent, I thanked Jim, my support driver, for helping me and keeping me in good spirits. I thanked God for this place, where Mother Nature still rules, and the opportunity to challenge it. The saying is, that luck is the meeting of opportunity and preparation. On this day, I had good luck.
Put a clock at the finish, and they will come!

"Ah, balls."

The many faces of Ed Hokanson

Climb To The Clouds