I knew the flower display on the lower slopes were likely to be dramatic too, so it was easy to convince my wife, Mary to come along to sag, sniff flowers, and take pictures.
Starting the climb up the Waucoba Road out of the Owens Valley with the snowy Sierra behind.
Waucoba is a long relatively gentle climb.
Mary did a little scrambling to catch this great pic of me riding the narrows.
Nearing the top of the Waucoba climb.
"Going out to where the pavement meets the sand" is a Neil Young lyric - that's just what I did!
The roadside flowers were truly amazing below about 6000' with the species gradually changing as I descended.
The climb out of Eureka Valley is tough. It gradually and imperceptibly steepens, so it gives the rider the impression of weakening. Then the road enters this valley where there are some steep ramps.
After a bit of tough climbing the grade eases and Joshua Trees appear.
Suffering and smiling.
The Evening Primrose was the only higher elevation bloomer.
The Joshua Flats section is magical.
Almost to the top!
The ride is almost 65 miles with over 8,100' of climbing. I encountered about one car every half hour - at most! Bring lots of water, (or have a great sag like I did), your climbing legs, and enjoy this gem of a ride.
1 comment:
I enjoyed being your SAG and photographer! It was a win-win for me!
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