Mentally I was cold. My body felt cold. I didn't feel connected to the task of pedaling up the mountain. The goal -- pick up the pace by 2 mph more. Last weekend it was a balmy 73F. This weekend a mere 62F. The weather was a bit chillier today in Southern California "terms." Sky was clear with a light Santa Ana winds. Mentally I needed connection to the pedals, to the road and movement. I have goals.
Firewood Sale. The Forest Service was selling cords of pine and oak trees thinned out from the bark beetle infestation. A few more large trucks with trailers hauling wood down the mountain added to the road traffic. Never saw where they were loading up, perhaps Baldy Village.
The siren was loud. Strange it could be this loud so far up the mountain past the first saddle. Then I looked behind. The LA County Fire Truck was coming up the road with the siren blazing. I moved off the road and waited for it to pass.
At mile marker 5.00 or where GMR and the top of Monroe Truck Trail cross, I noticed not one but two fire trucks blazing their sirens up from Highway 39. I decided to wait for them to pass. Thinking what goes up must come down the mountain, however they made a left turn up to Baldy. Another cyclist stopped and waited as well. I met Matt from Glendora. He's been riding for five years. A bit cold for him as well. The weather reports are expecting the coldest storm to drop snow where we were standing about Tuesday Jan 22, 2008.
Other cyclists passed us by, one stopped and explained that his cycling club were out training for Breathless Agony.
On the way down, a dark grey squirrel whom played in the auto insurance commercial decided to dash across the road mere seconds before I zoomed down the same patch of pavement. Fortunately he made his goal of crossing the road and I was relieved as well.