Moi

Just when you think you aren't going to meet anyone new, a female rider stopped and offered to take my picture. Her name was Elena from Newport Beach via the Czech Republic. She and three others were training for an Ironman in Nevada. Katie was from Hermosa Beach munching on perogi filled with potatoes. John was held up fixing a flat tire. My advice: Kevlar tires. Amardillos. They were on their way to Baldy Village and the sky slopes.

I was amazed at the forty motorcycles lined up at the bottom of the mountain at the end of my ride. I thought I had escaped motorcycle crazies. However on the way home from the movie theater in the afternoon, emergency vehicles, two police cars, fire engine, paramedic truck and ambulance were responding to a motorcycle wipe out at Glendora High School. Two days. two motorcycle accidents.

Drive safe. Cars. Motorcycles. Bicycles.

Scoop of the Day

The mountain is unforgiving for the unwary. The curves come fast and furious especially if riding a motorcycle or speeding along in a car. The adrenaline rush of the swaying turns thrill the uninitiated. One miscalculation and a split second decision can result in a disastrous outcome. Two basic options are slamming into a mountain side or careening down steep terrain.

Today a woman motorcycle rider ended up over the edge and down a bluff of several hundred feet between mile marker 10 and mile marker 9. This is just before the first saddle past the "new section of road" that has metal grid bumpers to keep folks on the road. Same spot as a car that went over the edge late December 2007 or early January 2008. The USDA officer reported she was conscious and breathing. I watched as the Sheriff's helicopter air lifted her out. She was lucky to be riding with her husband who called for help. The officer mused that there was someone out there right now over the edge needing help that they did not know about.

The helicopter swept around the hill top and then lowered a cable.



You can see the dark of the people hanging from the cable just above the added in blue squiggle line.



It had been an excellent day for a ride. Nice temperature. Bright sun dancing between dwindling clouds. For someone it was a very expensive ride.

I wish that every single motorcycle rider on the mountain would get off their CO2 generating motors and pedal a bicycle over the same course. It only takes one bad rider slaloming through the turns that put others at risk. Of course I do like having the gate closed and no motor traffic at all. But that is pure selfishness.

Quite an eventful ride.

Saturday Ride 2008-10-11

On Mountain. It was good to be on mountain after the vacation and jet lag recovery. Good to see friends. Alan and Matt, Albert and Carlos.

The weather was clear and cold in the 40-50F range. There is a new pile of sand by the first gate. The pace felt good, but the knees started complaining. Lack of use? Different geometry from the indoor trainer? Fortunately Alan came along. Caught up with projects, financial analysis vacations including his trek up Split mountain 14,000 feet in elevation. Took my focus off my knees. We made it to the maintenance shed, then Matt stopped by. Met Albert and Carlos on the way down. They were worried since I haven't been around for three weeks. I have been in Stratford-upon-Avon. They wondered if it was a second honeymoon. I laughed.

I saw the small fire on the hillside. Glendora got lucky it was small section. Met Chris who inspired Matt to get off the couch and on the bike.