The Gold Rush Randonn‚e is a 1200K (750 mile) out and
back ride that starts in Davis California, just outside
of Sacramento. The ride hosted by the Davis Bike Club
every four years and has a superlative reputation for
rider support.
I spent most of the ride with Alan Gosart, who had
completed GRR in 2001. Jeff Sammons, Alan and I shared
a room together in Davis. We spent time before ride
socializing with the Georgia randonneurs: David Bundrick,
the Kaiser brothers, etc.
Unlike most 1200K rides, GRR has only one start time,
Tuesday at 6:00 pm. After our morning bike inspection,
we retired to our rooms and attempted to sleep. We
would be riding all through the first night and into the
next day.
Davis Control
Depart: Tue 18:04
We were off to a late start in Davis, as the organizer got
a little carried away with all the announcements. The big
joke from 2001 was that Bill Glass had announced that he
would ride conservatively -- then hopped on some tandem
wheels and wasn't seen for again the next 140 miles. I had
intended to ride conservatively, but soon started bridging
up to faster groups with Alan and Kevin. This section of
the course is flat and we were making good time by riding
in a large group. About 20 miles into the ride we hit
a rough section of road along the levee. The bumps were
rough riding, but we didn't slow down much.
At the midpoint toward Oroville (101 miles), we hit the
non-mandatory water stop. Several of the faster riders went
on, but most of us stopped to fill our bottles and put on
our night gear. At one point we were engulfed in a horde
of flying insects. By turning down the brim of my cap, I
could keep them out of my eyes, though other people weren't
so fortunate. Our pace slowed down somewhat as we kept our
mouths closed and breathed through the nostrils. Nobody wanted
to be out in front on this section.
Alan, Kevin and I arrived at the Oroville Control in less
than 5:30, including our mid-section water break. Probably
too fast a start for a 750 mile ride, but it was fun. We
got our cards signed, stocked up on food/water, and left
within 15 minutes. Not more than 1-2 miles later I had a
front flat. I couldn't find any debris in the tube and we
were back on the road in less than 10 minutes.
We soon started our first major climb, the Jarbo Gap. Kevin
and Alan were still going strong, so I dropped back to a
slower pace, figuring that I'd catch up with them in Tobin.
The night was warm with a full moon that lit up the rode.
After a 6 mile climb, we had a short descent, three tunnels
and a couple of one-lane bridge contructions to negotiate.
At the Tobin control I rejoined Alan and Kevin. The control
is pretty remote, and I grabbed some quick food, gels, and
water. The three of us headed out together towards Taylorsville.
The next 40 miles would be a gradual ascent to 3500 feet. We
would remain above this elevation for the next 450 miles. Along
this section we had to stop a record two informational controls
to verify we didn't short circuit the route. The first was a
sign on Main Street in Greenville that said: "Welcome Gold Rush
Randonneurs!". The second was the name of the Fire Station.
Alan was having some problems eating, as I recall, but managed
to consume some fig newtons. I ate a powerbar, but was looking
forward to a real meal in Taylorsville.
By the time we arrived in Taylorsville the sun was already
up and it was pretty warm. The ride into Susanville would
be hot. We stopped and ate some breakfast. I borrowed a
floor pump to top off my prior flat. Despite the recorded
time listed above, I'm certain we spent more than 5 minutes
at the control.
The next section -- more climbing -- took us up 24 miles to
the water stop in Antelope Lake. There wasn't much food,
but they had some watermelon and ice. The next 8 miles
represented a moderately tough climb up to 6340', the highest
point on GRR. We then had a bit of rollers, followed by a
long descent. The steepest portion of the descent is known
as the Janesville section (average 12%, up to 20%). We
would be climbing it on the way back. Rather than being
cooled by the descent, however, it got extremely warm. Toward
the bottom the air hit us like a blast furnance.
Kevin had arrived at the Susanville control about 15 minutes
before Alan and me. Kevin headed out, but with the temperature
near 100F, we decided to wait out the worst of the heat. We
would have two long, exposed climbs until the next water stop.
This turned out to be a smart decision, as we passed a number
of exhausted/dehyrated riders along the way. While we waited
in Susanville, I took a shower and lay on a cot. Didn't get
much sleep. The facility, a National Guard Armory, wasn't
air-conditioned, but it was better than riding out in the
sun. As we headed out, the temperatures were still in the
90's.
Alan and I climbed the first mountain up to Antelope Pass
side by side at a conversation pace. We passed a few riders
then had a brief descent when it finally started to cool down.
The second climb was shorter and the sun wasn't as bad. We
arrived at the Eagle Lake (Grasshopper) water station near dusk
and were greeted by RUSA President Bill Bryant and Lois Springsteen.
We talked to them about the 2001 ride -- when Bill Glass got
hit by a truck, taken to the ER, then completed the remainder
of his 1200K ride.
We noticed Kevin and David's bikes were still there. Both had
left Susanville when the temperatures were at their worst, so
our decision to wait out the heat looked like a good judgement
call in retrospect. David was willing to ride into Adin with
us, but Kevin still couldn't keep any food down at this point.
The trip into Adin proceeded at a relaxed pace. Some rollers,
a couple of short climbs, then an almost imperceptible long
descent. Traffic was light in the evening, so we could ride
side by side and converse -- always a pleasant way to pass
the hours.
We arrived at the Adin control before midnight. The kitchen
was preparing fresh burritos. David decided to stop and sleep.
Alan and I were ready to push on to Alturas, as we were still
feeling strong and alert.
Just after leaving the Adin Community Center, however, the
wind picked up and the temperature dropped. We looked at
each other and briefly wondered if we were making a mistake
by continuing on to Alturas. But after the harsh heat of
the prior day, my preference was to continue riding through
the evening.
Just as we crested the summit of the 12 mile climb (Adin Pass
at 5173'), we met the lead group of 5 inbound riders who
were already 100 miles ahead of us.
On the way into Alturas I wanted to take a quick nature
break, but every time we stopped literally hundreds of
mosquitoes would swarm. As long as we kept moving the
critters wouldn't attack, but the moment we paused they
would be all over us. I didn't bring any repellent,
though I doubt if it would have helped. Alan said we
didn't have to worry about West Nile virus, which was
comforting. After the ride, I counted over three dozen
bites.
We arrived at the Alturas just after 4am, while it was still
dark. The control was set up in a Best Western Motel parking lot.
The food was good and plentiful. I had some noodle soup and
rice balls dipped in cinnamon sugar. The control had a couple
of rooms available for riders, so Alan and I took a pleasant
3 hour nap on real beds in an air conditioned room.
Upon waking, I ate more breakfast (rice balls, fruit)
and topped off my water. The next 20 miles to the Davis
Creek turnaround is basically flat to rolling. Rested,
Alan started picking up the pace and I knew we were in
for a fast ride. The sun was out and bright, but the
temperature was still cool enough not to inhibit a
fast pace.
Along the way we passed a number of riders. As we approached
Kari Silpio (Finland) he asked us if he could ride with us
to Davis Creek. Kari was stronger than Alan or me, so with
the three of us rotating out we burned up that 21 mile section
in about an hour. Along the way we passed Sean Smith who
tried to hang on to our paceline. Later in the ride he would
trash us on the climbs.
Davis Creek - Mile 395
Arrive: Thu 8:55
Depart: Thu 9:03
Almost all the towns that hosted a GRR control ranged in size
from small to tiny. Davis Creek was microscopic, population
around 380, as I recall. The control was hosted by Larry and
Dee Burdick, two incredibly gracious volunteers. I later learned
that they bought a number of consumables (including ice cream
upon request) out of their own funds. Kari and I split a fresh
turkey sandwich.
It's always nice to reach the midpoint of a long ride. Mentally
you know that each pedal stroke is bringing you closer back to
Davis. On GRR, you have the further knowledge that the trip
back is slightly shorter than the trip out.
In the meanwhile, Sean came in and left. On the way out, we
stopped to have our photos taken below the "Davis Creek" sign.
Lacking any headwind, our trip back to Alturas was just as fast
as our inbound ride. Rotating out in a paceline not only made
the trip faster with less effort, but it made the time pass
more pleasantly. Figure that we each pulled in front for about
a mile, then seven pulls later we're in Alturas. Again we
passed Sean who tried unsuccessfully to hold on, but as mentioned
earlier, he would have his revenge back in the mountains.
While we were riding back and forth from Davis Creek, the control
volunteers had moved the tables and canopy across the parking lot,
presumably to stay in the morning shade. We stopped again for
more food and topped off our water. Jeff Sammons and Kevin Kaiser
were there too, having decided to ride together.
The Alturas stop was staffed by the Rex family of Rex Cycles.
Someone asked Peggy's young son how many bikes he owned.
Answer: Five.
After 20 minutes, Alan and I left together. We were now
starting to again feel the effects of the heat and direct
sunlight, so our pace was much slower. On the way we
encountered the remaining riders who hadn't yet dropped
out. I think Anne Pockocky (Ontario) was bringing up
the rear at this point. Her husband had DNF'd, but she
was still riding well.
After about 20 miles of travelling at a conversation pace,
we were joined by Kari again. I had neglected to invite
him to ride out of Alturas with us, not certain if we
would want to ride at each other's pace. We had earlier
decided to stop in Canby for cold water, but just as we
reached the intersection, a SAG vehicle appeared with fresh ice,
water, and Gatorade.
The next 9 miles was a climb back up to Adin Pass. We
were fortunate to have some cloud cover here for the first
in the ride. For the remainder of the day, we would have
intermittent clouds to provide some respite from the
previous day, though the temps stayed up in the 90's.
Alan pushed up to the top of the climb, passing a few other
riders ahead of us. Kari and I were content to spin up at
a more relaxed pace.
Adin Control - Mile
Arrive: Thu 14:00
Depart: Thu 15:10
We stopped in Adin for another meal of fresh burritos.
Chris Kaiser was there, but had to quit due to the
heat. On the way out of Adin more clouds had rolled
in and the wind had picked up.
We had a long, slow climb out of Adin. Without the
cloud cover, we would have suffered in the heat. Alan
mentioned that in 2001 after Bill's collision, they
could only climb up that section about 2-3 mph since
Bill was essentially climbing it one-armed. As it
was, we were in a double-digit pace most of the way
up. Kari told me about a trip he made a few years
ago through Tibet and the Himalayas on a mountain
bike. Talk about remote cycling!
About 15 miles later we stopped at the Willow Creek
Campground. It had restrooms which Kari needed to
use, but no potable water. A woman in a pickup truck
was stranded. We were out of cell phone range, so
she couldn't call AAA. I offered to flag a SAG
vehicle down if we saw one out on the course.
We met up with Sean at the campground and the four of
us left together. After another 10 miles or so, Kari
was having GI problems. He wanted to stop and take
some medicine, so we agreed to wait for him at the
Grasshopper water station. At this point we encountered
heavy crosswinds along a large lake. Alan and Sean did
some herculean pulling into the wind. Although I could
hang on, I couldn't match their efforts. After a few
short climbs, we rolled back into the water station at
mile 481, where Bill and Lois were once again waiting
for us.
I drank a coke and ate some pretzels. Kari showed up
about 15 minutes later, looking no worse for wear.
Sean had already left for Susanville and it appeared
we would soon be heading into a thunderstorm. We had
two climbs and two descents between us and Susanville.
Knowing that we would stop for the night in Susanville,
Alan attacked the hills. Kari and I spun up at a slower
pace. After the first descent we regrouped and put on
our night gear. We arrived at the summit of the second
climb, Antelope Pass, just around dusk. This made
descent down into Susanville actually more difficult
than if it had been pitch dark, since the distances
were harder to judge. My hands got tired of holding
the brake levers on the long descent.
Susanville Control - Mile
Arrive: Thu 21:30
Depart: Fri 5:26
On the way to Susanville, we made a decision to check into
a local motel. This would permit us to tackle the Janesville
Grade with fresh legs, but before the temperatures got too
hot.
Some kind of carnival/fair was going on across the street --
complete with a ferris wheel, roller coaster, and other
assorted rides. Parent and children were wandering around
with sodas and cotton candy.
We sat down for a spaghetti meal and borrowed a cell
phone to make reservations at the Best Western. We left
our bikes in the Armory and walked a few blocks to the
motel, which was actually somewhat therapeutic for our
legs. The room was spacious, air-conditioned, and we
could each take long comfortable showers. Split three
ways between Kari, Alan and myself, the room was a minor
expense for such a major luxury.
Since I hadn't planned on taking a shower on Wednesday's
outbound leg from Susanville, I didn't have any clean shorts
available. I washed my shorts in the tub with motel shampoo,
then rolled them in a dry towel. Surprisingly, they were
quite dry by the following morning.
We left the motel about 4:30 the next morning, feeling
greatly refreshed. We stopped back at the Armory for
breakfast and to check out. The food situation in
Susanville had gone from excellent to good to
adequate. Not really bad -- except in comparison to
the other controls where the food was superlative.
Sean had spent the night at the Armory and left about
the same time we did.
After a 14 mile warmup, we began the hardest ascent of
the ride, the return leg up to Janesville Grade. The
difficult section averages about 12%, but it has a brief
monster 20% grade. I had problems getting into my
granny ring and had to stop and manually push it in
to gear. There is no shame to walk up this portion.
Bill, Alan and Lee all walked it in 2001. But with
my low gearing, I found I was able to climb it without
hurting too much. Kari and Alan also had no problems.
Tackling it fresh in the morning certainly helped.
The next section took us generally down a series of
rollers, then a faster curvy descent to Antelope
Lake, where we arrived at a water stop. The only
food available was watermelon and the water had a
funky mineral taste. This was perhaps my least
favorite stop -- not actually an official control.
We were really looking forward to the food at the Taylorsville
control and weren't disappointed. Pancakes, eggs, ham,
potatoes -- even ice cream. We heard of two riders that
crashed on the way into Taylorsville, both Canadians.
One had a catastrophic wheel failure, another broke
his carbon fiber fork. We later met the rider with the
wheel failure at the end of the ride. After being treated
at the hospital, he insisted on being taken back to where
he had crashed and complete the ride. Yeah! I'll have
to remember that next time I'm thinking of complaining
about something as mundane as a saddle sore.
The temperatures upon heading out of Taylorsville were
up to the extremes with the sun back out and beating
down on our backs. The scenery was beautiful -- on the
way out we had travelled through this section in the
evening. We stopped a bit to take photos.
The route to Tobin is basically downhill with itermittent
short climbs. The wind was strong however, so we worked
in rotation just to maintain a 14-15 mph average. Kari
took long pulls and appeared to be less effected than
either Alan or myself. Traffic was pretty heavy.
At the Tobin control we stopped, ate sandwiches and drank
sodas. The temperatures were still pretty high, but we
had only 41 miles left Oroville. One of the riders
had lost his brevet card early in the ride and was using
a paper plate for official stamps and signatures.
After Tobin we descended a little further, then began our
last climb. Shielded from the wind, our climb up Jarbo
Gap was actually easier than the descent into Tobin.
At the top of Jarbo Gap we stopped briefly at a biker
bar for ice and lemonade. Alan and I raced down Jarbo
Gap, probably working harder than was necessary. Alan
warned us to avoid the expansion joints on the bridge by
riding to the right of the fog line. Another 15 miles of
hot riding brought us into Oroville.
Arriving into Oroville was like arriving in Paradise.
The control was a sports complex with showers and
air conditioning. They also had some great food
prepared (lasagna, salad) and even a masseuse!
Unfortunately we didn't have time for the latter,
but I did take the opportunity to take a quick
shower.
Just as I was getting out of the shower, Alan came
to get me. There was a well known wheel sucker who
was trolling for a group to ride with. Mr. Troll
was notorious for sitting in a group, but refusing
to do any work, forcing others to pull and navigate
the course. He had also caused Jeff Sammons to crash
at the St. Louis 600K. We wanted to avoid riding with
him, so we sneaked out of the control with Kari.
The remainder of the ride would be cool and flat.
On the way out of Oroville we encountered another
rider whom I'll call Ms. Whine. No sooner had she
joined our group and she was complaining about the
ride, about bonking, etc. etc. After about 35 miles
she mentioned that she hadn't left Oroville with any
food, did we know where the secret control would be?
Nope -- it's a secret <0.2 wink>. Since Ms. Whine didn't
have any food with her -- who leaves a control with 87
miles to the finish without food!? -- so I gave her
my last energy bar -- I had plenty of gels to spare.
We encountered the secret control about 38 miles from
the finish, along the levee. They had some great
peach cobbler, watermelon, and other snacks. I drank
my last Coke and topped off my water. Ms. Whine hung
around with us for a few miles, but once the road
smoothed out, we didn't make any attempt to keep her
with us. We rode a fast pace for the next 20 miles,
then slowed down somewhat. For the first time in
the ride Kari and I were getting seriously chilled,
which was strange because we were now close to sea
level. We stopped to put on our jackets. The air
air was moist.
As we were getting close to Davis -- within 6 miles --
I jokingly asked Alan if it would be okay for me to
have a flat tire. You can guess what happened. Within
50 feet we had to stop so I could change my front tube.
We arrived Saturday 1:08 am at the finish line, for
a total ride time of 79 hours, 4 minutes. Plentiful
post-ride food was waiting for us there and we were
still awake enough to enjoy it. A volunteer offered
to take our drop bags back to the hotel for us, which
saved us the hassle of carrying them on our bikes.
Despite the heat, I would say overall this was my most
pleasant 1200K. I probably had more sleep and time off
bike than my previous three, and I had fewer problems
with my saddle, legs, and knees. Also, because of the
downtube friction shifters, my hands didn't suffer from
the repetitive stress of the STI shifters.
What worked for me on 2005 GRR:
1. Camelbak. Yes, you don't like having the weight
on your back, but all the GRR control have ice which
works well (3-4 hours) in a Camelbak.
2. Butt lube. I use the small disposable packs of
Chamois Butt'r and reapply it almost every control.
No saddle sores and minimal chafing on this ride
despite the heat.
3. Three drop bags. Clean shorts make me a happy
rider. ;-)
4. Lots of breaks/sleep. No RAAM qualifier for me when
the temperature is in the 90's.
Alan and Kari were great to ride with. Riding buddies
make the trip shorter and more enjoyable. Special thanks
to my brother David who provided me a free round-trip
voucher on Southwest Airlines.