Back on the DeSalvo again....

Well this weekend marks the first mtb ride I have done on the DeSalvo in a LONG time, maybe early October. For fear of offending my CX bike, I love all the hours I have put on the CX but there is nothing like being back up on the single track (actually climbing other than up and down the levee 50 times).

Scott, Linda and I met up at the top of Russel for the old faithful loop in Auburn. We have all been concentrating on CX lately so we were planning on leaving out Ruck-a-Chucky. It was a cool morning, but beautiful. No one was out and we were starting late at 8a.m.

We discussed the future of the team as we rode and just had fun. As we approached Driver's Flat I had to take care of some business...now Driver's Flat has a porta-john, but State Parks has 4 outstanding bathrooms down at the bottom of Ruck-a-Chucky...I made my case that they were nicer toilets, Scott of course pointed out to Linda that it would only add 25 minutes or so...to which Linda quickly said , "well if we bust it out on the way back we can make it....we can just bust it out" and the right turn was made for the descent to Ruck-a-Chucky.

The road was in absolute perfect condition (keep in mind that perfect here is a relative term). I believe Scott and I pulled 22 minutes once from top to bottom to top. I dropped fast, cause I had to go....afterwards we turned around and headed back up....Scott dropped part of a Gu wrapper so he stopped for a moment, and being the friend I am I picked it up a bit to try and get a gap...

I guess I should back up and give a little background: Ruck-A-Chucky is an area on the Middle fork of the American river where runners in the Western States 100 Endurance run cross, its approximately 800-1000 feet below Drivers Flat on a dirt road that makes the bulk of that elevation gain in 1.5 miles...its 2 miles total one way. Its 1.5 miles of hell followed by .5 miles of gasping for air trying to bring your heart rate down. Its great in that it puts every other climb you do in any race into perspective. There are only a few who love it like Scott and I. And when you don't pay Chucky a visit in a while, he usually makes you pay for it!

So....after somehow not giving in to the temptation to get off my bike and make the pain stop, I held off Scott and Linda and reached the gate in 25 minutes....not the best, but with a poop and a rock-in-the-shoe-stop, not bad! As to my "cheeky tactics" with Scott, he laid down the law later on the confluence!

A great ride! Nice to be back on the mtb!!

Sunday I joined Marja and Shelly for the same ride minus Ruck-a-Chucky. We arrived a little later at 9a.m. and there must have been 20 vehicles parked at the top of Russel road...another 20 down at the confluence...it was definitely a different day out there atmosphere-wise, you had to constantly be looking for traffic on the trail...Both Marja and Shelly busted out a great ride despite their self-proclaimed handicap of "lack of riding"....they were smoking it! As for me, I was/am pooped. The girls killed me. Two long days on the mtb, I should be sleeping well tonight.

Cheers, and have a happy Monday!