June 11

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 Big day today.  Going over the Sherman Pass.  I had breakfast at the hotel and was on the road a little before 8am.  Temperature was 45 degrees.  I had a windbreaker on but that didn't last long.  Once I started going up the mountain I was sweating up a storm.  The mountain pass was remarkable.  The scenery was gorgeous and the traffic was not too bad.  But every once in a while a huge logging truck would come flying by and the air displaced by the truck would almost blow me off the road!!  It was 18 miles to the top.  I started off well and was making better time than I was expecting.  But, of course, I got slower and slower as the day wore on.  During the last 4 miles I was almost constantly in my lowest gear going 3.5 - 4 MPH.  I was even stopping every 15 minutes at that point because I needed to take a breather and get a little snack and something to drink.  In the end it took me 4 hours and 37 minutes to reach the top.  I almost cried when I rounded a bend and saw the crest at the top!!

The top of Sherman Pass

On the way down the sun disappeared, the wind really picked up blowing up the hill, and I was literally shivering - even with my windbreaker on.  Crazy weather.  After reaching the bottom of the hill I stopped for a snack and then had another 15 miles to get to my destination.  That was a long day.  My legs just feel like rubber.  I don't think I could have gone too much further.  But this is a good place to stop because tomorrow is almost like a rest day.  I only have about 10 miles to go to my first Warmshowers hosts.  It's about another 1800 feet of elevation but its a short day so that's OK.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 13, 2026 at 7:05 AM

    Love your detailed descriptions – almost feel like we’re riding with you (except for the strain and the sweat 😉). And that espresso ice cream sounded delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  2. BrianJune 13, 2026 at 9:05 AM

    Sounds like you dodged another bullet yesterday! Hard to believe a lot of these places can be considered towns...
    Glad you didn't have to deal with that weather going up! At least you have a rest day tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete

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