Notes
18 miles up and 18 miles back down. The hardest part was the first 5 miles and ironically they were flat. We were biking alongside St Mary's Lake and the wind was whipping across it @ around 30+ mph. So for the first 5 miles, I pulled MJ into it. @ one point, my ass was starting to burn as I pedaled down a slight decline going 13 mph. As soon as we hit the mountain, it was easier for me, but MJ struggled. I shifted into one of my easiest gears and spun. MJ tried to mash but found out early that it wasnt going to work. By half way up, I was having a blast taking in the scenic views as MJ wasnt saying one word and was looking very pissed off. I would eventually get ahead of MJ for a while and would double back for her. By the top of the mountain, I was sweating pretty good and MJ was breathing very hard. It was funny to watch her struggle because we would watch me struggle when we hiked....the roles were reversed for a day...haha. @ the top, we talked to another biker who we passed near the top and put on some more layers.
The way down was very cold; I didnt pedal for the first 8 miles, meaning wasnt doing anything to generate body heat as I rode my brakes down the mountain @ 38 - 35 mph. For a while I was going with the flow of traffic and no cars needed to get by me. I made sure to wait up for MJ half way down, just incase something would happen. The last flat 5 miles was also a lot of fun. I got up to 30 mph and was able to hold if for a while because of the wind. It was a fun ride and would do it again in a heartbeat.
2500ft Elevation change
UP - 1 hr 32 min
DOWN - 50 min