Tour of California - Stage 3

Stage 3 -

We started from San Francisco and went down Hwy 1. It was misty and overcast starting out. Then it morfed into just overcast. After about 20+ miles we turned and started a 10 mile hill climb to first King Of Mountain. We rode through a rain forest and the higher we got the wetter it was. The rain forest was nothing I have ever scene in California. The road was narrow and you almost could not see the sky for all the trees.

By the time we got to the top we were good and wet - then started the decent - one guy hit a yellow line and he was down. A CHP picked him up and took him to the top of the mountain. That is where our sag van was, then the van came and got his bike. We all continued on to the second KOM - this is where we were drying out until we started up the hill again into the mist and the rain.

Not too far from the top we found Patrick crashed on the side of the road -- he was coming down the hill after being dropped off by the sag van to meet us. He had gone down within minutes when we were all coming up. A CHP stopped, Marvin appeared with the sag van -- it was pretty amazing how fast everyone was there -- Patrick is currently at the hospital. He could not get up or walk without being carried. We hope he will be fine -- but his TOC is done for this year.

We all continued on to the top of the KOM. That is where Alice's Restaurant was -- for those of you who remember the song - "Alice's Restaurant" (where you can get anything you want - except for Alice!) It was cold and wet at the top and we spent some time up there getting all our stuff out of the van. Off we went down the mountain, freezing and... then no rain - dried out! But... then headed up to the last KOM. We once again got into the rain and the mist and then down the mountain to no rain and another round of getting dry.

The ride back to the coast was great roads and so much incredible scenery. It was about 5500 ft of climbing and 68 miles.

That's it for now..................