The wind was practically blowing the flags off the mast. Not as cold as I was prepared for, but this promised to be an epic ride. I got to the Gate a little early and rode up to snap a few photos. Then went back down to meet Rick.
We started up and it wasn't too bad at first. We were joking about other windy rides we've done like the Death Valley Century and Foxy's Fall Century.
Up a little higher the gusts of wind started to get harder to manage. You'd go into one bend compensating for the wind, not knowing if you'd be shot out the other side like a rocket or dumped in the ditch like a plastic bag in a hurricane. It was for sure one of the top 10 windy days for me on the Mountain. Several times I let out a primal scream and thought about the sub sailors in Das Boot who cursed the waves as they blasted through them.
Hardly saw anyone else on the way up and there were a few places where we nearly got flicked by the wind but it was a fun ride. We contemplated going up or around at the Junction but decided to return down NGR. It was a tricky descent - you'd go into a corner barely able to keep it vertical and come around the other side having to completely change your weight balance. There were a lot of people coming up as we got down lower - almost looked like some kind of organized group ride.
OH NO!!! They closed Mia Cafe! There's a sign in the window that says a sushi restaurant is coming soon. We went to the Bagel Street Cafe which has OK coffee but an assembly line kind of atmosphere.
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