Day 4: Auburn to Truckee via Donner Pass -- Truckin' up to Truckee

Miles: 74.2; riding time: 6:13 avg speed: 11.9 max speed: 41; total trip miles: 276; weather: overcast early with scatterd clouds and sun & 60's Alt change: + 6000 with 8000+ total climbing' Pictures are here.

I was awake busy anticipating for some time before 4:40 ever rolled around. We loaded in the dark, downed part of Denny's "pick 4" breakfast and then headed out and up under overcast skies. Jim and I started out together but knew we would separate into our own riding rhythm. Brad from Worthington OH and I soon seemed to pair up evenly as we headed up. Brad is on this part 1 leg with his Dad Jay and they decided to ride separately through them thar hills. We had one good time chatting, comparing training notes and ride routes through central OH until Brad got real squirrely bombing down one of the day's few down hill sections through a narrow tight wooded area. He stopped and his front tire was down below 50 lbs. That called for a quick change that turned out to be not so quick because of his steel rimmed tires but we managed to get it done and set off again.

Brad and I climbed up together onto I80 where I kept him in sight at about 8 mph just right of 18 wheelers chugging up the grade at 50, trying to avoid the road debris littering the right berm. We pulled in together at the lunch stop that immediately preceded a construction zone. We, took on some food and waited for 5 more riders to show up to make up the group of 10 the construction boss wanted to lead us through the barriers and heavy equipment. It was about a 300 yard walk with our bikes before he turned us loose onto a bermed section again beyond the construction zone.

I followed Sean who has been biking only 6 months, but is a fit and trim 130 lb package and already reveling in all the climbing this trip offers. Sean recently graduated from Med School in the UK and was taking a transitionary trip across the US and then down to South America before starting real life. As he blasted down the one downhill we encountered on I80 with me not far behind he slowed with a flat and I stopped with him as 7 riders passed by asking if we had what we needed. We did, but only because I had my very special pump. So on that berm sandwiched between a guard rail and fast moving semis we changed his tire. I'd like to think I was at the right place at the right time and not some sort of cause to common effect.

But the positive of that all was that Sean and I rode the last 35 miles together and turned out to ride well together as well as getting to know him a bit more. I love Sean's enthusiasm and positive attitude and his genuine enjoyment in discovering all that is new to him in this country. When we rolled into Truckee together he was absolutely delighted with this very western looking town with its wide streets, false front building, saloon as well as the very nice homes scattered along the Donner Lake road run-up to the town. And, when we circled Truckee's only roundabout, Sean felt right at home-- except it circled counter clockwise.

It was an absolutely fantastic day and now we get to do it all over again tomorrow with a 2500 foot climb in the works! More fun than anyone should be allowed to have -- been saying that a lot!