RCY Ride
Report
Mt. Pinos--The McGill
Trail
Sunday
07-13-08
It was a beautiful way to
celebrate the day before Bastille Day. The weather was humid but not too
hot as a rag tag collection of 14 riders assembled at the "Y" in the road.
Blue sky peeked thru scattered clouds as the group started before 9 a.m.
pedaling up the road to the McGill Trailhead. I've always enjoyed this
ride immensely, but I found that with my advancing years, the climb to the
top is getting tougher; but it was all worth it after recovering at the top
and then getting to experience the exhilarating downhill. But I am getting
ahead of myself.
Trailside during the
climb
A happy Joe
climbing
Jamshyd experienced
some nausea and lightheadedness during the climb....here he had trouble keeping
up with himself
Most of the group at
the first "sanctioned" stop about 4 miles up the trail
(From left: GaryM,
Matthew, John, Nelson, George, DaveW, Tal, Joe, Mitch,
AaronA)
About 4 1/2 miles
later we reach the top of Iwihinmu (the American Indian name of Mt.
Pinos),
the summit of
which the Chumash call Liyikshup (the center of the
world).
[Some of the group
from left: SteveK(who called this trip), Nelson, Aaron, George, Joe, Mitch,
Matthew (preparing
to distribute his apples at 8800 feet), Gary, Dave, John and Tal]
Tal surprised us all
by preparing Turkish Coffee on his lightweight backpacking stove, the perfect
way to wash down the apples!
[Word had it that
even Joe had a cup of coffee after Tal assurred him it was free
;o)]
Against
the clouded sky that began to form thunderheads, Gary awaits coffee atop
the stone wall
Robco pours himself
a cup of Tal's mountain brewed coffee
Energetic Matt, who
I think went up and down the mountain several times, pedals at the
top
The weather at the top was
very cool and comfortable. After a brief rest, coffee, apples, energy bars
and yenta-ing, we headed on down McGill Trail, fast and furious. But too
fast for at least one of us....
Mitch shows off some
of his war wounds after failing to land properly following a jump on
the downhill run.
[In the inset is a
photo of Jamshyd jumping successfully there in 2005]
After being examined and
patched up by our resident docs, Mitch was able to continue on down the
mountain, albeit at a more modest and cautious pace. And with far
more agony than during the trip up.
Back at the
vehicles, Mitch displays his bruised (but hopefully not fractured)
hip.
In spite of being bruised and
battered, Mitch was hungry, and so 12 of us headed over to Big John's in
downtown Frazier Park for a fine meal and reminiscenses of the day.
Have a great
week.
Robco
Baggins
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