Next up, Maui

So, I just got back from South Lake Tahoe for the annual Bill Okano Memorial "Jackpot" Tournament. I didn't get as much of a workout as I had hoped; only played limited time and missed one game entirely. I did end up going for two bike rides, though shorter than planned. The only real hill climbing I did was on Saturday, up Kingsbury Grade, a little bit past the turnoff for the Chart House restaurant. Sunday, I had planned to [attempt to] ride from S. Lake Tahoe to Tahoe City, but my bball game ended up being at 12pm, which only gave me 3 hours before I had to go meet my friend Leo, his wife Claire, and their newborn (well 6-mth) baby Ryan. And, of course, I dilly-dallied by getting a sandwich for lunch, a wrench to change out my pedals, looking for a spot to start riding, etc. And, Highway 89 seemed pretty narrow in spots and didn't appeal to me to ride alone (I was probably looking for any excuse not to get my ass kicked). I stopped by the visitor center and got a biking map, which the ranger pointed out had a bike route from Meeks Bay all the way to Squaw Valley (or you can turn east toward Tahoe City and beyond). She also did not recommend riding Hwy 89 at Emerald Bay (though she didn't look to be a cyclist herself). I could see why she said what she said, though, as the ridge above Emerald Bay was very narrow. So, after driving to Meeks Bay, I ended up only having 1 hour to ride. But, at least I got to try out my new pedals and shoes; this was my first time riding with cleats, so I figured something easy might be better anyway, rather than tipping over on my bike on Hwy 89.

Oh, so why all of this training and the title of this post? Well, I'm heading to Maui tomorrow for Riza's wedding. Kei and Howie want to cycle up Haleakala volcano. Yes, UP the volcano. This course is 36 miles, EACH way, with an elevation gain of approximately 10,000 feet. Needless to say, I'm going to get my ass kicked. Good thing is, I can always just turn around and head downhill. My goal is to go at least half way. OK, the real goal of course is to go all the way, but I'd be content with half.

Here's more info if you are interested:
http://www.gocyclingmaui.com/faq.html
http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com/haleakala.htm

Apparently, there is an annual ride up Haleakala, so we aren't entirely crazy. I can't believe the times those top finishers do it in. I'll definitely be on the bottom end of the time scale, with the 60-year-old set.