Everesting Bean Blossom Rd.

The concept of Everesting is fiendishly simple: Pick any hill, anywhere in the world and complete repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 8,848m (29,029ft) – the equivalent height of Mt Everest. Complete the challenge on a bike, on foot, or online, and you’ll find your name in the Hall of Fame, alongside the best climbers in the world.

everesting.cc

This was different than any endurance ride I've attempted.  At 'basecamp' I can keep everything.  Spare clothes, tons of food, water, tools etc. I didn't bring water or tools on the bike.

Early research:

The elevation in the chart below is 'wrong' because I made this chart with maps.google and I didn't take in consideration the elevation gain on the descent.  The law with Everesting.cc is Strava.  The Strava full elevation per repeat was actually around 386 feet.  I only needed 62 repeats for Everest elevation per the Strava Route.   Strava Route elevation: Bean Blossom Strava Route

Gear List:  (I brought the kitchen sink)

The weather for the ride was perfect.  High of 85degF and a low of 65degF, no rain.  I choose Bean Blossom because Bean Blossom road is in Morgan Monroe Forest so the entire length of my route is shaded, low traffic, with bathroom and parking at the top.

At the top of the hill attached to the STOP sign was my check sheet.

I also kept a gallon jug of water with a water bottle at the top of the hill.  Every repeat I would add a check to the check sheet and take a drink of water.  Every 5th repeat I headed to my van, 'basecamp', for extra nourishment.  Every 5 repeats was about 1,500 feet, 16 miles, and 1.75 hours. 2 hours if you count breaks.

Prior to my attempt, I didn't do much research in what actually 'counts' for everesting.  My plan was to go until my GPS told me I reached 29,029ft.  When my GPS stated I was over 29,029ft, I climbed Bean Blossom 72 times. After I submitted my route to Everesting.cc,  I discovered the Everesting.cc calculator states I only needed to climb Bean Blossom 62 times to get credit for Everesting.  My ignorance actually gave me the Everesting 10k award, which is 10,000m of climbing.  I'll take it!

Pointers for success:

Bring more food than you need.  Bring more clothes than you need.  Bring more water than you need.  Since you technically don't have to carry anything on the bike, you can bring 'too much' and it won't weigh down your bike.  Also, small gears and some climbing legs help.

Arrowhead Ultra 2020

Start temp around 8degF.  High around 18degF.  May be a little off, I lost my thermometer on the ride...

Checklist:

Clothing:
For the head I had a balaclava and a wool cycling cap.  After about 40 miles I removed the wool cycling cap because my head started to sweat.

I had a wicking tee, RBH VB vest, and a softshell jacket.  I had my CamelPak under my VB vest.  This setup stayed for the entire ride.  My arms did start to sweat before the Surly checkpoint, which wetted the sleeves of my soft shell outer jacket.  This caused me to get cold.  I'll have to address this.

I wore simple wool liner gloves inside my CobraFists for around 120miles.  At the start Mile 10-40, I alternated with my hands outside of the CobraFists and then back inside.  This was done to try and regulate the sweating.  15 miles from the finish my hands were getting cold so I put on my OR down mittens.  I don't know why my hands started getting cold during the last 15miles, but the mittens solved the issue.  This makes me worry about colder temps.....

Also during this last 15miles I put my hood on over my helmet and balaclava.  Once I used the simple hood, my body started to warm again.

Lower body I used some Craft Ski pants and a wool tight under.  This worked well.  Will have to find something else for the sub zero temps.  I had down pants if my legs got cold, but they didn't.

For the feet I chose my -40 Sorels, a thick Ice Breaker WigWam sock, RAB VB, and a base swiftwick sock.  My feet were fine until mile 80-90, before Surly.  Actually, everything was fine until Surly.  I think pushing up some of those hills cause me to sweat and I didn't do a good enough job regulating my moister.  Maybe remove a layer before every hill.....     At Surly, my boots and liner were wet.  I don't believe this moister was due to a failed VB.

Ride report:
Main goal was to check the ability to ride without support next year.  I wanted to not stop at Gateway, short stop at Melgeorges, no stop at Surly, but have the option to stop if needed.  I think I would've failed going unsopported.

Start to the first checkpoint, Gateway, was about 35 miles.  It took my about 4.5 hours.  I didn't stop, just checked in and left.

Gateway to Melgeorges was about 35miles.  This took me around 6.5 hours.  I did stop here for some soup, grilled cheese, and a hydro fillup. I knew I would stop here, this was part of my plan.  I stayed at Melgeorges for about a 20 minutes.

Melgeorges to Surly is about 45miles.  This section has the hills.  I pushed a lot.  I also started to sweat.  This section took me about 9 hours, (hills).  Once I reached Surly I knew I'd have to dry off, and unsupported is allowed to use the campfire.  My plan was to use the campfire to dry off and not stop into the tent, but the tent drew me in.  I had to dry off, I was too wet.  I ended up staying at Surly, in the tent for 1.5hrs.  But, I was able to dry clothes, which was what my time was spent doing.

Surly to the finish is about 25miles.  This section took me about 4.5 hours.  I got cold.  I didn't dry my jacket enough, the sleeves were still wet.  My feet got cold again, probably still a little wet, and my hands got cold.  I put on my down mittens, this solved the cold hands.  I put up my hood, my body started to warm.  I was good to the finish after these adjustments.  This section really didn't have much more that challenged me.

Future:
I want to go unsupported next year.  Better moisture management, a way to carry all of my water so I don't have to melt snow, but willing to melt snow.  I have some time to figure this stuff out.

   

Tuscobia 160 December 2019.

160 miles.

Start temp: 28degF.  Max temp: I believe was around 37deg.

 Checklist:

Clothing:
I was able to get by with a wicking shirt, long sleeve wool shirt, and Showers Pass rain jacket.  I had my hydro pack on the outside of my jacket, but the tube did end up freezing about 10miles in, so I put the hydro pack under my Showers Pass jacket.  I wore Craft Nordic ski pants at the start.  At Park Falls I added rain pants.  It rained a lot on this ride.  On my feet I wore a base sock, RAB VB, wool sock, 5.10. shoes, and NEOs.  My feet got soaked by the time I reached Park Falls.  I ended up adding a VB over my base sock, wool sock, and another VB (bread bag) and then my shoe.  My shoes were soaked, the 2nd VB was an attempt to keep my thermal wool sock dry.


Ride Report:
The 40 miles to Ojibwa, 1st checkpoint, went smooth.  The temps were in the high 20s and the trail remained solid.  This distance took me around 5.5hrs.  I snacked a little, filled my bladder, and took off.  Short stay.  It started to snow/rain about mile 30.  Ojibwa to Park Falls was around another 40miles.  By this time the snow turned to constant rain.  Ice was building up on my bike and glasses.  Fortunately, the trail still was holding up.  This section took me around 5.5hrs also.  Park Falls was my longest rest.  I had to eat their soup and grilled cheese.  I also put on rain pants and dry socks.  Leaving Park Falls and heading back to Ojibwa the trail really deteriorated.  It was still raining.  This section took me around 7 hours.  At Ojibwa I filled my water, snacked a little, and hit the trail.  Another short stay.  Ojibwa back to Rice Lake was around 40miles and it took me about 14hrs.  Trails were slush and mashed potatoes.  I made it to Birchwood gas station which is about 20miles from the finish.  At the gas station I took around a 2 hour break.  I didn't make changes to my clothes, I just had some coffee and tried to recuperate.  After heading out of the gas station I became slightly annoyed about constant bike dismount, push, mount because the extreme poor trail conditions.  I ended up dropping air pressure in my tires until I could ride on the snow.  I was riding dangerous air pressures with tubes, about 2psi front and 6psi rear.  I was finally able to stay on the snow and pedal, but this low of psi makes for a slow sludge.  I finished in around 32 hours.

 

Indy to Springfield Illinois

205 miles. 3,700 ft of climbing. 15.5 hours.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30622173

 

~ mile 50, cheese sandwich

~ mile 60, liquid refill, chocolate milk, hersey bar.  

~mile 100, liquid refill, naked shake, chocolate milk, vitamin water.  

somewhere around here another cheese sandwich on the bike.

~mile 140 subway 6" sub, sprite, liquid refill.  

~mile 190 liquid refill, pepsi, vitamin water

While planning the route an happened across this street view on GoogleMaps.  Safe to say, I avoided this road.  

Good morning.  Somewhere between Greenastle IN and Rosedale IN.  

Cheers for Clinton IN. 

I thought there was more than corn in Indiana...wait, this is Illinois.  My bad.  

I love these narrow roads.  I haven't seen a car for hours.

About 50 miles between town.  Between the towns, this is what I see.

About 10 miles to Sprinfield.  Much needed liquid refill.  

Sleep well my friend. 

 

2019 Alaska Soltice 600k

373 miles. 12,000 feet of elevation gain. 30hrs30min

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30730352

Mile 43 egg omelette, coffee, water, bottle re-fill.

Mile 138 grilled cheese, grilled cheese to go, fries, coke, water, bottle re-fill, extra water bottle for jersey pocket. (Lack of services)

Mile 185, wayside, bottle re-fill.

Mile 215, wayside, bottle re-fill.  

Mile 246, Youngs hotel. Bottle re-fill, then off.  Riding through. 

~Mile 260, ate half of my grilled cheese sandwich and a hard boiled egg. 

~ Mile 280, ate the other half of my grilled cheese, emptied my spare water. 

~311 control 6, ranger station.  Station closed, no water.  Hopping Posty's Trading Post is open at mile 336. 

mile 336, Posty's Trading Post.  Open! Ice cream, chocolate, pop, chips, water, bottle re-fill.  Enough to get me to the finish at mile 373. 

Mile 373, finished after 30hrs and 30min. 

I ate hard-boiled eggs, (4 I think), at different times, forgot exact mileage.  Also drank a couple recoverers through the ride, don't recall how many or at what times.  Also had to take a couple caffeine pills through the night. 

Some vids:

2019 Dirty Kanza 200

209 miles (~9 bonus miles) ~11,000 ft of elevation (per my garmin). 17hrs 57mins

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30707399?privacy_code=FAqpEyss4C7agug6

~mile 64. Gas station. Cheese sandwich, chocolate milk, Recoverer, water refill. 

~mile 99. Oasis. Water refill, Recoverer.

~mile 120. Oasis. Water refill, Recoverer.

~mile 152. Gas station. Cheese sandwich, Chocolate mile, Coke, Naked, water refill, Recoverer.

Highlights:

I didn't have support at check points, so I refilled supplies at gas stations.  

Water oasis 2 I forgot my hydo pack.  I didn't realize that I didn't have my pack until my wife called me because my SPOT hasn't moved, this was 4 miles down the road. 

At the final (2nd) checkpoint I noticed my cable for my dyno hub was pulled out of the connector at the hub.  Instead of fixing there, at the gas station, in the daylight, I decided that I had a very good helmet light and I didn't need it.  When night started creeping in I turned on my helmet light and all was good. When night arrived, my helmet light went out.  I faffed with the helmet light for a few, but
to no avail.  Since it was dark and I had no light, I decided to take it easy on the roads until I found a spectator with a flash light so I could repair my dyno light.  Bad idea.  I didn't see a rut on a down hill and I went down hard.  I found a spectator at the top of the next hill, borrowed a flash light, repaired my light, and finished the ride without further issues. 

I woke up in the middle of the night after finishing the ride and my knee was the size of a watermelon.  I had a serious impact injury.  After a trip to the doctor office the Xrays were negative, just extremely swollen.  Actually, to this day, 3 months later, the knee is still swollen and I don't have full movement. 

Indiana randonneurs 400k 20190518

258 miles 11,000 ft of elevation.  22hrs30min

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14086576

Checklist:

~mile 26, Mcdonalds.  Egg sandwich, hash browns, and coffee.

~mile 60, Subway. Foot long sub.  6" there, 6" for road. Chips and cookies

~mile 88 Starbucks. Cheese sandwich.  Coffee for sure.

~mile 111 Cheese sandwich. liquids.

~mile 140 liquids.

~mile 145, the remaining 6" sub, chips. 
Caffeine pill

~mile 195 liquids.

~mile 232 liquids, then dashed to the end.