Happy Thanksgiving ye Cornichons

Yesterday, on Thanksgiving, it seemed half of the Bay Area was biking up Mount Hamilton, as was I for my first time.  A bit out of shape, but I didn't do too badly (photo at the top of the mountain by J.Hadley):

http://www.lowkeyhillclimbs.com/2008/week9/results.html

It was a beautiful ride up and up and up ... seemingly never ending ... but at the top, after 4300' of climbing and over 18 miles, we were above the clouds with beautiful views of mist and clouds partially obscuring the hills with a brilliant white cover.  The descent was not too pleasant with many cracks and potholes in the road, some wet curves and gravel and rocks in some places.   But the descent was not part of the race and I could take it easy and enjoy the scenery.  A very good start to the Thanksgiving weekend!  See the link above for a more detailed description.

I highly recommend the Low-key Hillclimbs!   With all my other activities and a trip to Norway (2 weeks ago), all I had time for was 2 of the 9 hill races.  I zoomed up the short but super steep Bear Gulch a few weeks ago.  The first time ever up that hill (notice the dude in the death ride jersey in the picture).

http://www.lowkeyhillclimbs.com/2008/week4/results.html

This year the Cornichons have been conspicuously absent in biking events.  I did not do a single century, super-century, or deathly ride (although I debuted in several new types of events, such as a couple of swim races, a couple of running races, a couple of international distance triathlons).   Next year, we should perhaps do more centuries, but also hope you will join me on the 2009 low-key hillclimbs!

In the midst of Int'l Pickle Week

Well, this is the Mrs. Lil Green Pickle. Since it IS the middle of International Pickle Week, I have to post what I had merely emailed, so it stays in the blog of all that's pickly...

A la carte: All in a pickle over frozen sour pops

By Aleta Watson
Mercury News
Article Launched: 05/14/2008 01:33:45 AM PDT

Did you know that International Pickle Week starts Friday?
Of course, there are weeks devoted to just about anything you can imagine, but this one is the perfect excuse to write about one of the oddest food items ever to arrive in the Food and Wine department's mailboxes. We're talking Bob's Pickle Pops, ice pops made with - believe it or not - sour pickle juice.
Thank the Internet for making these chilly, mouth-puckering treats a national curiosity. Created at a South Texas roller skating rink last year, they've spread across the Lone Star State, and are now available to pickle fanatics everywhere through www.bobspicklepops.com.
John Howard began making the pops by freezing leftover juice from pickles he sold at his rink and arcade in Seguin, Texas. They proved so popular that he began squeezing whole dills in a hydraulic press to make more juice. Then he got out of the skating business altogether to sell his pickle-sicles full time.
Now, I like pickles well enough. I always eat the dill spear that comes with sandwiches in the company cafeteria. But pure dill pickle juice is more vinegar and spice than I can handle. I couldn't find any takers, either, until I wandered into the newspaper's library the other day. There I ran into a true pickle addict who happily took the pops off my hands. I last saw her slurping away on a pale green stick of ice.
It just goes to show, one person's culinary oddity is another's cherished treat.

========

And from the listed website, I found other links:
http://www.duncanwells.ca/pickle.htm (pickle song)

Spring update

It's been a busy spring, and the size of The Unposted has grown unmanageably. Here's the stuff I can think of off the top of my head:

Solvang Century
Leo and I rode the 50 miler in Solvang. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time. Leo got kind of bonky at about 35 miles, but with some rest and gel products, he found his mojo and pulled it off. Time was about 5 1/2 hours.

Tour of the Unknown Coast
Leo and I signed up for the 100K and Julia and Simon for the 20M. Due to a road collapse on the Avenue of the Giants, both the 100K and 50M rides were shortened to 48M, and the 100M ride went on the freeway around the washout.

The weather was fan-tastic. It was clear and pleasant until about 5pm, when the icy fog started to come in. 100M riders said the wind was not too bad at the coast. I really was sorry I didn't do the whole thing.

It turned out later that Leo was coming down with a cold, and he felt bad on the ride from the start. We ended up doing about 10 miles, then turning around. Since we got back early, I joined Julia and Simon on their ride, which retraced the path, then turns right and goes up a canyon. It was all pretty nice.

I finally remembered to check my raffle tickets, and I won a huge can of Heed energy drink. It tastes bad, even when its free.

Sequoia Upcoming
The Sequoia century is in a few weeks. I don't think we're signed up, and at this point, I think its not going to happen. I know Rune is signed up for it. Next year, I'll get back to it...

Shasta again?
The Patmore-Zarcone family has planned to ride in the Shasta century again this year. Probably not more than the 100K. Anyone else want to come along? We had a great time visiting that great cabin in the woods.

David

KOM (Finally!)

Tuesday morning I beat Rune Dahl to Gate 4.

It was a great morning, with the sun just coming up as we headed downhill from the Christmas tree farm. Warmish, dry and clear -- really nice.

Now I need to start working on my 11 minute handicap. :)

David

Worst Day of the Year

Statistically speaking, the second weekend in February holds the worst for Portland weather. Rain, sleet, wind, repeat. So intrepid Portlanders launched the Worst Day of the Year Ride, now in its 10th year. As former Californians who have done nothing but bitch about imperfect cycling weather since relocating, it was our destiny to do this ride. And Sunday was that day.


The ride started/ended at the Lucky Labrador Brewpub on SE Hawthorne. It should be law throughout the land that all organized rides have brewpub headquarters. Our beer of choice at check-in was Crazy Ludwig's Alt on cask, for those of you keeping score at home.


The standard WDotYR is an 18 mile urban tour de Stumptown, with a 40 -mile option over the crest to Hillsboro. We opted for the shortie, from the Lab in inner SE then north on the Eastbank river Esplanade, across the Steel Bridge, 'round NW, back over the Broadway Bridge and up into NE/Alberta Arts, down again and across the Alameda Ridge (our 'hood) then south more through Laurelhurst and Sunnyside neighborhoods on the way back to the Lab.


Did I mention this is a costume ride? True to the theme, many rode in their best tropical finery but that was only the beginning. I tried to get a picture of a giant pink bunny pedaling merrily along--thinking David and Rune might recognize him from the hallucinations section of last summer's climb up Mt. Shasta--but he T-boned into a lamp post before I had a chance to snap him.


The stats:
40's with showers
18 miles, 2 hours
150 feet elevation gain
0 flats, mechanicals
Hot chai at rest stops

Well it's a start, anyway.

Winter warmup

Morning ride: A balmy 45F -- overcast but dry. I rode the Portola loop for the first time in a few months. It's getting light earlier, and it was very beautiful.

I got these new wool tights a few weeks ago, so now I head out with wool socks, pants, jersey, jacket, and cap. Still to go: gloves and shoe covers. When I'm done, I put on my wool slippers (boiled) and lounge into Peets.

Leo and I got our bib numbers for the Solvang ride. We're up at around #2000. What a zoo that ride is!