Tour De Los Padres

[Salsa_Dawg]

Scratched- (bailed out, or did not stay on route):
Michael Grosso
Claude Frat
Rachel Finch
Wes Barber
Trevor Thorpe
Robert Newton
Roland Sturm

I would like to clarify that Wes Barber (myself) and Rachel Finch set out with the intent of completing the shorter "Tour Route" and both of us did complete the route on course. I completed at Sat eve at 8:30pm, so 35 hr - 20 min.

Great job by Erin organizing and also to all those attempting and completing the Tour. It was awesome and memorable. I will contemplate doing the full route next year for sure.

[trebor]

Here is what I have so far for results:

Finishers:
Blake Bockius
Duke Hudkins (single speed correct?)
Mike Abbott
Gregg Dunham
Art deGoede
The Tortoise

Not sure if you finished?  If you are on this list and you finished on route and want to be counted as a finisher, please post your raw GPX file(s) to Strava and post here, or private message me with the Strava link.
Forest Baker
Rob Roberts
.....

I finished around 2:30pm on Sunday. My spot batteries died out there... I didn't have spare. I'll shoot you a GPX later today.

[ec_duz_it]

Rich's write up is pretty hilarious.  Good stuff. 

Wes, sorry you did not complete the tour route.  I know this because I was with you at Pine Mountain club and you opted for the highway instead of the singletrack after Pine Mountain Club. You said "you were tired".  I urged you to stay on course, but you declined.  Rachel skipped the summit of Mt. Pinos, so she did not complete the route either. I would love to say you were the first two to complete the tour route, but as it stands, no one has completed that route on course yet. 

If anyone has input on the route, I am a good listener and I have thick skin so provide as many harsh comments as you want.  I will refrain from making any comments on the route until a month or so from now. 

Gregg, that is really great you had a fundraiser too!  I am making a donation to your fundraiser right now as well! 

[greggd]

Erin,

My comments on cursing you during the race should be taken tongue-in-cheek… Although I certainly did throw a few words your way.. HA HA HA

I loved the route!

Thanks for the donation to the charity!

[suntrails]

Tour de Los Padres
You have to be smart everyday .. I blew it on day 2 thinking I was invicible.
The climb to Miranda was agonizing having depleted all glycogene in my body. Stupid mistake to skip lunch. i came back home with all my MRE rations
Did not have any mechanical issue except a flat and poor GPS handling, and a Dynamo not working properly . (The plug III)
Very hard tour ! Too much elevation gain with all the weight you have to carry. Erin , you are a criminal! (just kidding!)
Very beautiful scenery, glad I was riding with Erin, great camaraderie!
Looking forward 2016 again > I want to be the oldest dude bikepacking on the west Coast
Ps: my butt doesn't hurt at all . All suspension is the way to go

[Salsa_Dawg]

Wes, sorry you did not complete the tour route.  I know this because I was with you at Pine Mountain club and you opted for the highway instead of the singletrack after Pine Mountain Club. You said "you were tired".  I urged you to stay on course, but you declined.  Rachel skipped the summit of Mt. Pinos, so she did not complete the route either. I would love to say you were the first two to complete the tour route, but as it stands, no one has completed that route on course yet. 

Ahh yes, thats right, forgot about that part. So I skipped a 1/4 mi and a couple hundred feet of climbing, so that's 99.8 % complete. I made up for it by hiking to the top of Big Pine, and that'll have to do for this year, quite enjoyable.

[ec_duz_it]

I didn't realize you did the hike up to Big Pine.  I am definitely giving it to you then    Wes The Salsa Man, first to complete the tour route! 

Such a special place up on top of Big Pine. 

[Salsa_Dawg]

Right on! Sounds good to me and heck yes, it was incredible up there.

[ec_duz_it]

Anyone who rented a SPOT, please mail back to Trackleaders:

Trackleaders
109 N. Graham St., Suite 101
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

[mtbrich]

Erin:

Thanks for the LEG work you did. Your cue sheet was helpful and SPOT on.

Any idea if I'm ever going to be acknowledged as a finisher on the website?

Anybody else pick up a pair of bright green shorts on the side of trail after ventucopa?
They were attached to my bag and fell off.

Good job all

Rich

[phil_rad]

I enjoyed following all of your blue dots and reading the write ups, looking forward to more of them. Looking at the pictures on the TDLP website (AGAIN) has got me excited about this event! I know its way too early but......When would a possible group start be next year? April again? The earlier I know the better, then I can request the time off. It's usually first come first serve where I work. :-)

Phil

[ec_duz_it]

Rich, I think I have your riding shorts that you left at Selby Camp.  Neon green/yellow?   Interesting piece of gear to loose on the trail!  Let me know what your address is and I will try to get them sent back to you. 

I looked at your Strava link and it looks like you did not ride the 4 miles of out and back to the summit of Mt. Pinos.  It looks like you finished every other part of the course though and your time was still very impressive.

[ec_duz_it]

Phil, to answer your question about next years start date-  With the drought, I am considering late January in 2016.  The route has been rideable in late January the last 3-4 years and I think it would be a completely different experience than in April.  We always seem to get great weather in late January.   I obviously care what others think about this, so let me know if you have an opinion.  It would probably be January 22nd, 2016.   If not January, probably mid March.  This year was too late in the spring season.

[mtbrich]

Erin

Thanks for snagging my shorts. Somebody must have picked them up along the way and dropped them off.

Mail them if you get a chance

1420 Millertown rd auburn ca 95603

I just pulled out my cue sheet, and yes, it looks like I did miss that out and back at the the top. Wonder why my Garmin never said I was off route and why the rest of my mileage was spot on accurate..

That's a bit upsetting....Damn...swollen knees and a sore ass for nothing

[ec_duz_it]

Will send you your shorts. 

You probably got to the big parking lot at the end of the pavement on Mt. Pinos and just followed the line on the gps without zooming out and seeing that 2 mile out and back to the summit.

[mtbrich]

no worries...not a big deal!!
thx again

rich

[phil_rad]

Erin,

Mid March sounds good to me; if that means there will be more water along the route I'm all for it. I just need to know about 4-5 months in advance. What would the Hi/Lo temps be like at that time of year in the high parts of the course? Would my 40°F bag be sufficient?

Phil

[Roland Sturm]

With the drought, I am considering late January in 2016.  

That's a great idea! Of course, it'll be high variance whether or not this is rideable, January would have been perfect this year, but then, who would have guessed just a few weeks earlier when there was a lot of rain?. It will take heavier clothes, and more batteries for night riding, but I would like cooler temps and more water. Maybe the second day could become fun? The canyons after Caliente are promising, they are just too hot for me.  

Phil, if you can give Erin a 6 month advance notice on which days exactly the winter storms happen, he'll pick the perfect date! The challenge is that the route just can't be done all the time in the winter. While the main constraint for most of the year is lack of water, Mt Pinos is over 2500m (campgrounds don't open until May officially) and can be completely cut off by snow. Possible to skip it, although that would miss a particularly nice part of the route. Then canyons after the Caliente Ridge turn into sticky mud for a few days after a storm, the type that prevents you from pushing a bike. And there may be other limitations that I don't know about. Still, January is promising, just not reliable (nor is any fixed date before late April, can always rain/snow).

[B_Bock]

It seems like January could be risky. I'm assuming that if we have a normal winter Pinos would be covered in snow. Also, if we do have a normal winter, the springs would be flowing much later in the season.

[adegoede]

Erin, thank you for putting together the Tour de Los Padres. After riding the full route past two years my first thought as I was riding/struggling up Miranda Pines, I will consider riding the "tour" route next year in a leisurely 3 days for change of pace.

I am up for any time of year, January would definitely put a different twist less daylight, colder temps. I rode Thanksgiving weekend from Figueroa Mt. to AG last year. I brought a extra sweater, rain jacket and a riding light. Pleasant night at Bluff, rough night at Miranda Pines, windy, cold then rain the last day. If January is decided on I think routing could end up different compared to last two years.

Holidays fall on March, 25th and 27th next year which could be a consideration for some riders.