Return to Mt. Laguna: mostly OT.

[Bob the Wheelbuilder]

I went to Noble Canyon for the second time Saturday.

Last year I was hiking. This time I at least had a bike. Problem is, it was a road bike.

I've started randonneuring and Saturday was the San Diego Randonneurs Santee 400K. We rode 400 kilometers (255 miles for the kilometrically challenged) from Santee to Mt. Laguna, past Noble Canyon, Warner Springs, to Hemet and then past Turner World Headquarters in Murrieta, down to the coast at Oceanside, to Del Mar and back over the Scripps Poway Parkway to Santee.

It rained for about 6 hours of the ride. My GPS registered 16,000 feet of climbing, and it took me just under 24 hours. The time limit was 27 to complete the ride. It's hard to explain the draw of this kind of riding, but I'm really getting to like it.

At 50, I appear to be one of the younger riders. These guys are a leather butted, cast iron stomached bunch, mostly living off convenience store food while pedaling incredible distances. Next year I hope to do the ultimate randonneuring ride - Paris Brest Paris which is only done every 4 years and covers 1200 km in 90 hours or less.

Next month I'm back to do the Mt. Laguna Classic which climbs three different road routes up the mountain. Maybe I'll bring my Sultan and actually do the Noble Canyon Downhill for once.