On July 2nd, our last day of vacation, Clark and I left TrackRock campgrounds for Brasstown. It would be my 4th ascent and Clark's first. It was a perfect morning. We started on the bikes around 10:00 am. We took our time as we rolled towards hwy 180. We watched a hawk swoop down and snag a squirrel from the ground.
As we took the left onto hwy 180, the road turned a little rough, the grade turned upward, and the conversation drew to a minimum. Highway 180 takes you up what's known as Jack's Gap, which is the starting point for the Brasstown assault. Jack's is a deceiving climb on the East side. The pavement is a little rough and there are three pitches that feel steeper than they probably are. As you finish the last pitch, you come around the corner to see the arrow for Brasstown, then the entrance sign.
Tiff, Cadence, Lou Lou, and Suzy were waiting on us at the entrance. I fortunately had ridden twice in the past few days, so my mountain legs were steady. This was Clark's first mountain ride of the season, so he was having a rude break-in. I unloaded some extra weight, refilled my bottle, and stretched the legs out a bit. Clark was looking like he was having second thoughts about attempting the monster, but after several minutes of cool down his ego reluctantly kicked him in the ass and got him back in gear. I was feeling surprisingly good. I kissed my peeps, gave Clark an encouraging dap, pushed the button on my watch, and started my assault.
If you've never ridden up Brasstown, you can't understand how much of a mental and physical effort it is. The first pitch as you enter let's you know that "This ain't gonna be easy." I actually glided up the lower section. I was constantly reminding myself to conserve the energy, but the legs were good so I kept churning. Maintenance crews were cutting the roadsides which made it tricky. More debris in the road and trying to pass a work truck with oncoming traffic up a 17% grade isn't real easy.
Around a couple of corners and then the wall, a 200m section that must average 20% or better. As I started I quickly had to drop into my granny gear. I stood up to get some extra leverage, but got to far forward and spun out. My heart rate immediately went up 30 bpm. I could see the power line pole that was the marker for me that signified the end of the wall. I grunted, rocked, and cussed my way past the pole. As I settled back in the saddle, a sense of satisfaction settle in and I started spinning the cranks over. A few turns later I approached the opening in the rhododendrons and gave one last surge of effort. As I entered the parking lot I stopped my watch. 25:07:63 - My fastest time to date.
I cooled off for several minutes and enjoyed the sun and sensation of the mountain. Tiff and the girls were sagging for Clark. Several cars entered the lot, but no Toyota. I began to worry that either Tiff had pulled over and got stuck or the Clark had over-cooked and had to stop. The more I sat the more I worried. I asked a couple who had just parked beside me if they'd see a rider and black Toyota. They said that they had and that the "rider" was catching his breath not to far down the mountain. I decided to roll down at least to the steep section to see if I could see them.
On the way down, a car passed me on the way up and the lady driving gave me a crazy look. A second later I realized it might have been because I was descending without a helmet. It was in the back of the truck. I slowed down and conservatively carved several corners. Just as I approached the wall, Clark was passing the power pole marker. I rode past, circled around, and came up to his back wheel. I ensured him that the hard part was over. We spun together up the final few turns. As we approached the opening to the parking lot, Suzy was waiting with camera in hand. Being the champ he is, Clark took the time to zip up his jersey and give the two-arm salute for the camera. AWESOME!
Two things I love about that climb; one is testing myself and seeing where my fitness and mental levels are and two is being with someone who conquers the beast for the first time and seeing the look in their eyes after it's over.
Until next time . . .
