Truckee

22 June 2010

Today was set aside for acclimatization. So, we are staying tonight again in Tahoe City. (A sad story: Rod, a 77-y participant on the trip, suffered a stroke while riding today. The good news is that it happened just outside of Truckee and the emergency response and the hospital care have apparently been excellent. He's doing well under the circumstances, but the circumstances are difficult.)



I had an overdue commitment to contribute to a major research proposal and so spent all morning and into the early afternoon squirreled away in my room writing. Ingrid meanwhile did the recommended easy ride over to Squaw Valley. She came back to the room at about 1:30, just as I was finishing. We headed over to the Tahoe House a first-rate bakery/coffee shop/deli for an excellent lunch (grilled vegetable sandwich on Squaw bread). Then she headed back to the hotel for a restful afternoon while I rode over to Truckee on an out-and-back.



The trip stats: 33.5 miles, probably 1000 feet of elevation gain. The riding was fast, probably averaging 15 miles per hour. The riding felt easy and I got to wondering whether the lower air pressure at altitude means significantly less drag and whether that might compensate at least a bit for the greater difficulty of supplying oxygen to my muscles.



Old downtown Truckee had an interesting mix: modern elements that would appeal to the ski crowd along with some historical remnants as depicted in the first three shots. Weather was absolutely perfect! The cycling conditions were a bit of a mixed bag: scenic off-road bike trail along the river for the first and last quarter of the ride (see below) but less pleasant riding on a wide shoulder of the busy and noisy main highway between Squaw Valley and Truckee. Still, it was a fun outing.