Road to the Tevis Cup Post #25: Riding through the fog

I had scheduled a tough ride on New Year’s Eve. It was going to be challenging because at one point (after already having climbed 500 feet), there is a 1450 foot climb in 2 miles. That’s an average grade of 13.7% (varies from a few downhill bits to 35% grade). (How to calculate the grade of hills.) I’d done the early, steepest section two weeks previously, and I was excited to do the whole climb. So excited I didn’t really think about what it would be like to be riding through the fog.

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Of course, I was inadequately dressed in a light sweatshirt and down vest. Fortunately, I always carry gloves and a scarf in my hydration backpack.

At first it wasn’t that bad…

The video below was taken not long after I reached the clouds you can see in the picture to the right above.

I wasn’t in any hurry, so I started to teach Fantazia to tail up hills. (Introducing Fantazia)

When I got to the point where I had turned aside on the 16th, I stopped to look around. Fortunately, my boyfriend and I had hiked all the way up a few days previously, so I knew the way well. (I hike all the trails I ride… it’s only fair!) As you can see in the brief video below, it was impossible to guide myself as I usually would (with reference to surrounding ridges and peaks).

The best part of this particular ride is that there is a nice, gently sloping ridgeline to follow once you finish the steep climb. It bears north-northeast towards our goal, the closest named peak.

The ridge leads you to an intersection with a road I frequently follow. In the pictures below you can see it on this day, and the day afterwards, New Years Day.

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Riding through the fog is particularly cold and nasty at the top..

From the point where I took the two pictures above, the road rises a gradual 400 feet in one mile to the closest a horse and ride can easily get to the peak. There is a locked gate that prevents us from using the road (the easy way up). I usually ride on a rough track that skirts the west side of the peak. From there, I could feasibly tie Fantazia and walk up the remaining 100 feet alone, but she strongly objects to me going out of her sight. I would have been out of her sight very quickly in New Year’s Eve clouds! So we rode to the west side and contemplated the invisible peak in front of us…

Riding home through the fog

We turned and made our way through the fog back down the hill. I discovered another benefit of PeakFinder. It can save you if you become lost in the fog!

Because we trot less going downhill, I got quite cold on the way down. As usual, I got off and led Fantazia down one of the steeper parts. That way I can jog and she trots along beside me.

Fantazia was quite calm until a cow suddenly materialized next to us. In the video below, you can see cattle through the fog in front of us. Later, they were galloping along ghostily beside us; that was very exciting.

It was a really fun ride. Eerie, beautiful, and cold. My boyfriend wants to come with me next time. We hiked home through the area yesterday, in less dense fog