May 1, 2010
Day 3: Cooks Station to Woodfords (across the Sierra Nevada)
Bil and I were both cold overnight. Probably about freezing. It's hard to get moving in the cold, so we didn't get on the road until past 9. Four miles and 700 feet up the road we stopped at Ham's Station which was OPEN! Service was slow but we enjoyed our huge breakfast #2.
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Unfortunately it was 11:10 when we finally left Ham's Station, with huge climbs still ahead. Bil climbs faster than me. He got to Kirkwood nearly an hour before me.
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The sky got cloudier as we climb into the high Sierra Nevada. So the temperature drops more rapidly than it would from just the elevation change.
There were no services between Ham's Station (5700 ft. on the west side) and Woodfords (5600 ft. on the east side). The few resorts, stores, and campgrounds were closed because ski season has ended and the summer season won't begin until the snow melts.
We got to the summit at 6:30 PM. It was 40F and densely overcast at the summit. The shady descent was 38F. I was cold.
Woodfords has a population of only 200. After a rough night last night, Bil and I were hoping to find a motel. But there was no motel and we arrived after the only store closed. At about sunset we set up camp in an open area close to the Carson river, near the intersection of highways 88 and 89. Another cold night of free camping and eating the food we hauled over the mountains.
Distance: 54.7 mi. (87.5 km)
Climbing: 5540 ft. (1680 m)
Average Speed: 6.9 mph (11 km/h)
Maximum speed: 35 mph (56 km/h)
Today's ride: 55 miles (89 km)
Total: 151 miles (243 km)
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