I went for a ride last Saturday that scouted half of the famed Death Ride route. Death Ride is 5 passes around Tahoe over 135 miles. We rode 2.5 passes in 70 miles with 8000+ feet of climbing at an elevation of 5200’ or higher. The highest pass we crossed, Monitor (a Cat 1), reaches 8314’. I had a good time though two of the climbs took 60+ minutes and were brutally hard. I cracked about 60 miles in with 1500 feet of climbing left to do into a 35+mph headwind. Things went from bad to worse when I ran out of water. Luckily I found a country store to get some water and food at then got my legs back to make it over Luther pass.
Climbing Luther pass from Tahoe
A hint of snow on Luther above 7500’
Headed up Monitor, another 40 minutes or so of grinding left to do
Looking back
So sexy
At 7500’ and still climbing, the peaks in the background are 9500-10000+’. The road in the foreground is the only “flat” part of Monitor
This little stretch is where you climb through 8000’ for the first time
Sweet jesus
Time to head back
River crossing
Almost to the road with the killer headwinds enroute to Luther Pass
Lake Tahoe
