Furnace Creek 508 Fixed Gear Solo Race Report Part 6

Main graph above. This section we will cover from Mile 381.6 to mile 416.5

Stage Six: Baker to Kelso, 34.90 miles. Elevation Gain: 2920'.

Arrived in Kelso Sunday 8:26pm, 37 hours and 26 min Avg. Speed 11.13 mph

From the 508 website

"Leaving Baker, you climb a gradual but relentless 2500 feet in 20 miles (Mountain Section Eight). It may be heating up, so drink plenty. A long descent leads to Kelso at mile 418."

This next section is soooo boooorrrrinnng! The climb out of Baker goes on and on and on and on. Not steep but just “relentless”. It was warm but the sun was about to set in a couple of hours and I just kept plugging away. I remember Yodeling Plankton getting a lead on me leaving Baker but I caught him. Then he passed me as I was putting my lights on the bike--- it was nearing 6pm. And then I passed him again.




that red speck up ahead is Yodelling Plankton..



and here is the pass (seemed to be a really nice guy) ...


While I was training I couldn’t find a road to simulate the slope of this climb. But I actually was looking forward to the Baker climb. The gentle grade I thought was well suited for Fixed Gear riding and it proved to be just that. If you can get past the long boring slope it isn't that bad of a climb. I actually enjoyed it.

The roads are horrible in these last sections. They shouldn’t even call them roads. Descending was very "exciting" as I was trying to ride the fog line to keep from hitting all the potholes.

I had completed 416.5 miles and 29,776 feet of climbing