With such a fearsome reputation, I was up again before 6am to get ready to ride. Once again the climb was on the western side of the Owen river valley, so it saw the first rays of sun and would heat up quickly.
It was a short drive up the valley to the small town of Independence where the road started. I parked the van in the shade one block up from the highway and once ready rolled back down to Highway 395 to start the climb. Of the 21km of climbing, the first few kilometers would be the only easier ones on the whole ride.
Here the road headed pretty much straight up the barren alluvial fan. It wasn't until over 9km in that the mountain proper was reached and was where the road started to contour and weave its way up the mountainside.
Unfortunately this did little to reduce the gradient and it continued as a steep grind in the already hot sun.
As elevation was gained, I started to feel a little better and continued punching out a reasonable tempo. Soon enough the hairpins that everyone waxes lyrically as comparing to the European cols appeared. Not sure if I would agree, even though the sweat stinging my eyes did blur my sight and it did at least feel similar.
Lower road and hairpins
Higher hairpins
Knowing the distance to the top and calculating the remaining kilometers was all that was on my mind; I just wanted the pain to end!
Luckily the gradient did relent a fraction and the end came; a small car park still dwarfed by the surrounding peaks.
The descent again was fun, although the ever-present expansion cracks made for a somewhat bumpy ride. Back at the car; due to the early start I was able to get back to the hostel and get in a shower before starting the 1,200km drive to Grand Junction Colorado.
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