An out of state rider hit me up for a comparison between the Sherman Pass Road Race and the Mt. Whitney Stage Race. Seems they will be in SoCal and could do one but not both. So.......this is what I wrote. Talk about rambling commentary! // Sherman Pass is the most Southern pass through the Sierras. The elevation at the Start is 2570′, at the Finish 9200′. But there is more than climbing along this route, and some rollers in the last 25 miles too. Start line is 15 miles outside of Ridgecrest, CA, at a tiny intersection by the side of US395. No Services, as they say. The climb begins right away, gradually for the first mile or so. It could be quite warm, as the climb is exposed and there is little vegetation and no shade whatsoever. The average gradient for the first ten miles is about 7% – yes, you are on Nine Mile Canyon Rd, and it climbs for 10.2 miles – but there is actually a downhill section from Mile 6.5 to Mile 7.5. Or at least a false flat. So the average gradient is more like 8% for the actual climbing. Good news! At the summit, you have left the high desert and entered a world of trees, meadows, and valleys! Three valleys will entertain you for the next hour or so. First valley is a few miles long, ending with a sharp climb that always gets my attention. The second valley is shorter and the escape climb is easy. The third climb takes you through the town of Kennedy Meadows. If you like it there, I hear the General Store at Mile 25 is for sale. Again. As you pass through KM, you descend to the headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Kern River. Plenty scenic, but not very wild yet. And then you climb some more. Four miles of relentless takes you to the edge of the valley, and you are into the rollers. Twenty miles of rollers, with an uphill tendency. Lots of shade, moderately technical, nice and cool, and brand new pavement two years ago. Finish is right at the summit parking lot. Maybe the most varied scenery and climate of any climb in the state. Mt. Whitney Stage Race is two stages, both starting at Lone Pine Park in Lone Pine, CA right on US395 at 3730′. Very nice park, and easy to just ride there from your motel or camping spot both days. Both stages begin with one and a half loops around the Alabama Hills, site of countless movies, TV episodes, and commercials. These are no ordinary flat loops, with some very technical riding and stiff climbing as well. One day you leave the loop to climb up to the Whitney Portal, the end of the pavement for hikers looking to summit Mt. Whitney. This is a famous climb, and for good reason. The whole climb is tough, but the view from the switchbacks is panoramic, showing the whole of the Owens Valley at once. This is the deepest valley in the USA at over two miles on both sides. UP you go, finishing at 8371′ in the first shade of the day. Whitney Portal is a beast, but you have arrived. Imagine, if you will, that the Horseshoe Meadows stage is everything you enjoyed about the Whitney Portal climb, except MORE OF IT. Yes, it begins with laps around the Alabamas. Yes, you start climbing in earnest as soon as you leave the loop. Bur the HM climb is longer, more exposed, has more steep sections, and treats you to the false summit at Walt’s Point, at 9144′. Here you are almost 800′ higher than the Whitney Portal Finish, and you are going downhill to Cottonwood Creek. Merde! Yes, you will have to reclaim the lost elevation, and a bunch more, on the way to the 10,050′ finish. Horseshoe Meadows has even more spectacular views of the Owens Valley, and the hilarious 5mph switchbacks. These seem much wider on the way up than on the way down, at least to me! HM is also my favorite climb anywhere, so it is hard to be impartial. Conclusion: MWSR offers two monster climbing days instead of one. For me, that clinches it. I always want more! Sherman Pass is an obscure, exotic climb, but Mt. Whitney is world famous. Brag to your Texas friends about Sherman, and they have no idea. //
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 17:04:38 +0000