Riding the Snake Out

     It was a lighter week of riding the week after the Pigeon Forge trip. Shannon and I got to do some more riding together. Her pace is improving and she is getting more endurance so we can do longer riders. We spent a lot of time on sprinting the other day. She isn't comfortable with out-of-the-saddle efforts so we worked on standing and sprinting in the drops. It's fun for me to do 53x12 seated sprints next to her while she does a normal sprint. It's good for me to be chasing someone. It makes me push harder and makes her feel good when she beats me. We encountered an interesting stretch of road one day. There was a car on fire that had also caught the grass on fire around Exit 19 of I-24.

     Shannon and I teach Sunday School/Primary at church. We try not to miss too many classes in the off-season because we know we will miss several Sundays once race season begins. That was the main reason for our sudden trip to Pigeon Forge. It was looking like that would be our last opportunity for a training camp before race season. Then we found out that the next weekend's classes were cancelled due to a church meeting. That gave us the opportunity to stay in Georgia for an extra day following the second Snake Creek Gap TT in Dalton on Feb. 4. We were hoping to make a trip down to the Pearl Izumi Factory Outlet Store in Dawsonville, so that really worked out well for us. I was really needing some new road running shoes.

     We drove down to Snake the morning of the race with another 4am departure. It rained a lot on Friday and was still raining in spots on the drive down to Dalton. It was sure to be muddy so I brought my Titus Racer-X rather than the Sette hardtail.We got to the Convention Center at 8:30 and the buses were already pulling out. They were full 30 minutes before the scheduled time to leave so they just went ahead and started shuttling riders to the start. I hurried through sign-in and then changed in the car on the way to the start. I was hoping to start near the front to avoid traffic, but that didn't happen. The first rider used to leave at 10:00, but they have been letting us leave early the past year or so. Last month I started at 9:40 and was one of the first to go. This time I began at 9:39 and was in the back half of the field.

Me heading off on my 6-gap journey through north Georgia

    I started slower this time to give myself time to warm up a little. I was hoping to top the first mountain within 2 minutes of my time from January. I took it much easier on the lower slopes of the climb and it paid off. I wasn't hurting at the top and was just 15 seconds slower than last month. The mud had to be slowing me down, as it was deep in spots, but I made up for it with strength and proper pacing to deal with the lack of warm-up. I also paced myself much better on the second and third climbs. There was a lot of traffic for me to go through, but everyone was nice and I didn't get held up more than once or twice.

Tim Baker at halfway

Me crossing the highway and beginning the second half of the race

     I reached the halfway point in 1:31. My goal was 1:30, so I was close. My next checkpoint was at the entrance to the rocky section near the top of the fifth climb, where I hoped to reach in under 2:20. I was having a good ride and feeling stronger as I went. The second half was almost totally dry with the exception of a few creek crossings. My shifting was acting up from all the mud as I reached my checkpoint in 2:19. I was excited with my time and still felt good. In my head I was thinking that it normally takes me an hour to do the last section. That would put me finishing at around 3:20, which would be one of my better times.

Me following a rider during the race

My bike

     I started to fade on the final climb. My upper body was toast on "The Wall." I had no chance of riding it this time. The triceps and shoulders were on fire by halfway. I jumped off and ran it to the top instead of struggling at a snail's pace. My shifting gradually worsened in the last few miles. I could hardly shift gears either way which killed my momentum both going into and coming out of the numerous rock gardens that litter the final ridgeline. My legs faded some too, but overall it was more total body fatigue than leg fatigue. I was way off in my estimation for the time of the final section. It took me 1:07 to reach the finish. My overall time was 3:27:12 which was 4th fastest in the Men 29 and Under group.

The last tricky rock section

A young rider drops of the road next to some nice hay bale covers  :)

I tried my best to shave off a few seconds on the descent

Snake Creek Gap map per Garmin 305

Elevation profile for the Snake

   After Snake, it was on the road through the Georgia countryside to Dawsonville to hit the Pearl Izumi Factory Outlet. There weren't as many great deals as usual, but we didn't leave empty-handed. I found a pair of road running shoes in my size. They were on sale and came in a sweet green and black color.

     We grabbed a bite to eat at Red Robin to celebrate Shannon's birthday then hit the road again, traveling to Dahlonega this time. We spent the night there and went to church the next morning. One of my goals is to go to church in every state. This was my first time in Georgia. I've now checked off Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, South Carolina and Georgia. 

Mountains in the dusky distance from our hotel window in Dahlonega

     After church, we drove over to Helen for the start of my ride. Neither of us had any idea that Helen was a little alpine town. It was like pulling into a life-sized gingerbread village. All the buildings, including the hotels and Wendy's, were decorated like something in a Swiss or German mountain village. We didn't have a whole lot of time to explore, but it looked like a really cool place that we will visit again soon.

     My ride plan was to depart Helen and go up the Richard B. Russell Scenic Parkway over Hog Pen Gap. It was one of the better-known climbs used in the Tour de Georgia. It was only 11 miles from Hog Pen over to the infamous Brasstown Bald, site of several Tour de Georgia mountain-top finishes. It was a very nice day. We had early morning rain and dark clouds that began to break up as I put the wheels to the road in Helen.

Helen to Brasstown Bald ride map from the Garmin

    The weather became sunny and quickly warmed the temperature  into the 60s. It was perfect for the climb up Hog Pen Gap. There were some steeper sections than I expected, but overall it wasn't brutal. I really enjoyed the wooded curves and lack of traffic. Shannon was stopping at some of the overlooks to get out of the car and stretch. She grabbed some pics as well.

Nice views on the way up Hog Pen Gap

     It was very cool to reach the top and see the old King of the Mountain stripe across the road. There was a bunch of "Go Lance!" and "LIVESTRONG" paintings on the way up as well. The descent was freakin' awesome! I hit 50 mph twice on a wet road without tucking down on my drops. I was scared to let it go because I didn't know if there were any sharp corners. There was also some green moss growing on some of the wooded sections that looked like it would be slick as snot. I laughed out loud several times on the way down, thinking about how much fun this was and how fortunate I am that I get to do things like this on the weekends.

Almost to the top

Cresting Hog Pen Gap

The old Tour de Georgia King of the Mountain line is still painted across the road

Two of my favorite signs preceded one of the best descents I've ever had the privilege to attack

     My legs were feeling really good, especially considering that I raced the previous day. It seemed as though Hog Pen had helped to ride the Snake out of my legs. I was met with a stiff headwind as I rode between the mountains. Brasstown Bald may only be recorded as 3.6 miles from where the road begins to the observatory on top, but the climb itself begins much sooner. I climbed for 4 out of the last 5 miles to get to the turn off for Brasstown Bald. The last 2 of those miles were pretty serious climbing.

Looking toward Brasstown Bald on a beautiful ride

    Brasstown is a brutal S.O.B. With Butterfly Gap and Cherohala fresh on my mind from just one week ago, I figured this would be a great time to get a comparison. After riding them all, Brasstown wins the award for toughest climb. Butterfly is equally steep, but the Brasstown grades are more sustained. It begins with a steep. twisty section that backs off as you go. Just after halfway comes "The Wall," a super steep section that had to have been designed by Satan himself. It was very challenging for my whole body. My legs were not the issue, I was actually cramping around my ribs and obliques. It takes a full-body effort for several minutes to get past "The Wall." Then the grade levels out and allows you to get up some speed if you have any legs left.

The observatory atop Brasstown Bald

     According to the signs, the parking lot at 3 miles is the official top. The Tour de Georgia finished at the very top next to the observatory. I thought you could ride all the way up, but the road was closed and the sign said "NO BIKES." I wanted to go all the way. I did not work this hard to be stopped .6 miles from the top. I won't give all the details, but lets just say the trail around the gate got used and the freakishly steep top section got conquered.

Coming back down

GPS view of the Brasstown Bald climb

     The ride back down was fun, but slow. There are so many sharp corners that you can't stay off the brakes for more than a few seconds at a time. I rode a few miles past the bottom of Brasstown and then climbed into the car. It was a good day of riding. I logged in a little over 35 miles and went over two mountains. 

Elevation for the ride

    It was another great weekend of riding and spending time with Shannon. I am so thankful for her and for all the opportunities that I get to travel and ride my bike. Life is good. And the season is near...