Finally, the Terrible Two -
I have been thinking about the Terrible Two for nearly three years now,
with rare obsession (even by my standards).
The Terrible Two was on my mind for all this time. How many hours
did I spend with it, dreaming about it, visualising it. How many wild
hopes, periods of elation in training, where it felt that the goal was
within reach, how many times did I imagine the finish, how it must feel
like to finally succeed, how I have cherished silly things like wearing
one day the famous Terrible Two Jersey ...
And conversely, how many days of frustration, downright depression,
when injuries would put my goal out of reach. I would get so gloomy, the
sight of cyclists outside on a beautiful summer day would hurt me like no
other, as I was condemned to inactivity. It reminded me of one of the last
shots of Lawrence of Arabia, where Lawrence sees bedus on the side of the
road as he's being driven "home". So much nostalgia is expressed there ...
This all came to a towering climax for me on June 19 2004,
the day after my 39th birthday, when I finally made it through
the ride, passed one by one the mythical climbs, survived the
impossible gradients.
It's been almost a week now, and I still haven't quite learned to
think about the Terrible Two in the past. It just feels odd, that it is
no longer something to both hope for and fear, like a mountain ever in
front of me waiting to be conquered. I guess I've been used to that
feeling for so long that it takes time to adjust, and fully accept :
"I've done the Terrible Two !"
Times on Bay Area climbs -
|
Road Name --------- |
Section ------- |
Description ----------- |
Best Time --------- |
Date --------- |
| ABORN | -- | (Murillo to Dead End) | 0:10:59 | 05/18/07 |
| ALBA | -- | -- | 0:38:08 | 06/09/02 |
|
ALPINE (West Side) | Whole Climb | (Bridge to road sign @ the top) | 0:32:02 | 08/24/02 |
| -- | Bottom Section | (Bridge to Portola Prk Rd) | 0:16:57 | 08/24/02 |
| -- | Top Section | (Portola Prk Rd to Top) | 0:15:05 | 08/24/02 |
| BEAR CREEK | West Side | Boulder Creek to Skyline | 0:53:31 | 04/10/04 |
| -- | East Side | Hwy 17 to Skyline | not ridden | |
| BLACK | -- | -- | 0:37:00 | 05/11/02 |
| BOHLMAN | Whole Climb | (Cuvilly to Dead End, staying on Bohlman) | 0:39:56 | 05/18/07 |
| -- | Bottom Section | (Cuvilly to On Orbit) | 0:16:33 | 06/01/07 |
| -- | Middle Section | (Bohlman from Bottom of On Orbit to Park) | 0:11:43 | 05/18/07 |
| -- | Top Section | (Park to Top) | 0:11:04 | 05/18/07 |
|
BOHLMAN / ON ORBIT | Whole Climb | (Cuvilly to Dead End, via On Orbit) | 0:39:08 | 06/01/07 |
| -- | Middle Section | (On Orbit) | 0:08:01 | 05/18/07 |
| -- | Top Section | (Top of On Orbit to Dead End) | 0:13:29 | 06/01/07 |
| BONNY DOON | -- | (Hwy 1 to Smith Grade) | 0:26:13 | 04/24/04 |
| CALAVERAS | West Side | -- | 0:18:35 | 04/23/06 |
| -- | East Side | (Geary to top) | 0:43:24 | 10/01/06 |
| CANADA | -- | (in Gilroy) | not timed | |
| CHINA GRADE | -- | (from Bridge to 236) | 0:14:32 | 08/10/02 |
| DEL PUERTO CANYON | -- | -- | not timed | |
| E. DUNNE | Whole Climb | (from Saddleback dr. to Henry Coe State Park) | 1:08:28 | 05/11/07 |
| -- | Bottom Section | (from Saddleback dr. to Oak Leaf dr.) | 0:11:14 | 05/11/07 |
| -- | Middle Section | (from Lake Anderson Picnic Area to small descent) | 0:32:03 | 05/11/07 |
| -- | Top Section | (from small descent to Henry Coe State Park sign) | 0:17:35 | 05/11/07 |
| EUREKA CANYON | -- | -- | not timed | |
| GIST | -- | -- | 0:12:56 | 06/09/02 |
| HICKS | North/West Side | (from Switchback Turn to Mt Umunhum Rd.) | 0:13:50 | 05/18/07 |
| -- | South/East Side | (from Alamitos to Mt Umunhum Rd.) | 0:16:12 | 12/02/06 |
| HIGHWAY 9 | East Side | (from Pierce to Skyline) | 0:36:13 | 09/07/02 |
| -- | -- | (Bottom of Redwood Gulch to Skyline) | 0:35:19 | 05/18/02 |
| JAMISON CREEK | -- | -- | 0:27:38 | 05/18/02 |
| KINGS MOUNTAIN | -- | (from Tripp to Top) | 0:29:23 | 05/22/02 |
|
LOS TRANCOS / RAMONA / VISTA VERDE | -- | (steep climb @ road sign to dead end) | 0:17:37 | 02/24/07 |
| METCALF | -- | (beginning of climb (after Bailey) to Motorcycle Park) | 0:17:08 | 11/24/06 |
| MILL CREEK | -- | -- | 0:35:03 | 03/18/06 |
| MINES | -- | (Del Valle to Eylar Ridge) | 1:48:28 | 02/17/07 |
| MONTEBELLO | Whole Climb | -- | 0:39:37 | 08/24/02 |
| -- | Bottom Section | (Bottom to Montebello School) | 0:17:02 | 08/24/02 |
| -- | Top Section | (Swiss Creek Lane to Top) | 0:17:14 | 08/12/07 |
| MONTEVINA | -- | -- | not ridden | |
| MOODY | -- | (from Switchback Turn to Page Mill) | 0:04:27 | 05/15/02 |
| MORGAN TERRITORY | North Side | from bumpy road (school bus sign) to Regional Preserve | 0:31:57 | 04/01/07 |
| -- | South Side | Contra Costa county line to top | 0:35:55 | 08/11/07 |
|
MOUNT BACHE / LOMA PRIETA | -- | -- | 0:33:49 | 07/06/03 |
| MOUNT DIABLO | South Side | -- | 1:07:04 | 04/01/07 |
| -- | North Side | -- | not timed | |
|
MOUNT HAMILTON (West Side) | Whole Climb | -- | 1:41:00 | 06/30/01 |
| -- | Bottom Section | -- | 0:34:42 | 05/25/07 |
| -- | Middle Section | -- | 0:17:56 | 05/25/07 |
| -- | Top Section | -- | 0:42:39 | 05/25/07 |
|
MOUNT HAMILTON (East Side) | -- | (from Bridge to top) | 0:40:00 | 05/26/02 |
| MOUNT MADONNA | -- | (from Hazel Dell to Summit) | 0:24:02 | 08/31/02 |
|
MOUNT UMUNHUM
(Formerly Loma Almaden) | Whole Climb | (From Hicks to "No Trespassing" Sign) | 0:30:41 | 12/02/06 |
| -- |
Whole Climb, including N. Hicks | -- | 0:45:32 | 05/18/07 |
| -- | Bottom Section | (From Hicks to Gate) | 0:18:41 | 12/02/06 |
| -- | Top Section | (From Gate to "No Trespassing" Sign) | 0:12:00 | 12/02/06 |
| MOUNTAIN CHARLIE | -- | -- | 0:36:19 | 09/07/03 |
| OLD LA HONDA | East Side | -- | 0:21:43 | 09/03/02 |
| -- | West Side | -- | 0:12:59 | 09/03/02 |
| OLD SANTA CRUZ HWY | -- | -- | 0:28:01 | 08/31/02 |
| PAGE MILL | Bottom Section | (280 to Gate 4) | 0:34:43 | 05/02/02 |
| -- | -- | (Moody Switchback Turn to Gate 4) | 0:20:23 | 05/08/02 |
| -- | -- | (Altamont to Gate 4) | 0:18:05 | 08/21/02 |
| -- | Top Section | (Gate 4 to Los Trancos) | 0:12:36 | 05/02/02 |
| PALOMARES | South Side | (Niles Cyn to Top) | 0:25:27 | 03/03/07 |
| -- | North Side | (Palo Verde to Top) | 0:30:05 | 04/09/06 |
| PATTERSON PASS | West Side | (Flynn to Top) | 0:21:12 | 04/23/06 |
| -- | East Side | (Mulqueeny Ranch to top) | 0:33:33 | 04/28/07 |
| POLE LINE | -- | -- | not timed | |
| PORTOLA STATE PARK | -- | (Park Headquarters to Alpine) | 0:24:30 | 06/06/02 |
| QUIMBY | West Side | (Church to Top) | 0:31:31 | 02/04/07 |
| -- | East Side | (Mt Hamilton rd. to Top) | 0:10:38 | 02/04/07 |
|
ROOP /
GILROY HOT SPRINGS / CANADA | North Side | Roop: Estates Drive to top | 0:11:53 | 05/11/07 |
| -- | South Side | Canada: Angelo Lane to top | 0:21:29 | 05/11/07 |
| SIERRA | -- | -- | 0:32:31 | 03/03/07 |
| SODA SPRINGS | -- | -- | 0:50:29 | 08/23/03 |
| TUNITAS CREEK | -- | (Lobitos Creek to Star Hill) | 0:31:03 | 07/07/02 |
|
VIA SANTA TERESA /
SCENIC VISTA | -- | (Harry to Dead End) | 0:11:16 | 06/01/07 |
| WELCH CREEK | -- | (2nd cattle guard to Dead End) | 0:39:00 | 03/03/07 |
| ZAYANTE | -- | (Felton to Summit) | 0:58:05 | 06/09/02 |