It was time to break out of the ordinary and go ride somewhere new. Conrad had never been to Markleeville, so we decided to make a day out of it and he would squeeze a little fishing in after the ride up and over Ebbetts Pass.
The first 6 miles are a climbing false flat, and then the road kicks up and up and up some more. Just when you think you have to be at the top, there is a demoralizing hill starring you down.
Super fun hill riding! No centerline, almost no cars, and no guard rail over the cliff!
It's not a continuous grade on the way up with some sections reaching 23% and a couple rollers on the way up. I was super thankful for my new Specialized Ruby with compact cranks. Conrad was on a mountain bike and laughing at me.
About a mile from the top we filled our bottles up at this lake. My new favorite toy of the week is a UV light water purifier. Fits easily in the back pocket, and no need to find a rest stop.
We descended the other side and climbed up the next pass which happened to be even steeper. Too steep for Conrad to get pictures.
It's a beautiful area and I can't wait to go back. Maybe next time we'll camp. Conrad enjoyed the fishing and caught more than 10 "monster" fish. After a big fight the first 3 incher was reeled in. Next time I'll try my luck.
