Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder, & Trinity - Oh My!

The thought of climbing these three grades in a single ride had me a bit nervous, but the gang assured me that it was all in the cadence- and they were right! So with minor hesitation, I met the two Sarahs, Mike, Phil, Gayle, Kent, Paul, and Tom in Jackson Park (Yountville). Our ride began with a chilly stretch down the Silverado Trail in Napa. Barren vineyards lined the road as our single file peloton took turns drafting. At Hardman Avenue we turned on to Atlas Peak. For nine straight miles, we climbed that obnoxious mountain. Along the way, I popped a few Endurolytes, downed two bottles of Cytomax, and ate massive quantities of Gu; all while settling into my triple “granny gear”. After and hour and nearly 2,100 feet of tough-grade climbing, we all reached the top. We were so grateful to find Ken at the apex with some badly needed SAG support. We replenishing our supplies, stretched, and exchanged mutual kudos; and then turned around and screamed down the very ascent we just conquered. At the bottom, we enjoyed rolling flats for 15 miles taking us through some beautiful valleys towards downtown Napa. Just as we got comfortable and happy, our peloton turned off Redwood Road and on to Mt. Veeder. The ascent was steep, but shady, short, and beautiful. At the summit, I felt a false sense of accomplishment not knowing what was ahead. After another exuberant descent we regrouped at Dry Creek Road. We began to climb and the grade increased as we turned onto Trinity. After 50 miles of hard riding, we were facing our toughest climb of the day. Trinity Road was unforgiving, but we forged on to the very top. Once again Ken saved the day with fresh water, Oreo cookies, and PB&J sandwiches. After another screaming descent, we faced our final climb 500 feet up steep Oakville Grade. Our whole gang regrouped at the top and carefully navigated our way down the vertical plunge to Highway 29. We made our way back to Jackson Park (via some badly-needed Napa County flats) where we enjoyed a group potluck. I’ve never climbed so much in a single day; over 8,000 feet in 65 miles. Wahoo!