Richmond Peak would most certainly be a test at any time of year. Not because of its elevation, which is just shy of being a legitimate Divide crossing (the first one we'll do on 7/3 will be just a couple hundred feet less than today's pass). Nor because of its lack of "trail"--a loose term when we're talking about trees, several years old, growing in the middle of it. No, Richmond Peak garners respect because of both of these aspects as well as, just two weeks ago, that it received twenty-some inches of new snow. (This was, during the Tour Divide Race, where most participants got caught up in the bad weather and many quit.)
Fortunately for us, the weather today took a turn for the better (best!) and we were able to depart Clearwater Lake under improving conditions (yes, it rained in the morning). It will be the last we will see of the rain for some days, we're told.
The climb was all that we'd been warned about-- and a lot lot more: a huffhuff feat up 6,500 feet of decent (we'll grant you that) forest road before the trail turned to single track with evergreen sentinels and foot soldiers that stood firm in the middle (and to the side) of the so-called trail, seemingly trying to (and succeeding at ) prevent our progress.
Then came the snow. What I had anticipated to be a stretch of a little more than a half-mile of snow on the trail turned into three miles of snow banks and snowmelt ponds and downed trees. Three miles of pushing, pulling, hefting and muscling our loaded rigs (mine around 75 lbs and Alaine's around 67) through the snow and up and over the trees -- downed and living both trying to snag the panniers from our racks, succeeding at snagging our ankles and calves and torsos and even arms.
It took us hours to gain the summit. That was hard, but we kept pedaling and felt good to have a third-day big hill behind us. But it seemed that we needed to be humbled, with the serious hike-a-bike through the snow that we faced for more (unexpected) uphill, and then even a stetch of snow-blocked downhill on the other side.
In all it took us six and a half hours to go 24 miles. Today certainly gave us newfound respect for each other's internal strength.
[I know, not a lot of snow pushing photos. Watch the video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TCZR43VqSk&sns=em]
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