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Rule # 5 - Maui style
Last Post 03/22/2016 03:54 PM by Kenny Gonzales. 19 Replies.
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Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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03/18/2016 01:09 PM
https://mauinow.com/2016/03/16/flooding-forces-closure-of-%CA%BBulaino-road-in-hana/

That's the kind of day it was for Wednesday's ride. Except I wasn't doing the road to Hana, instead going from 0-10'000 feet to the top of Haleakala. The wettest and coldest I've been this year. I brought cloths for a cold descent but not for being soaked at same time.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/11164570

The day started dry out of Kihei but the first 20k was a stiff headwind heading to the base of the climb. By the time I got to the sugar mill at northernmost point, that same wind started working in my favor for most of the way up making the 50k climb relatively straightforward. But it also started getting wet and would not let up until I got back to Kihei 8hrs later. Moderate rain on way up, lashing rain on the way down, which made it really hard to judge turns with water streaming down my face. Add to that the wind tearing on me around every corner and shaking like a leaf from the cold, and it made for an interesting descent.

The uphill wasn't too bad with a very forgiving grade, just a very long slog. The section right before reaching the National Park road was the only hard part, with a 3km stretch of consistent 10-12% grade and red muddy water coming down the roard. Beside that the final km to the Red Hill summit was also a bit steepish but I don't think it was the 15% advertised. For the most part 6% or lower and the only mistake I made was going a little hard in the bottom half. Only caught glimpses of the top on occasion but mostly it was riding through rain and mist. A bunch of groups from "riding the crater" adventure tours were coming down on MTBs, all fully clad in what looked like rubber wetsuits. I was going up in short sleeves and was hoping to keep long sleeves and wind jacket plus extra base layer reserved for downhill but at 9,000 feet going up I had to dress warmer.

Apart from the downhill, the sketchiest part of ride was first cattle guard going up. With wet conditions, the rear wheel started sliding out and skidding into the guard, only barely got saved by the bell with the front wheel making it across. Walked the other three cattlle guards on way up; riding them down was no problem.

After the downhill, the best part of return to Kihei, wind full blast on back, must have been going 45kph minimum. 4.5 hrs for climb, 2.5 hrs for the entire way back to Kihei and about 8.5hrs overall. Not bad for a Wednesday in March.
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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03/18/2016 01:14 PM
[URL=http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Jos_Beckers/media/SAM_0014_zpsdxi5imfd.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Jos_Beckers/media/SAM_0015_zpsjf13bp9s.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Jos_Beckers/media/SAM_0016_zpsviehqh9z.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Jos_Beckers/media/SAM_0019_zpsordsd66k.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Jos_Beckers/media/SAM_0021_zpsooby0lmc.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Jos_Beckers/media/SAM_0022_zpszmuwxe3o.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Jos_Beckers/media/SAM_0024_zpspczyn3ze.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/Jos_Beckers/media/SAM_0026_zpslubikwnu.jpg.html][/URL]
SideBySide

Posts:444

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03/18/2016 02:00 PM
Fantastic! Were you the only one going up?
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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03/18/2016 02:22 PM
Posted By SideBy Side on 03/18/2016 02:00 PM
Fantastic! Were you the only one going up?


Yup, no other crazies in sight.
ChinookPass

Posts:809

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03/18/2016 02:51 PM
Decided to visit the source of all those pineapple express weather systems we had this winter? Hopefully there was a mai tai waiting for you back at the pool.
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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03/18/2016 03:11 PM
Haha - I was back by 2:30 and in hot tub by 4pm. Managed to work through a bottle of dark rum as source for Mai Tai's during the week. Pretty much all days except this one were perfect but snorkling in high surf and turbid water kinda sucks so what's a guy to do?! We did hike the crater with splendid views a few days earlier.

Funny too, each time I was out of wind that landscape radiates so much heat its unreal.
ChinookPass

Posts:809

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03/18/2016 03:22 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 03/18/2016 03:11 PM
Funny too, each time I was out of wind that landscape radiates so much heat its unreal.


That's cool.
SideBySide

Posts:444

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03/18/2016 04:15 PM
Posted By ChinookPass . on 03/18/2016 03:22 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 03/18/2016 03:11 PM
Funny too, each time I was out of wind that landscape radiates so much heat its unreal.


That's cool.


Groan...
6ix

Posts:485

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03/18/2016 05:48 PM
Simply stunning. Thank you for sharing these photos. Sounds like an epic climb and I like the banana on the saddle.

The mountainside really lets off that much heat? That's just crazy to even think about. I mean, you're basically riding up the side of an Earth-pimple.
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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03/18/2016 05:56 PM
Thanks 6ix - I could be wrong but I don't hink it has anything to do with being on a dormant volcano. I mean last eruption was way back when.

Probably just the lava absorbing a lot of solar heat and then radiating it. Same reason we had factor 50 sunscreen on our hike (pale Canuck skin). Thin air up there.

I also wore that sunscreen on ride but it was the last thing needed.
longslowdistance

Posts:2881

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03/18/2016 09:10 PM
Great pics, thanks
How many bananas to fuel that epic ascent?
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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03/18/2016 09:26 PM
Sounds like a great and memorable ride...Thanks for sharing the pics!!
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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03/18/2016 10:01 PM
Posted By Frederick Jones on 03/18/2016 09:10 PM
Great pics, thanks
How many bananas to fuel that epic ascent?


Two bananas, 4 vector bars, diluted POG in the bidon, and a big lunch and dinner the day before. These rides are so much better after a week of no work and just lazing about.
huckleberry

Posts:824

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03/19/2016 06:13 PM
Just jealous - nothing else to say...
huckleberry

Posts:824

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03/20/2016 10:58 AM
Oh, by the way OC, you way over-exposed that Hors Categorie photo - there's no way skin could be that white ; )
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