DALMAC 2008
August 28-31, 2008
This year our group consisted only of my
often-riding
partners, Chris, Wally, and me. Wally was going to leave the pavilion
at
Thursday,
Chris and I left from my house at the appointed time, and eleven and a half miles we were onto the official route. We continued on to Wacousta, where we called Wally. He was only about 5 miles behind us, so we waited.
Wally was riding his F-40, which is essentially a P-38 recumbent with a body sock. It was a bit heavy but it could really scoot on downhills. Luckily, we always found a spot to close the gap again.
At
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| Wally and
Chris |
Another view |
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| Lunch at
sub/ice cream shop |
Chris' rig.
Flags are required to be above your head and unfurled. |
Lunch was a at a small sub and ice cream shop in
After
We rolled in to Morley-Stanwood HS at
|
Stats: Mi = 111.7 RT = TT = Av = 20.1 Max = 40.5 |
 |
It rained 3 times last night, and when we got up,
it was to
thick fog. Breakfast was French toast, potato cakes, bacon, and
cinnamon rolls.
We put off leaving until
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| Chris packs
his tent in the fog |
Foggy road |
 |
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| I find some
shade in Luther |
One of the
downhills in the last 15 miles |
Today had lots of hills. It seemed like hilliest
day
for the
route, although that's probably because day 2 isn't so hilly on the
other routes. The hills weren't steep so much as they could go on for
miles. It seemed we never
got paid
back fully for our climbs. Eventually, the fog cleared, which didn’t
seem to
help, because now we could see the hills! The route took us past
Caberfae ski
area, which is the highest part of the
Again, we found a gas station/quick stop about 20 miles from the end of the day, this time as we crossed M-37. From there, some riders took the shortcut right up the highway; but we took the REAL route. It was flat for 6-8 miles, then we got several more big hills. I hit 43+ mph several times. Finally, the back roads came out on M-115, a mile past Mesik, and we back-tracked in to the high school. Of course, that meant climbing one last big hill: the one into town.
We were late. It was
Dinner was hamburgers, baked potatoes, green beans, and salad. I had seconds. After showers, a bunch of us trudged a few blocks for an adult beverage or two at the nearest establishment. For some strange reason, nobody wanted to ride their bikes.
|
Stats: Mi = 112.4 RT = TT = Av = 17.5 |
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It was very foggy again. We left at 7:45. Visibility ranged from 100 feet to less than 25 feet. I wanted to take a pic of the first climb of the day: a 120 vertical foot, 8% climb straight away from M-115. But when we got to the top, we were above the clouds and the sky was clear and blue.
Once again, it seemed we were climbing continuously. Even where it looked like we were going downhill, we had to pedal hard to maintain 20 mph. Finally, we hit a real downhill, and I hit 44 mph. A few miles later we got to Puke Hill. It’s ‘only’ 280 vertical feet, but it stands out above the terrain like a lone volcano. Following the climb, the route was poorly marked, and as I tried to figure out where my next turn was, my local ride group caught up with me. They were running a double paceline led by 4 tandems. Most of them do this route every year, and since they knew the way, I fell in behind them and let them lead. A lowracer may have an advantage, but not over a dozen bikes in a paceline. My speed picked up a bit, and it was nice to not feel lost.
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| Downtown
Mesik is almost clear, but the fog starts where the sidewalk ends. |
Nice easy
stretch of road, with a small hill |
 |
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| Me at lunch
in Elk Rapids |
It's not a
ride without pie! What kind to get? Well, this is the Traverse City area, so there's only one proper choice! |
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| Torch Lake,
from the beach |
Recumbents
are in the campground! |
Everyone stopped in Kingsley for a snack and a
cool-down.
Shortly out of Kingsley, we got split up again when Chris charged up
the
big hill
on
After lunch, the hills eased off, so we tried to
push our
pace. Somehow, the hills around
Tonight’s camp was at
|
Stats: RT = TT = Av = 18.4 mph |
 |
This morning was warmer, and skies were clear. No
fog! I got
breakfast out of the way and was ready to go at
On the east side of
I tried to take a few pics
on the bypass
route, but my camera crapped out. The route featured perfect pavement
and
several nice
downhills to go with the big climbs. In spite of the bypass route being
several
miles longer, I managed to get into
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| The sun is
just coming over the trees and half the riders are already gone. In the background is one of those now-ubiquitous camping services, which a purist like me has a hard time understanding. |
Out on E.
Torch Lake Rd |
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| Nice view
along Mount Bliss Rd |
view on the Wall Bypass route |
We took the old route out of
At the top of a large hill, I passed a
private SAG vehicle unloading riders. I’m sure they told all
their
friends about how well they did in the hills. Poseurs! I have to bear
the 'cheater' label at times, but at least I have to work going up all
the hills. The route
finally turned
off the highway and went around the south and east side of Petosky,
where I hit
a personal best for the hill on
As a departure from the map, I took M-119 straight into Harbor Springs instead of winding along the beach. Due to my rubber legs, I also took the hill bypass route before the Tunnel of Trees. The downhills there are useless to me, since I go way too fast on them to see where I’m going. The Tunnel was almost as fast as it was a few years ago, before the County Road Commission chip-sealed the road. It must be time to screw it up again!
I stopped in Good Hart to rehydrate. They didn’t
have
Gatorade, so I got an energy drink. Still there was no sign of Chris
anywhere.
By now I was convinced he’d missed a turn and was doing ‘optional
miles.’ He’s
strong and can handle them. The next stretch past
By Cecil Corners my
hydration
bladder was dry. I bought a large Gatorade and a
water
and immediately drank them both, then dumped another bottled water into
my
hydration bladder. I took the last 6 miles a little bit easier, but
never
stopped passing bikes.
I considered going into Mackinaw City for more
food; but after riding hard, I just didn't feel hungry. I should have
gone; not eating right away makes me sore the next day. Instead, I
found my gear and got my cold shower. Chris showed up
shortly after that; and sure enough he'd missed the turn at Mount Bliss
and done 14 extra miles. He loaded his bike and baggage into his ride
home while I waited for my bus ride. Wally came in much later, got his
bike loaded, and took the bus back with me.
| Stats:
Mi = 101.8 RT = TT = Av = 18.0 mph |
 |
Favorite Roads: East Torch Lake on day 3, Mount Bliss on
Day 4
Favorite Downhills: Beers Rd on Day
2, Old State Rd on Day 4
Summary:
I only do the Quad every once in a while, and now
I remember
why. It’s not just the extra 20 miles or so over the daily average for
the
4-Day West route, it’s also the hills. The Quad has them in abundance.
I don't consider myself a mountain goat, and I like
to finish in time for a nap! Between the miles and the hills, it was a
tough
ride. But fun. One big advantage of the Quad route is the small size:
only about 200 riders, which meant short or no lines. The weather, the
food, the facilities, and the scenery
were all
great. If I had to pick a weakness or two, I’d say it the road
markings,
which
were small and sometimes poorly-placed, and the cold shower at Mackinaw
City High School. The food was great, all the other stops had warm
showers, and the route committee found some better pavement for us this
year.
