Number Nine

 (Almost) everyone has, in the backyard of their cycling community, a hill that dominates discussions based upon degree of difficulty. In reverential terns we speak of Maui’s Haleakala, New Hampshire’s Mt Washington, Santa Barbara’s Gibraltar, Diablo, Lemmon, Staircase and Yellow Lake as if they were connected to the Alps, Pyrenees or Dolomites. Maybe because, outside of the effort required to climb them on a bicycle, or in global positioning, they are connected. These massive monuments of marble beacon cyclists with the same sensual come-on’s as climbers. We use wheels they rope. The respect is reciprocal. We ride them because they are there, or here as in this case. 

Of of our Island’s many hills, the one with arguably the greatest degree of notoriety, is Baker Hill. Intimidating to some, it represents one of the many sparkling gems in the Chilly Hilly crown, a once a year, season opening 33 mile ride sponsored by the Cascade Bicycle Club. It is in it’s 46th year. Today we did hill repeats up, over and back. They are not impossible, do not require a SAG vehicle or blood doping and offer the luxury of two screaming descents for recovery. A lap (out AND back) takes between 11 and 20 minutes. Last year we did 10. This year a dozen. In 3:25, which averages out to a hair over 17 minutes round trip. Just another day at the office for the Cat Oners. Hard work for me today.

One of our stronger riders, who in reaching his time limit had to pull off and get home, waited for me at the crest of the last steep section. He wanted to say ciao and give me the last of his (black cherry) Shot Blocks. As I didn’t want to stop too long to avoid cramping, he laughingly asked me what lap we were on. I replied 8, to which he commented that it is sooooo hard to keep track. Ha, I use the Husky football/Yankee baseball method for that. I could tell from his look that I had opened a Pandora’s Box of intrigue. He was thinking hard as I used every bit of patience not to blurt out my system of keeping in the moment by fixing a current or former Husky footballer’s name with a retired Yankee’s. I had some great fun on the prior laps, riding with the inspiration of Austin Gehrig, Shaq Mantle and Napoleon Berra, so when asked about the current lap, he said, and I laughed out loud so hard a shot block turned to snot rocket, so this is, lemme guess, Myles Maris.

It is.