Palomar Mountain fromEscondido

Having some warm up rides the first week my first week was here and it was time for a long distance with some altitude. My first target was Palomar Mountain the top of a mountain line towards San Diego and about 50 miles inland.

I started from Escondido a little town where i parked my car finding my way from there into the first hills. Already after a while i had to do my first climp on Lake Wohlford Road up to the lake and park site. offering a nice view onto the lake the road then kept pretty flat until a first slight descent to Rincon.

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A little more than 1 month to go i needed some longer mountain rides. Our group from home booked a guided ride from Lake Geneve in france to Nice hitting most famous mountain passes included in the Tour de France.

So Palomar was the best way to train. Already from far i could see the top and my roadbook told nothing good seeing all that switch backs and turns up there. With an average of about 7% the climp was not that steep but with 16 miles and almost a constant grade it was also challanging. Reaching the top i did a short transission to Palomar Mountain Stat Park entry and enjoyed the view down there from where i came. The prize was a real nice descent along the ridge ending at Lake Henshaw.

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After a short ride along the lake i made a turn for the next climb up to Mesa Grande and then rideing the highland in the middle of the big green. Just incredible how far the land goes up there. The silent road brought me back to the main one and after a little break at a bakery i cam to Santa Ysabel doing a right and moving back to the starting point.

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Already doing more than half of the ride it was still a few miles which i had to pedal. As it was quite hot that day the loop got longer and longer still using hilly roads in a awesome landscape. Even the profile showed a constant slight descent more and more i could feel that my power is loosing. I was counting already mile by mile and slowly i reach again Escondido with the last 3 miles already messed up. All in all a perfect ride with a bit of miles and climbing.

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bike: pretty Betty
starring: Gerry Samer