Linda Bott scorching across Death Valley

I wanted to get another look at the Furnace Creek 508 course through Death Valley and what better way but to ride the Death Valley Double Century on March 4, 2006. I told my training buddies, Jim Watson, Bruce Mullins and my husband and most loyal supporter Larry what I had in mind. They didn't hesitate to sign up also. Work ended up keeping Bruce at home so Larry, Jim, Donna (Jim's wife) and I took off early Friday morning. Going up Towne Pass in daylight in a car was much more comfortable than last October when I was in the dark, on my bike and fighting a head wind.

We arrived at the hotel to check in and read the notice that the road to Badwater (the first 17 miles of the course) was being chipsealed. That did not sound good. We unloaded our stuff and headed out in the car to see what it looked like. There were a lot of groans - mainly coming from me - when we saw the road. It looked slick. We saw some guys testing it so we pulled over and asked them what they thought. They said it was rideable but it was going to be slow and they were worried about the double century time cutoff. Larry's biggest concern was whether there would be a lot of flats. None of us were too happy about it but that's just part of the unexpected of riding any ride.

The day started out a little chilly for this southern California girl but it looked like it was going to be a great weather day. I've heard horror stories about the wind in Death Valley but so far have yet to experience it. There were three wave options for the start, each 10 minutes apart for the double century riders. We took off in the middle of the pack with the second wave leaving at 6:10. I saw a break of about a dozen riders off the front so I decided to give chase. I caught up with a small group just as we hit the chipseal and then I didn't worry about where any one else was until I was sure I was going to keep my bike underneath me. It turned out to not be as bad as I thought but everyone was pretty spread out. No one wanted to draft and have a rock kick up at them.

We passed the Devil's Golf Course and I thought about what a difference it was from this time last year. Last year they had record rain fall and the flowers were beautiful and in abundance. Death Valley is the land of contrasts and extremes.

We arrived in Badwater, which is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. I'm not sure which is worse: the chipseal or the road past Badwater, which is filled with potholes. Hopefully they will continue with the roadwork and by October the road will be better. We organized a pretty good pace line with a tandem at the front and the miles to Ashford Mills passed fairly quickly.

At Ashford Mills most of us stripped off jackets, knowing that in a couple of miles we are going to start climbing. Jubilee pass (1285') was the first climb followed by a short descent and then we climbed Salsberry Pass (3315'). At this point I was remembering last October on the 508. I was sick to my stomach and my crew was force-feeding me all the way up both climbs. It was good to have a better day.

From the top of Salsberry I descended to Highway 127 and turned to Shoshone where I checked in, took a quick break and turned around to climb back up Salsberry and Jubilee. I also get to see who's behind me after seeing who was in front of me before the turn. On the descent from Jubilee I was joined by Bob (Sponge Bob) Paxson and we rode to Ashford Mills together. He stopped to wait for his friend and I continued.

I was joined by Joe (Gargoyle) Garza. When you wear your Furnace Creek jersey you get a lot of people to talk to you. Joe and I rode the long 27 miles back to Badwater, our lunch stop, together. For some reason the ride from Ashford Mills back to Badwater seemed a lot longer than it was on the way out. You could see quite a bit of the road in the distance and if you were not watching your mileage you were sure that Badwater would be around the next turn in the road.

At Badwater, Joe stopped to eat and I pushed on. I was back on the chipseal but there were a lot of riders ahead of me. I found out that most were century rider heading back to their finish. When I passed them and said "hello" a few that said things like "we're almost finished. " Of course my reply was "yeah, only 60 miles to go."

On this double at mile 148.6 you come back to the hotel only to have to go south and do the last 48 miles. If you are not feeling well or if the weather is bad it's too easy to throw in the towel. We had almost perfect weather all day. Donna met me with my lights. I refilled my CamelBak and headed off to Stovepipe Wells. This can be a lonely stretch of road and it was that day. I did get to see the lead riders coming back, wow were they fast. I made it to Stovepipe Wells, past the Devil's Corn Patch, the dunes before it got dark.

On the way back to the finish there was only one noticeable rise in the road and I had a slight tail wind to keep me company. I finished the ride in 13 hours and 26 minutes. I had climbed 8,800 feet and in 196.4 miles. If you are looking for a ride with a short route sheet, the ride only has two stop signs, and you want to get a look at part of the Furnace Creek 508 course, this is the ride for you.

Kenny Souza, training for RAAM, was the first finisher in 10 hours 31 minutes. Jim Kern, also training for RAAM, finished in 11:51.

The Ultracycling Cup Competition riders included:

Linda Bott was the second-place woman in the 2005 California Triple Crown Stage Race and in October 2005 she qualified for RAAM at the Furnace Creek 508.