The Montezuma Grade

January 27, 2022

I woke up thinking about the Col du Galibier, which when I think back on it still feels like my favorite pass climb ever. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly seven years now that we made that climb on our tour of the French Alps, our most physically challenging tour ever. We both know we couldn’t repeat that journey now, when we averaged nearly a pass per day for the entire month with only a single rest day. Galibier, Croix de Fer, Madeleine, Izouard, Columbier, Allos, La Semnoz, Bonnette, Mont Ventoux! That was a month for the ages.

The summit of Galibier was still a sea of ice and snow when we came through in mid-June. Snow plows were still at work at the summit.

Ah, to be young again! I was just a strapping lad of 69 then, still feeling my oats. Still, I’ve said ever since that if we were anywhere near Galibier I’d love to see it again but as a day ride this time on an unloaded bike. Well we will be in the neighborhood soon, relatively speaking. I look again at the planned itinerary for the spring tour and am surprised to see that with a minor tweak we can make it to Saint-Jean de-Maurienne; and that from there it’s an ambitious but feasible out and back day ride to Galibier if we’re lucky with the weather and road conditions. And as far as that goes the climb of Croix de Fer, another favorite ascent, starts from there also.

Tweak. Hope for the best.

Which brings us to today, and the fact that Borrego Springs is at the base of the Montezuma Grade. One of the most challenging climbs in Southern California, it climbs 3,300’ in ten miles as it snakes up the face of San Ysidro Mountain. Ouch. Let’s take a small test and see what I’m still up to, shall we? We’ll climb the glass elevator up to Ranchita and then enjoy a mostly downhill ride home, dropping down San Felipe Creek and over Yaqui Pass again. An easy 52 miler, once I get past that first ten.

Or maybe it will be just a ten mile ride, if I get partway up the climb and think better of this foolish idea. In any case, I’m going it solo today. Rocky would love to join me of course but sadly she has to be back at the room early this afternoon for a video conference with her doctor about her upcoming nasal surgery. Instead she plans on a local cruise around the basin and a visit with the serpent.

It’s just turned nine when I leave our tiny box of a motel room. The sun’s been up for just two hours and already it’s warmed up from 37 to the mid-fifties. Looking up at the crystal blue sky as I bike west from the village toward looming San Ysidro Mountian , it’s hard to believe that we’ve gotten three such perfect cycling days for our short stay here.

Leaving town, biking west on Palm Canyon Road. The road takes a 90 degree bend left near the base of the mountain and soon begins climbing. You can see the beginning of the climb angling up at the far left.

Not the case this morning at least. It’s calm at the moment but will gradually develop into a pleasant, moderate tailwind. Perfect.

Twin towers for the chimney challenge. Pretty sure those are chimneys anyway, venting an underground bunker of some sort.

Here it comes. About five miles into the ride I start climbing and get my first look at what’s ahead.

This photo I omitted from yesterday’s climb up Yaqui Pass does a better job of showing this climb - you can see it angling up along the full width of the photo.

The climb, once I’m on it, is surprisingly really not that big a deal. A comfortable 6-7 percent grade most of the way with only a few spots pushing up into the 8-10 range, it’s much less daunting than I’d imagined. There’s plenty of reason to stop along the way - to admire the ever-expanding view, to check out the roadside vegetation, to hydrate, to shed a layer.

When I’m not thinking about the climb, I think about the history of this road, as well as the others we’ve been riding the last few days. They were all built largely by prison labor staffed from back country prison camps. I’m sure it would have been better being outdoors than in a cell all day, but those must have been arduous days in often harsh conditions. Construction of the Montezuma Grade, the last of these roads to be developed, began in 1956 and took ten years to complete.

One thing I’d worried about with this climb was safety, with all the blind curves and narrow shoulders. I biked down it the other direction last winter and was a little anxious when cars would pass me, squeezing me between them and the railing. It wouldn’t take much of an error to lose it and go flying into space. It didn’t help that I got a flat tire halfway down either.

This direction though it felt fine and I was never concerned for safety. There’s really very little traffic, most of it is moving pretty slowly, and you can hear it coming in plenty of time to plan for it. I left the pavement only once, when I saw that an oncoming car and the small van behind me would be crowding the available space. And, the shoulder is more adequate than I’d expected except for the occasional short stretch where it’s pinched by the cliffs. Definitely a climb I’d take again.

We’re maybe a thousand feet off the valley for here and start getting significant views. They’ll just keep getting better for the next five miles.

This looks like one of those 8-10 percent bits coming up.

It’s nice to see the ocotillo looking so lush and healthy up here. It’s a sad fact that much of the vegetation on the basin floor is dead or dying, the victim of drought and rising temperatures.

It’s wonderful to be here on such a clear day. Remarkable that there’s a clearer view of the Salton Sea from here than when we were only ten miles away from it two days ago.

Any ideas? Borrego Springs is famous for its spring wildflower blooms, but we’ve never been here late enough in the season to see it. One of these years.

These are the only two cyclists I saw all day. They aren’t climbing all that fast, but enough to overtake me. Not that I’m competitive about it, but I felt better when I saw they were on e-assists.

A new one to me. We get a different mix of cacti here than around Tucson.

The last big view before we start bending over the crest.

The summit, once it arrives, comes as a surprise. I’ve been bracing myself for a mile of 10-13 percent road, something that was described as a killer stretch near the top in one narrative I read. It never comes though, and the last few miles are surprisingly easy as the climb backs off a notch. And, of course today there’s the wind - at the top it develops into an impressive assist, maybe 15 mph.

Once over the top I’m blasted down to Ranchita, where I stop in at the store there for an electrolyte drink and to scarf down my leftover pizza while chatting with the couple that passed me on the way up. They’re entitled to their eBikes - the poor guy is even older than I am!

Beyond Ranchita it’s nearly all downhill for the next 35 miles back to town, save for the relatively small blips climbing up first Teofilio Summit and then Yaqui Pass. This is definitely the best direction for this ride, putting in nearly all the work in the first fifteen miles and then cruising home. And today those two climbs come as something of a relief because they warm me up. As usual I’ve forgotten that it could be cold up on top and didn’t bother packing a coat. With the strong winds I nearly freeze until I drop enough elevation for conditions to warm up. It’s a pretty simple concept really, so maybe I’ll remember one of these days.

The last mile is strikingly different, dramatically beautiful in a different way. An expanse of rounded granite boulders that makes you think of Joshua Tree.

Not much reason to stop on the way back, since we saw most of this ride just yesterday. This mockingbird on the edge of the pavement caught my attention though. And while I was stopped I spotted a male bluebird on the wire.

And then there was this. A rough-legged, I think. I saw him in flight, and he’s definitely not a red-tailed. Beautiful bird.

I arrive back at the room right at three, still exhilarated after charging down Yaqui Pass for five miles at about 25 mph. There’s just time for Rachael to tell me of her own ride, a 47 mile ramble around the basin floor with a visit to the sea serpent. Soon though it’s time for her teleconference with her physician so I give her some privacy by retiring to the chair outside to enjoy a well earned IPA.

The great sea serpent of Borrego Springs. Too big for one image.

Ride stats today: Scott: 51 miles, 4,600’; Rachael: 47 miles, 1,700’

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Gregory GarceauTo me, desert plant life and the mountains that rise from the desert floor are the best scenery in this world. You are in a fine place.
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2 years ago

Kelly IniguezToday's New York Times mentions stateside places to visit, in case people are trying to stay local instead of going overseas.

They mentioned the sand dunes around Leland, MI - we were last last summer.

Unfortunately, they also mentioned Borrego Springs. We are planning to visit there next Christmas. Now the town will be overrun!
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Kelly IniguezFortunately people have very short memories so you should be fine. If you want to stay over Xmas though you should probably plan ahead.

I was thinking about Jacinto on this ride. It seems like just his kind of outing. The climb up to Julian would be another one.
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2 years ago

Jen RahnCongrats on this climb!

And love the Borrego Springs serpent. 🌞
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2 years ago