It is a huge physical strain on the cyclists as they climb over 8,000 feet of elevation throughout the day, but the results from the day’s ride are incredible. Kirkwood is truly the major obstacle in the trip but once it is completed it builds strength both physically and mentally as well as sheer determination. The general mindset of the cyclists are: “If I can do Kirkwood, then I can do anything.”
After hearing about this day/ride for years from my older brother Ryan, I knew it was going to be tough. It was everything I thought it would be and by far the most physically challenging day of JOH. However, this has been my favorite day. The Sierra Nevadas are beautiful and it is neat to see snow in June. The day started off with great weather and turned out to be pretty chilly. I think I was the only cyclist to not have arm warmers and at 49.2 MPH going down Carson pass, I was cold. Kirkwood = hard + pretty.