Events: Whiteface Mountain 22nd Annual Uphill Bike Race
A week prior to the race, the forecast promised perfect late spring conditions in the Adirondacks. Naturally, a registration to Whiteface Mountain’s 22nd Annual Uphill Bike Race was filed and accommodations were finalized. Doesn’t everybody impulsively register to solely climb an HC, or outside category, route at the last minute? The team car was pointed north with an itinerary for efficiency.
The Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race starts immediately at the highway climb.
It was hotter than I expected. Rolling into Wilmington, NY, at registration time, I managed to find instant parking. Unfortunately it was without shade. Even standing in the direct sunlight waiting for our number plate and tshirt was uncomfortable. I might have gotten this all wrong, I thought. Sitting in the car, trying to decide what to do next, was not as easy as I hoped. The choices were: stay and shake out the legs with a local ride, or check into the accommodations and ride to the start. Unfortunately the ride from the accommodations would be almost entirely uphill.
Riding to the start would not be an option. Whiteface Mountain, located in the northeastern quadrant of the Adirondack Mountains, is a unique cycling experience. The mountain features an eight-mile road to the summit, dedicated in 1935, which was resurfaced in the last ten years. The climb averages 8.3% and gains more than 3,500 feet of climbing in those eight miles. If I were to ride to the start, I would have socked any opening effort before the starting line by climbing roughly 500 feet in five miles. Add the heat of the day, an effect that would start loosening its grip around race start, and hydration would also come into question. Ultimately I decided to ride locally and head north on a fifteen mile loop to get the legs moving.
The lone unicyclist I was determined to defeat.
The starting line in the town of Wilmington swelled prior to the 5:30pm start, the exact moment Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway closed daily to vehicular traffic. Nearly 350 participants cheered the youngest competitor on the line (6) as well as the oldest (60-something). There was one unicyclist and two tandems. Shortly after the bike race was released, the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Running Race would start. I thought that would be the only time I would think about the runners. I would find out soon how wrong I was.
The North Pole, located approximately two miles into the climb.
The road up Whiteface has essentially four landmarks. Just before the second mile mark, the Christmas theme park The North Pole is passed. Just after the third mile marker, the 1930s toll both comes into view. Typically cyclists pay $15 to continue up the remaining five miles, but today we slipped through the booth without concern. With one mile remaining, Whiteface sends riders around a wide switchback, more like a hairpin for the Euro-alpine climbing experience. The final landmark hovered over us for the remainder of the highway- the summit castle standing sentinel in the distance. The finish line banner was visible as well as audible for much of the final miles.
I will never consider myself a climber. There were no expectations of a win when registering for the race, but I’ve always wanted to strike this off the list of events. Unofficially this was my fourth trip to the top of Whiteface. I had stood at the top of the finish area in 2011, 2013, and 2017. Each time I was dusted by friends who embraced the climber life. Each time I settled into my lonesome pace after everyone paced ahead, ultimately disappearing around a distant bend. But I had always wondered how I would do amongst 300 riders also looking for encouragement. Quickly it was learned what would encourage me to ride to the summit as fast as possible.
Possibly the second runner to have passed me by on the early slopes of Whiteface.
Initially things were going well. I managed to put the unicyclist behind me almost immediately. If he beat me, I was going to sell my bike. Per the leaves on the trees lining the road, all signs pointed to a tailwind going up the mountain. It wasn’t much of one, but I’ll never complain about a little natural push. I was also picking riders off slowly. I passed more than passed me. Then things began to unravel.
The summit castle in the distance.
Quickly into the event, I pieced together an odd experience. A runner was coming up behind me. This was humiliating, but the runner disappeared into the setting sunlight. I guess if any runner would pass, the leader would be acceptable. However, they kept coming. Second place overall charged by. The women’s leader smoked by with second place women’s right behind her. I began to lose track of how many runners got past me. In some hazy moment, combined with the milky sunny early evening sky, I realized an old nemesis had found me on a carpet of the tailwind.
Spring in the Adirondacks is one of two times yearly the notorious black fly emerges. These insects are a menace. Anyone who has endured swarms of them will empathize with our plight. We climbed at the same pace as the tail wind which meant the black flies easily hovered around us. Elevation did not matter; the flies ushered us upward. I’ve raced the Black Fly Challenge, but this was the real thing. Riders ahead of me had dozens of black flies clouding around the upper body and head. They affixed themselves to jerseys and gorged themselves on riders. Swatting did no good. The swarms impacted the climbing rhythm. If ever there was a time to get to the summit quickly, these miniscule pests became the motivation.
The summit castle appears as a citadel from the hairpin turn one mile from the finish.
Eventually the mile seven hairpin was navigated. The wind had become comfortably cooler. The black fly swarms continued. The inflatable finish arch was still in the distance. For a moment the road’s elevation slackened and three runners were overtaken. It was a small retribution. The road went back up again and the scenic sweeping right hander was negotiated. Finishers were now humming downhill back to the start, jackets flapping in the wind. I was looking forward to the descent. Then the buzz of the finish area came into view. Final kicks were put in while drinking in the beautiful vista of the northern Adirondacks, Vermont, and into Canada. I crossed the line in the slowest time ever. Not 300 people, nor black flies compelled me to ride faster up the mountain. With no cell phone reception, I was not able to place a call my team to proclaim that I was on the roof of the world.
The finish area was packed with finishers, cars for taking finishers down, volunteers, and supporters.
Medal collected and water chugged, I unceremoniously pointed the bike down the mountain, but not before going through the castle arches. Cars heading down clogged the opening few meters. The road opened briefly to take the sweeping turn and the hairpin at speed. I then caught another car and spent almost a mile trying to get around it. Miles go by quickly on the descent. Once around the car, the road cleared all the way to the starting line where other descenders were remarking just how fun coming down was. According to my power numbers, I averaged 10 watts and 40 mph the entire way down. These are not everyday numbers.
The Whiteface Mountain Annual Uphill Bike Race is worth adding to experiences. According to registration, anyone who wanted to stick around and race the mountain bike events the next day would receive a discount. This is what makes the weekend remarkable- there’s more than one race to line up for, all of them unique to the region. The goal was to put a couple miles in on Sunday before heading out of town. Even though the day before’s weather was in the mid-80s, the morning temperatures were in the low 40s. I did not bring warm riding gear, but the route would have been worth it. Getting on the road early, I continued to beat myself up over not riding along highway 9N. Toward the end, though, I drove through the Wilmington Mountain Bike Race using several miles of the highway. It would have created a bit of confusion to mingle the road bike with mountain bikers. A favorite coffee stop revealed one last glance at Whiteface in the distance. I got the result I was looking for along with the itchy red black fly bumps I was avoiding. I forgot what all comes with perfect Adirondack spring conditions.
