Torture

We all have our personal bete noirs when it comes to rides. Mine is Black Mountain or Mont Noir if you will. It's an hour or so's riding from Santa Margarita so you're plenty warmed up by the time you get there. It's 7 long miles from turn off to top. Every time I've been up it has been memorable. I've failed to summit as often as I've made it. It's epic. It starts with a few miles of gentle rise. You have to cross a couple sandy dry washes which sets the poor surface tone. You then have a couple more miles of steady climbing which can mostly be done seated. The road is narrow and always has sand and gravel. At the first ridge it gets nasty. There's a section with 20-25% grades that has really bad surface as well so you're grunting and juking your way trying to keep the rear wheel from slipping out from under you as you suffer. There's several more short steep ascents on the ridge before the final ramps. This last section around the summit mountain is pure hell. It's very steep and the wind can be quarrelsome. If it's a hot day you're in trouble by this point as the exertion overwhelms your capacity to cool. One summer morning I had to get off the bike and sit in the shade of a bush until I stopped seeing spots. This one is only climbed for the satisfaction of the top as the ride back down has to be done slowly and cautiously unless you've got a death wish.
I did this yesterday, and it was one of the days I reached the top. Both my left knee and my shoulders were complaining loudly, but I ignored them. Even though I was very sore afterwards and still am weary today it is immensely satisfying to slay this beast of a climb.