from Tom Solis
Mauna Loa Observatory Road
17 Miles to 11,000 Foot Elevation
“Do Not Check the Weather Forecast. Just Show Up and See What the Day Brings.”
This advice came to HCC from a tourist helicopter pilot who has found that the weather on the Big Island changes so much so often that weather forecasts are seldom accurate – at least for his purposes.
Race Director, Tom Solis, in consultation with Board President, Daniel Hodel, checked several weather forecasts all week prior to the Mauna Loa and found the forecasts are always changing – even every couple of hours.
All this checking and worry about the weather was due to weather system Hilda stalling near the Big Island bringing large amounts of rain and unstable weather conditions.
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 Tom and Dan decided to go for it and if the weather was bad on the 15th, the event would be changed to meet the conditions.
And, Pele was smiling on HCC on Saturday, August 16, 2015. The day started as a perfect day for a bicycle ride/race and taking beautiful panoramic photos. Skies were clear for registration and the start. For the first 15 miles on Mauna Loa Observatory Road these conditions remained but with only two miles to go the rains came and the temperature dropped.
The rain started at the 11,000 foot elevation finish line just as first place finisher, Todd Marohnic (1:38:20), came into view – and did it rain and did it get cold! The next three finishers - Adam Ankrum (1:42:25), Kym Kiser (1:47:44) and Steve Lundblad (1:48:12) – were equally soaked!
Next to be baptized at the finish were Harry Yoshida (1:59:22), Gerd Weber (2:04:36) and Mark Mahavey (2:11:19).
The rain did not miss Scott Garrett (2:24:29), Simon Radford (2:30:37) and Paul Burke (2:35:14).
Wendy Minor, HCC Board member, was the lone person to treat the course as her Saturday ride and her reward was no rain at any time during the ride! Even the finish line was absent of rain when she arrived but soon it started sprinkling and Wendy, after a short rest, started her decent to the warm dry Saddle Road.
To the surprise of the volunteers not one rider accepted a ride in a vehicle back down the volcano road. All of the participants rode down.
Mauna Loa Observatory Road (MLOR) is not a nice gradual 4500 foot 17 mile climb but a challenging, twisting, turning, dipping one lane road. What makes MLOR tolerable is its smoothness (except for one mile that is not paved) and lack of vehicles – only one non HCC car was on the road the entire 3 hours!
The last person to arrive at the finish line and travel back down to the start was Daniel Hodel, who while dry and warm in his vehicle, spent over 3 hours driving up and down Mauna Loa Observatory Road as the SAG. Fortunately, his services were not needed but just knowing there is someone on the course to help people who may need help is very important.
The other six volunteers – Tom Solis, Betsy Solis, Bill Culhane, Bob Fewell, Gail DeSilva and Linda Yoshida – experienced clear, almost balmy weather, at registration, the start line and the finish line – well – only for an hour or so at the finish line – but when the rains came at the finish line they scrambled to change the Talk Story Station from nice organized tables to cramp quarters in the Solis van. The finish line record keeping was moved to the Fewell SUV.
As they arrived, riders took refuge under the hatch back doors of the van and SUV. Most of the riders had some “dry” clothes to put on – either carried with them or brought up by the volunteers. Volunteers had towels, umbrellas and ponchos to help the cyclists. How long the dry clothes, towels, umbrellas helped depended on how heavy the rain was when a rider arrived.
AGE GROUP RESULTS
Kym Kiser (F 40 - 44), Adam Ankrum (M 40- 44), Scott Garrett (M 45 – 49) and Steve Lundblad (M50-55) each won their age group and were un-opposed.
As winner of the race, Todd Marohnic, also won the men’s 55 -59 age group. He was followed by Mark Mahavey and Simon Radford.
Harry Yoshida and Gerd Weber continued their men’s 65 – 69 age group rivalry with Harry finishing ahead of Gerd. Paul Burke rounded out this age group.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
VOLUNTEERS: Thank you to the volunteers who did such a great job under ever changing conditions. Special thank you to Betsy Solis for making the new signs for registration and the finish line.
UPCOMMING EVENTS: The Mauna Kea Training Time Trial on September 12th and The Out n Back (20 fast miles on the Queen K) on September 19th.
SPONSORS: Thank you to Bike Works, Kiser Motorcycles and Cycle Station for supporting HCC.
Mauna Loa Observatory Road
17 Miles to 11,000 Foot Elevation
“Do Not Check the Weather Forecast. Just Show Up and See What the Day Brings.”
This advice came to HCC from a tourist helicopter pilot who has found that the weather on the Big Island changes so much so often that weather forecasts are seldom accurate – at least for his purposes.
Race Director, Tom Solis, in consultation with Board President, Daniel Hodel, checked several weather forecasts all week prior to the Mauna Loa and found the forecasts are always changing – even every couple of hours.
All this checking and worry about the weather was due to weather system Hilda stalling near the Big Island bringing large amounts of rain and unstable weather conditions.
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 Tom and Dan decided to go for it and if the weather was bad on the 15th, the event would be changed to meet the conditions.
And, Pele was smiling on HCC on Saturday, August 16, 2015. The day started as a perfect day for a bicycle ride/race and taking beautiful panoramic photos. Skies were clear for registration and the start. For the first 15 miles on Mauna Loa Observatory Road these conditions remained but with only two miles to go the rains came and the temperature dropped.
The rain started at the 11,000 foot elevation finish line just as first place finisher, Todd Marohnic (1:38:20), came into view – and did it rain and did it get cold! The next three finishers - Adam Ankrum (1:42:25), Kym Kiser (1:47:44) and Steve Lundblad (1:48:12) – were equally soaked!
Next to be baptized at the finish were Harry Yoshida (1:59:22), Gerd Weber (2:04:36) and Mark Mahavey (2:11:19).
The rain did not miss Scott Garrett (2:24:29), Simon Radford (2:30:37) and Paul Burke (2:35:14).
Wendy Minor, HCC Board member, was the lone person to treat the course as her Saturday ride and her reward was no rain at any time during the ride! Even the finish line was absent of rain when she arrived but soon it started sprinkling and Wendy, after a short rest, started her decent to the warm dry Saddle Road.
To the surprise of the volunteers not one rider accepted a ride in a vehicle back down the volcano road. All of the participants rode down.
Mauna Loa Observatory Road (MLOR) is not a nice gradual 4500 foot 17 mile climb but a challenging, twisting, turning, dipping one lane road. What makes MLOR tolerable is its smoothness (except for one mile that is not paved) and lack of vehicles – only one non HCC car was on the road the entire 3 hours!
The last person to arrive at the finish line and travel back down to the start was Daniel Hodel, who while dry and warm in his vehicle, spent over 3 hours driving up and down Mauna Loa Observatory Road as the SAG. Fortunately, his services were not needed but just knowing there is someone on the course to help people who may need help is very important.
The other six volunteers – Tom Solis, Betsy Solis, Bill Culhane, Bob Fewell, Gail DeSilva and Linda Yoshida – experienced clear, almost balmy weather, at registration, the start line and the finish line – well – only for an hour or so at the finish line – but when the rains came at the finish line they scrambled to change the Talk Story Station from nice organized tables to cramp quarters in the Solis van. The finish line record keeping was moved to the Fewell SUV.
As they arrived, riders took refuge under the hatch back doors of the van and SUV. Most of the riders had some “dry” clothes to put on – either carried with them or brought up by the volunteers. Volunteers had towels, umbrellas and ponchos to help the cyclists. How long the dry clothes, towels, umbrellas helped depended on how heavy the rain was when a rider arrived.
AGE GROUP RESULTS
Kym Kiser (F 40 - 44), Adam Ankrum (M 40- 44), Scott Garrett (M 45 – 49) and Steve Lundblad (M50-55) each won their age group and were un-opposed.
As winner of the race, Todd Marohnic, also won the men’s 55 -59 age group. He was followed by Mark Mahavey and Simon Radford.
Harry Yoshida and Gerd Weber continued their men’s 65 – 69 age group rivalry with Harry finishing ahead of Gerd. Paul Burke rounded out this age group.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
VOLUNTEERS: Thank you to the volunteers who did such a great job under ever changing conditions. Special thank you to Betsy Solis for making the new signs for registration and the finish line.
UPCOMMING EVENTS: The Mauna Kea Training Time Trial on September 12th and The Out n Back (20 fast miles on the Queen K) on September 19th.
SPONSORS: Thank you to Bike Works, Kiser Motorcycles and Cycle Station for supporting HCC.
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