All year long there is a howling wind off the Lynn Canal and up the White Pass.

It is a wind of such strength and intensity that runners and cyclist actually look forward to running or riding up the hill.

It's a wind that guarantees fast times times that the unknowing 'ooo oo ahh ahh' over.

However, on Sunday there was no wind for the inaugural Sea to Summit Hill Climb. It was, in fact, dead calm.

Going along nicely with the lack of wind were periods of driving rain, with accompanying wet roads, heavy fog, sun and dry roads.

All that was missing was the obligatory snow, and someone saying they were in St. John's Newfoundland where the weather changes every five minutes.

So for the 12 riders that showed-up in the hope of flying up to the summit, on a tailwind, what was left was 20 kilometres of body crushing, leg sapping hill that rises to almost 3,300 metres above sea level.

But the weather was not to have the last word not for one rider at least.

Not 10 minutes into the hill climb, local rider Mike McCann was just reaching the top of the first pitch. With his head down and deeply engaged in that internal conversation all athletes have at the start of a race, 'Why am I doing this?', he caught something moving just out of the corner of his eye about 30 meters up ahead.

Breaking his concentration for a moment he looked up. It took what seemed like forever for his brain to register what his eyes were staring at a black bear.

This wasn't just any ordinary black bear.This was a very large black bear, standing up on its hind legs, with its front paws firmly planted on the guard rail. It was looking up the road watching the rider that had just gone by.

Just as the words formed in his head 'Holy @#$*, it's a bear!' the bruin turned its head and noticed McCann.

With no thought of tour buses, motor homes or anything else weighing more and moving faster than him, McCann swerved away from the guard rail to the centre of the road as he went by the bear.

McCann later said he now knows how Lance Armstrong felt while racing the Tour de France in the Pyrenees, and having to ride through the large partisan Basque crowds that lined the roads.

Despite everything lack of wind, curious bears, rain, etc. Dan Kelliher from Sitka, Alaska proved to be the hard man of the mountains, reaching the summit in 57 minutes and nine seconds, almost a full minute ahead of second-place rider Jerome McIntyre, from Whitehorse.

McIntyre, who has been improving with every race this year, managed to top Robert Sowers from Juneau with a time of 58 minutes, five seconds. Sowers crossed the finish line in 58:42.

Janice Sheufelt from Juneau was the first woman to reach the summit, with a time of 66 minutes, 22 seconds.

The Sea to Summit hill climb looks like it could become a classic.

Here are the full results from Sunday's event:

Expert Men

1. Dan Kelliher, Sitka, 57:09

2. Jerome McIntyre, Whitehorse, 58:05

3. Robert Sowers, Juneau, 58:42

4. Mike McCann, Whitehorse, 59:55

5. Josh Gewirtz, Breckinridge,

Colorado, 60:03

1. Troy Henry, Whitehorse, 60:14

2. Rob Welton, Juneau, 60:54

3. Alexi Desatof, Sitka, 72:30

Expert Women

1. Janice Sheufelt, Juneau, 66:22

Sport Men

1. John Berryman, Whitehorse, 64:33

2. Bill Curtis, Whitehorse, 77:18

Sport Women

1. Kelsey Kabanak, Whitehorse, 84:20

The next local cycling event will be the Last Gasp 40 kilometre Individual Time Trial.

Hosted by the VeloNorth Cycling Club, Last Gasp takes place Sunday, Sept. 2.