Sep 10 - rain and fog

If it had been sunny there wouldn't have been anything to write about, right ?

The first 35 miles was perfect -- cloudy, temperature just over 60F, good road, no traffic. Just after the 35 mile rest stop it started to rain but not heavy ... which changed when we got to the bottom of the big climb leading up to the lunch stop. It poured. During lunch (we were in a restaurant) it poured, dumped, you get the idea ... but then it let up. We had a long lunch stop and set out as it eased up, with a very long descent during which I got thoroughly chilled, since I was wet and it was cool. Then the climbing began again and later the rain came back but never as heavy as on that climb.

The terrain was rolling in the morning with no serious climbs and we were warned to not "hammer" during the morning because the afternoon held a lot more climbing. It did. Probably 75% of the climbing was in the second half, starting with the long climb before lunch. We had ridden 68 miles by lunch time out of a day's total of 125. With 10,000 feet of climbing on the day that left 7500 from mile 60 to 125. The grades were not steep but we were always climbing or descending.

Descending had its own challenges. Dense fog meant that your companions disappeared in front of you in spite of their high-vis-yellow jackets. Luckily no deer crossed the road; no potholes threw us flying; and traffic was light and polite.

It's a great road for a ride. It's like a 500 mile long bike path with good pavement and very little traffic -- especially at this time of year. It is likely different before Labor Day. Most times we were in heavily treed areas but there were overlooks and spots where you could see vast vistas of .... dense fog. We joked -- stop here, take a picture.

I rode with Ken all day. He is amazing, considering what he's been through. Still stiff, turning his body with his head, but actually less so than when we saw him in August. Ken with his neck and Jason with his knee show how determination can overcome a physical problem and quickly bring you back almost to where you left off. More flexibility -- for both -- will come gradually.

Ken and I were the last to start since they do a staggered start based on expected riding speed. Along the way we gradually passed the rest of the crew and were the first to the lunch stop. After the lunch stop four of us and then at the end, six, were never far apart. I was the 14th rider ... eight of us finished the day. Six sagged from the lunch stop, having had enough. It was just as well -- we got in close to 7:30, the couple from England came in after dark with the van following, almost an hour after us.

It was quite a ride. Enjoyable for the companionship and the accomplishment, not for the riding conditions. Paul, the ride organizer, said that this is the first time this year that they've really had rain other than a couple of showers. Nobody likes fog.

I went straight to my hotel, met up with Sandy and got out of my wet clothes. Ken and the others headed to their hotel -- we had tried to book there but it was full -- and then had to wait for the van. Once we heard from Ken that the van was in we walked over to the other hotel and joined them for dinner.

I'm going to find a place to post comments on the ride organizers and the ride. Paul was super, offered me snacks out of their van even though I was "freeloading", so to speak. It's a public road, true, but riding with their gang meant that essentially he had taken on responsibility for me as well. I knew that he was there for me in these crummy riding conditions; Sandy knew that too and didn't worry as a result. I tried to tip Paul but he would not take my money. I should have followed my plan B i.e. leave him a note and cash in an envelope at the hotel front desk.

Anyway, a good day, a physical and mental test, and now time to get organized to travel again.