93 miles, 850' of elevation, 75 degrees all day!
We were quite fortunate to have a favorable wind all day pushing us at 20 mph without effort.We pedaled past the Imperial Dune Recreation area where dune buggys were abundant and the wind created a special effect if you didn't mind sand blasting the bike, your teeth, legs, ears, etc. It seemed to be a very popular activity in an area which is mostly empty of towns and population.
Because there was really no towns to stop for lunch, chef Linda with the assist of Tour Guide Carol set up a marvelous lunch in the middle of no where.Make you own sandwich of tuna salad, cheeses, lettuce and tomato, hummus, Caesar salad and on and on the options go. Carol pulled out the chairs from the trailer so we could all sit and laugh about the first 40 miles. Because of the favorable winds, we arrived at lunch by 10 but they were all ready for us.
Right after lunch, we hit a series of dips that if you pedaled and gained speed on the downhills, you could just about make it up the other side. Having a tail wind sure helped. You did have to be careful, however, as the vehicles had a limited sight problem so being in the middle of the road or riding two abreast was a bad idea.
We arrived into our hotel in record time. All 15 of us doing the ride were worried about the miles but it all worked out.
The don't is about putting off doing this ride. I have never been to this area of the country and find it remarkable and certainly well worth the trip for a cyclist who likes long distance riding. Don' procrastinate! You never know what the future will bring. Woman Tours makes it a fun and well supported adventure with plenty of backup.
Boy -- do I remember this day! A farm truck had dumped a load of carrots all over the road. Snacks anyone?
ReplyDelete2006 was the first group to use the chairs. thanks 2005 for putting that on your evaluations.
Ida
I love that the lunch was such a great part of your day. And the encouragement is reinforcing my confidence that signing up for 2013 was exactly the right thing to do. I wouldn't have been ready for this year, but in 2013 I will remember how happy and excited you all were and what marvelous challenges you rose to. Enjoy your rest day - it is well-deserved.
ReplyDeleteWe heard that Star Wars was filmed on those dunes. 2010 we had no wind that I remember, but those rollers were awesome. Appreciate your blog. It is helping me relive last year's adventure.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn
Liz
ReplyDeleteI'm following your blog. Sounds like your really having the time of your life! I'm envious of the warm weather you're experiencing.
Pretty damn cold here right now!
Sharon doing well and thanks for the household accessories-they
really came in handy.
Art
Finally caught up and read your blog Liz. I'm extremely jealous, especially when I'm teaching in the old dark spin room at the Y!! I've put a link to my blog as I hope people will get a chance to read about your adventure--the coolest thing about cycling to me--the chance to see the world a little more closely one mile at a time! Enjoy!! Hope the good tail winds continue!
ReplyDeleteBill
Dune buggies! You should have stopped for a ride!
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