Got back from the Big Island yesterday at around 5pm. I still can't believe how well the trip went. Jesse, Kristy and I flew in to Kona on the first flight Saturday morning, suited up and headed up the Kailua to meet Jesse at 7. We found Jesse and started off on the first and longest day. We where a bit concerned with how the winds where going to be when we rounded South Point and began our 2o mile climb up to 4000ft. It was a little hot but the winds where light, we rolled into Volcanoes around 4:30 104 miles later. Dinner was served at 5, perfect. We stuffed ourselves and headed back to the room to catch the prologue of the Tour. The next day being only 30 downhill miles to Hilo we decided to sleep in and then catch the first stage of the tour, it was awesome, Hincappie took the yellow. We headed out of Volcanoes around 11, did the 11 mile crater loop then headed towards Hilo. It was a fast trip, only 1.5 hrs. We got checked into our hotel and began to chill. We hit the pool and soaked in the ocean front view. If your ever in Hilo eat a Ken's pancake house, it kicks ass. The next day would be from Hilo to the northern tip of the island near Kapa'au, 90 miles. This section of the island is completely different from what we had been in on the first day, lush and green as opposed to dry and volcanic. We stopped at a little taco shop in Waimea, chowed down, drank a celebratory margarita or two and headed up the last climb into Hawi. That night we stayed with Jesse at his field school house, thanks for putting us up. Brett, thanks for the new castle's. The next morning Jesse, Kristy and I headed out for the last leg of the venture, 55miles. We stopped in Hawi and had breakfast then started downhill for our last push along the Kona coast. The route today was basically the bike route for the Ironman race. We stopped at Hapuna beach for a quick swim then finished the last 20 miles with a pretty strong headwind. We arrived at the airport at around 3 for our 4:20 flight out. This was definitly an epic trip that I won't forget. Good riding, good people, good times!!!!!