Beautiful day today out to Kitt Peak, with the Hard core surviving the 120 miles. My brother and I are on our second beer with salt and vinegar chips I am recovering well:) I am already fealling it, hopefully I make it past 9PM Happy New Year Everyone.
The ride seemed a little easier today with only 4 hours compared to almost 6 yesterday. We did big square over Gates Pass. It was a beautiful day with the sun finally shining. Tomorrow will be the longest day out to Kitt Peak 120 miles.
My brother Tav is carbo loading with banana waffles, but refuses to put on spandex and ride with us. :)
You know it is cold in Tucson when the guy visiting from North Dakota is cold:) Surrived our first 5 hour day. Tomorrow Madera Canyon!
Kevin and I got remotivated to get back on our bikes just in time for the Air Force Cycling training camp starting tomorrow. We have been eating and drinking lots of coffee, while I put on 5 extra lbs for the training camp, Kevin lost weight and he ate 5 times more then I did. We had a great time with Trudster and she left Tucson and headed back to a snow storm in WV more fit as we drug her on hikes and bikes. Tav my brother is still here for a couple weeks while I like to spoil my men by cooking lots of vegetartian, organic food for them, no complaints yet.
Yesterday I started my ride out with some friends Chloe, Mel, and Judy. I was on my mountain bike and everyone else on road bikes. For some reason I have not wanted to ride my road bike since the tour. But what I realized yesterday is that my road bike is coming out of hiding. I left my friends and turned to climb Mt Lemmon to hit some trails. And there they were a big group crossing at Catalina when I was coming up Houghton. I chaised as hard as I could to get on the group, lucky for me they were all taking a pee break. I was the only mountain biker in the group with all of the Radio shack guys and some locals. It was awesome. As the road started to incline I started to go backwards, going right by Lance as he said Hi. Bummer. Off the back I shot as a Radio Shack truck pulled along side with Johan Bruyneel and some other guys and he said "you are on the wrong bike" I said, "I know but this is awesome" 
You don't get this opportunity too often in Tucson to hike in freezing rain and snow. My days off this week fell on two crappy weather days in Tucson. With those damn Meteorologist forecasting 70% chance of rain and snow above 7000 ft. I was determined to hike Mt Wrightson rain or shine. So I set out today in my waterproof everything in the rain. It quickly turned to snow and then an incredible scene near the top, freezing rain covered everything. It was so amazing. No other crazy person was on the trail, and Kevin had to work today so I was a bit scared a few times with the gusty winds and iced over trees that I had to walk under. But I made it to the top, pure adreniline of what I was seeing kept me going. As the sky started to open up my batteries died, way too many ice pictures. It was an unreal day. The ice already started melting on the way down, so I couldn't of timed it more perfect. I got my winter fix.
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