68.9 miles with 3,250' of climbing
The morning started for us at 5:00 with an hearty breakfast shortly after. We then gathered for the group photo before shoving off to St. Helen's.
The weather couldn't have been any better, starting in the 60's then warming to the 70's. The ride leader said that it was the nicest weather at the start in all of his years of leading rides. The 2 climbs were long but manageable with about a 7% grade. Gail and I rode well, arriving at the second SAG stop with only 2 cyclists ahead of us. (Then again, several of the hammerheads did stop for coffee which slowed their pace.)
The highlight of the day was our lunch stop. When a tiny Asian woman who owns a deli found out that we were riding across the country, she wanted to treat us to lunch. She proceeded to show us pictures of her grandchildren ... just a delightful woman!
Gail and I arrived in St. Helen's by 1:00. After a trip to the local supermarket and happy hour in our room, we joined our fellow cyclists for a pasta/pizza dinner. All in all, it was a fantastic start to our journey.
Sounds like a great start!! Nice work!
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