Hey a Not so Rainy Day in California

So, another day of forecast rain but coming in later so off we go at 8:00am to get ahead of the wet stuff.  Today is the Tepsuquet Century ride except it's not.  Our tour leader was unaware a bridge, long out of commission, had been replaced so the workaround was kicked to the curb for a more direct route, thus we're down to 90 miles.  Hey isn't that a buffalo?

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And is that a Longhorn steer?  See a little of everything out here. We took the remorseless uphill route out Ballard Canyon Road and then Foxen Canyon.  At mile 25, we had 2550' of climbing.  One of our group had enough and turned around.  We continued until making a right on Tepsequet and headed up a 1000' climb.  At the top, the option was to stop for lunch or continue on the road until it dead ends at #166 for an extra 5 miles.  I coasted down, reached #166 and then...turning....was blasted by the 25-35mph winds.  Ouch and probably a mistake, one that no one else in the group took.  Loooong 5 mile return to the summit where, everyone had left except the van with food.  I made a most delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich, jumped into the back of the van and rested while being driven to the bottom where the road stops at Foxen Canyon Road.  Having wolfed down the PB&J, I jumped out of the van and rejoined my tour buddies.  The next 17 miles into that head wind....let's see....what is the appropriate adjective here......oh yeah....IT SUCKED!

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In fact, at one point at a SAG stop, in the distance it was obvious rain was coming down hard and approaching rapidly.  Frank, Kelly and I jumped in the van and rode for a couple of miles until the rain shifted north.  We got out again and kept going.  As we approached the final climb, I was a beaten cyclist and cracked at the foot of the climb.  After dragging myself up the hill, I coasted back into Solvang, cleaned a 1/4" of mud off the bike, hand washed the cycling clothes and headed to Hitching Post for a steak and watching some NCAA games.  More rain forecast for Friday so we'll see. Oh, 67 miles and 5900' of climbing.

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