The Drive & Ride

With all the focus on the impact of the winter storm on the east coast, deservedly so, there was some drama playing out in KY too.  I learned of it Saturday morning when a friend texted me a 35 mile stretch of I-75 was closed.  Listening to a Cincy radio station filled in some blanks.  Thousands were stranded over night with emergency personnel visiting the area, delivering supplies.  Having left my house at 8:30am, Saturday, I hoped it would be cleared by the time I arrived.  Updates said the highway was reopened, then closed because of an accident, then reopened so when I arrived.....

....it was open but I had caught the back end of the traffic jam and had to wait 65 minutes.  Could have been worse.  I read a paper, took pics of passing emergency vehicles and counted 50 power trucks and tree trimming trucks headed north.  No doubt they were going to I-70 and then east to lend a hand around the east coast.  I arrived in FL mid afternoon on Sunday.

Monday, in Clermont, FL dawned sunny with a forecast high of 70.  Andrew Clayton, who is spending the winter in Sebring, drove up to experience the hills of central FL.  We got going at 10:00am with a temp around 52. We immediately entered hill country and of course I had to show him.....

....the famous Sugarloaf Mountain climb.  In the distance, mist mostly hides a large lake but it is a beautiful spot and people stop all the time for the view. 

Check out the jags on the profile of today's route.  We could have stayed in hill country for the entirety of the ride but I figured I'd be good for too few miles so I took him west where at mile 37, we stopped in....

....Dewey Center for a break.  Soon thereafter we headed back, reentering the hills before finishing with 64 miles and 2500' of climbing.  Andrew's Garmin had us at 2700' but the above map has 1900'.  Can't reconcile the difference.