WWWII

Stage Two started in The City, downtown San Francisco and headed south on the great highway. We broke camp in Livermore GPS set on Half Moon Bay. The plan was to ride 20/20 (one ride, one shoot) to the Bonney Doon cutoff near Santa Cruz. Done. Then we split, BB rode and I shot the first KOM climb, BB had it at about 12 miles and 2,500 feet of gain. The sun finally broke through the cloud cover and the world was right.

Until we tried to backtrack through Santa Cruz and meet the boys at the finish. Then the world was all wrong. As in traffic, backups, detours, and more cars at idle than I have seen for quite some time. We missed the finish, grumbled thru the expo and I finally found the media center and get credentials.

Back to camp in darkness to charge batteries, download media, build a fire, start dinner review the day and plan for Stage Three. Plus we had the pleasant upraise of having dinner guests as Joel and Vicky, now living in San Jose came up to visit us at camp.

Being without internet hookup or cell reception in camp makes it challenging, so we have been trying to keep up via Facebook posts. You can go there here.

Today's Stage Three is the infamous Mt. Diablo climb. We are heading there i about an hour and then ride the circular route back into Livermore for the finish. After that I will have some time in the media center to update. Then it is out for Sonora and another basecamp.

If it wasn't for Bernie's great cooking and Linda's incredible rhubarb pie, this would be all work, as is, it's great fun. All for now, the hills beacon.