From the Pacific Ocean to the Desert

Dipping the rear wheel in the Pacific

Our final week of training began with the traditional dipping of the rear wheel in the Pacific Ocean.  If all goes as planned the front wheel will go into the Atlantic in May.

Riding along Torrey Pines State Beach

View of the Mountains to the south entering Ramona

Friday, Jan 11 we left San Diego and headed into the mountains to the east.  Our first night we spent in Ramona. 

Carolyn in Julian with snow in background

Saturday we were on the bike by 8:30.  The temperature was 34°F and would only get to the low 50s.  We continued to climb, being careful to avoid ace patches on Wynola Rd and arriving in Julian (4235 ft.) at 3PM.  Note the snow behind Carolyn in the picture.  Hoping to reach Yaqui Pass before dusk, we nearly froze as we descended Banner Grade, arriving at Yaqui pass just at dusk.  We pushed the bike up Yaqui and descended into Borrego Springs after dark, arriving at the hotel just in time to hitch a ride with Sam Powell to the Borrego Blast party.  The Borrego Blast is our annual tandem cycling event in the desert, which happened to coincide with our trip. 

Hank at start of Borrego Blast Sunday ride

Sunday we met the Borrego Blast group as they departed to climb Yaqui pass and we headed east.   We had left the ocean Friday, climbed into the San Diego mountains Friday and Saturday and now had a flat ride past the Salton Sea into Brawley. 

Anza Borrego Desert on the way to Brawley

Today is our day off in Brawley.  Tomorrow we have a long ride to Blithe, 88 miles north east of Brawley on the California, Arizona border.