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Distance: 70 ish miles Terrain: Mostly downhill Time: Left at 7, home at 2:30

The way home was much easier than yesterday. It was almost entirely downhill for the first half. Flying down the roads that I’d struggled on the day before was amazing. In the second half I took a slightly different route home. I followed a a bike path rather than ride the majority of Mast Road in Santee. Then, when I should have turned to enter Mission Trails instead I climbed the bike path along highway 52. It was so strange: it was a completely straight ~800 foot climb. You could see the top from the start! After that I wound through Clairmont to grab an order from REI (mattress pad and small solar panel for the ride) then made my way to Genesee to head home. 

I ran into a Guy named Chris who was packing on a surly mountain bike. He got dropped off at highway 79, which I passed, and spent the night up there. We talked for a while. He told me he does a good amount of touring, including the Contental Divide trail which is on dirt. He also said the he does Warm Showers and recommended that I give it a shot during my ride. I think I will. 

Overall this check ride went wonderfully. The first day was tough with knee pain and thousands of feet of climbing, but the second day was amazing. I’m hoping for more days like the second :D Basically, this made me want to leave tomorrow, but the real ride is still a month away unfortunately. It’ll come soon enough!

Consumption:

  • 1 kind bar
  • McDonald’s apple fritter
  • McDonald’s bacon egg and cheese McGriddle
  • Some filtered water through my water filter
  • Massive chimichanga
  • Massive horchata
  • Massive slurpee

Bonus: the water on my panniers had frozen overnight!

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