Rolled into Victorville

Today was a lot of fun.  After we got out of the city, we had a 25 mile climb through the Angeles Forest, although I didn't see very many trees.  The climb up the canyon was long, but steady and really not too difficult.  I had a fun two mile decent from the top and hit 45 mph.  Then we were in the high, dry desert and began to struggle with winds.  Denis and I rode with Jen, one of the guides, and basically got chicked all day long.  We traded off 2 mile pulls that were a bit uphill and into a breeze.  I had to work fairly hard to stay up with the 17-18 mile pace.  I remember the running adage, 'Never take the lead unless you want to do something with it.'  So when I got to the front, I pedaled consistently, but took a bit of a rest at 16 mph.  

Funny, in a car I follow a map and always know where I'm at.  I have a Garmin with a map function on the bike, but I'm too old to see it.  So, I follow the Q-sheet directions to turn right or left at some intersection in 4 miles.  When I'm in the saddle, I'm primarily concerned with a 40-foot radius around my bike.  I watch the rider in front for hand signals about road hazards, stopping for red lights, or informing me that it's my turn to pull.  I'm also very interested in pot holes, cracks in the pavement, glass, and traffic coming up the road in my third eye mirror.  In addition, I try to remember to eat and drink regularly.  As a result, we roll into some city and all I know is that we're still in CA, I think.

About 10 miles from the hotel, we made a big mistake; we turned right.  I know it sounds like an easy thing to do and that's just what the directions told us to do, but we immediately faced a truly wicked head wind, maybe 25 mph.  I'm in my room now and can hear it howling outside.  It was a hard finish.  I also ended up with a little chafing. I got to do a better job tomorrow applying Butt Butter.  

Tomorrow is 95 miles to 29 Palms. 2,761 feet of elevation.