Team 2 Day 2/3

 Group 2 days 2-3 : Maura 


Over the past two days we’ve biked from Rockport to Winthrop, WA, stopping for the night in Diablo. Day 2 was tricky. We thought it was going to be an easy day but were surprised with some major hills on the way to camp. Washington is definitely kicking us into shape quickly! It started to rain at the end so we pedaled quickly to set up our tents and start dinner. A few of us trecked by car (thanks, Laurence!) to find a convenience store nearby and were thrilled to stock up on snacks, check out the candy selection, and pet an adorable polar bear/dog named Cyprus.


Fast forward to day 3 - Washington pass. A big day. It is the most gain in elevation we will face over the whole trip! We climbed over 5,400 feet in only 30 miles. It was nearly a constant incline. After our friends in group 1 warned us about the ride, we decided to take it as slow as we needed to and stopped for many snack breaks along the way. We were lucky enough to have bluebird skies and breathtaking views to distract us from our burning thighs and chafing butts. 7 hours later, the final push to the top was brutal but that much more rewarding when we made it. I pulled up to teammates jumping and cheering and was SO happy to see them! After a peanut butter-nutella tortilla for lunch, the next 30 miles were pretty much complete downhill. It felt like we were skiing black diamonds on bikes. We zoomed past wheat fields, horses, and waterfalls all the way to Winthrop. The town is adorable - it looks like an old time western movie set! We set up camp, took showers (with clean towels!), and ran laundry at the RV park, and spent the rest of the night fueling up for today’s ride.

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