ALC.....DAY FOUR 6/8/11

Day Four started out foggy and cold and it really never got very warm as we headed west from Paso Robles toward the Pacific coast.  Day Four is another long day of riding, 98 miles.

After about 10 miles out,  riders encounter the other two particularly notorious hills on the whole ride, lovingly referred to as "The Evil Twins" because they are steep and fairly long, the second being a climb of 1.8 miles.    At the top of the second "Twin" we reach the "Half Way to LA mark in the ride.  Just over the summit there is a wide spot where most riders stop to have their pictures taken.  From that spot,  there is an amazing vista across 8 miles of beautiful countryside to the Pacific Ocean.  However, on this particular day there was no point in stopping there because the view was obliterated by the fog.  So I opted to stop just short at the summit of Twin number 2.



The ride down this very long steep hill, was fast and furious and so very cold.  I was shivering so much that I had trouble keeping my bike on the road.


At mile 33 the riders turned onto Highway 1 and headed down the coast toward Cayucos.  A little coastal town where my paternal grandparents had a beach house.  Seeing the town always brings back fond memories from my childhood.....even on cold and foggy days.   The ride continued on to Morro Bay and then turned inland toward San Luis Obispo.  From that point on we headed south, eventually reaching the coast again.  Near Pismo Beach the sky cleared and while still chilly, it was great seeing and feeling the sun.  

One of the delights of this ride is stopping four times each day at official ALC rest stops where one can partake of food, water and power aid, porta-pottys, and the antics of the rest stop crew roadies.  Each stop has its own theme.  This one was Mary Kay themed.  Each porta-potty had a charming photo shot of a Mary Kay beauty!

What wonders MK can work

Eventually we reached Santa Maria, which was the camp site for the night.

Rest Stop 4 featured a funny show by the Angry Birds