Day 2

Alpine, CA to Boulevard, CA - 41 miles
4,163ft elevation gain

Very tough day.  Uphill most of it.  And somehow managed to have a headwind for half the day too.  Go figure!  The downhill portions, though speedy, only feel nice when you know you don't have to go back up.  Very glad to be done with most of the mountains for the trip.  Woohoo!

Left a little after sunrise.  Before departing, breakfast consisted of the secret weapon acquired from Albertson's last night - a banana, an apple, peanut butter on honey wheat bread, and a granola bar.  Mix in a zero-sugar Gatorade, and it's the perfect mix.

The long, soul-crushing ascent continued for a few hours before lunch in Pine Valley.  I logged a few miles on the interstate today as that was part of the route.  Old Highway 80 guided me uphill most of the rest of the way.  I always think the mountain climbs are the hardest part - even if Tom Petty doesn't think so - though it was originally Janis Joplin's phrase.

Went past snow on the road shoulder for a few miles mid-day.  Had a really rough section of road shoulder for the last 6 miles.  Will probably be adjusting a few spokes tonight.

I'll probably mention it again in future posts, but dogs always seem to disrupt the peace.  Doesn't matter where you are - west coast, east coast, north, south, desert, mountains, woods - you name it, there always seems to be a barking dog.  Had a few spots today that would have been quite peaceful absent the canine commotion.  I'm just waiting for the next dog attack.  Every trip seems to have one.  Some of those old fences make me nervous.  If there is still a fence.  It's not limited to private property though.  A guy, with the dog literally in tow, boldly strode into a coffee shop connected to a diner where I had lunch today.  Didn't take more than a minute for it to start yelping and wreaking havoc.  Consideration for others flies out the window when it comes to pets.  Dogs have their place, just not everywhere.  Maybe get a quiet cat.  Or, another thought, don't have a pet and put the savings toward early retirement.  Kristen and I are looking forward to it.  #unpopularopinion

Another day in the books.  Couldn't complain about the weather.  Pretty tired.  Getting whipped back into shape real quick.  The daylight is short, but the winter solstice is near.  We'll see where I get to tomorrow.