Time to get it on!

4:39 AM. Almost time to go and "break fast". A coupla hours before the last Ride to Cure of '08. Team West Michigan is ready, methinks....bolstered by our adopted riders from Indiana and N. Carolina.

Yesterday was grand..............the "Tune Up Ride" had been switched from the climb up to Zabriske Point to a shorter and easier jaunt out to Gold Canyon but I got the okay for us to do both (bad-asses that we are) and most of the Team joined 7 buses of cigarette smokin' Euro-tourists at the Zabriske viewpoint. Lots of us went hiking and the rest of us hung-n-hydrated poolside. Last night's dinner lacked some of the emotional punch of past Rides........different speakers, different topics, etc.........but it was cool to have the '09 Ride schedule announced already - earlier than ever!
Here 'tis, by the way:
Sonoma - Late June
Vermont - Last weekend of Aug.
Whitefish - 1st weekend of Sept.
Death Valley -Mid Oct.
Tucson - Weekend before than Thanksgiving.

Two new Rides! Time to start thinking about which one(s), huh?

Anyway - to return to the task at hand.....we'll be rollin' out soon. My assignment as a coach is to get to the climb up to Jubilee Pass, stay on the climb 'til it's empty of riders and then try and get folks back to the Ranch before the course closes @ 6:00. It was my first choice, but it'll make for kind of a long day. The forecast calls for 100 degrees...and that'll be fine as long as the winds stay away. (Not counting on that).

Okay - time to get the feedbag on. I'll fill you in our day later...........wish us luck!

(Hey Michigan-folk - look at'cher watches around 9:00pm your time and send a little positive energy this-a-way, huh? we might be in need of it!)

See ya!