What I'm looking forward to

Seeing a horde of blue shirts at the gate in Grand Rapids
Flying over canyon country
Seeing the Vegas Strip from the air
Watching the Vegas suburbs dissolve into scrublands and desert
Seeing Furnace Creek Ranch for the first time - a square of green in a sea of brown
The mesquite tree near the bike mechanic's area
Snipping the zip ties and padding off of Ruby and going for a twirl around the parking lot
Watching the sun set over the Panamint range to the west as the fading light sets off the colors in the Funeral range to the east
The hall party (or wherever it happens)
The sky at night
Dawn
The breakfast buffet
The pre-tuneup-ride meeting
The Pink Peloton!
Plaid shorts!
The "Sea Level" sign
Climbing up to Zabriskie Point
The view
The pictures
The descent back to Furnace Creek Ranch
The Date Palm Grove
Pasta
Decorating our helmets
Not being able to sleep Friday night
Pancakes, eggs, and bacon Saturday morning
Everyone together in the dim
Purpose
Dawn
Setting off
That line of light coming down the western wall of the valley
Trying not to give in to the excitement and go too fast to early
Badwater
The volunteers
Wondering if Mormon Point is around this bend or the next one, or the next one after that
DRINKING!
Ashford Mills, then Turning Left and Going Up
And Up
And Up
And UP!
The top!
Wanting to go down, but not wanting to miss people getting to the top
Helping
Being helped
The wind - no matter where it comes from
The afternoon
Back to Badwater
Back to the Sea Level sign
Downhill back to the Ranch
Rolling in
Not wanting to be done
Sweat
Crust
Water
Tears
Smiles
Hugs
Me
You
Us
Next Year!