Daily Dozen

Today's Partial Tracking (When Out of Canyon)

Break Time at the Zuzax Halfway Point (Old Rt. 66)

We enjoyed a nice visit yesterday, Independence Day, July 4, 2014.
Anthony and Kaytlan came over for the big Jacque Barbecue and brought their big red dog, aptly named Clifford.   Jazzy and Tinkerbell did their usual welcome of a strange  visitor dog:  They viciously yapped their brains out for about 10 minutes.  Clifford is a big softie, though half Pit Bull and half monster-dog.  He just calmly stood his ground and looked at our pip-squeak yappie pappies and didn't so much as yip or woof at them.  Jazzy decided he was a good teddy bear to play with.

In spite of all the good food and enjoyable company, we failed to get in a bike ride on the 4th in spite of it being a rather cool, though sunny, day.  It had rained 3 days prior to Independence Day, and though it only sprinkled a few drops on the 4th, it was one of the coolest days we've enjoyed since summer started.  But we had company and did not get to ride, which we missed, especially me, after eating all that good food that needed to be burned off.  My blood sugar was high all night in spite of my pump thumping feverishly away trying to keep up with all the carbs consumed.
This morning the sweetheart and I determined to get out early before it got too hot and get in a few miles, and we were certainly glad we did, in spite of it being extra warm with little cooling wind today.  Plus, the ride was so warm we stopped many times more than usual for water and rest breaks, which helped us slump along past noon and the attendant after-noon heat.  But of course it was still great.
We also started to run out of water and decided to stop at the old famous Route 66 Touriste Trappe at Zuzax and take a break and refill the water bottles.  Of course the dual doggies captured everyone's admiration and attention, especially a very nice couple from Alabama who were on their way to San Francisco to visit friends.
Gutierrez Canyon Road was - as usual - a quiet wonderful ride in spite of the lack of cooling breeze there and the  long gradual climb to the top of the hill.  The wonderful thing about hills like this is of course screaming down the other side:  35+ MPH this time, which is a whale of a lot of fun but a little too fast and unstable for this old man.  Even had to touch the brakes a bit around a couple of the sharper turns.  Then when we arrived back at the transport vehicle we realized Jacque had lost her "Da Brim" wide shade-hat accessory off her helmet.  We had been whipping along so fast she never noticed it flying off in the wind.  We worried how far from the road it might have landed, but when we went back looking for it, only a mile or so back, there it was..... right in the middle of the road.  Happy Campers.

Ride Started:  9:11 AM    Ride Ended:  12:26 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage:  14.0       Ending Voltage: 13.2
Lowest Temp  71 F      Highest Temp:  82 F
Stats from the GPS:    Total Miles:  12.21
Overall average speed            Moving Avg               Max Speed
  3.9 MPH                                6.3 MPH                    35.6 MPH
Total Trip time                       Moving Time             Stopped Time
3 hours  7 mins                      1 hour  55 mins         1 hour 12 minutes