Joy

When the weather Gods cooperate in Alaska, it's silly not to heed the call.  On Friday, I saw the weekend forecast calling for bright blue skies, low temps in the upper 20's and highs in the lower 50's. These are the perfect conditions for a spring hike up the Pioneer Ridge Trail.  The key is to leave early enough and be fast enough that it is frozen on the way up and only slightly muddy on the way down, but also make a departure time reasonable enough that getting out of bed isn't impossible. Once I found a willing friend, I knew exactly how I wanted to spend my Sunday morning.

We started out at 6:00 on frozen ground and eased our way up through the forested switchbacks. By the time we hit 1800 ft of elevation and a little over a mile of hiking, we needed hiking spikes to grip into the hard ice packed trail.

In the winter, the first picnic table (2,200 ft.) is usually the turnaround point, so it wasn't surprising that the trail between the two picnic tables was a mixture of moose tracks, post holes and old snowshoe tracks in a variety of steep, uphill directions. It was a deep snow year and the trail markers kind of disappeared through this section of trail, but having done this trail before it wasn't a matter of being lost just a matter of the easiest path to get past the alders and willows.

The above treeline, snow blown ridgeline at 2.800 feet was a welcome sight.

Black bear prints in fresh snow

The trail signs were easily visible and the trail itself was rocky and exposed in several areas on the eastern side where the wind and sun hit, while the western part of the ridgeline collected the snow and cornices had formed. Just as I was getting back into a comfortable hike, I spotted the fresh prints of a small black bear. An uneasy feeling and dread creep over me. Gone are the days where bears sleep peacefully. We followed the tracks "just to have a peak" and thankfully only saw the numerous mountains, a gravely glacial river, and the Knik Glacier.

Then the never ending hike continued - calf straining and heart pounding, but there's the constant views of scenic mountains and down below, thousands of feet is the familiar landscape of home to keep my mind occupied as my keep legs moving.  At last, it's one last hump to the top of the ridgeline and finally, the valley is 5,360 feet below.  It's pure joy.

South Pioneer and North Pioneer Peak in the background.

And, the joy is only sweeter as we turn around and make our way downhill!

There's This and That!

Friday, April 10, 2020

A week ago Friday, I put on my cross-country skis, barely survived the hard crusty snow out the back door down to the Knik River for an excellent spring ski. A week later the switch has flipped. The right combination of wind and warm temperatures melted most of the snow. By Saturday, it became full on spring, complete with water and mud and it was the first road bike ride of the season.

By early afternoon the temperatures were near 60 degrees and it seemed like most of the valley had outdoor thoughts on their mind.  It was nice to pass so many families walking, fellow cyclists, and runners on the bike path that begins about 6 miles from our house and continues for miles past Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake, Houston, and slightly beyond.  We are fortunate to have this recreational opportunity so close to home.  This was the thought that rolled through my mind as I peddled my way past snow covered peaks and glacier views.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak from the Palmer Golf Course

With this, comes that . . . . and by that I mean JUNK! Mostly I try to ignore it, but with no leaves on the trees, it's impossible.  On the 14 miles between our house and Palmer, most people live on 1-3 acre parcels and it seems almost everyone has "that neighbor."  Some are fortunate not to have them next door, but one doesn't need to drive very far down the road before encountering the visual pollution that neighbor shares with the entire world.  

Our neighbor's pile of junk!

The pile of junk usually entails a vintage car, or two, or three with the windows broken and a couple tires missing.  If you look closer, an old appliance, bed frames, mattresses, TV, couch, trampoline, scrap building materials, and household garbage are likely culprits to be found in there as well. Some of that mess might make sense if there wasn't a solid waste facility, junkyards willing to tow vehicles, curbside garbage pick-up, or friends with a truck to help out, but all are available here.

So, that leaves miles and minutes on the bike to wonder and ponder the juxtaposition of this and that!
 

Lazy Wednesday Friends, Not Quite!

Looking down Lazy Mountain trail - April 15

There's an annual mountain running race in the Matanuska Valley called, "The Crazy Lazy." It's held near the end of March just as the sun is starting to extend over the horizon for a decent amount of daylight and the snow is turning slushy. It rightfully earns it's name.  The race entails a steep two mile trail with 3,000 feet of climbing to the top of Lazy Mountain, then descends down another path and finishes on a slightly uphill single track to make an elongated triangle of about 6 miles. Each year, I think about racing it, but usually I can come up with some reason why I won't be on the list of participants. The best and what most people simply nod their head and agree to is, "Who wants to be hurt racing down Lazy before summer even begins?"

Contrary to what the above statement might imply, I enjoy climbing Lazy Mountain and racing, but putting the two in the same sentence makes me breathless instantly, so I avoided doing so.  Enter August 2019 where I met the Lazy Wednesday friends on a Sunday hike. They invited me to join them at 6:00 a.m. to hike Lazy.

"Every Wednesday, all year round, to the top?" I wasn't sure if I spoke those words out loud, but I sure was thinking them. Casually I asked, but secretly wondering if I had a way out without sounding like a wimp. "And when are you back to the parking lot?"  Before 8:00 and yes they confirmed, it was a round trip, on the two mile trail up, and year-round they hiked. While calculating their pace and intensity, I spun through my rolodex excuse file and said, "Sounds like fun, but I have cyclocross races every Saturday until mid-October and I don't want to wear out my legs."

For my abilities, I wasn't exactly telling them lies. I had climbed Lazy enough to learn what fitness was needed to do what they did.  While I could do it that quickly when I'm in good shape, I didn't hike that hard normally or weekly and probably only hiked that hard two or three times a year when I happen to be feeling good and the trail conditions were just right. Furthermore, those early morning exercise days disappeared when the boys graduated from high school. I hadn't woken up on a school day before 7:30 in years.  Their friendly reply, "join us then" silently beckoned me as the weeks went by.

October - First Lazy Morning Run

In October, the vibrating and buzzing sound of my phone alarm on the bedside stand at 5:15 a.m. awakened me and nervously I wondered what kind of commitment have I gotten myself into this winter. It will be like I'm racing Lazy Mountain every week.

Two cups of coffee and a peanut-butter sandwich later, I'm standing in the parking lot with my headlamp taking up my position at the back of the pack, because I hate feeling like I'm holding others back. Soon I realized if I don't talk much on the way up, I can mostly keep up.

A few hours later, I'm rushing through the door at school, hiking gear on, clean clothes in bag, red faced and soaked in sweat. The first time this happened the ladies in the front office looked at me with the strangest of expressions. I explained how I joined up with a group of ladies who are fast, they made me work hard, and surprisingly, I loved every minute of it.

Fall turned into winter and winter into spring.  Go figure. . . . just this morning, there I was in the parking lot with no flashlight even needed for the first time.  I've concluded: these Lazy Wednesday friends are a group of dedicated Crazies, who I can't help but follow up the mountain each week!

Resurrected Blog Amid Covid-19

Not a track to be seen in the driveway!

An Easter Sunday trip to the cabin, west of Big Lake sparked the idea.  It had been forever since I posted anything on my blogger. The reasons could include any of the following: taking continuing education classes, training for a running race, writing burnout, traveling outside the state much of the summer, or the usual excuse - no time.

Ever since flying home after spring break, it has been an adjustment to find normal. Like the rest of the world, Covid-19 realities and uncertainties have reached Alaska. While I'm happy to be healthy, my usual routines aren't the same. I'm fortunate to be working as a teacher, but doing so from home. Some of my regular exercise partners have bailed, or maybe I bailed on them! Then, there's the wondering and worrying, "When will we see our kids, parents, and extended family members, who all live in the "Lower 48?" Whether it was the trip to the cabin and all its memories or the realization that I'm kind of stuck in Alaska for awhile, I thought why not resurrect "Life and Adventures in the Last Frontier" to occupy my mind and free time these days.

The middle of February was the last time we were at the cabin and it was only to shovel the roof.  We found ourselves going there less often over the years. The snowmachines weren't running, fat biking in the cold wasn't much fun, and there was a series of burglaries. Anything that thieves could carry out disappeared including our wood stove. In the end, a weekend at the cabin became more of hassle than fun. 

Enter Covid-19 and social distancing practices and suddenly a cabin on 21 acres has much more appeal. Soon the truck was loaded with a snowblower, brats were in a bag and an extra shovel was thrown in back the truck. We were off to enjoy Easter Sunday.  

Whenever we pull up, I always get this antsy, nervous feeling to see how the cabin has fared in our absence.  I stepped over the plowed berm and instantly my leg dropped, crotch deep into snow.  There was no shortage of snow!  I soon learned if I avoided the old moose track and I stepped lightly I could walk at least 10-15 steps on the hard crust before I fell in again.  While I made my way to the cabin, Bryant took on the arduous task of snowblowing a real path. 

Seeing nothing amiss in the cabin, I proceeded to gather wood for a campfire. This was no small task given the large volume of snow blocking the wood stash and the need to carry it a 100 feet across the fragile crusted surface to the firepit, which is now buried 3 feet down, somewhere?  I guesstimated accurately and hit a rock the first try.  Before too long, I had a hole dug and fire blazing.

In the meantime, Bryant managed to wrestle the blower 3/4 of the way up the drive.  Where at this point, he needed my help to soften the snow in front of it due to increased snow depth and the slight uphill angle of the path.  

While he finished blowing snow himself, I crawled back into the woodshed for another load of wood, cut us some hotdog sticks, and settled in to roasting a brat. Shortly thereafter,
Bryant joined me.

We were probably sitting about five minutes when it started to drizzle. But being good Alaskans, we sat there unfazed and watched the cheddar cheese melt from the brat into the fire. 

Everyday Life . . . .

Pioneer Peak from the top of Bodenburg Butte -
Always a nice hike this time of year!

 Once school starts everything in life seems to flip into overdrive.  I told my neighbor just before school started that the fun Jill is going to soon be replaced by the working, scheduled, busy, and structured Jill.  We try to take advantage of our weekend time and get in some sort of activity, but other than that it often feels more like playing catch-up from the week if there is nothing specific planned. 

Top of Bodenburg Butte



At the end of the Equinox Marathon - a rainy and
slimy trail slowed me down a bit from last year,
but good enough for 1st place in my age group.

Gus's Swim Meet at Bartlett High

At the top of Bingham's hill, looking at the
subdivision on a late fall morning.

Lost Lake Trail . . .



. . . . is no longer on the lost list.  William Edward Hickson says, “If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.”  Well, trying and trying again seemed to work for us.  Twice we brought our bikes down to Seward to bike the Lost Lake Trail and twice we returned with our mission unaccomplished.  I have a pretty clear memory of the bolt on my seat attached to the post breaking about 2/3 of the way up to Lost Lake.  And the next time, the details are unclear, but I know the bikes and us came back home after a weekend in Seward not ever coming close to Lost Lake.

 But we tried again, and I finally got to top of the trail via bike.  This was a trail I backpack on when I first came up here and I remember the weather being horrible as in not being able to see 5 feet in front of myself because the fog was so thick.  So, it was definitely one of those places I was happy to finally revisit and enjoy the spectacular views the area offers. We started from the trailhead closest to Seward and instead of riding all the way down into the steep sections of the Primrose campground, we turned around for "one of the best down hills ever."   

I have many happy and soggy memories of Seward both in the campground and from during the time when we had the boat in the harbor.  So it wasn't surprising at all when our sunny Saturday skies turned drippy over night, but at least we left Seward knowing that we found Lost Lake. 

For a few more pictures of the Lost Lake Trail: 
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/108360286648812110649/albums/6140424956184501457

Southcentral Alaska 2014 Summer Hikes

In the Summer of 2014, I accumulated some miles on the trail.  Some of them were spent hiking, some running, and others feeling like I was dying from exhaustion.  All the hikes were day trips that I was able to do from the house.

Bird Ridge is just south of Anchorage.  It is a short, but steep climb from Turnagain Arm up to 3,505 ft.  I was easily able to convince our visitors that it was a great hike to do before bringing them to the ferry in Whittier.  We were fortunate to have a dry conditions and get some great views of the Chugach Range and Turnagain Arm. 

Hiking up the last section of Bird Ridge

 Matanuska Peak: - Every time I leave the house I can see the 6,1119 ft. Matanuska Peak, but until July 15, 2014 I had never made it to the tip, top! My usual running partner convinced me that not only should we climb Matanuska Peak but we should do so via way of Lazy Mountain, which is the Annual Matanuska Challenge Course. I've always had a healthy respect of the athletes who run this race, and now having completed the course, I am even more impressed by their times.

Matansuka Peak - 6,119 feet

There is over 9,000 feet of elevation change in each direction on 14 miles of trail.  Near the top of Matanuska Peak it is a bolder scramble and there are some smaller sections of scree, but mostly it is the steepness and the constant up or down that beats up on the body by the end of the day.  By the end of the day, I felt I had accomplished something!

Flattop Mountain: On the hillside of Anchorage is the most summited peak in Alaska, Flattop Mountain, which is accessed by the Glen Alps parking lot. I brought Autumn and a friend up Flattop the first year I lived in Anchorage, but hadn't returned again until I picked up one of our visitors from the airport.

Top of Flattop looking toward Anchorage

When I asked if he'd rather stroll around downtown until Bryant got off work or go climb a mountain, he picked climbing a mountain, and I didn't complain. The hike takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours round trip.  There is a bit of scrambling at the top that made me too nervous to bring the boys on it when we were young and lived in Anchorage.  And seeing that it is such a busy trailhead, I never saw any reason to go back again until that day.  There were thin high clouds and visibility wasn't that great, but it was fun to get on top of that famous peak once again.  What I didn't realize when I took the picture up the valley is that Powerline Pass would end up on my agenda a few weeks later.  Maybe the hike up Flattop replanted that trail idea in my mind. 

Top of Flattop Mountain looking up Powerline Pass

Powerline Pass - Glen Alps to Indian:  There are also less popular trails that leave the parking lot and we decided that to do just that.  Powerline Pass is a trail along a set of electrical wires that head from the Anchorage side through a valley and end up on the Turnagain Arm side in the small town of Indian. To the pass, the trail is wide, easy to follow, and affords great views of the city of Anchorage down below.  Most people turn around here and now I know why. 

The Indian side is steep and overgrown with alders.  That isn't so bad with hiking/running but I'm glad Bryant and I never followed through with any ideas of biking this same route.  Down wouldn't be much fun at all on a bike and coming back up I suspect would be a hike and bike for almost anyone. 

Powerline Pass - Looking down the Indian Side at Turnagain Arm

When we reached Indian, we had a snack at the Barbeque Pit and then headed back to Glen Alps.  It was an almost marathon day at 25.4 miles and 5,500 feet of elevation round trip.  Neither Kari or I thought it mattered that we didn't reach the magic 26.2 marathon number.  We'd had a fun and fulfilling day. 

 

Bold Ridge Trail - Eklutna Lake:   Through the month of July and early August it became a weekly event for my running partner, Kari, and I to conquer the different trails in our area.  On all the trails we'd done so far there were sections that were runnable, but the steep sections we would hike. Bold Ridge Trail is a nice combination.  The first and last five miles are an easy trail that runs alongside Eklutna Lake.  Then the trails heads up and then down the mountain ridgeline.  

View of Eklutna Lake from the Bold Ridge Trail

We just kept following the trail and ridgeline until we couldn't go any further.  As we moved closer to Bold Peak, we scared quite a few Dall Sheep and they looped away ahead of us around the next bend in the trail. After 3.5 miles the uphill trail stops. Experienced climbers carrying loads of gear may choose to go beyond our turning point and conquer the actual peak. Even if we had gear we couldn't have gone further, because clouds moved back and forth over the top of Bold Peak.  It was also good we didn't dilly dally any longer than necessary because the raindrops chased us back to the parking lot the last 2 miles. 

Johnson Pass:  Johnson Pass is the perfect long running trail.  It is 23.5 miles long, but there isn't much elevation gain and the entire trail is runnable(or bikeable). The problem is that the trail either requires driving 2 vehicles down and running a shuttle between trailheads, or an extra long day of round trip running back to the car.  Neither situation appealed to us, so Johnson Pass remained on the "would like to do list."

When Bryant started talking about heading to Seward for the weekend one Friday after work,  running the Johnson Pass Trail popped into my mind.  Luckily Kari was willing and available to run.  She drove us down to the south end of the trail and we spent all day running to the other side.  At the top of the pass are several lakes with good spots for a lunch or camping if someone were backpacking.  The cow parsnip along the trail can get pretty thick and high in places, but we were fortunate enough to have arrived only a few days after the Forest Service had cleared it away from the trail.  Everything was smooth sailing for us.  Along the way we came across tons of blueberries and salmonberries.  We gratefully grazed upon them talking loudly to keep the bears from invading our find of berries. 

It wasn't long before we made it to the other side and we were waiting patiently with the little biting flies for Bryant to pick us up.  Running Johnson Pass is now on the "done list."

Summit Lake Hatcher's Pass:  I was able to convince Wyatt and one of his friends to join me on a short day hike in Hatcher's Pass. 

At the very top of Hatcher's pass is the Summit Lake parking lot.  There is a short, steep and beautiful trail that wraps halfway around the ridgeline above the lake.  From the top are great sweeping views of Pioneer Peak, Palmer, Wasilla and down the Knik Arm.  We explored a little beyond the top of the ridgeline peak where the trail is a little less defined and eventually petered out completely,  Maybe next summer I'll go back and explore the connecting ridgeline to Government Peak.

For more pictures from Alaska Summer of 2014 Hikes:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/108360286648812110649/albums/6139704843905819649

20 Years Later - McCarthy and Kennicott

I hadn't been to the McCarthy/Kennicott area in 20 years and Bryant had never been there, so we figured it was a good long weekend adventure to take our friends who were visiting us. Right after Bryant got off work, we headed to the Klutina River just south of Glennallen for the first night.  We had hoped to have some luck at red fishing, but none were to be found that evening by us or anyone.  At one point, we debated not even going further east as the weather forecast was not very promising and the rain seemed to be on an on/off cycle for the past 12 hours, but we all lacked another plan so we continued on. 

Beware!  2 - 3 hours of Gravel Ahead!

After enjoying some short hikes around the Wrangell St. Elias Visitors Center, we bounced along the 60 miles of gravel road capturing some great scenery along the way. 

Chitna River

 We arrived that evening and set up camp close to the Kennicott River.  I was surprised to see how beautiful the Root Glacier looked up in the valley, because that particular scene never stuck in my memory.  I guess it is a reminder why some places need be visited more than once to appreciate what they have to offer. 

The new bridge across the Kennicott River

The hand tram cable car over the Kennicott River was replaced by a user friendly bridge for pedestrian and bike traffic, which was a much needed improvement as the campgrounds on the east side of the river have exploded compared to 20 years ago.  The little town of McCarthy is less than a mile from the campground, but tourists are not able to drive vehicles past the campground even through there is a service road for the National Park Service and locals 1/2 mile south of the main camping area.  We didn't mind not being able to drive because we all had bikes.  The first evening we made our way into McCarthy and enjoyed appetizers at the only restaurant in town.    



Kennicott Copper Mines

The next day we biked up toward the Kennicott Mine, which is on a gravel road 5 miles north of McCarthy.  The National Park Service has also done some renovations with the old copper mine buildings.   Past the town of Kennicott (if you can call it a town!) is the Root Glacier Trail and it is a great trail to either bike, run, or walk on. We had to dodge a few raindrops early in the day, but the afternoon was better than expected.  The gradual bike ride back down into McCarthy is a lot of fun!

Root Glacier Trail

That evening I was able to scrounge up some firewood and we all just hung around camp talking and eating.  It turned out to be a fun weekend.  Now along with my old memories, I have new memories from the area.  For more pictures of our trip to McCarthy and Kennicott: 

https://plus.google.com/photos/108360286648812110649/albums/6139664785078559265?authkey=CIbhwpeb7IanIw

Kesugi Ridge Overnight

On the 4th of July, we had the pleasure of camping out and enjoying the great view of the continent's largest mountain, Denali or Mt. McKinley as many insist on still calling "the great one."

We had friends coming to see us for a couple of weeks in July.  One was arriving a few days earlier than the other and had hoped to make a quick trip to Denali National Park. The park itself is 4 hours from where we live and once one arrives at the park, even in good weather the mountain is not something you can see from the entrance, but it is a long bus ride into the park, which requires reservations and in the end becomes more than a "quick trip."   It hardly seemed like a trip someone would enjoy having already spent 20 hours traveling from Italy to get to Alaska.  The clear blue skies lent to the decision that a trip to Denali State Park would be a much better place to bring our guest.  

Backpacking 3 miles with 2000 feet of climbing seemed the way to welcome a friend to Alaska., who was looking forward to spending as much time outdoors as possible.  Although Bryant and I had been adventuring together for 12 years, we had never backpacked together.  We each had a history of having backpacked, so it wasn't too surprising that we went into our gear shed and found all the equipment we'd need.  Bryant was even able to produce a water filter that I was quite convinced he didn't have or wouldn't be able to find.  

Within 4 hours of leaving the house we had a tent set up on top of Kesugi Ridge near a little lake with great views of Denali.  

The next day we day hiked beyond our campsite to the ridgeline up above the camp which afforded us beautiful views of the Talkeenta Range opposite of the Alaska Range that Denali is a part of.

Looking East at Talkeetna Range

After returning to camp, we packed up, hiked back to the car, headed to Talkeetna to car camp in town for the night and enjoy a meal in a local restaurant.

Bryant and I at a Denali State Park pull out on the Parks Hwy.

Return from Espana

The reality is I've been home from Spain for 9 months, but I needed to back date my Blog so I remember where we were and what we've been up to.  I'm not sure if it was the hundreds of pictures to sort through with Spain or the busy summer and fall, but either way, I've severely neglected my Blog.  The likely answer for stalling was the fact that I enjoyed our Spain trip so much, it was kind of painful to go through all those pictures.  When a memory of a place is fresh and fun in my mind, the pictures feel disappointing. But as time passes, I can appreciate the travelogue of pictures I accumulated during that time a lot more.  So the questions remains, "What did we do in Spain for 17 days?" 

The short overview is we flew into Barcelona, rented a car, picked several destinations to stay along the way that had great mountain passes to climb with our road bikes and that seemed like interesting cities.  Then we flew out of Madrid.  We explored 5 different cities/towns, traveled 700 miles in a car,  rode 400 miles on a bike, climbed 72,000 feet of elevation on the bike and walked numerous miles on foot exploring the different cities. If you don't want details about the trip, click here and get the picture overview:  https://picasaweb.google.com/108360286648812110649/SpainJune2014

I'd like to add to each place we visited when I have time and energy to regress into memories of the trip, but in case I never get around to it, here are a couple of pictures from each of the different cities.

Barcelona:

Barcelona Cathedral

Bryant and I were on the fast track when it came to the city tour.  We climbed mountains around Barcelona during the early part of the day and later in the afternoon toured all of what we cared to see of Barcelona in the remaining 10 hours.

Local Games in the Park

Narrow Streets

Bike Ride 1 - 29.5 miles, 4.938 feet of climbing
Strava Track:  http://www.strava.com/activities/151398515
We rode a loop in some smaller mountains right near the hostel where we stayed.  Tibidabo is the mountain top where this church is located.  There are also some tourist shops, an amusement park, and great views of the city. 

Temple del Sagrat Cor vist des de la Talaia del Tibidabo

Ride 2 - 58 miles, 10,177 feet of climbing
Strava Track:  http://www.strava.com/activities/151876709/overview
We reached the summit of Turo De l'Home at 5,418 ft. and climbed some pretty steep grades to get there. 

 



Looking down at the Switchbacks of Turo De l'Home 

On the downhill, we then looped around on a ridgeline, swooping into a valley of deciduous trees experiencing "the best downhill ever!" And I think I repeated that phrase for every downhill I was on for the rest of the trip. Somewhere along the way, we enjoyed a huge "El Menu del Dia," which is a three course meal including bread, a beverage, and dessert. It is served daily between noon and three. I came to love and look forward to the big mid-afternoon meals as the trip progressed. 

 

Tarragona:

On route to Tortosa, we stopped off in Tarragona.  It is about 1 1/2 hours south of Barcelona.  Here we toured Roman Ruins from the 1st and 2nd Century including an Amphitheater, praetorium, and one of the best preserved circus complex built by the Emperor Domitian for chariot races. 

Amphitheater

Circus Complex

And there were tunnels in every direction . . . .

Tortosa:

I stayed in a castle; this castle was at the top of a knoll near a river.  It was built by the Moors in the 12th Century and then added on to by the Christians in the 16th Century.  Now the Spanish government owns and manages these historic buildings, Castles, Palaces, Convents, Monasteries, and Fortresses, for tourist hotel accommodations.  Most of them are located in small medieval towns. 

 

Bike Ride 3:  Tortosa to Mont Caro - 32.4 Miles, 7,500 ft. of climbing.
Strava Link: http://www.strava.com/activities/152642931

Driving up to the castle . . .

Looking over the wall . . .

Mont Caro is the highest peak behind the wall.

I'm happy because I just spent the night in
a castle and I didn't climb the mountain yet.

Looking Ahead!

And a couple hours later, we made it!

Castalla:  

Bike Ride 4:  Xorrent de Cati - 11.5 miles, 1,835ft. of climbing

https://www.strava.com/activities/153039854

Castalla is a little town off the
autovia on route to Tabernas

The cycling professionals in the Vuelta a Espana ride up
the Xorret de Cati, a steep short climb right outside town.

We decide to give it a try!

It may have taken a few more minutes
than the elite but we made it to the top!

Tabernas:

Tabernas is a town of about 3500 inhabitants located in the edge of the Tabernas Desert, not a true desert, but one of the only semi-arid region in Europe.  This desert became famous when it was used as the location for filming the Spaghetti Westerns (The Good, Bad, and Ugly, etc.) starring Clint Eastwood.  This area was used by the Italian director of the films because it resembled the landscape of so many westerns that had been filmed in the United States. 

 

Bike Ride 5: Calar Alto Loop - 68 miles, 11,598ft of climbing

Strava Link:  https://www.strava.com/activities/153407768

Strava Link:  https://www.strava.com/activities/153487129

View from the Top

Descent into Bacares for a late lunch followed
by more climbing back up for dessert.

The long downhill ride back into Tabernas

Granada:

Granada is one of those cities that has a little bit of something for everyone. 

The Sierra Nevada's highest peak, Pico Veleta,
looms in the background behind the Alhambra .

Walking the streets of Granada

Bryant thought it was important for us to incorporate this area into our trip so we could ride our bikes up the highest road in Europe and conquer the 11,135ft Pico Veleta.  When we left Monachil, we were sweating to death in our shorts and jerseys but by the time we reached the top, we were both shivering and wishing for more clothes.  It was a cold and shivery ride down.  The coffee, in the gas station around half-way down, never tasted so good. 

 

Bike Ride 6:  Monachil to Pico Veleta, 48 miles, 11,012 feet

Strava Link:   https://www.strava.com/activities/154304142

Looking down the valley  at the little town of Guejar Sierra

 

Sierra Nevada ski hill is on the left

The road is starting to deteriorate and so is Bryant.

Just because one can ride,
does it mean one should? 

It's not much further now!

The last few 50 feet are a hike up!

 Happy to have mission accomplished 11,135 feet high!



Ronda:

Ronda is a real cool historic town with a long history of occupation by various groups who have all left their mark in some way shape or form. 

The new bridge in Ronda

The town is located on a hill, which was great for every bicycle ride leaving town, but coming home each day I dreaded the last 5 miles climbing back into town. 

Surrounding Ronda are small white villages on quiet country roads.  We created several loops through these little towns that went up and down the different mountain tops.

Bike Ride 7:  Rhonda to Grazalema Loop, 65 miles, 9,131 feet of climbing

Strava Link:  https://www.strava.com/activities/155553239

Setenil de las Bodegas

The white village of Montecorto

Bike Ride 8:  Rhonda to Ubrique Loop, 67 miles, 9,255 feet of climbing

Strava Link:  https://www.strava.com/activities/155907316

Ubrique in the distance

The streets in Ubrique



Benaocaz, another white village, nestled in the mountains.

 Bike Ride 9:  Estepona to Los Reales, 26 miles, 7,572 feet of climbing

Strava Link:  https://www.strava.com/activities/156294679

From the Mediterranean Sea

Winding our way up the twisted roads

 



To where the road ends at Los Reales



    After Bike Ride 9, we packed up the bikes the following day and toured more around the town of Rhonda trying to take the entire trip, hardly believing what we were able to accomplish and yet bemoaning the fact that the trip was already over.  Soon we'd be returning to the day to day life in Alaska.

       We didn't have enough time in our trip to visit the city of Madrid and figured we'd leave it to explore on our next trip to Spain.  But on the way to the Madrid airport, we had to stop in Consuegra and take pictures of the windmills that were made famous by the book Don Quixote when it was first published in the 16th Century.  Millers used the windmills to grind grain from the wheat that was harvested in nearby fields.

Consuegra Windmills