41.02 MILES OF AWESOMENESS AT LASSEN!

7-25-2019 
OMG This ride was absolutely phenomenal.  The weather was perfect!  The scenery and flowers were so beautiful and the weather was perfect!    Finally after missing so many rides I get to enjoy this beautiful ride.

I can't thank Paula Sun enough for letting me be part of this amazing ride.  And Jenni for helping make it possible.  

This is by far the biggest climb I've ever done. The elevation at the parking lot I stopped at is 4600 feet.   Wholly molly. 












                                           
   At the meet up spot.
Lot's of people and friendly face.  Were all ready to roll.                                             












You could say I took a lot of water.






















 Off we go.   And yes I got dropped like a hot rock.   But that's ok.   

I really got a kick of the tiny chipmunks running across the road, so tiny and so so cute. There were also tons of butterflies and bumble bees.   And fricken nats.  Which I used my handkerchief to swat away, very effective in bug removal.

Up up and did I mention up we go.

 See the waterfall.

 Riding past the Gate keeper.  The group had a lot of seasonal passes, so we all got in for free.  Thank you to the people for letting us in. 

 Bwahahaha Passing everyone at the regroup area.  

Up and up.

I loved the color in the rock below.  so beautiful with all the yellow flowers. The smell of the flowers was so fragrant. 

Well yeah.  As I was riding up my water bottle fell out and rolled in a fast arc right over the embankment to the bottom.
(.........)  I'm a litter bug.   OMG there is no way I can get it.  So I decided if I accidentally left trash I would find some other trash and take it with me. 

Looking back at were we came from.

 Looking back down at the visitor center.   I'm on the other side now.

 Well right about here is where my vision started to go funky.  This is getting to 7000 feet.
I was seeing a kaleidoscope effect in both my eyes, super annoying.  I was not dizzy.  I was like if I'm dizzy stop and wait for the group (period)!  Well I was not dizzy so I kept going.

 Taking a break and trying to figure out my eye problem.  Well after I stopped for a while it went away complete. Problem solved.




















Saying hi to Jane and her husband on there way up.

 The snow get so deep that it breaks the trees.  Lot's of trees in splinters and missing lot's of limbs.

 Taking another break.  The rode is just below the snow on the mountain.  That is were I'm headed.

       Waterfalls were all over the place.

 Look back down were I came from.

 Some were down there is the spot I took the break at.

 Taking another break.

 Leaving Emerald lake and up up up.

 This is not Emerald lake.  I believe is Ridge Lake. 

 So yeah 8500 feet to the Summit Parking lot.  
Well I got kind of confused and saw half the group already descending.   I was suppose to keep riding down over the summit another 5 miles to Diamond Lake to regroup with the rest of the riders.   I turned around and went all the way back to the parking lot were we met up. Opps.  When I realized my mistake I was really bummed.

Then I decided why don't I just ride back up to the Visitors Center.  But this time I took my time and stopped and enjoyed the flowers and stop to gander at things.  So it worked out.

All so this is the longest decent I've ever made my feet and hand were so sore.   

                                                   Back to the Visitor Center I go.

 The Butterflies were all over the place and so beautiful.

And there was also a lot of smushed ones.  So here is what the orange     one's look like close up.
                                                                                   

Tiger lilies.

Well here the trash I was looking for. Folded it up and took it.

 Well hello!

 Hey look who at the Visitor Center.  They were waiting for the rest of the group.

 Miranda stop by to give her hugs.

 Here the two last cyclist.

 And there they go.

 Going back to the parking lot.