OUR FIRST RIDE TO THE HONEY RUN COVERED BRIDGE*

 This was our first official ride out to the Honey run covered bridge.   We were not dressed to impress and it was cold.

We had a lot harder time riding the bikes back then and we were going a lot slower.  Our averaged speed back then was between 8 and 12.  Now it's between 14 and 16.   I tend to be the speed demon, 14 and 16 are my normal cruising speed, however now I can crank it up to 16 to 18.  But I don't want to leave hubby behind.

This is looking back toward were we are standing above.   I call this lizard way. Their hundreds of them.

Honey Run River.
Apparently this river is off limits to fishing.  While we were up their some guy got ticketed, or he didn't have the proper licence.  Don't really now, but he seemed really upset.

 Here we are posing with the Sign.  We made it.  Who knew we would eventually make it all the way to Paradise.

And Lot's of Lizards.

The the Covered Bridge, Beautiful.

Ask another to take our picture so we could stand together.

32 MILES KEEFER ROAD LOOP *

Keefer Road Loop today which in it self is only 12 miles, but we don't drive to it we ride to it so it makes it a tad bit longer.  32.67 miles longer.
We stopped at Horse Shoe lake, which now actually looks like a lake, rather than a puddle.   Lot's of bird and lot's of wild flowers.  It was nice and cool great riding weather.

  Look back up at Monkey Face Trail and getting ready to take off. 

 11.67 miles into the ride and eating the first of our Cliff Bars and topping off our water.

This is the small eatery we use as a rest stop, and in the summer those shades come in really handy.











Taking off down Cohasset and headed toward Keefer turn off.  Very beautiful area.

MUDD CREEK  with a barn in the back ground.  Got treated to seeing a little ground squirrel running though the grass out to a stump.  So cute.   But didn't see any Jack Rabbits.  The grass is taller so they can hide.   

The lava rock formations out here are really interesting.   

Yeah I know this is a really bad shot. But that's the hill going up and it's brutal.   We did it, and I was tired, but not like the first time we tried it.   We were heaving and so out of breath my lungs hurt.  So this time was a lot easier.     We have been climbing smaller hills, so that helped.   I usually can stand up on the bike while peddling and rock the bike back and forth to help peddling up hill, but I could only do that for a short while, then I had to sit down and lower the gear down.  

 KEEFER ROAD.   
Maybe not a big deal for all the cyclist who it's as easy as cake.  But it is a big deal for us.  Don't really like the fact that the turn is on a blind corner, make is kind of scary, because cars whip around their.  After the turn it's smooth sailing, it down hill for quite awhile.  If we don't put the breaks on a little bit we can reach speeds of 35 miles an hour, no thank you their a lot of sharp curves.    We only reached 25 miles an hour.   

 Poppies along the way. 

 Turning on Hicks Lane and headed to our next break stop at my mother in-laws Christine's home.  It's really amazes me how just taking a 10 minute break can recharge you. 

 Getting buzzed by a plane.  It was a lot lower in person.   You can see Chris moving along at the bottom of the picture.  

The road home.   From here it was 6 miles home.  

 Calories Burned

Total miles. 

51 MILES *

Let me add a lot of my post are going be our past adventures mixed in with some new ones.  

This is what 51 miles looks like.  We've got that crazed look.    

That was a really good day, we were not planing on doing 51 miles at all it just happened.







At the half way mark, we had Salmon and Avocado... nom nom nom.   We also had cliff bars and lot's of water.    Got to keep hydrated.

THE RIDE TO PARADISE. WHEW! *

This was about a year ago.  We rode to Paradise California up the back road.  The whole ride is 32 miles, but it's the 5.4 miles up hill, back and fourth and back and fourth and did I mention back and fourth that was really hard.     Yes we did walk up the very steep parts, and then cycled on the lowest gear on less steep parts.   

This is me contemplating my life.  We're at the half way point and yes we were tired.   We took a lot of breaks,  5 miles up hill was gruling.   We had more than several cyclist pass up like it was a cake walk.  And one kind gentleman offer us more water. Opp's we ran out.

It's really quite beautiful ride.  Lot's of birds and we learned something new.  When lizards run across the rode they hold their tails really high. I did not know this and almost crashed I was laughing so hard.

Look back from where we came.

Looking ahead.   This is not just the beginning, it gets way steeper.

Taking a much needed break.  Our heart were pounding and we were out of breath.  But resting really helped.  The mosquitoes didn't help.

Were Back in Civilization!!!!   Coming around the last bend in the road huffing and puffing to see a home nestled in the woods we did a happy dance.  I had to take a picture of the Road sign in Paradise to prove that we actually did it.

    Taking a break.  And yes that is a huge exhaust pipe.   We were exhausted.  Let me tell you when your that tired and hungery a cliff bar taste like a flaming mignon.                                                                    












The refreshed picture.                               

 And now for the zombie picture. This is us just making it up there.  We were both death warmed over with a slice of insanity. 

4 hours
At this time we did not own our bike speedometers.  So I'm going to guess about 2000 calories or more.

(This was before we knew about Neal Rd.)
And Yeah on the way back down Chris has a slow leak in his front tire.  We must have been doing at least 21 miles an hour down hill.   And on this road you can not make a mistake, if you go over the edge that it your gone, it goes right down to the valley.   So here I am going around each corner OMG OMG OMG  thinking shit I'm going to watch my hubby launch him self over the side, because of his slow leek.    Amazingly the leek lasted all the way home.   WHEW!    And when he stopped the bike at the front door it went flat as a pancake.   We both laughed out loud out of shock that it lasted all the way until we got home.  WOW! That's all I can say.  

Later on we learned that their is a better and safer way to go back home.    But that's for next time.