Tour de Cashiers

Some days it’s better just to stay in bed. It’s a shame we seldom recognize which are ‘stay in bed’ days and which are not until we’re half-way into a ride. Halfway into the Tour de Cashiers metric, with the rain coming down in buckets, both Raquel and I realize we are feverishly ill (hopefully nothing related to Mexican pigs or Asian birds). We both made the best of it and did what we could.

The highlight of the ride for me was the second big climb. It’s a steep ascent with a series of demoralizing switchbacks and false summits and a teeth-clenching descent on the backside made even more epic in the pouring rain; our wet brakes only promising to slow a crash down to a sub-fatal speed, and our wet tires hinting at a little bit of traction.

The highlight of the ride for Raquel was taking off cold wet clothes and putting on dry warm clothes (and that’s all she has to say about the ride).

Two days later we are still recovering from both the ride and this croupy mess infecting our lungs. I look forward to doing this ride again next year…in better health of course.

Jack