DAY 2 OF THE RIDE, 18 June 2008

Dear folks:
I'll start by saying right off that this was without question the hardest physical challenge I have ever done in my 56 years!

We knew that today was to be the toughest of the whole 60 days, and it didn't disappoint. We started at 8.00am from Marblemount, and after a nice fast, gentle run of 9 or 10 miles to a village called New Halem, we started to climb, and basically we did that for the next 45 miles, with several awful descents back almost to the height we started from (140 feet) - awful because we were throwing away all the height we had so laboriously gained. There was also a very stiff breeze which sometimes helped, sometimes hindered as we jinked and turned.

We climbed two passes, Rainy Pass at about 4500 feet, the other, Washington Pass, at 5744 feet. Alltogether, according to the guys with GPS and altimeters, we climbed 7490 vertical feet, or the equivalent of up Slieve Donard on bikes twice, and then halfway up a third time.

It was tough in the extreme, but everyone of us did it. I rode with my nephew Tim all day, until the last ten miles, when I saw that if we kept to the proper route I would make my first-ever century - 100+ miles in one day. So Emma's friend Paul and I rode together for the last ten, and came in at 101.40 miles. My average, if you like stats, was 13.2.

We are all whacked - some more than others, and everyone has headed to bed just after 8.30. Hosts tonight were Twisp Baptist Church - lovely wee country town, but Pastor John seemed fairly cautious. Nice people - spaghetti dinner + good cake and brownies.

Can't write any more. Thanks again for all your support and your prayers.