California Love.

After two days of riding there are a few things I can say with certainty about California. The west coast is much colder than you may assume, their "hills" are much more like mountains, and it has some of the most beautiful scenery. Today we road 2,800 ft in elevation with a 67 mile day over all, and with two days under our belt, we are nearing the 150 mile mark. About half way into the days ride we got caught in the rain and couldn't seem to escape it all day. Of course, the 50 degree weather didn't help much either. I feel good so far, but the next two days will be the test. Wednesday we take on the most infamous day on the Journey of Hope: Kirkwood. It's a 95 mile day, 70 of which are continuously up a mountainside. We will be going from 75-4,800 ft. It's going to be tough but I'm sure very rewarding. I never really knew just how amazing the California country side is, but today I was completely in awe. Staring at gorges and rivers cutting through the side of mountains are a great way to avoid burning legs. We eventually made it out of the "hills" and coasted into Sacramento. We were greated at the state Capitol before heading to a friendship visit/sweet concert. So far this has all been a great experience. I can't wait to see what's in store. I'll do my best to post more frequently, but until next time, stay cool. -J.P.