Tour of the Southern Sierra Cascade Route

Our tour in the mountains of Southern California, which follows the southern most portion of the Adventure Cyclist Association's Sierra Cascade Tour route, had its share of unexpected turns. You'll have to see my photo journal for all the details. In short, there were hard days, sickness, departures and reunions. I will say that this tour is not for the 'faint of heart' or 'weak of leg' since it is a mountainous terrain with nearly 100 feet of elevation gain, overall, for every mile ridden, and a number of days that exceeded the average. In cycling jargon, it's a real "Mountain Goat". For most weekend cyclist, a "Mountain Goat" ride would be considered hard on a lightweight roadbike and here we were, carrying nearly 50 pounds of gear riding heavy touring bikes. We certainly had bitten off more than we could chew. We started the tour in San Diego on April 10th, and ended 25 days later after 781 miles and 63,875 feet of climbing. There were a number of expected turns and it was difficult, but in the end, I cherish and treasure the opportunity to do this tour, and to see and experience the mountains of Southern California as I have never before. Below are some favorite pictures from the tour. Click on the link at the bottom of this post to see the complete photo journal in PICASA.

From Southern Sierra Cascade Tour