LOL-RIDE #16 Parks Challenge- 57 degrees,13 LOL all set to ride in the rain. Clouds started to part, sunbeams came out, raingear taken off, but not left behind, brownies, carefully stashed in car, we took off. Once onto the Parks the group spread out into mini groups.. It was a great ride up the Parks with that good old spectacular Alaska scenery to make you appreciate living in such an amazing area. Helps when it isn’t raining too.
AB flatted somewhere early on and had LOL assistance. Still had fun, right? Did you hear the sandhill crane flying overhead?
12.3 ? miles to the top. It was gorgeous. (Note to the LOL who rode last year, our buddy was NOT there with offers of using his car to warm up. He was strange.)
Everyone selected an ear band or neck gaiter which came in handy on the descent. Some even changed out of their sweaty one for a new dry one.
Several groups decided to take the Old Nenana back. This added 5 miles to their ride, giving the rest of us a chance to get back before them and get to those brownies. Old Nenana group reported no traffic to only a couple cars in the opposite direction. That’s the way it should be, right? Those of us who chose the Park descent encountered SOME traffic, but not bad really. I was the last to leave the monument, but not the last to return. Amazing how much of my return ride had thoughts of brownies, and all the LOL eating them before I got back. To our delight most of the Parks crew returned ahead of the Old Nenana crew having first dibs on the brownies. Most riders beat the misty rain, some had a 10min. ride in the mist, and one had approx.. 20 of moisture, and there was a brownie waiting for her.
Parks route= 24.4m Parks+Old Nenana= 28.5 Parks+Old Nenana+Goldhill=30m