Here are two of Mom's new friends, Joanna (her roommate and a triathlete) and Tom (from CA). They've all been riding together every day, as they're so well matched in style and speed. Wednesday's ride wound up in Wickenburg, AZ after a hot and windy day. On crossing their first state line everyone sprinkled some CA sand for good luck! They'll do this at each state line, and once they finally reach Boston the remainder will be mixed with a bit of Atlantic sand for a memento. Mom's mileage today was 101, about 20 miles less than planned due to fresh tar and oil on the road. Some of the riders passed through before it was laid; others weren't so lucky and had some damage to their bikes. Mom opted to ride in the van for this portion.

Today, enroute to Prescott, she climbed her first mountain! This was the day Mom had been fearing most, but she's "ecstatically happy" because she completed it with no problems. The route was 60 miles with lots of switchbacks. One of the ride staffers was waiting at the top, yodeling to everyone below! Mom kept thinking there was no way she'd make it all the way up there, but of course she did, at a slow but steady 6-9 mph. Tears of joy apparently followed. The downhill portion allowed her to go zipping along at up to 31 mph with some brake tapping. "It was wild!" She says "thank you" to everyone who gave her all the great advice on climbing the mountains!