Christmas Eve Double Climb

Odessa and I departed at sunrise for a full day of climbing. It was a warm winter day and we ascended Chalk Hill with ease, barely noticing the second hill. As we turned onto Alexander Valley Road, we passed Kimberly Fant (a local professional road cyclist). We kept up a fast pace as we climbed Pine Flat. The scenery was beautiful and green from the recent rains. We arrived at the flats (enchanted forest) in record time and took a well deserved break to stretch, hydrate, and Gu. We raced down the mountain towards Jimtown for an early lunch. After eating sandwiches and a bag of spiced nuts, we refilled our water bottles and headed back to Pine Flat. It was deja vu (all over again) as we climbed that monster a second time. We were so high on endorphins when we arrived back at the enchanted forest. With the sun out in full force, our final descent was scenic and warm. We rode back towards Santa Rosa via Chalk Hill, climbing the opposite direction effortlessly. It was a magnificent day to cycle in Sonoma County (no flat tires and no rain). Our ride covered 76 miles and 5,100 feet of climbing. Wahoo!

Today's Climbing Elevations
http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/chalk_hill_rd.HTM
http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/pine_flat_rd.HTM