Sog-a-licious

We got up earlier than normal, earlier than the sun, to try to get riding before the rain hit. (See photo of the lake - the view from my tent this a.m., after I took off my headlamp.)

We were riding by 6:15, the earliest I've ever ridden for TRAM, and we still were some of the last riders to leave camp. The rain started 10 minutes later. The rain was still light by the time I hit the first of the many churches that served as rest stops today (I declined the coffee, cinnamon rolls, and scrambled eggs, tried taking a selfie, and got some help.)

At 7:40, I thought the reasonable rain hitting my jacket sounded like rain on the tin roof of the old family cabin, and thought cocoa would be yummy. By 7:50, it was pretty torrential, and sounded like it. The rest stop #2 volunteers offered homemade brownies. When the rain slowed, we headed out into a pretty windy storm. We mostly had a tailwind, but the sidewinds and headwinds were crazy.

Rest stop #3 featured scalding hot church lady coffee, homemade cookies, and a boatload of adults who apparently do not know how to throw away their cups. My parents taught me better, and would have been proud of my cleanup skills.

Rest stop number four, also at a church, was where we learned that rest stop #5 would be the last stop of the day, due to a washout on the trail leading into Mankato. (See photo of Deb as we waited for the van to take is and our bikes to Mankato.)

I am warmed up from the hot tub at the hotel I impromptually (I know) booked the other night. I think it was a good decision, especially seeing the sodden grass at the camping area and the rain outside.