Man, did it rain last night, incredible! It started at about 6 and went until 11. The tent got up JUST in time and except for my feet, it stayed dry.

The road today was beautiful. All of it. Going up to [the] Hope Saddle was terrific. There is lots of fruit here. I finally saw Kiwi trees.

[Climbing up to the Hope Saddle was quite a bit more than terrific, it was HARD. But it was one of those fantastic climbs where you feel on, it's warm, the road is gorgeous and you are able to maintain a good effort the whole way. And the view south from the top (see pic) was totally rewarding. The road would twist and turn all OVER the place and I didn't know I was at the top until I was practically there.]

Training Diary Comments: Drizzle, then warm. 7:15. I felt better today than when I started yesterday. Tired,but OK.

looking south from Hope Saddle

goat