Today was filled with beautiful scenary, difficult climbs and exhilarating downhills. The weather was a bit cool, but there was no rain on the horizon and we faced neutral winds. Riding with mostly sun, we couldn't help but note the many fields of goldenrod alongside the roads (as in NY). And the views were spectacular. We spent much of our morning climbing, with some mountain inclines so steep that, at times, we would pedal for about 20 minutes going only a few miles per hour. Then mid-morning, the ride seemed to even out a bit, with many portions filled with long stretches of winding, curving downhills at speeds between 30-40 mph. As Matt and I talked later, we would literally be dripping sweat going uphill and then be freezing going down. After one particularly difficult climb, we actually asked Oma and Julie to take our spots on the bikes for a bit. Willing to help in any way possible, they donned our biking equipment and were ready to ride, only to find out that their feet could not reach the pedals on our bikes.
It is difficult in a few words to describe the beauty of the landscape or the fun of riding down some of these hills. To try to give a sense of the landscape and ride, we've attached a couple video segments below.