Time for the "epic" ride

Today was Zach's last full day in Tucson. With the warming weather and the strong sun, we decided to make the most of it. We chose to ride the shootout route with some extra miles tacked on at various points. After climbing up Mission Rd., we took our first detour: Octillio Ranch Rd. It's a nice off-shoot, through a collection of homes. Much of the conversation pertained to good building practices and where we'd build our water reservoirs if we lived there. Insulate those basement walls people! The view from the top of Mission was down into the valley, where fog still hung in the air. Next detour was up Maggee Ranch Rd. It climbs roughly 1300' from Mission right up to the mountain range on the west side of the valley. At the top there was a bunch of open cattle range. We passed a sign that read, "No Mad Cows Here, Only Happy Cows". Unfortunately, the picture didn't come out, but I'll be back with my camera to snap a better picture sometime. We then proceeded to Madera Canyon. It was a rough climb capped by snow. The road was barricaded about a mile from the top. Zach and I rode through the barricades but didn't make it to far before the road was truly impassable. After a chilling ride down, a brisk pace to the gas station, and some refueling, we climbed back up Helmet Peak to Mission Rd. Zach let me pull most of the way, and I was able to develop a good rhythm. After that it was all downhill to home. Total Ride Time: 7:16; Distance: 120mi; Cal: 4500. A good ride, but man, were we sore.