Scottsdale

El Presidente and I picked up the rental car from the VIP lot and headed north to Scottsdale for a stay in one of those Exclusive Resorts vacation property pool type things. Very nice. Built our ti S&S coupled bikes, hit a bike shop, had a great dinner, and solved ours/the worlds problems over a few glasses of wine/pale ales. Life is pretty good lately. At times it's good enough that you wonder how it all happened that way.

An interesting suggestion came up, one I had never thought of before... that I should move to Canmore and just keep a one bedroom in Calgary. The 5 minute spiel made a lot of sense - biking, skiing, mountains - it's so Bakke... and clearly the commute from Canmore is better than the commute from Whistler.  Hmm...

Thursday morning we woke to a beautiful house.

Nice view.

Breakfast on the patio from a great yuppie grocery store where everything in the store was already pre-selected to appeal to our demographic.

15lb Seven and a 25lb Dean ready for a 100k ride.  Had to get skewers last night as mine are on my toolbox.  Also we had to share bottle cages and use pockets as there was a packing slip up there.  All's well that ends well.

On the way out to Bartlett Dam.  No cars, just 25C and smooth pavement.  We started at 7am.

Bartlett Dam lake, cool and refreshing. 

OK, so by the time the 4.5 hours was up (few rest stops, probably 4h riding), it was 98F at the house.  Drank a lot during the ride, carried three bottles and did a fill stop, but we were still cooked.  I felt like death, reminiscent of TransPortugal and La Ruta heat.  Holy cow.  Got into the shower with my clothes on, could taste the salt rinsing off my face.  Recovered, did some internet, going for lunch and have massages booked.  4h nonstop smooth road ride pedalling is exactly what I need more of, a week of that might make me feel like a bike rider.