hubby had to work OT.... so i was on my own for a ride.... took off later than i wanted to (6:21).... and knew i was going to head "up the hill" into the national park to get some hill riding in before next weekend....

when i was climbing the hill to the entrance kiosk... i was thinking to myself that i wasn't going to make it all the way to jumbo rocks (campground) or that it was going to take me a long time to get there.... but then somewhere along the way... my legs woke up and i felt much better! i got to jumbo rocks and decided to keep going... (it's rollers once you get to jumbo... at least for a while)..... well then i got to ryan (another usual turn around point) and decided to go just a little further... perhaps key's view turn off.... well i got there and turned.... so i'm thinking... hmmmmmm i should climb to key's view (highest point in the park)..... so i keep going..... then i realized i probably didn't have enough water to make it back out of the park... uh oh! but then.... it's mostly downhill... i should be ok! so i climb and climb to the top! now my brave/stupid comment comes from not having an cell phone signal in the part EXCEPT at the very top of key's view.... nothing else the whole way til i hit the kiosk/entrance again..... i had called and left a message for hubby that i was going into the park.. but he would have had no idea i would have gone up to key's view on my own! i did call from KV and told him "guess where i am!"

i did run out of water just before getting back to the entrance.... i had told hubby i would call him if i did (he had gotten off work just before i called from KV).... well DUH... remember i said no cell phone service! fortunately the ranger at the gate had water for me... plus.... as i was descending the hill from the gate on my way home... hubby was on his way to bring me water (awwwwwwwwwww)

so note to self: don't leave or deviate to a long ride in the desert in the summer without plenty of water or a camelback!

i ended up with 55.6 miles and 4226 feet of climbing!