Butterfield Double Century, 2-18-06

February 18, 2006--The weather reports were looking a little ominous the day for this year's Butterfield Double Century: forecasters were calling for scattered showers most of the day, as well as colder temperatures brought on by an advancing low pressure system from the north. Not the all-out storming that turned last year's Butterfield DC into the "Butterflood," but enough to be worried about.

Ride day dawned with a mix of clear sky and clouds, but the skies started looking darker, and about half an hour into the ride the rain did come down, but only for a while. The rest of the day saw us riding on a lot of wet roads that showed that rain had been coming down, but we stayed dry--and cold.

In preparation for the upcoming Big Fix cross-country ride, Mojo Cosgrove and Campy Only's Eric Norris took to the course on our fixed-gear bicycles, joined by another fixed gear rider, Tustin-based Calvin (who ended up smoking us by an hour ...) Despite the ride's 8,500 (official) feet of climbing, we turned in sub-14-hour times for the ride, finishing ahead of many "gearly" riders on so-called "regular" bikes ...

Day before, and the streets were wet	Raindrops. Would they come back on ride day?	Ride day: Checking in	Mojo signs in	Getting ready for the 6:15 a.m. start
		Lots of rain gear and jackets in the paceline	First ride photo--heading for Santiago Canyon
On Villa Park		Looking back at the paceline	First big downhill
Rest Stop 1, Trabuco Canyon	Wet weather had been here not long before		Climbing out of Trabuco Canyon	Bright skies ahead!
Saddleback Mountain had a light dusting of snow at the summit		On Pacific Coast Highway		This way to Surf Beach ...
Looking toward Camp Pendleton	San Onofre nuclear power station. (It's pronounced NU-clee-ar)		Rest Stop 2, south of San Onofre	Calvin, looking good. He powered through the ride--it wasn't long after this that we lost sight of him
Gotta get food!	Campy Only's Quickbeam, with baggage	Mojo grimaces--he was having stomach problems		On I-5, heading for Oceanside
Freeway riding isn't really that bad.	Bike path on the San Luis Rey River	Lunch Stop		Big puffy clouds got a little darker later on, but never unloaded on us
	Mud and wet pavement		View of San Diego's back country
		Avocados ...	... and citrus	Rest Stop 4
	Two Quickbeam fixies	Riding down Grand Avenue in Lake Elsinore	Clouds over the hills
	Last shots of the day. We finished after dark

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