Day One: 117 Degrees!

By Emily McKhann

What a first day!!  A few of the highlights:

Distance: With nearly 24 hours under their belt, the Cycling for Cameron team has travelled 475 miles and is ahead of schedule.

Landmark: Stewart did the big ride down the "Glass Elevator" toward Borrego Springs - a 4,000 ft ride downhill for more than 15 minutes. RAAM describes the Glass Elevator:

The Heat! Is an extreme 117 degrees F (47 degress C). Andy reports that it got so hot biking yesterday that his contact lenses dried up and fell out.

The Desert Oasis: The Bull Shifters Bicycling Club welcomed the riders with a time station that offered a very welcome cool down with showers and dipping pools.

Betty Lou. The team feels like rock stars traveling in "Betty Lou"

The sprinter vans (generously donated by AVIS) are incredibly well kitted out by the crew with drinks, sandwiches, fresh fruits, nuts, dried fruits and assorted power bars. The crew is doing AMAZING work organizing, navigating, driving, feeding and fueling everyone!

The sun rose at 445am in Vicksburg, CA and the team was welcomed by incredible desert scenery.

Today's Big Climb:  The Cycling for Cameron team is on their way to the Arizona Plateau and will go through Prescott National Forests to Iron Springs. They'll travel 1100 feet in 6 miles, which the route map describes: "with more than 130 feet per mile this is the most difficult climbing west of Maryland. Really!"


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