This morning I am packing up my gear and preparing to leave Hilo for Volcano National Park.  The ride is around 30 miles and takes me up to over 4,000 feet.  I’m looking forward to getting on the road.

Graham, Mark, Jim Waimea to Hilo reindeers

TEX Coffee Stop

One of the many country style bridges

(click on photos to enlarge)

Graham, Mark and Jim left Waimea with me on Christmas Eve around 7:30 AM.  The weather in the morning was right around 60 degrees and a bit over cast.  So I started with a long sleeve ride jersey.  Just like every start of every day so far, we had to do a slight climb out of town.  My knees were a little stiff and the cool air made it a rough start.  After a few miles, we made a right turn off Mamaloa Road onto a country road.  This one of maybe 6 turns off the road that took us on a winding and scenic route to Hilo.  These roads were great.  Most of them were smooth and protected by large shade trees.  Very few cars found their way onto these roads and we could spend a lot of the day riding side by side.  This is the perfect ride to do with some new friends.  You have the opportunity to get to know your ride mates and the majority of the ride was downhill so our energy was pretty high.

Our lead reindeer was Jim Bell.  Jim is also a League of American Bicyclists Road Safety Instructor.  It’s always a good thing to be reminded of the rules of the road and the proper way to ride when you’re going to be on major highways with fast moving traffic and sometimes very small shoulders.  Thanks Jim for keeping us safe through the busy sections.

The ride route is truly a beautiful one.  This is my favorite ride so far.  The only hard riding occurs in the deep gulches right smack in the middle of the day.  These gulches drop down fast and wind mauka (mountain side) and then curve back to the ocean with an immediate rise.  No matter how fast you are going and what gear you are in on the way down you will quickly find yourself in the lowest gear pedaling as hard as you can to get up the other side of the gulch.  My legs were a bit like pudding from the previous days climb of Kohala Mountain Road so these hills were a challenge.  The good news about the first two gulches is that there is a climb lane that is free of cars.  The final gulch however is only one lane and is the steepest so you have to be mindful and ride a straight line.

Lunch in Hamakua

We stopped for lunch and to refill our water bottles is Hamakua at this cool park.  There was a stream right below us that we could hear and a few tourists came and went while we rested and joked a bit.  As you can see Graham had to repair a flat at lunch.  He actually got the flat right as we stopped so the break was timely.  I could have sat here all day.  While sitting here it was hard not be be reminded that just two days prior I was on the Kona Coast riding through heavy wind and brown dessert like conditions.  This was the perfect moment to recognize how far I have gone on the bike and how much I’ve seen.

Pit Stop

After lunch we rode for a long stretch which included the longest hill of the day.  About a mile long of endless climbing.  We were all strong through this climb.  At the top we had the option to stay on the Highway or take our last scenic route road and enjoy a few extra miles added to the trip.  This was a great idea.  The lower road was up and down and winding.  We came across this super cool little store and took a moment to energize for the last 6 miles or so.

Once you get back on the main road you can see Hilo and the remainder of the ride is basically down hill.  I’ve been to Hilo many times for business so I was pretty stoked to be back in this super cool unique town.  Since it was Christmas Eve there were a lot of people out taking care of last minute details.  Traffic was heavy and we needed to be mindful.

I snapped this photo of a Christmas scene trying to get my reflection included.  Didn’t turn out great but Mark and I thought it was funny.

Christmas Window

Downtown Hilo

It was great slowly riding through downtown Hilo on the way to the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.  I probably took too long considering we had to meet Celeste at the Hotel so they could get back to Waimea and enjoy their Christmas Eve.  Celeste was kind of enough to drive my gear to Hilo which made the ride so much easier than it would have been with a trailer.

We paused for a final photo at the Hotel in front of the tree.  Looking at this photo reminds me that Christmas is what you make of it.  I may not be around my family but I absolutely felt the spirit of this season riding with these guys.

Holiday Ride For Dollars Reindeer plus Willie

Christmas was a little tough for me.  While those closest to me were gathering for Christmas eve church and another was flying over the Pacific I was trying to keep my head up in a quiet hotel room.  I crashed out early and tried not to think about what I was going to do on Christmas Day.

The great thing about being alone on a holiday like Christmas is you realize how much your family and loved ones mean to you.  I found an answer to a burning question about what my life will be like in 2011.  I am reminded that this trip is a journey for me.  It’s more than just a ride around the island to raise some money and awareness.

Laura and John just called and they are here.  We have to get going on our next ride so I’ll fill you in on Christmas day later.