Great weather, great riding, and great people just keep getting better every day! Today was the epic climb over nearby Figueroa Mountain via one-of-a-kind Happy Canyon. It's "only" 50 miles, but with a full 5,000' of total elevation gain. A few short dirt stretches and one mile of gravel and dirt on the uphill help reinforce the classic European feel of this ride. The views all along the way, eventually all the way to the Pacific Ocean, add to the thrill and sense of accomplishment. Meanwhile, not more than a handful of cars ever passed by. Chris Kostman took the day as a recovery day, so he came by in the van with much appreciated water and Clif Bars for everyone. Gusty winds along the summit ride combined with twisty curves and some hairpins to provide a hair-raising descent for everyone. It was exciting, outrageous, unbelievable. It was also a bit much for Mike Moseley, who launched off one curve into a bed of flowers, breaking his collarbone in the process. Yikes! But his attitude is good and though he will be off the bike for a while, he's not heading home early. Many of the riders apologized to him later; they'd sped on by him sitting there, thinking he had just decided to sit and "smell the roses," become one with the universe. With the wind in their ears and eyes focused on the road, they didn't realize he was not just taking a break, but had suffered a break. Patrick's wife Sandy came and picked him up, though, while another passerby delivered his bike to the hotel. As this is uploading to the web, we're enjoying "Stars and Watercarriers," the classic film about the 1973 Giro d'Italia. Great stories to enjoy and remember, then and now!