Patterson to Livermore ride

I met Chuck early on Saturday morning in the big city of Patterson.  He promised me an incredible ride... he promised me a lot of climbing... he promised me more than 100 miles of lung pounding, leg screaming roads.  Well, once again, the coach delivered!The first order of the day was to get over the famed Del Puerto Canyon (after I went back and did the first .75 miles twice because I FORGOT MY WATER BOTTLES) [see 6-12-04 and 9-20-03] which I finally did without a rest!  On the way up a guy flew past us like we were standing still.  When we approached the wall (the last 1.5 miles, Chuck took off strong, eventually passing that same guy (who, by the way, never made it to the top).  We re-grouped and rode to the junction to fill our water bottles with the nasty tank water (this time, we brought plenty of powdered energy mix to kill the taste). It was now 31 miles to Livermore with more climbing, beautiful views and far more bikes than cars.  Chuck caught a swarm of bees in his helmet on a downhill stretch and flung his helmet off... only to realize that his shades went, too.  He was able to save his frame and nose piece but he would have to ride the rest of the day without any eye protection because the lens was demolished! We had lunch at a Subway in Livermore and headed back toward Patterson.  The hills were even more brutal on the return trip and it was getting hotter and hotter.  Somewhere up Mines Road we stopped where there were three very young girls selling ice cold lemonade for $1 glass!  These girls were very entrepreneurial.  I said that, given all of the cyclists out, perhaps selling cytomax would be more profitable... Chuck, on the other hand, pointed out that in a few years, when they were all "legal" they would surely sell "A LOT MORE LEMONADE!" Chuck caught a flat shortly before the Junction on the return trip so we had an unscheduled (but much needed by me) rest stop. After filling our bottles at the Junction we headed back for town.  Chuck made me power over the last couple of little baby climbs (which I still feel today). Total miles: 112 See y'all on 7/17/04 . . . Stockton, French Camp, Tracy, Manteca..