A very, very tough ride, turned grueling on the day I did it, when temperatures reached 106 degrees. Several heart-pounding climbs of 12 to 13%+, sprinkled with steep, technical descents on ancient, degraded pavement – be prepared to be pounded, at times it seems the climbing never stops. You’re greeted with a 5 mile, 1,400 foot climb out of the gate on Jesus-Maria road, with more rollers and hills out to Railroad Flat Road at mile 14.5. Mile 15 to 22 is the nicest part of the ride, mostly downhill along good pavement of Railroad Flat Road and the first portion of Sheep Ranch Road. The next 10 miles along Sheep Ranch Road to Murphys is very tough; the road traverses a series of northeast-southwest trending ravines. The road is remote, the pavement is mostly horrid and non-maintained, and the climbs and descents are very steep. The town of Murphys is gorgeous and a welcome break for recovery. The left turn onto San Domingo Road below Murphys is not for the feint of heart. The pavement starts out disastrous, then, as you begin dropping, lower and lower into an increasingly remote and abandoned canyon, it fizzles out altogether and the track becomes a one-lane dirt, gravel, and bedrock jeep trail, something that others who posted portions of this ride on line failed to mention! After picking your way downhill on sharp rocks for about 3.5 to 4 miles, the ancient pavement, now become a blessing, picks up again, till you once again reach civilization at mile 40 at Dogtown Road. After descending to a low point at the town of Calaveritas at mile 46, there begins a steady, 13 mile, 1,500 foot climb along Old Gulch, Michel, and Mountain Ranch Roads bringing you back to the eastern terminus of Jesus Maria Road. I had actually lost my que sheet at the town of Mountain Ranch, and failed to note that I was supposed to turn left at Whiskey Slide Road and ride that all the way to Jesus Maria. I’m glad I missed that on this particular day. The return ride west along Jesus Maria is also tough, that includes a relatively short but obnoxious 10% pitch at mile 64, then a long 6 mile switch-backing decent on very rough pavement. The final blessing of the day at mile 70, after 9,500+ feet of climbing on your legs, is a 1.5 mile, 550 foot climb at the end of Jesus Maria Road to get you back to Rt 26 – ouch. I’m tired just writing about this ride – good luck.