So steep and sandy. Wrecked! Today was supposed to be hot but it started off pretty perfect and luckily never got too hot. The ride started with a really long climb and I could tell my legs weren't feeling great. As we got to the top of the climb and on the roller coasters after, the trail got pretty sandy. Not having sunglasses (they're broken), meant it was hard to tell the features of the trail. Sometimes the the sand would be supportive and other times I would slide around. It made the descents, which were steep, hard to fully commit to. Once we got down to the valley, we cruised through the orange orchards to our lunch stop - Subway by the I-5. After lunch we did an even harder loop through Tumey Recreation Area where people where firing their guns. The trails were super steep and the climbs were pretty sustained. Before doing the loop, I was contemplating skipping it knowing how my legs were already feeling. It felt harder than Old Growth Classic. I would get twinges like I was going to cramp and then it would go away and my legs would feel great. Then it would go back and forth several times. The final descent was so steep and sketchy but because the light was better, I felt more comfortable on it. When we finally left Tumey, we realized we were going to get back after sunset and we were going to battle a fierce headwind. Well it was a pretty tough return but we all made it back.