39.4 miles, 2:48 moving time, 2,349 ft elevation.

LA got a break from the rain this bright and sunny morning. It was very crisp (low 40F) and had remnants of the storms all over the ground. Club rode from Sierra Madre down the Rio Hondo Trail to Whittier Narrows. We encountered the biggest puddle ever. Peter was the bravest and rolled through (and took off for his solo Long Beach ride). The rest of us looked on in awe and took a detour through the park. We saw the bike path submerged along Lincoln Ave. An adventurous horseback rider took his horse down the path; however, the horse got up his belly and decided otherwise and turned around. We crossed the Rio Hondo Dam, only to find the bike path was gated and locked. We turned around and headed home. I made the dumb suggestion of replacing the missed 10 miles with a trip up Chantry Flats. I rethought my words and then succumbed to peer pressure. It was a good climb. I’m signed up for the Pasadena Half Marathon tomorrow morning, so we’ll see how that goes. There is heavy rain in the forecast. Yippy.

GT, Gregg, Jonathan, Bill, Lynda, Joe, Ryan, Steve, Phil. Peter and Alvin (not pictured).

Debating at The Puddle.

Peter crossed The Puddle; Alvin re-thinks The Puddle.

Lynda re-assesses The Puddle.

Horse in another Puddle.

Locked out of Rio Hondo Bike Path.

Chantry Flats as make up points.