Carol - Saturday.  I have looked forward to this ride all week researching on Map Quest to route my ride knowing that I wanted to end up on Lake Campbell to see my step dad Harold and then go take flowers to mom in Anacortes.  It seems that when I plan the ride all week that the day I'm set to ride I don't have much enthusiasm.  This was true Saturday.  I felt like I HAD to ride, which I hate to HAVE to do anything.  Also, it's difficult riding all day by myself.  According to Map Quest this was to be a seventy mile ride.  This would be my longest so far.  Since I was so unmotivated and it was to be such a long ride I had Rich take me to the top of Galbraith so I wouldn't lose my mojo before the end of the ride. Like always I rode my usual course down into Skagit flats and over to LaConner.  While in the flats I ran into another couple and talked to them for a few minutes.  They were from Seattle and had started out in LaConner.  It was nice to have some conversation for a few minutes and I actually started out shortly after they left and followed them to the big Avon Allen intersection.  They turned to ride down the highway while I continued straight on Avon Allen over to McLean Road. At the thirty mile mark I called Rich because I was pretty pumped that it had only taken me two hours.  I decided to celebrate and stop by Christensen Nursery to see if I would like us to come back on Mothers Day to make some purchases for the yard.  It was beautiful and definitely worth the journey back (in the car so I could buy something).  On to LaConner I went, however, instead of riding into town I rode to the bridge.  I knew that it would be uphill but I didn't realize it was such a long stretch.  I was happy though because I was still going strong.  Shortly after going over the bridge I stopped to make a decision as to stay on Reservation Road or turn on Snee-oosh Road.  Not knowing the area well I decided Snee-oosh Road would probably be less busy so even though it started out with a hill that would be the way I'd go.  It was at this time that I ran into the couple I had talked with earlier on the flats.  They decided to go the same way and find a spot to on the water to end their ride with cold beers.  So we started off.  I decided I'd lead since I knew the area a little bit from the Map Quest satellite pictures.  What the pictures do not show however are the hills.  Wow....so many hills....and pretty much all uphill.  I thought I'd have a heart attack climbing all those hills but I didn't want to look weak in front of my new friends so I kept peddling as fast as I could.  I have to say, I was so glad when I finally showed them the road to the beach that they would need to take.  At last I could finally slow my pace.  I rode further and all there was were more hills.  I finally called Rich to tell him not to leave yet because I didn't know if I'd make it all the way to Harold's.  This was by far the most hills I've ridden and it wasn't easy in the heat of the day.  Finally I reached the golf course and called Rich to let him know it was time to leave and come get me.  On I traveled to Harold's walking my bike up a quarter mile stretch that no one would be able to ride because it was so steep and then on to Lake Campbell road.  I didn't like this stretch at all because it's so narrow, a lot of traffic, and one big hill.  At one point on the hill I actually pulled off and waited for a break in the traffic so I wouldn't get hit.
I have to say that I was very disappointed at the end of the ride.  It wasn't my strongest and it certainly wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be.  It did help put everything into perspective though when we drove the back road to LaConner and really saw the hills and how it was never ending.  As Cassandra and Rich said...it was probably the equivalent of seventy miles in energy consumption just because the hills.

Total ride length - 55 miles
Total ride time - 4.5 hours
Need to pack more energy gel so I can fuel up better when I start to get tired.