ALYN 2018, Day 4 – Leaving the Dead Sea

October 31, 2018
Distance 88.3 km (55 miles), vertical climb 1,444 m (4,738 ft), descent 888 m (2,914 ft)

After yesterday’s brutally long ride, it was a bit of a relief to head out on today’s route. It reminded me of those days on my America ride where we’d start to think of 70-80 miles as an “easy” day. But even at reduced mileage, there was nothing easy about today. Leaving Masada for the last time, we headed north into a brutal headwind that forced us to huddle in a double pace-line. We kept the pace slow(-ish) but steady with the stronger riders taking turns pulling and rotating off the front.

I must admit, it was hard to leave the Dead Sea behind. It is such a magnificent geological phenomenon and even though it continues to recede and diminish, it is still spectacular. We rode alongside the massive cliffs that frame the sea, now at about -420 meters, or almost 1,400 feet below sea level. We rode through Ein Gedi, the lowest place on Earth and after climbing a bit, we stopped at the Lido Café at the end of route 90. Oddly, there was a sign billing Lido (too) as the “lowest place in the world” at 394 meters below sea level. This reminded me of an old cartoon. Four pizza parlors are adjacent to each other on the same street. The first one has a sign that says, “Best pizza in the city.” The second says, “Best pizza in the country.” The third says, “Best pizza in the world.” And finally, the fourth one says, “Best pizza on this block.

Our final climb up highway 1 was a brute of a climb. It was hot (around 100 degrees, plus or minus a few) and it just went on forever. The water in our bottles was way too warm and we were all suffering. But I also knew that if we just kept grinding away, a well-deserved lunch awaited us at the finish of this penultimate day.

Please enjoy these photos from the day. (Hmmm, no neat 3D replay yet … Will repost link when it is available.)

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To all of my generous supporters – past, present and future – I thank you so very very much.

…Jeff
Wheels of Love Challenge Rider
2007-2018