Day 5: Keep on Truck(ee)in' (Colfax, CA to Truckee, CA - 63 miles)

We got rolling after a quick stop to a grocery store to pick up some breakfast stuff and to stock up for the day. Initially, our plan was to head up to Cisco Grove Campground, which was 36 miles away and about 4000 feet of elevation gain. We got moving on historic highway 40 and then had to cross onto I-80 for about 15 miles. The elevation gain was gradual but steady, and we both felt the slow burn as we made our way to Cisco Grove. We made great time and stopped at a gas station right near the campground to grab some lunch. At the time, something told me a monster beef and bean burrito would be great for refueling, and Pat reached a similar conclusion with a Hot Pocket. After devouring meals we probably will never eat again, we realized we could probably make the hike into Truckee by the end of the day, skipping Cisco Grove. We decided to go for it, committing to another 1200 feet of elevation up to Donner Summit.

By the time we hit the road again, the brilliant lunch decisions weren't quite agreeing with us, but we kept moving. The hills kept coming, but we kept a steady pace and chipped away at them. Our best decision of the trip so far has been to keep truckin' to Truckee. The views along Donner Pass Rd kept getting better as we climbed.

Once we got to Donner Summit, we had an incredible descent down into Truckee, overlooking Donner Lake.

The rest of the way through Truckee was relatively flat and downhill, which our quads appreciated from the morning hill work. We stopped to get a couple things for our bikes, and then headed to Sue's home, whom offered to let us stay the night. She made us a wonderful salmon dinner and talked bikes with us for a while. As with our past hosts, Sue was extremely generous for letting us crash, and we greatly appreciate her hospitality. To quote my favorite track coach, none other than Pete Gillen, "today was awesome, awesome, awesome." We climbed over 5,000 feet and saw some great views of the Sierras. We're now a day ahead of schedule, so tomorrow we'll cruise around Lake Tahoe for a bit before heading down into Reno, NV. Can't wait to see Tahoe. We'll make sure to get some good pictures.