A good decision

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As a mid-season decision the Peanut Butter and Co./Twenty12team decided to race the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic and what a good decision it turned out to be. The week leading into the race I was watching the weather forecast knowing that the Hood River area is generally known for rain and this was exactly what the forecast was calling for. However, each day as I checked the updated forecast the percentage chance of rain decreased. By the time we rolled into town, the rain had cleared out and we raced under sunny skies in one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been.

With the school visits completed, the team's focus returned to our racing plans for the week. The courses were both fun and challenging which made for some of the best racing of the 2011 season. The Peanut Butter and Co./Twenty12 girls worked like a well oiled machine. We raced up and down the Columbia River Gorge on stage one. For the stage two time trial we travelled over the bridge to Washington. Stage three was a technical downtown crit held in Hood River including one downhill 180 degree corner.
Stage four was guaranteed to be epic with 8200 ft. of climbing on the schedule. We climbed on small forest service roads covered with pine needles and moss, passing waterfalls and snow banks and had some fast twisty descents through the trees.

Racing has its ups and downs, but as for the good life, at Mt. Hood in 2011 this is it.