Thanks.
This was a tough ride because the services were few and far between, the terrain was tough, and the weather went sour by the end of the day.
More than anything, I blog these rides not to show that I'm hard core, but to show that with a some determination it's possible to push yourself well beyond where most people place their own limits. There's nothing special about me and my cycling abilities; I'm not going to win any races, I won't be doing a sub-5h century any time soon, I don't have a massive vO2 like Armstrong or a pain threshhold like Robić.
Everyone here is pushing themselves in some way; doesn't matter if your longest ride is 18 miles or 180 miles. I like reading everyone's ride reports.