Thanksgiving is becoming traditional now for Ferrel and I to do the Low Key Hill Climb series finale, climbing Mt. Hamilton from Alum Rock Rd. Rick was a somewhat sniffle'y and not in top form. I was feeling pretty good and was able to put in a strong hard effort all the way to the top. Rick went 10 minutes over last year's time, and I clipped 11 minutes off mine - sweet!.... but he still beat me by a mile, even with my half hour lead. Ferrel's tough. Beautiful weather, beautiful fall colors, and it's always inspiring to be at the first great astronomical observatory in the United States - Lick Observatory, on top of the mountain and at the finish line. By the time we were back at the car, it was 40 miles and 5,000 ft of climbing, on the nose. A good guilt-reducer for the feasting to follow. More pix are posted here.
