I was planning to do Warm Lake Road ride today, but with the forecast for Cascade looking really cold with a chance of AM showers, I changed plans and did an Emmett–Horseshoe Bend loop instead.

I rode with Mark and Michael and we had a good time with all the wind! Going up Highway 16 was the worst part, with a strong head/crosswind. In Emmett, we made a new turn off Substation Road, as Michael showed us his property there. With less traffic than the other two roads that take you to Plaza (and eventually the bridge), I think I’ll make this new turn part of my standard operating procedure.

We were treated to a nice tailwind for most of the canyon and then made a stop in Horseshoe Bend. I decided to do the hill steady-state and managed one of my fastest times with the help of the tailwind. Power was about 10 watts off of my best time, which I achieved back in 2003 when I was in my best climbing shape. I had fun on the downhill and then cruised back into Eagle. The weather was perfect and it was a great ride.