ALC - DAY 1 - SAN FRANCISCO TO SANTA CRUZday 1 map day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 with your help ALC raised $16.3 million!! day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 day 1 ALC - DAY 2 - SANTA CRUZ TO KING CITY day 2 map day 2 day 2 day 2 on our longest day the otter pop stop greets us like a loud, colorful, dream oasis in the middle of the desert. day 2 day 2 day 2 day 2 day 2 day 2 day 2 day 2 A typical ALC day: 1. wake at 4am 2. pack your luggage 3. pack up your tent 4. eat breakfast 5. RIDE ALL DAY 6. arrive at a new camp 7. retrieve gear from trucks 8. set up tent 9. shower 10. eat dinner 11. go to bed by 8 or 9pm day 2 ALC - DAY 3 - KING CITY TO PASO ROBLES day 3 map day 3 day 3 day 3 quadbuster is a famous climb. it wasn't so bad... but i was happy to only climb it once. mathew did it THREE times.day 3 day 3 day 3 day 3 day 3 On day 3 we visited the little town of Bradley, population 120. Every year they partner with ALC and host a fundraiser for their school. They sell burger lunches for $10 and for $100 you can sit in a shady tent and kids will serve you! The teachers, parents and kids all get involved. You can choose where you want your donation to go, Mathew and I chose art and music. The community takes this opportunity to teach the kids about HIV/AIDS and understanding. It’s heartwarming to know there’s a little town in the middle of nowhere where the kids will grow up without homophobia. They raised over $46k that day. :)day 3 day 3day 3day 3day 3day 3 day 3 day 3 Day 3 was HOT. Close to camp, we met a rider from LA. I noticed he was out of water, so I shared mine with him and we kept riding. Soon he needed to stop again and Mathew shared his water with him. We stopped again and he said he felt like passing out and that his vision was closing in on him. We flagged down a passing SAG car. We saved him from passing out and falling down the hill. Later I wondered how he was but Mathew said there was no way he’d remember us or any of that. day 3 day 3 day 3 day 3 ALC - DAY 4 - PASO ROBLES TO SANTA MARIA day 4 map day 4 day 4 day 4 quadbuster is a famous climb. it wasn't so bad... but i was happy to only climb it once. mathew did it THREE times.day 4 day 4 day 4 day 4 day 4 day 4 day 4 day 4 day 4 day 4 day 4 Remember that dehydrated guy we saved on day 3? He found us! In the dark in front of the portapotties, lit only by headlamps, he recognized me! This is Ryan. He’s married to Alice and has 2 kids. day 4 ALC - DAY 5 - SANTA MARIA TO LOMPOC day 5 map day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 day 5 ALC - DAY 6 - LOMPOC TO VENTURA day 6 map day 6 day 6 day 6 Day 6 was difficult for me. I was TIRED and hot and not getting enough sugar (I skipped the Gatorade that day because I was swollen from too many electrolytes.) I’d had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch that wasn’t digesting (peanut issues.) We stopped a few times and there were some road-side tears, but I was determined to ride every single mile. Then siblings, Nicki and Ben stopped to see how I was. After some teary hugs, Ben gave me some ice water, Nicki carried my discarded base-layer and I was able to continue riding, feeling bolstered by my own personal ALC love bubble... day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6day 6day 6 I’ve talked to people who think ALC is just a big PARTY. Well, it IS a big, loud, colorful, positive, drug and alcohol-free party. But it’s also a lot of WORK! We go to bed early, wake at 4 am, ride ALL DAY and do it again the next day. The roadies are amazing super heroes who take care of us and cheer us on along the way. The whole thing is sprinkled with small bursts of partying that keep us energized and riding... day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 day 6 ALC - DAY 7 - VENTURA TO LOS ANGELES day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map Day 7 came so quickly! Mathew and I rode ALL 545 MILES from SF to LA. It was a beautiful, emotional, exhilarating and challenging adventure. day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map day 7 map Day 7 came so quickly! Mathew and I rode ALL 545 MILES from SF to LA. It was a beautiful, emotional, exhilarating and challenging adventure. day 7 map

And if you still haven't gotten enough, here's that official ALC 2015 video again. It really does capture the love, kindness and spirit of the ride. This is what my week riding ALC looked and felt like.