The Missing Shirt and the Mystery Backpack

This was my second time facing the mountain passes of Monitor, Ebbetts, and Carson in the Tour of the Alps.....aka The Death Ride.

I finished in 2008, and there was a terrible thunderstorm on Carson. This year I decided that I was going to carry rain gear with me all day. I was the girl wearing the REI staff backpack stuffed with arm warmers, leg warmers, and rain gear. I couldn't even count how many people asked, what is in the backpack? Dude, why do people care??? I started making up stories: A) Its my diabetic supplies B) Its rain gear because I have Raynaud's disease C) I have sandbags in it to make the ride more difficult. I don't know. I just had a little fun with it.

On the top of Ebbetts, my third pass, I decided to grab a few (5-10) Oreo cookies, and use the restroom in a porter-potty (PP). I decided that setting my shirt outside of the PP was a better option then attempting to hold my shirt in my mouth while simultaneously pulling down my bib shorts, or placing my shirt in the (PP) pee puddle. I must admit, I spent a little bit of time in the PP. My stomach was pretty tore up from all of the processed food and riding. When I walked out of the PP I noticed my shirt was missing. Two thoughts were running through my head: A) My pass finisher stickers!! B) Am I going to have to ride the remainder of the death ride in only my spandex bib shorts and REI staff backpack?? I began to panic and look for my shirt. It turns out that an older gentleman picked it up thinking that someone dropped it in the dirt. Doesn't he know people prefer dirt over a PP pee puddle? Whatever. To make a long story short I got my shirt back, with all 3 stickers on it. I ended up finishing the death ride for a second time:)

On a side note..... I love camping. I had a ton of fun. The boys tell me that Hot Tub Time Machine is a great movie:)