May 8, 2007 Me, myself and I Total Distance: 50 km Total time: 7.5 hours Elevation gain: 1700 m Where: Massif de la Chartreuse, right from home. Epic factor: 4.9 out of 5 Number of flat tires: 1 Number of unreparable flat tires: 1 Time spent pushing the bike: 50% Part I: the beginning of the journey.  These buildings are the Italian quarters of Grenoble, on the banks of l'Isere.  I climbed steeply 700m up past la Bastille (fortress overlooking Grenoble) and then crossed to the right along the ridge to Col de Vence. View of Grenoble from near la Bastille.  Hurtin' already.  And I've only just started! View back down at the climb up past la Bastille.  The dot marks where I live. The dot marks where I work. Part II: heinously unridable 2 hours from Col de Vence up to a refuge just below Chamechaude (in the clouds). At the refuge, looking up at Chamechaude (2082m, the highest peak in la Chartreuse). Part III: wicked downhill on smooth and steep singletrack, through forests, meadows and along an amazing ridge, followed by a small climb in the backgroung to the Col de Coq.  Le massif de la Belledone is the snowy peaks in the background. Wild!  Dent de Crolles on the right in the clouds (2062m). View of Dent de Crolles from the Col de Coq.  Beginning of Part IV: all downhill        from now on! View of the descent. The track I was on all the way to the bottom! The second part of the descent was along the ridge on the left and then zig zagging straight down to the river in the valley. The mountain biking equivalent of champagne powder. Looking back up at the descent.  1200 m vertical!!!!!  Yeeeeeehaw!  Shortly after this shot was taken, my valve popped out of my front inner tube.  And I brought the        wrong pump!!!  So I finished the day off with 10 km of walking.  Ugh.  Another fabulous day courtesy of Mother Nature.