The ride starts in tiny little Alpine County at its county seat, Markleeville, which has a population of roughly 200 people.  The town is located at the 5501 foot elevation in a beautiful little creek canyon.  There are several small stores, a couple of establishments that offer lodging, a deli and four restaurants located in town.  Not exactly what we have come to expect from a county seat in a state with the population of California, but it is perfect center point for this mountain community.  We had lunch while we were there at ‘The Deli’, and although it was very busy at the time, the service was quite good and so were the sandwiches. 

Registration for the ride takes place at local Turtle Rock Park the day before the ride and it is quite the event.  The ride offers an all you can eat Spaghetti dinner for a small fee, perfect for carbo loading prior to the big ride.  Souvenirs are sold at several booths with most funds going to one or another great Alpine County charity.  This is their big fund raiser, and for a county whose entire population is just over 1200 people, every advantage needs to be taken of this great tourist event.  The ride started 28 years ago with a few local riders and has grown to 3,000 cyclists, a support team of 700 volunteers and includes great support from the local and state government agencies. It is actually quite a carnival type atmosphere as all the riders, their friends and family, anticipate the next day’s event.  Soon everyone wanders off to try and sleep; some to motel rooms, others to tents set up around the parking lot.  Continued ...