Five days. 625 miles. 36,000 feet of climbing. Gotta love it.

We'll meet you in San Jose, then ride off to tackle Mt. Hamilton in the Diablo Range - at 4,196 feet, it's the tallest mountain overlooking Silicon Valley and home to Lick Observatory. Then it's on to tiny Sonora, start city for the 4th stage of Amgen's 2012 Tour of California. We'll stay the night here at the base of the Sierras.

Ride over Sonora Pass: 9,628 feet of elevation with grades up to 26%. It's the steepest grade in the Sierra Nevada, but well worth it in spectacular scenery. The transformation is amazing - from foothill gold country to national forest and through a sea of sugar pines, then up to the high Sierra with peaks rising to 12,000 feet, slopes studded with granite outcrops and ponderosa pine. It's a wilderness crammed with lakes, streams and beauty more dramatic with each passing mile. Cruise down the other side to Lee Vining, a former mining camp on the shores of Mono Lake - 122 miles in all. 

Cycle south past Mono Lake en route to Death Valley, along the eastern skirts of the Sierras to Bishop. Granite peaks crown the skyline and aspens spark the blues and grays with chalky white and bright gold. Watch for Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the United States (el: 14,505'). We'll stop for a lunchtime tour of Galen and Barbara Rowell's divine Mountain Light Gallery (think National Geographic, Outside, Smithsonian Magazine.) Ride on to Lone Pine, site of innumerable Hollywood feature films.

Today you'll ride part of the Badwater Ultramarathon route - 105 miles into Death Valley National Park, lowest elevation point in the United States. At 282 feet below sea level, the scenery is stark and startling: a 200-square-mile salt flat, fluted canyons and streaming sand dunes bordered by the Panamint and Amargosa Mountains. It's 3,000 square miles of bragging rights: hottest, driest, lowest, highest. We'll bring oceans of water for your ride; you'll stay tonight at Furnace Creek and enjoy one of the best meals of the week.

From Furnace Creek, there's nowhere to go but...up. Fortunately there are no 26% grades today, just a long slow climb from -200 feet to 1,500 feet above sea level en route to Las Vegas glitz and glam. You'll celebrate with a fantastic finale dinner at Mon Ami Gabi and spend tonight in the entertainment capital of the world.

Take your time, sleep in and enjoy a giant breakfast if you like. When you're ready - as long as it's before noon - we'll happily transfer you to McCarran International Airport for your homeward flight. Need help disassembling and packing your personal bike? Don't worry, we've got you covered there too.