The SAG wagon shuttles people to the start of the parkway, with the slowest riders leaving first. A Threshold guide accompanies the first group as they start their journey, and the second group of faster riders follows them half an hour later. For the first nearly 50 miles, the terrain is a back and forth of up and down experiences, with little flat ground. However, once we finish a big descent from mile 50 to mile 64, we begin the hardest climb of the trek, a 3000+ foot climb over 12 miles that takes us to Apple Orchard Mountain. The UCI would categorize this as an “H/C” climb, ranking it with the most difficult climbs when compared with those found on the Tour de France. The average gradient is a bit over 5%, but our lodgings and views from Peaks of Otter make it all worth it. We eat dinner with a lakeside view and will certainly see lots of wildlife. There is limited cell coverage and internet access at the end of the day, but the refreshments and exceptional lakeside quiet time make it all worth it. Triathletes can go for a lakeside run.