Starting in beautiful Borrego Springs at Christmas Tree Circle Park you will begin a gradual climb for about three miles up to the left turn onto Montezuma Grade.

Remember the first five miles are down right strenuoous climbing, and then it begins to ease up for the rest of the grade, for a total of 11 miles. You may want to put your wind breaker on at the top, you'll be traveling down a long hill for a long time with a chilly headwind. (There will not be anymore climbing until you climb up Palomar.)

The views on your way over to Lake Henshaw are of green rolling hills, while your road is down, flat, and lots of fun!!!

Just past Lake Henshaw about a mile or so, you will turn right and start the 14 mile climb up the East grade to Mount Palomar. This grade is very doable and not a steep type of climbing the way the south grade is. At the Mountain Store will be your rest break. Extra Credit if you want to go up to Observatory which involves steep climbing both ways.

From here you will go back down the same grade and turn left going back the same way you came out, headed towards a little off-shoot back road called Mesa Grande. This is a steep grade of 8-9% for a mile and a half, which may seem a lot longer, especially if the sun is out. The rest of the Mesa Grande is full of fun rollies and great views on a well paved road!

Your next turn will involve 2 miles of a strong crosswind or headwind to the small town of Santa Ysabel. A left turn here, there is a one mile climb up to your lunch stop with the infamous Dudley's Bakery bread and Julian Pie!

From here you have an easier climb of 6 six miles to the two-horse and 1 stop sign town of Julian. On around the town to the delightful Banner Grade. This well paved road will take you down, down, down into the desert. Alas you will see one "chocolate chip" hill a long way off, which is a short clilmb, then down and up one more easy one to more awsome downhilling with a strong tail wind in to these super fun and short "dips" .

Alas you make a right turn and climb Yake Pass, a 2 mile hill with more tailwind to the top with another fun downhill. At the next left/diagonal turn you will start thinking about what's coming up...yip, the grueling 2 miles of headwind that will seem a lot longer than just 2 miles.

Alas, the roads bends toward the north and now you're headed for " the barn" as we say...Christmas Tree Circle, with dinner and yes, more of that good ole' Julian Apple Pie! Be sure and stick around to get your picture so we can get it up on the webb site, along with any bike stories you want to add, because after this tough one, you'll have no doubt you're a true Conquoror of Borrego Double Metric Century!!!

If you plan on attending, please Register so we know you are coming.