Kona winds in Maui

Whew, was it windy today!! We rode to the "point" which is basically a scenic lookout a short 23 miles or so from our camp station (sounds rough) in Kapalua. The winds were reported to be 20's mph sustained with gusts into the 40's. Well, we found that these type gusts are really scary! I was only more scared in this type of wind once, on my practice ride in Kona before IM World Championships in '06. I had a couple mechanical issues today, put my rear derailer on incorrectly then got a flat tire shortly thereafter - I should be caught up on mechanicals for a few days. The problem with mechanicals is that there is very little shoulder at some points in the highway and huge trucks are buzzing by at 55 mph - it's unnerving! Anyhow, as we got closer to the point, the dreaded crosswinds were howling! I was getting tossed about and I'm the lightest one of the group. Everyone else was getting buffeted as well and it was a real challenge to keep the rubber side down, as they say. We got back safely though with many prayers being said between the four of us! We then embarked on a brisk 30 minute run after the ride which was challenging because nothing is flat out here. The Dane and I were battling like Mark and Dave of old Ironman Hawaii days! It was classic but we got a really good, enjoyable workout for sure! I'll try and post some pics regularly but nothing can portray the beauty and wind! Enjoy and cheers!
: