A TURN TOWARDS HOME
The night spent in the meadows of Tuolumne was so peaceful. My sleep was restful and I was eager to get on with the journey. My sleep in my personal little Ritz Carleton of Tuolumne was awesome. I cooked my own breakfast of oatmeal, banana, dried cranberries, and protein shake powder again.
I was able to get on the road early and headed up the road for more climbing to the north east entrance of the park. I had 7 miles to go to get to the entrance and the highest point. Then the long downhill to the east side of the Sierras, Lee Vining and on to Hwy 395 for the ride north towards home. I went through some very beautiful country and along the side of the Tuolumne River. I finally reached the entrance and knew that there was 25 miles downhill before I would arrive at the grade leaving the Mono Lake area. Then there would be another long downhill to Bridgeport.
The Tioga pass grade was very steep. I had to grip my brakes and pump them all the way to the bottom to keep from going over 30 miles an hour. It made me nervous but going downhill was welcomed. From the park entrance it was 139 miles to home and close to 100 miles of that would be downhill or flat. When I got to Lee Vining, I stopped at the gas station and store at the bottom of the grade and had lunch. A big green salad was my choice with lots of other tasty items. I have been so hungry on this trip. People asked me where I was going and what I was doing. I gave them my card and encouraged them to climb their own mountains and achieve their goals. It was fun to share my story and give people my card and promote the “You Can Do It!” attitude and idea. It is time for people to live their dreams.
I enjoyed my lunch and was off. During the morning I had felt a little bit of an upset stomach. This bothered me all the way to Bridgeport. Fortunately, it was a good ride and I really appreciated going downhill. I stopped in Bridgeport and had a refreshing frosty ice cream and watered up for the next climb into the Walker River area.
The ride up the gradual hill was wonderful and so beautiful. The energy I felt and the power in my legs was amazing. It was more than just my own strength. I was on my way home. After reaching the summit it was a nice downhill into Walker and Topaz Lake area. When I got to Walker where I was to stay and eat, I was too late for dinner. After traveling another 15 miles to Topaz, I found accommodations and a good meal and went to bed to rest up for the last day. In the area of Ebbets Pass and Monitor Pass I saw large clouds of smoke coming over the top of the mountain and knew it was fire. I had just come through that area a few days before and now it was on fire. That is a sight that I never like to see.
After a good meal and a hot shower, I hit the bed.
No problems today. Just great blessings and lots of energy.
View photos from this adventure in my Gallery – Yosemite Trip page.