DAY 31

Tuolomne Meadows, California, to Yosemite Valley, California

Alina and Eamonn froze overnight (LOL) so it was a bit of a late start so they could thaw out in the sun. Once underway, the ride is fairly undulating, we're still very high up on this mountain road. The scenery is awesome, alpine lakes, rocky granite boulders and mountains. Finally we reach the point where the road goes no higher for no longer, and we descend, actually descend, for the first time in days and days. And boy, it's a gooden. Try 40km's of non-stop 50km p/h! It's like a rollercoaster ride, one in which you hang on for dear life and one which only goes down. The road passes picture perfect forest just begging to be explored. When we finally get out into the open again, out of nowhere, there's a kilometre long very dark and very noisy and very scary tunnel which we sail on through, and if that doesn't get the blood pumping enough, it opens onto our first legitimate view of Yosemite Valley: A valley of enormous cliffs soaring skywards, Half Dome sitting pretty behind them. It gives us all goose-bumps, the rush of the downhill topped by the rush of the tunnel surpassed by the rush of our first view of the Valley. The road continues, hugging a cliff face, we can't wipe the smiles off our faces. It winds its way into the valley itself, all the big names are there, Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls (dry at this time of year). We wash in a freezing river and camp in the woods, the full moon illuminating the entire valley. One of the best days rides ever.