DAY 37

Snow Pine Lodge to Cedar Grove, Kings Canyon National Park, California

We finish the massive re-ascent of the Sierra's in 2 slow hours, bothered by face flies hovering around, but not touching, our faces (still annoying). At the top we're rewarded with our entrance into Kings Canyon, our 4th National Park so far. The hills, of course, continue. For about 10 days now, criss-crossing the Sierra's, we've either been crawling up at about 6km p/h for hours at a time, or speeding down at about 50km p/h. Nothing in between. 

So we go up some then we go down some etc etc through some pretty stunning surrounds, the highlights being the lichen covered rock walls of the canyon, and riding along the extremely inviting emerald green Kings River. There's almost no traffic here which is a big relief, so we hog the road the whole way. After setting up camp we head to a nearby waterfall to refresh. We get talking and both agree that for the first time in the trip we're fatigued and not actually looking forward to riding tomorrow, a feeling we don't like and want to avoid. So we agree to take it really slow for a few days and rest up. These mountains and heat have taken their toll. But it's hard to get too down in a place like this.

DAY 36

Squaw Valley to Just up the road to Snow Pine Lodge

We're in the midst of a massive overall climb to get to Kings Canyon and basically we can't be bothered doing it all in one go. So we ate into 10km's of it and pulled in for the night at the Snow Pine Lodge, a place Steve recommended. We're served pancakes on arrival and we know we're onto a good thing. We don't do much all day, we blog, we read, we watch Night at the Roxbury, play darts, watch Monday Night Football. The real highlight is the motley crew of legends running the Lodge. Especially Robert, who's completely dumbfounded at what we're doing. Here's an approximate and very much shortened transcript of about an hour long conversation we had:

"All the way from Salt Lake City? Oh my God, on bicycles!? You gotta be kidding me, I've never heard of...on bicycles!? And you guys came on bicycles? I wouldn't know how to do that...I need to call Ripleys Believe It Or Not, they're not gonna believe this...(on phone to co-owner) hey Cindy listen to this these guys came on bicycles from Salt Lake City, yeh I've already given them a can of V8 Splash on the house, yeah I gotta call Ripleys Believe It Or Not or something, this is...Oh my God"

DAY 35

Auberry, California, to Squaw Valley, California

We say goodbye to Steve and Heidi with a bang, a 20km downhill and break-neck speed, then take a very enjoyable quiet country road which undulates, but our speed and momentum take care of the minor uphills. To cut a long story short Ada got heat stroke. And vomitted a little bit. It's really hot. This happened, again, 10km shy of town, but today Henry saved the day. Driving past he could tell Ada wasn't in a good way, so he pulled over and gave us a lift to Squaw Valley. The American people never fail to surprise and impress us with their generosity.

Luke kindly took this picture about 20 metres before the event surpassed....

DAY 34

Wawona, California, to Auberry, California

We started the day with a visit to Mariposa Grove, full of beautiful, enormous Giant Sequoias, the largest species of tree in the world, some around 2,000 years old (others in California are estimated at 3,200!). It was here we said goodbye to Eamonn and Alina, the two are headed back north for a bit before Eamonn heads home and Alina continues her round the world trip to Australia in November, so we'll all get together then and reminisce about what has easily been the most fun-filled week of the trip and one of the best experiences of our lives. We had an absolute laugh-a-minute ball together.

Back on the road, Ada and I again, we experience same-old Sierra terrain: crawling uphills and flying descents, nothing in between. It actually sucks. It's really exhausting and it's been about 35 degrees all week. Playing the pack-mule hauling Eamonn and Alina's stuff everywhere didn't help. Anyway, the day starts to get away from us, the sun starts to set, we're tired, we're hot, we're still 10k's away (from a town we later learn has no accommodation at all!) when Steve pulls over in his car, explains our dilemma, and offers us a lift to his house, which we accept. He and his wife Heidi put us up for the night, cook us a delicious dinner, and more than anything save the day and reaffirm all that's good in the world. Their hospitality couldn't have come at a better time. We really liked them both, great people. What a day.

DAY 33

Yosemite Valley, California, to Wawona, California

Still in Yosemite. We wound our way through the Valley one last time, getting up close and not-really-all-that-personal with El Capitan on the way. After a bit of a climb we reached an overlook with the perfect view of the Valley, a place we've heard is the most photographed vista on Earth. After sitting and watching what looked like a painting or a backdrop for a budget movie set (it was that surreally perfect) we carried on, through another tunnel, this one longer, darker, and uphill. After reaching yet another 6,000ft pass, we were rewarded with 20km's of nothing but free-flowing downhill through more pine forest and boulder country, so much fun. At Wawona, we again brave an icy river for a wash, before fine dining at the country-club style Wawona Hotel, a treat we feel we more than deserve. Although we didn't quite fit in with the grandiose setting in our crocs/t shirts/backpacks/tie die/general grubbiness.

Sidenote: at 9pm Eamonn, Alina and passionate Hawthorn supporter Luke make a voyage to the middle of nowhere, actually a primary school in the pitch black middle of nowhere, with one bar of wifi, to watch hawthorn blow it in the Grand Final to Sydney, completely souring the day. Sort of.

DAY 32

Rest Day, Yosemite Valley

After screwing around all morning we got going on a hike to Colombia Rock, which has nice views over most of the Valley. What else did we do? We went to Yosemite Falls, which are bone dry in the Autumn, we bathed in another freezing river where our feet looked incredibly tiny when under water, we binged on heaps of junk food (ice cream, chips and dip, cookies, soda, more ice cream, milk drinks, all very disgusting and all very much regretted).

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.