Here in the Eastern Sierras

Sunday, September 11th

I chose to remember the anniversary of a horrible day in a meaningful way that made sense to me -- appreciating the beauty of the terrain I found myself in and in the company of new cycling friends plus the man I love (no puking allowed with this mushy bit).

So where am I? In the Eastern Sierras, at June Lake. Thank you Dick and Donna, fabulous hosts, for putting this trip together. Getting ahead of myself, thank you Dick and Donna again for the daily afternoon cocktail hour....

Today's ride with an elevation of 8,000 feet and 4,000 feet of climbing included Lundy Lake (above) and Virginia Lake. 6-8% grade. Altitude? What altitude? Too clueless to feel the effects.

Okay, people, guess who got a rear tire flat half way through the ride! And guess who fixed it with the help of Carl, a fellow cyclist! Moi, moi, moi! Okay, I'm done with the exclamation point.




I wasn't about to do Virginia Lake with a less than optimal tire pressure. So I took this photo as I contemplated what to do next, seeing the rain clouds coming in, as is the pattern for this part of the world.

Guess who showed up to rescue me, once again. You guessed it, the man, otherwise known as The Boyfriend. He had just finished Virginia Lake (telling me it was cold, steep and verging on rainy conditions). He flew down the highway to get the car and take me back to our lovely lodgings in June Lake.

Meanwhile, there were passerbys who also wanted to save me. What can I say? Back at the hotel, while pumping up the tire, I broke the stem, and so, The BF and I had to replace the tube all over again. Sigh. The BF gave me a lesson in how to use the CO2 cartridge for future flats. Later that same evening, he gave me some other lessons which I can not share....