Making the turn for home

We left Walker this morning and rode up the canyon this time, enjoying a beautiful but brisk change of perspective on the river in the early morning light. It was raging still, and the combination of the early hour, coupled with the cold water coursing through the canyon, brought the temperature down to a low of 45. Where the sun had breached the canyon walls, it was a bit warmer - but there wasn't much sun at that hour!

Out of the canyon, reflecting on the run

I asked Roger as we exited the canyon if the experience coming down with the river yesterday had been what he had hoped it would be.  I have to agree with his response, which was, 'I can't think of anything that could have made it better!' It's not often that you have a chance to go back to an experience from your youth and re-create it. It's even less frequent that such an attempt turns out well. To have it be so splendid is rare indeed, and we will remember the event with pleasure for years to come.

Autumn headed up, again!

Our trip and the pleasure we've had has been enhanced by sharing it with our daughter and our friend. Dana left us yesterday, so our trip back towards home now just includes our friend Autumn.  The three of us came back over Devil's Gate Summit, which didn't seem too bad this morning.  A great run into Bridgeport for a second breakfast was just breathtaking, as we approached the mountains below town.

Mountains near Bridgeport 

Then we had the long climb back over Conway, and the descent to Mono Lake. I'm running out of superlatives to describe these scenes, but they really are just over-the-top gorgeous.  There's a kicker on the way back into Lee Vining; the road goes all the way to lake level and then you have to climb back up to town. We were suprised to see Steve and Brielle come by while we made the last climb; they were headed home from a canoe trip on the lake.

The road down there is where we'll be momentarily. 

They are going to join us in the morning when we head out to climb Deadman Summit. We haven't ever done it from this side, so this stretch of our tour is the only part I have never ridden. Autumn made the observation that I seem to be feeling more comfortable on the bike, and I think that's true. These roads are familiar to me; I love the scenery and I have done the climbs and the descents before. It lessens my anxiety to have some knowledge of the road before me. I guess that's pretty much the case no matter what the topic.