Leaving the Sierras was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life for a number of reasons.
I spent yesterday riding around Lake Tahoe and made the short trek to Fallen Leaf Lake to get a bit of scenic footage. Fallen Leaf is a hidden treasure tucked in the hills a few miles south west of the main lake. On my way up to take the footage I came face to face with a mother bear and her two cubs. She took a seat about 10ft off the road to see what I would do while her cubs took to the trees. I had stopped dead in my tracks pondering which was faster; me on a loaded bicycle or a mother bear wanting to protect her cubs. We sat staring at each other for a few minutes before I gathered the courage (or stupidity) to pull out my camera and roll a few seconds of her and the cubs. I am not sure how well that footage will turn out - my hands were a bit shaky.
Rare and amazing an experience as it was, these bears were likely only around because they were displaced by the forest fires that have been sweeping across northern California in recent weeks. Yet another example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions, our efforts to suppress natural forest fires for our safety have resulted in stockpiles of dry wood that hold the potential for enormous and uncontrollable fires that burn hotter and longer. That combined with record-breaking heat in recent years have resulted in devastation of hundreds of thousands of acres and animals like these bears being driven from their natural habitats.
After my bear sighting I made it up to the lake just before dusk and was treated to a spectacular sunset. Then I caught up with the two John's and we headed out for Carson City in the dark. Night riding has quickly become a preferable alternative to high heat and heavy traffic. The cool breeze off the lake carried us up Route 50, through our final pass of the Sierras and after another half hour long display of Jon Filmer's night time tire-changing abilities we flew down a 12 mile decent at nearly 45 miles per hour in Carson City, NV. After abusing the all you can eat buffet at a local casino we spent the night at a cheap motel and slept until the cleaning crew kicked us out at noon today.
Note: Interview/itinerary suggestions for the trip can be emailed to me.
| Ride To Sustain will pass through the following cities: San Francisco, CA – Sacramento, CA – Reno, NV – Salt Lake City, UT – Denver, CO – Omaha, NB – Des Moines, IA – Chicago, IL – Detroit, MI – Cleveland, OH – Pittsburgh, PA – Washington, DC – Philadelphia, PA – New York City, NY – Hartford, CT – Boston, MA |
