Mainz, Germany
Dec 2, 98

Yoooo,

Let me start with the question 'guess what?', so everybody knows we had a late start leaving Fair Oaks. We were very excited since we wanted to make it to San Andreas. What a name, what a place! Don't miss it next time you are wondering how to fulfill your life...it wasn't as hot as expected, so riding during the heat of the day wasn't a problem. Again, Ude proved her capacities racing uphill, so that Anneken spent part of her day alone. But that's not a difficulty for Anneken.
        Guido was totally psyched when I made it to the meeting point. These people had invited us. They took care of a tennis farm! The others went ahead while I stayed behind and made the famous picture 'waiting for Anneken' - an empty coke bottle and five cigarette butts.

The farm was built 20 years ago, so the furniture and weight room were old fashioned, but the sauna was certainly nice. Our hosts were relatives of the owner, open and nice folks, but unfortunately and clearly suffering the consequences of consuming too many drugs and too much alcohol. Our original excitement decreased reasonably when we had to get up at 6 AM....
         An early start for a hard day of riding. A climb of 2,000 ft was waiting for us. Those looking for extreme challenges - or however one wants to call it - took the very steep road. Crazy, even Daniel, our best cyclist, had to take short breaks. Guido didn't mind at all as Daniel documented on his slide show. They were the objects of many video and photo cameras. Did the king and the pasha take the same road? I don't know... The other road was 'easy': Switchbacks and 'nice sunshine'. Not taking a break I felt like being in the sauna again - one of those times when even moonlight is enough to be reflected by the sweating skin. Is there a better drink than Coke? Not in my opinion. "You can't beat the feeling" is too much, but to drink.... well, beer is something, but how to cycle on afterwards?
        We got together and figured to do another 10 MI in order to reach a campground without a detour. Respect to my students, on they went through the darkness. David had a flat and made it last. That's what we thought. Well, he didn't make it at all. Obviously, the flat must have been a serious one - no need to worry, Yosemite Valley isn't that big and he knows what to do.

preparation without David

We were up at 3,200 ft and knew that the Valley is at 4,000. But it's a valley, how much do we have to climb? The usual bus tourists wouldn't believe their eyes... it got really tough though, up to 6,200 ft (2000m) and down below 50 F (unter 10 C). Then 10 MI all downhill, not steep enough to pass a car, but steep enough not to be passed often. Cloudy skies made the view into the open valley a bit difficult, but we were touched anyway.

       Finding a campground was difficult, but we got one for the first night and all met again. David was, as I expected, waiting in front of the supermarket - with both tires popped!!! But hey, no pity for him. That guy had camped for free, Marlboro Tours fed him dinner, an RV guy breakfast, and he got a shower and this guy even paid for his transportation to Yosemite! Three days later, he and Carsten hitched 80 MI one way to get new tires. And, way cool, they took their bikes since David wanted to ride the whole trip! So they cycled the last 40 MI back - Carsten just for the fun of it. Having to walk 10 MI within Merced to find tires wasn't great, but they met cool people and got a tour of a ostrich ranch. Daniel got up at 5.30 AM to wait in line at the Sunyside Campground, where all the climbers are. First come, first serve...thanks again, mate!

Trabi and Half Dome

Trabi and Guido felt like taking a hike. We had some info and they figured the roundtrip up to Yosemite Falls is nice. Taking off at 2 PM the hike wasn't too bad - though it's steep, as I know from a day later - and past the fall they went straight on, following their 'loop'. It got dark and they had reached Tioga Pass Road when it became clear that they weren't on the way back into the valley. Trabi didn't want to hike through the dark forest because of the bears, so they hitched. A very friendly woman making a 50 MI! detour for them brought 'em back to us. Quite an English lesson: Roundtrip does not mean loop, just back and forth...all you Americans remember, my German friends are getting this as well, so I have to explain some things in greater detail...poor guys anyway, having to find their way through the jungle of my slang and self made English...

We also met Thorsten, a fellow cyclist from Munich. Two different philosophies of cycling met. He's got a $ 6,000 custom-made bike (carrying a 4 pound lock: Kryptonite New York), averages 100 MI (160 k) per day, didn't stop in Yosemite for even one day and carried a lot of old prejudices - you can't get rid of 'em except by having time and really meeting people; in our case often: being invited into their homes.
        The hiking went on. The girls, Guido and Trabi checked out Glacier Point: spectacular view, reachable from nearby parking place, therefore crowded, but good hot chocolate. Yeah, weather wasn't too good. We had a rainy day, two half days of rain and highs of 70 (21 C) at best. Daniel and I spent half a day watching climbers conquering 'Broken Arrow', a pinnacle in the Yosemite Falls area. Two Aussies, Peter and Wade, gave us info, hot tea and great company.

Daniel with the Aussies

There was time to visit the local churches - the catholic one is using a room of the visitor center. Most of the boys came with me once and liked the personal atmosphere.
        Bears are a big problem at Yosemite NP. About 1,000 cars are being damaged - usually opened like a can: windows and frame bent 150 degree!!! Bears are not the problem, we are. They were there first and most people don't realize their strong sense of smell and even stronger muscles. Absolutely no food may be stored in cars and moreover nothing with a strong smell including toothpaste, deodorant, sun lotion etc. Daniel is pretty sure that we got a visitor one night - big shadow and the sound. On campgrounds everything is packed into metal boxes. And after the 'bear night' it was done with greater discipline...

One of the beauties of Yosemite it Half Dome. Created by a glacier who cut the dome in half, the vertical wall of 2,000 ft (600 m) up at 8,400 ft. (2500 m) is reachable by a beautiful hike. My sore muscles - from the hike up the falls - prohibited my participation, but the boys did it. Daniel, Trabi and Guido got up at 5 AM and left early, David and Carsten got up at 6 and left at 8.30! - When we talk about when to get up the next day, the most important question is at what time we wonna leave...
        They had good luck with the weather, came across the beautiful Vernal and Nevada Falls and made it up there. It must have been wonderful, for they were still stoked when they returned. It rained later that afternoon, snowed at higher elevations and Rte 120, our road in, was closed for several hours... man, I didn't want to cycle Tioga Pass in those days - the road Thorsten took, up to 10,000 ft....

Andi