May 29: Get up, stand up

(click on the pictures for the high resolution version) 

    

The plan was to get up at the crack of dawn and leave really early; I fell a bit short in the execution however, but after getting all my stuff together - clothes, tools, spare parts (both for motor- and mountain bike), powerbars, water, maps, reading materials etc - and putting it in the saddle bags, tank bag or backpack that I was carrying, I rode out of my parking garage around 8 in the morning; mileage at this point: 3132.
First stop: along the wind turbines at the Altamont pass near Livermore.
The Tioga pass was still closed so I decided to take the Sonora pass. Turned out to be very scenic - here's a pic of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir.
The Sonora Pass - 9624 feet, still loads of snow over there. I met a couple of snowboarders hiking up the mountain, as well as a brave soul, Alan, who cycled all the way up from Sonora town and who took my picture.
Following highway 395 towards the Owens valley. The view on the rugged east side of the Sierra's is rather spectacular. It was hot in the valley and I sometimes had to deal with serious gusts of wind.
Mount Whitney (in the middle): with 14494 feet the highest point in the contiguous US.
I arrived around 7pm in Lone Pine, where I would stay overnight, and I had of course to do a little excursion through the very photogenic Alabama Hills, leading me to the Mount Whitney trailhead. No time to hike up unfortunately!
Morning vista in Lone Pine, where I met a fellow Ducatisti, a Frenchman who was on vacation and who used to ride a Supersport Ducati (but now was touring in a rental car with his wife) - he still seemed to love the sound of Desmodromic valves in the morning! My mileage is now 3573 (so I did 441 miles the first day).

Next