Today we rode only 45 miles, but it turned out to be one of the hardest rides of this whole trip. We faced 7% grade climbs for 13 miles; at the end of the day we had climbed between 2500 and 2800 feet. Nevertheless, the ride was gorgeous with beautiful mountains and scenery. We would reach the summits of each hill and be rewarded with a feeling of triumph and an awesome view of the world around us. When we got to Mammoth Lakes, we were able to shower at the park fire station and had a delicious dinner of pasta and dessert catered for us by a local supporter in Mammoth Lakes. In ML, we also had our first encounter with a black bear—who happened to be eating out of a jar of Skippy peanut butter. That night for the first time, we had to take realistic bear precautions. For the first night in a while, I was able to get 8+ hours of sleep. Tomorrow we ride to Yosemite, another 40 mile day. I don’t know what to expect, but I know that our team can make it through together.