We headed out of Mammoth Lakes for Yosemite, and faced perhaps the most challenging day of our ride - Tioga pass. This is the road to the East Entrance of Yosemite, that is only open during the summer months because of snow. The total climb took us some 3-4000 feet up to a final height of 10,000 feet. The ascent took around two hours - Jon and I worked together for the first half, and then after a brief rest stop, Sarah and Bryn joined me for the second half. I have to say that this will stand out as one of the defining moments in my life for years to come. We chugged along most of it at a slow 6-8 mph. As we climbed higher, it only seemed that more road appeared at the top. Since we were getting into the clouds, it began to rain on us, all the while cars passed within feet of us, soaking us further. I thought about a lot on that ride - I thought about my Aunt Lorna, my life, who I am riding for, the meaning of a team. I could not have made it up that mountain alone. When the crest of the top appeared, the three of us used our last surges of energy to project us forward, screaming at the top of our lungs at the same time. It was a fit of excitedness, exasperation, and victory. We immediately went over to take pictures in the snow. The atmosphere had changed so much from just a few hours earlier, and a few thousand feet of elevation change. We rode through the park 55 miles to our campsite on the west side only thinking of the rest day that lied ahead of us.