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Published: November 17th 2008
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Hodgdon Meadows campground, Yosemity National Park.
21-10-2002.
It is a long and windy road that goes all the way up to Tioga Pass reputedly at an altitute of well over 9000 feet. Well I've done several high passes already on this trip and feel really fit so, needless to say, I'm not worried.
The higher it gets the better it is getting. A peregrine falcon in the air, its shrieks echoing down on me, marvelous vistas aplenty and a pleasant sun beaming down on me. I'm not even sweating much keeping my work-out on the pedals of my bike at an controlled and even speed, not hurying along nor allowing myself to slow down. The occasional stop to admire all the Mother Nature has got to offer me.
Out in the distance I discern a herd of bighorn sheep and I stop to take out my binoculars, too bad they are so far away.
Getting close to the top of Tioga Pass I pass several alpine blue lakes of different sizes. Quite a few anglers around here fishing for salmon and trout. When they see me passing by they cheer me on, "bet you're not even tired, man". They're right, I aint tired at all.
Great gulps of fresh and brisk air invade my lungs while I cycle by a sign that tells me "you're passing Tioga Pass at 9.945 feet altitute". Sh*t, this passs was even higher as I had expected.
Straight after the sign I see the park's entrance and a big queue of cars waiting in front of the ticket booth, waiting to pay the entrance fee.
I cycle by with the green uniformed park guards giving me friendly salutes, no demands for park fees, no entrance money, nada. It does work out to travel the world on a cr*ppy old bicycle.
It goes down now through great scenery. Lakes with water so clean I'm sure I can drink it with no ill effect, gras green meadows.
This must be a naturalist's dream ful with beauty of the natural kind.
Down and down I go stopping briefly to put on a jacket to protect my overheated body from the passing cold wind at these high altitutes.
Eventually I enter a forest with tall and broad trunked Pines walling the sides of the road I'm on. Gray squirrels in big quantities cross the road in front of my bike's wheels.
I'm on my mental high flow again produced by the enormous amounts of adraline releashing themselves in my brain, the excitement of doing something like this while most of my alcoholic friends back home sit in the Westerpark boozing on cheap Albert Heyn supermarket beer when Bom, Kadogn....I'm back in the here and now...A massive brownish colored shape is emerging right in front of my bike, from the dark green voliage at the side of the road, maybe 25 feet away from me....with a start my hands desperately clamp down on the brakes comming to a sudden skipping stop.
A low growl invades my ears, small beady eyes watch me calmly and unperturbed while this king of the forest crosses the road, I pay my repects to this magnificent animal not moving an inch and letting him pass.
Honk, honk, honk, the inhabitants of a fast approaching car seem to have less respect for this forest dweller. Camara flashes and excited screams while this brownish mass of living tissue quickly disappears between the drunks of pine trees.
"Did you see this big motherf*ckers"? I hear while they overtake me and race down the road
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