It’s Only Flat On The Bottom

We were so proud of ourselves for getting on the road at 8:28am with the goal of 8:30! Traffic was light and we were near Rancho Murieta by 9:00am. All of a sudden, the back tire felt wonky. We nursed the bike to the safest spot possible on two-lane narrow road and saw that we had a flat.

We called AAA and they could not determine our location so therefore could not dispatch help. We decided to try the patch kit we’ve always carried with us. After inflating the tire a bit with the portable inflator, we could hear where it was leaking. We successfully plugged it and nursed our way home.

On the way home we discussed our options – change the tire or drive the car. Because today is Tom’s birthday, the decision was his. We changed the tire.

After a two and a half hour delay that included lunch, we left the house and took a more direct route that took us through an industrial area outside of Sacramento toward Ione. Not the ideal route that we had planned, but we made up a little time. Once on the back roads, we were happy to be on the bike. We stopped twice, once for gas and a drink of water in Rancho Murieta and once in Valley Springs for a Spark.

We made it to Yosemite at 4:45 but did not have time to visit Hetch Hetchy. The Park never fails to stun. It is absolutely breathtaking. The short drive after entering Yosemite to our hotel in El Portal that skirted the west border of the Park was gorgeous.

We made it to the hotel around 6:00pm and found dinner at the only on-site restaurant… pizza. Happy Birthday, Tom! Our room overlooks the Merced River so we ate our dinner on the balcony.

Tomorrow we will see Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point. If we have time, we may try to get to Mariposa Grove which may have to wait for our next visit.