Day 9 - I really feel like I'm being repetitive, so let me take a different angle this time.

Today was hard. I didn't sleep well last night. My tent was pitched on a slight grade and I kept slipping down off my sleeping pad, waking up every hour as a result. It was also cold - 35 degrees when we woke up. The park we camped in had no real facilities, just a simple toilet over a hole in the ground, so there was no refreshing shower or shave to be had. I held up the group from getting started because I just couldn't get my act together, but I have to say that they were incredibly patient with me.

It didn't get better after we hit the road. I'm finding it harder to be comfortable on the bike for more than a few minutes at a time. Combine that with the fogginess of fatigue, and it's a recipe for disaster on a bike.

The ride was good and the sights were amazing - we rode down from camp to Tahoe, and from there through the Sierra Nevada mountains to Yosemite. On the road up to Yosemite we topped 9900 feet - but didn't get to 10,000. But the road and the mountains were incredible, even as worn out as I was. What keeps me going more than anything else is the three guys I'm traveling with. They are always positive, willing to commiserate but never complain, and I renew my resolve every time I get on the bike by watching them.

At the end of the day, I know tomorrow will be hard as well - but we still have great sights to see, and home is only 6 days ride away. I talked to my kids today, and can't wait to hug them when I get back, and share with them the stories, pictures, and video from the trip. Few get the chance to do this, and fewer still take it when they have it. No doubt in my mind it's worth it, and I just have to remind myself of that every time I think I've got no more to give.