Today was supposed to be the hardest day of the trip. We got up at 4:45AM, loaded our baggage at 5:15AM, went to breakfast at 5:30AM and started on the road at 6:00AM. The day started off cloudy and cold. I wore long cycling pants, a wicking shirt, a long sleeve cycling shirt and a jacket. I was warm enough but we started climbing almost immediately. Auburn is about 1,500' in elevation and 62 miles later, I was at 7,109' elevation. That is a total of 5,600 of elevation. Total climbing was 7,798'
After a few hours, the sun came out but it didn't really get much warmer. At the mile 32 mark, we started traveling I-80 for 16 miles. This is just an introduction as in few days, we will spend the whole day on I-80. After we got off I-80, I stopped at a gas station and started talking to a woman who had once lived on Mt Washington in Pittsburgh. She was thrilled to meet someone from Pittsburgh, especially on traveling cross country on a bike. We started up Donner Pass road through the Tahoe National Forest. The scenery was spectacular. The road follows a mountain stream for about 10 miles. The cabins and stream almost look like Disney World, they are so perfect.
Our 2nd SAG stop was at the mile 58 mark. When I left the stop, I started riding with a local who is an emergency room doctor in Reno. We are about the same age and had a lot in common. He explained all about the Donner party and showed me where it all happened. At the top of the pass, snow still covers the mountain.
At mile 62, we started back down the mountain. It was a very exciting ride and I had to stop every so often to take pictures as the view was stunning. I left my new friend at the bottom and went on to the motel.
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