June 22nd- Into California

Yesterday was a fantastic. We had, by our standards, a big lie in till 7:30!! We sourced out a company offering para sailing near by, but they told us, to our absolute dismay, that they were only flying on Wednesdays...However our hopes were dashed only for a brief moment as we were sent in the direction of South Lake Tahoe, where we would almost certainly find the illustrious sport of para sailing.

We ventured forth 10 miles round the vast lake, crossing the Nevada/California divide in the process. We reached south lake Tahoe and booked ourselves onto the next available 'flight'. What can i say- para sailing was phenomenal- Soaring like a bird above the clear blue waters, created a ethereal haze of wonder and beauty, encapsulating us in a sense of sheer freedom.

Getting back on our bikes, much later than expected, we climbed and climbed. Eventually up to carson pass 8500ft, which we approached like a prowling cat. We savoured the moment, as we knew in the next 200 miles we would descend over 8000ft to san fran, without having to climb back up again. We went about another 6 miles or so where we stopped for the night near the small town of kirkwood. There we indulged on the lavish beef stew. Whilst in the bar, a couple of other x-America bikers approached us, and in turn we ended up stealth camping with them on a very secluded side road. Despite the icy breath of mother nature upon us we threw down the tent and dived in.