As someone that lives by the beach, being in the mountains is so different.

The dryness of the air, the morning chill, how quiet the world can be, how heavy I can breathe just walking up the stairs.

But the payoff is that when you mountain bike ride, you can get views like this:

It was a frustrating 6 hour drive up to Mammoth Lakes.  Not so much the traffic, but my bike rack failed twice.  I’m refusing to buy a new rack, only because my car lease ends at the end of this year; which means I’ll be acquiring a new car (with a new hitch + rack).  None the less, this was frustrating:

Thankfully, my friends have extra seats and know how to repair a mtb bike on the spot! More riding to be done today!!