Descending the Eastern Sierra

Descending the Eastern Sierra

Proper big mountain descending in the Eastern Sierra. A brush fire had started that morning close to the turn off to Horseshoe Meadows, and we we were warned that we may not be able to get back down if we chose to go up. I assured the sheriff we wouldn’t be long and we were lucky to be waved through. Up top the smoke was barely noticeable but as I descended the color of the air turned yellow and hazy. The lower I rode the heavier the smoke got and by the end I had flakes of ash on me and a nasty cough.

This is the same descent I scouted on my gravel bike and hit over 60mph with a massive tail wind. This was my second run down later in the week and first time on the road bike. Not quite as high top speeds this day but overall still a very fast run down.