Page 3 of 3

Through all this abuse our gear held up well until my NC700X threw one of its mods 20 miles from the nearest road. As our SENAs continued to record, we began repairs in earnest before pressing on and being treated to the best sunset of our lives over the Sierra Nevadas at the exit of Saline Valley’s north pass.

After a night spent in Bishop and the beautiful June Lake, we began our approach to Yosemite through the beautiful 10,000-foot Tioga Pass. Though our time in Yosemite was too short, we appreciated its beauty and quickly set our sights on the coast and Garrapata State Park, with an invigorating hike and even more breathtaking views to come.

Our mission to remember Ben Glattstein was realized when we reached the tiny pull-off at Garrapata State Park on the California coast. We couldn’t just end it there, so we hiked the grueling climb to view the sunset at the same spot Ben took his last photo and were rewarded with another incredible sunset, this time over the clouds of the Pacific Ocean.

In all we raised enough money to send two students through training at ERAU, the same classes Ben had taught. I believe we made our friend proud by living more adventurous lives, even if only for a short while. When I think about Ben and our ride, I know that his inspiration lives on. Ben, you always said, “Show me the adventure, and I’ll show you the way,” well you certainly did it this time, my friend. GetOut2Garrapata.org