The rain has stopped and it’s a beautiful clear morning. The view over Cowley Lake, which yesterday was gray and cloudy, this morning reveals a wall of mountains crowned with a fresh dusting of snow.

We go downstairs and before coffee, Amanda invites us to join her for morning calisthenics. It’s a series of five exercises, done 21 times each, which apparently originated in a Tibetan monastery known for the longevity of its monks. Time will tell if this improves our longevity, but the movement feels great. Next, we enjoy coffee, tea and a delicious warm cashew milk drink with vanilla and sweetened with dates. Plus, our shoes, socks and gloves have dried out by the fireplace overnight. It’s a great start to the day. We say goodbye and thanks to Amanda for her warmth and generosity and hit the road, delighted with the crisp and cold, but dry, morning weather.

We make good time. Our spirits feel  revived and we are inspired by the amazing mountains that surround us in every direction.

By late morning, we are hungry and stop at a little bakery in Carcross for delicious bowls of kale, sausage and white bean soup accompanied by thick slices of sourdough bread. It’s so good, we decide we can’t pass up dessert and share a chocolate hazelnut babka. We sit outside in the sun. Our fortunes have improved considerably in 24 hours.

We spend the afternoon cycling along Lake Nares and Lake Tutshi, both long glacially formed lakes that are deep emerald green with thick forested hillsides rising steeply from the water. We leave the Yukon and cross into British Columbia and eventually find a beautiful wild campsite next to the Tutshi River.

We’ve ridden hard today and rinse off the sweat and dust with a quick dunk in the river. It is frigid, of course, but also incredibly invigorating. We have a tasty camp dinner of rice and lentil soup with kale and tomato, hang our food bags to dissuade bears and crawl into our tent, dry and warm, stomachs full, and hearts full of gratitude.