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There were only two of us on bikes, Nat and Tyler, but we were joined by Nat’s sister, Raquel and her two daughters, Desiree and Monique, Tyler’s daughter Shannon, and Nat’s SO Chris (the lone testosterone unit for the weekend – he did quite well!). We headed out of the Sillycon Valley around 2:30 and hit as many backroads and surface streets as possible to miss the ungodly traffic along 580. We traveled along Altamont Pass to Grant Line Rd. – a great alternative to hustle and bustle of the freeway. We came out on 205 and Nat got her first taste of lane splitting, which is easier when you follow someone else and they have to play Moses and get the Red Sea of Cars to part!
We finally got to 120 where we were witness to the smoky haze of at least two wildfires, the smoke filling the sky and causing the sun to change colors to a coppery-orange. Once we got out of the lower gold country and headed up toward Yosemite, 120 becomes a series of lovely, long sweepers, one after the other, just so easy and relaxing to lean right and left, right and left, some that go on for so long that you think you’re just going to turn right back in on yourself and keep going around in circles.
When finally got through the Yosemite entrance gate, we still had about 30 miles to go to get where we needed to go and by the time we actually started to descend down into the valley floor, it was pretty close to dark, making the ride down quite a challenge… unfamiliar road, very twisty, late dusk lighting, glimpses of amazing vistas and towering rock cliffs that you really wanted to look at but had to keep your eyes on the road, and the temp was dropping quite quickly as well. We kept riding and riding and riding, knowing that the turnoff for Yosemite West must be just around the next bend… or the next one… okay, it must be right around this corner… until Tyler finally gave in and pulled over to get some more layers on as the shivering was not conducive to steering the bike (and also got to see the lovely sunset across the vista without driving off the road)! Nat followed suit and once we layered up and headed back out on the road, two miles later was the turnoff… figures! After some hunting around trying to find where we were supposed to be (was a bit of Keystone cops adventure for the two of us), we finally arrived at our rental house around 9:30, eager for food, a shower, and a nice glass of wine!
The next morning we awoke to blueberry pancakes, great coffee, and planned our day. Since the younger units had not been to Yosemite, and Tyler hadn’t been there since she was, um, a lot younger (and we’ll leave it at that), some sightseeing was in order so we loaded up the car with those not on bikes, Tyler’s daughter, Shannon, suited up in her gear and rode pillion with Mom (her favorite part of the ride was going through the long, rock tunnels where we acted appropriately responsible and honked our horns as we went through!), and we headed out, stopping for the obligatory tourist shots here and there. We stopped at Bridal Veil Falls, where Nat said it wasn’t very far to walk to the falls. She neglected, however, to tell us that it was quite a rock climbing adventure to actually get to the bottom of the falls but, hardy souls that we were, up we went, taking on the challenge of carving a path across the slippery rocks and sunning ourselves like lizards once at our destination.
From there, we drove across the valley floor, in awe of the gorgeous meadows that you wanted to lay down in and let the sun pour over you and let the scent of wildflowers fill your senses… the sheer rock cliffs that towered above us on either side… Half Dome, which is more majestic in person than it is in pictures… the lush green trees and ferns that line the roads… it was a joy to share the beauty of the world with Shannon from the back of a bike.
We then headed for a hike up to Vernal Falls, which is about a mile uphill, putting our mettle to the test and willingness to go the extra mile (so to speak), especially with kids in tow. But to everyone’s credit, they made it to the foot of the falls where we stripped our tired tootsies of shoes and socks and soaked in the cool (which quickly turned to very cold and numbing!) water. A few of the more hearty souls continued on to the top of the falls (about .7 miles of stairs straight up) while the rest of us headed back down and reveled in the river ponds below.
Tired and weary, we headed in to the village for a few items at the store, and then back to our rented abode for an amazing array of dinner choices – fish soup, Indian cuisine, salad, and a bevy of side dishes to sate everyone’s hunger. We also took advantage of the hot tub out on the deck, to soak our weary muscles and enjoy the view of the stars above us.
Sunday morning, Nat and I rose bright and early for a ride before having to pack up and head for home. As we readied our bikes, I looked down at my left-side saddlebag and noticed something wasn’t quite right… couldn’t figure what it was until I looked closer… seems a bear had come to our neck of the woods that night and smelled something of interest in the bag (I had removed any food but there must have been some sort of scent to tantalize the creature)… and had subsequently tried to either open it or pry it off the bike… with its teeth… and claws… so I have a memento that you cannot by in any store… tooth puncture marks and a rip on the top from a bear, along with lots of bear slobber and dirt… makes for one really great story!
Once we got the bikes warmed up, we headed out via 120 along Tioga Pass, beautiful roads (the cement had a glittery substance in it so as we drove along and the sun hit the road in front of us, the road sparkled like it was paved with diamonds), well maintained, past beautiful ponds and rolling vistas, stopping to enjoy the gorgeous view at Tenaya Lake, gassing up in Tuolomne Meadows, and finally heading back to the house to pack up for the return trip.
We geared up and reluctantly headed out again via 120 (it really is a beautiful road up in the mountains) and down into the foothills. Man, it was hot… did I mention it was hot? Because it was Hot… no I mean really Hot… HOTHOTHOTHOTHOT!! Well over 100 degrees and patches of heat that felt like you were passing through an oven… ick! We stopped at a little mini-mart and stood under the air conditioning unit for about 10 minutes while throwing back cold water and beverages (and, to the pleasure of some passerby motorists, dousing our t-shirts!) before heading back out to the heat.
Coming through the central valley was actually a little bit cooler and Nat got more experience at lane splitting coming along 205 through Tracy. Finally, coming over the crest of 680, we were greeted with a cool breeze that surrounded our tired, gritty bodies and allowed us the strength to get home, thus ending another wonderful trip to one of the amazing corners of this state we live in.
This is a place definitely worthy of a return trip sometime soon as we didn’t get to do much in-depth exploring this time out – now that we’ve done the basics, I sense some seeking out of side roads and more adventures next time! Stay tuned…
Peace,
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I
think that if the powers that be decided to create a heaven on earth,
Yosemite would definitely be one of those places!