Yosemite Bound

3rd May 2012

Time to leave the trials and tribulations of the big city and coastal life of southern California to head inland to warmer/colder weather depending on elevation.

Left San Francisco  across the Bay Bridge on interstate I expected a pleasant drive once out of the city environs. America likes ribbon development, appalling main road design and surfaces and believe it or not these extended at least 75 miles inland from the coast. Biased? obviously but what a mess. This area serves ' silicone valley ' world beaters in every sense in the technology industry but they certainly lag miles behind in infrastructure, everything is dated and comes out of the 50s and 60s and has not been touched or serviced since.

The reoccurring grouse over we fast forwarded, well slow actually as the roads became increasingly steep and winding. We climbed over passes at 6000ft and trundled our way onwards.  Having moaned I have to say these non state highways are in good order climbing steadily where necessary but to date no hairpin bends and great cambers on the roads all the way along.

Yosemite national park is huge, the part everyone hears about is the central valley Known as Yosemite Valley which has Yosemite Village and all the infrastructure for the four million plus visitors who come here each year. It is strictly controlled and in fact very well run and all buildings blend in and can only be seen from close to due to the vast numbers of trees, mostly pines and American Oak.

The valley itself is about a mile wide with a river ambling through. it is a flat area. each side of the valley and at its head are mountains rising up to 3500ft from the valley floor,quite astounding.
Large numbers of waterfalls falling incredible distances and jagged mountain peaks make up the scene.

A walkers and climbers paradise, some climbes take 3 to 4 days from valley to the top and you sleep in a hamock which is held by what ever means to the face of the rock with a sheer drop of hundreds or thosands of feet beneath you. Most climbs have no ledges the whole way up. The topography ment for us experienced layabouts there were only two short walks of a couple of miles or so which were tackled with out too much difficulty.  A four mile walk was noted but was foind to be rated severe
and anyway it was four miles there and four miles back  time suggested 8 hours as the path rose 3250 ft with it said fabulous views from the top.  All other walks including the many long distant walks had to first get up and out of the valley, No doubt many people are fit enough to do them.

There is enough to do and see wandering around in the Valley for a couple of days, free shuttle buses give access to most areas and cars and rvs stay put in there parking lots or camp grounds.

The camp grounds are large, no electric hook ups but space for quite a few thousand when higher level sites outside the valley are open.  Booking is another matter as each month can be booked six months in advance i.e May2012 could be booked up from the 1st November2011 and by 12 noon on that day virtually the whole of May will be booked out and so on fall all other months the park is open,  We obviously had no luck, there were odd days so we got one night for Sunday 6 May  but had to spend the other two nights in Oakhurst 50 mile south of the Village and 25 miles south of the yosemite southern entrance .  We drove in twice along route 41 from High Sierra Rv resort which was in fact  a very nice site with a pitch river side.

We enjoyed Yosemite and it certainly has a lot going for it visually but to really sample it I fear one must be either younger or a deal fitter than we are.  I put the height of the park at about 4000ft as my excuse.

Tioga Pass Route 120 which had caused a re arrangement of routes as it closes in November and is reopened mid May or as weather permits which can be up to July was to our delight opened for traffic at 12 noon on Monday 7th May one of its earlier openings. Of we went at 12.45 up this route which climbs over a 9450ft pass, higher I think than I have ever driven. Wonderous views at times, trees at other times and at all times I claimed the double yellow centre lines to keep away from edges.