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Published: July 29th 2014
Monday 21
st We set off fairly early and soon reach Tahoe Vista and get a few supplies before going on to Tahoe City. We park up and go to tourist info who give us a few walking trail maps.
We start to drive around the edge of Lake Tahoe and get the odd glimpse of the huge lake with mountains all around it.
Mid morning we turn off the main road for Blackwood Canyon and start to drive up a steady gradient before parking. We set off on our hike to Ellis Peak at 8740 feet, about 2 ½ miles away. It's a steep climb and the going's a bit slow but we eventually get to an area where we get great views over Lake Tahoe and Ellis Lake.
We decide to stop and have our picnic and then retrace our steps. We don't want to walk any further.
We drive a short distance to our camp site at the State Park where we have a reservation for three nights. We roll up to the gate and the ranger tells me I have reserved a disabled site. I tell him this is my mistake as the
web site didn't say it was disabled and neither did the confirmation email. He's quite officious and says he's canceling our reservation, charging us for one night's use of the disabled site but we can't use it and then charges us for 1 night on another pitch. So we have to pay double for the night !We must also try and book in day by day for the other two nights. So much for the “ special relationship “ !
The ranger has told us that we're in bear country and therefore all our food, toiletries and rubbish must be kept in the outside bear box. We drive round to our site and it's a really good one.
Afterward we take a walk down to the shore of Lake Tahoe and along the shore line. It's a huge lake with great scenery all around.
Tuesday 22
nd First thing I get a new experience. Queing for the toilet. I discuss with the chap next to me the merits or otherwise of the one toilet that serves nearly 100 men. I tell him about the facilities on sites in Australia and he somewhat bemusedly agrees that yes perhaps
6 toilets or more would be nice.
Americans just don't realise how poor their camps are.
We decide to go for a short hike from the camp and go on a circular route with a leg out to Lily Pond. It's about 5.5 miles and fairly easy as we pass through pine forests smelling of rich pine. It's quiet except for the sound of birds and the odd scurrying about of chipmunks.
We reach the pond and there's loads of lilies but no flowers yet. We pass through meadows of wild flowers all very similar to home.
Our route on the way back uses the 1960 winter Olympic biathlon course and we see where the shooting was done. We don't have to watch out for skiers but there's lots of cyclists eager to mow us down !
After a rest and lunch we walk through the site and out to the shores of Lake Tahoe where we stretch out on the beach and sun bath. We test the water but decide we've done enough very cold water swimming already.
Back at our site we have another slow BBQ. At least I don't burn the
outside and leave the inside raw. Where's John when I need him to run the thing !
Wednesday 23
rd We leave our site and drive south along the lake shore and stop off in a couple of view points and get great sitings of the lake and country side.
As we continue along route 89 the scenery is really good with huge tree covered mountains all around.
The road rises to Monitor Pass at 8314 feet and the views are spectacular. It's a bit hair raising coming down again and getting round the twisty road. It all looks like cowboy country as we reach the valley at the bottom and we expect to see Indians at any time ! Some of the buildings look like houses from the westerns.
Finally we stop in Bridgeport, a very small little town and try and stock up. Unfortunately there's only one small supermarket in town and it doesn't have much. We manage to get a few things and importantly another bottle of wine. Supplies are nearly out.
We book into our site on the shores of a huge reservoir except because of the drought it's nearly empty.
It looks more like a puddle ! Our site should border the waters edge but is now 300 yards away. The views out over the water to the surrounding mountains is still fantastic as we can see snow on the tops of them.
Thursday 24th
A short drive to start the day and we go to Bodie. A real wild west town that was abandoned finally in 1932. It's an amazing place and was built during the 1860's gold rush. A lot of the existing timber buildings are still there and also a stamp mill that broke down the rock to extract the gold and silver. Apparently there were 6 of them in the town running 12 hours a day and the noise could be heard 3 miles away.
We wander round the buildings for a while and surprisingly they are well furnished and even decorated with wallpaper. Although covered in dust now. Some of the buildings contain books and lots of personel items and the houses look as if the people have just walked out the door and left !
We then take a tour of the stamp mill and learn what was done and
what a hard life it was. Most of the men didn't last long due to chemical poisoning or accidents. It's a good tour.
We then drive on to Mono Lake where we take a site for the night. Next we call in at the Visitors Centre up the road and pick up some info for later in the week and watch a film about the lake. It's a salt lake and the country destroyed the ecosystem of the lake back in the 1960's and are now trying to restore it.
We then walk into town and visit two souvenir shops. One's selling cowboy shirts made in China ! The other ones worse with real tat.
The evening's spent around the bbq again.
Friday 25th
A few minutes up the main road we turn off to the Tioga Pass leading through to Yosemite NP. Immediately the scenery becomes mountainous as the road rises steeply. The views are incredible of bare rock faces stretching up for hundreds of feet. The road winds up and down along the edge of many of the mountains and it's a slow drive.
We stop at the visitors centre to pick
up some info and suggestions for walking.
The place is packed and we have some problems finding a parking spot before going off on our trek. It's about a two mile hike up to Lambert Dome and back. Not a long walk but pretty steep in places. When we reach the Dome we have to scramble up bare rock to the top. We don't actually get to the very top as it's just a bit too steep for us. The views from the top, or near it, are fantastic out over the Pass. There are huge mountains for as far as we can see, some still with bits of snow on.
The walk back is much easier !
We set off again and the road seems to go on for ever. We stop from time to time to take in the views but have to keep going.
Eventually we reach the bottom of the Yosemite valley and then it's another 36 miles to our exit on the other side ! There's loads of camp sites in the park but they're all full until August so we have to continue to our private site 16 miles outside.
The twisting journey seems to on for ever around the mountains. Some corners have to be taken at 15 mph they're so tight.
By 5 pm we arrive ! What a terrible drive.
In the evening a couple of Scottish girls park along side us in another Escape camper and we swap stories of our journeys. They live in their van without bothering to cook and have been given an electric kettle which they pass onto us. We can put it to good use. In return we let them toast their bread on our bbq. It's all they eat !
Saturday 26th
We try to get away early to drive back into Yosemite but without much luck. It's a slow 16 miles to the park entrance and we decide to visit Glacier Point, another hour away. It's a huge park. GP is 7214 feet high and we get views out at top of mountain height over Yosemite valley and across to the other side. There are mountains stretching for ever ! We get wonderful views of Half Dome, the park's most dramatic mountain and all the others. The view is one of THE best we
have seen on our whole trip. Christine can't stop taking photos. Hope some of them do justice to the views.
Eventually we leave and drive to Chilnualna Falls to look at a swing bridge. We sit by the river for a picnic lunch and the water looks so good we go back and change and swim in the river to cool off. We're not alone as there are dozens of others doing the same. It's a wonderfully hot day with clear blue skies.
On the way out of the park we stop at the Yosemite Pioneer Centre and look at various timber cabins built for early park explorers and rangers. It's then back on the road for the return 16 miles to our site. More horrendous corners to negotiate !
In the evening a Dutch chap comes over and invites us to have drinks round his van after dinner. We swap stories of our exploits in America and before we know where we are it's 11.30 our latest night out since we arrived here !
Sunday 27th
An early start, yes we get away by 8.30 to drive back to the park. It's 50 miles
to Yosemite valley floor and another go round all those bends !
As we arrive however we find that over night a serious forest fire has started and the valley is full of smoke. The other entry to the park has been closed and camp sites evacuated.
We pull up at Tunnel View for the best view down the valley between the mountains on each side, only all we see is smoke.
We then drive to Bridalveil Falls and take the short walk out to see them. They're the fifth highest in the world, just a pity that there's hardly any water falling over them. It's such a dry year.
Finally we reach the Yosemite Village in the valley floor and park up. Not such a problem with one entrance closed and being early for once. There are huge rock faces each side, over one thousand feet high all around us. The sheer scale of them is overwhelming. Just a pity that they're not clear because of the smoke. Still very impressive though.
We get on the free shuttle going round the park and get off at stop 6 in order to walk around a
meadow loop. As soon as we get off we see a crowd of people looking into the woods and there's a bear up an apple tree ! The ranger tells me it's only three years old but it looks b***** big to me ! It then comes down the tree and runs across the path. It looks even bigger close up !
We then go off on our meadow walk but don't get any more excitement.
Back on the bus and our next stop in number 16. We walk to the bottom view point of Vernal Falls. It's only a 1.6 mile round trip but boy was it tiring walking up a steep hill in 100 degrees ! We get to the view point and it's ok but I'm not sure it was worth the climb.
By the time we get back we're feeling pretty exhausted in the heat and catch the bus back to the Visitor's Centre. The smoke is still obscuring most of the mountains each side of the valley and so we decide to leave. A bit of a pity but we can't really see that much. Nevertheless Yosemite must be the most attractive
park in the world.
We leave and am I pleased it's the last time I'll have to drive round all those sharp corners.
Back at site and it's still 100 degrees although a glass of very cold wine helps !
Monday 28th
We decide to have a slow morning and start with bacon and eggs. Our first cooked breakfast for months. We then get a few things up to date and finalise our accommodation in New York.
Today's a non driving day after the last three days of driving, at least not far anyway as mid morning we make the short trip to Bass Lake.
It's a huge lake despite having lost a lot of water because of the drought. We sit on the bank about 100 feet from the water and watch the water sports going on. The jet skis make a hell of a noise zooming round and we don't get much peace and quiet, although it doesn't stop me falling asleep.
We sit there for most of the afternoon just relaxing. It's a quiet day.
Back at site we spend most of our time fending off the wasps and
mozzies. It's the worst site we've been on for the little blighters !
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Roger Smith
non-member comment
Dutch neighbours
Is this your Dutch neighbour Stephen Van Man? Have Chelsea signed him yet?