Yosemite National Park

When last we spoke, I was saying “goodbye for now” to my friend Rob and heading back to Oakland for the night. The next morning, I was right back at Rob’s place to get a bag that I had forgotten. I’d taken it out of my car with a few other things so he and his son could take my Mini for a spin. Rob asked me very clearly “are you sure you have everything” before I left the evening prior. I confidently answered “yes”.  My brother Joe is rolling his eyes right now. 

Before I left Rob’s house for the second time, he hooked me up with a Garmin navigation device, so my days of balancing my phone on the pile of bags in my passenger seat is over. I punched in my destination. Yosemite National Park. Ready friends?

Like so many drives I’ve been on, I was dealing with traffic for a bit, and then the mundane, and then the less mundane, and then the scenery caught my attention, and then I started to understand why the place I was going is known throughout the world.  Here’s the first picture I took, I was on a winding cliff side road, about 10 miles outside of Yosemite Valley:

After I took this picture, I took the road down into the tall trees of the valley. Soon, I began to see something towering beyond the trees, but I couldn’t really make it out. Then I came around a bend in the road and was looking at this:

And then I got to a clearing where a bunch of cars were parked and found this: 

I walked through the woods near here a bit, trying to get better view of some of the valley, but that was not the way to do it here. Something that I discovered about Yosemite is that when you’re trying to find a view, you won’t. And when you least expect it, it’s there. The great views are spread out, and worth the effort.

View from Glacier Point

Also Glacier Point

Early on the drive to Glacier Point

See the Jimerica!mobile?

Yosemite lived up to the hype and then some. During the three days I spent here, I met people from Korea, Japan, China, France, Germany, Australia, England, Italy, Canada, India, and, obviously, quite a few Americans. I'm sure they all felt the trip was 100% worth it.

If you ever do make it to Yosemite, the closest real town is Groveland. They have a few nice restaurants and some Inns and B&Bs. A popular t-shirt I see around Groveland says "Where the hell is Groveland?" They also have the oldest continually running bar in all of California, the Iron Door, which was opened in 1852. Good bar food and selection of draft beer.

I met some people in Groveland. Most notably, Dallan and Kyle (said in the Mr. Hanky South Park tone of voice, please).

Dallan (left), and Kyle at the Iron Door. They work for the Just Roughin' It Adventure Company.

Dallan and Kyle are back-country guides. Dallan has been guiding groups for 9 years, Kyle has been doing the same for 5 years. They guide groups in Yosemite, Olympics National Park, anything and everything in the Phoenix area, and the Grand Canyon. The trips they guide are typically three to six days. Kyle did three trips consecutively in the Grand Canyon last year. Three weeks non-stop in the canyon. Another fun fact about Kyle; he lives in Soda Springs, which is about 6 miles from where the Donner Party got stuck. Yes, the Donner Party again. Here are a few facts about Soda Springs; last year they got 523 inches of snow, 14 feet of that snow arrived in just 10 days. And, when the Donner Party was deciding that some of their friends looked delicious, they were standing on 32 feet of snow directly above a lake that could have saved them had they only known it was there.

After leaving Yosemite, I took an extremely long route to my next destination. I’d intended on spending a few days in Mendocino National Forest, but I got there only to discover they were in the middle of a heat wave. Typically, the daytime highs here are mid 80s. But, when I arrived, it was 103 and the forecast was more of the same for the next few days. I hadn't been on my mountain bike for over a week, and I was anxious to be somewhere I could ride. So, Jimerica! got out of his car, looked around, and got right back in and headed for cooler weather. As I write this I am in yet another laundromat. This time, I'm in one on the coast in Mendacino County, Northern California. I'll tell you all about this place next time. Thanks for reading!