I stayed with a fellow who I met on a bus in Alberta Canada last summer when we were both finishing our own respective bike tours. He hosted me at his place in Merced which served as a quick debriefing on and launch point to Yosemite.
I was able to weigh my bike for the first time : 90 pounds
I was able to weigh my bike for the first time : 90 pounds
Moving inland the landscape changed dramatically: hotter, sunnier, and more vast landscapes than the coast.
I divided my approach to Yosemite into 2 days of cycling thanks to a tip on a hostel in Midpines, about half way from Merced. On the outskirts of the national park, many folks stayed here to access the park by car by day. A very good idea.
The hostel was set back into the woods in a quiet bungalow like setting. What's more, it had a great restaurant /lounge area to eat and meet people. To boot, it had a spa: hot tub, sauna, shower for $10. A very welcome surprise when you have sore cycling legs; I couldn't resist! This place was good vibes.
It was a chilly ride into the Valley, as I had a long descent to start and the steep valley walls make for mostly shade.
A massive landslide closed the road and forced a makeshift bridge that created a stop light situation that, ever after, bunched car traffic together - always a welcome occurrence for a cyclist ;)
A massive landslide closed the road and forced a makeshift bridge that created a stop light situation that, ever after, bunched car traffic together - always a welcome occurrence for a cyclist ;)
There was a 3000ft climb up to Yosemite that was not too stressful a grade but tricky given the tourist mecca of traffic the park attracts and no consistent shoulder. One fellow I got to talking with at a lookout point even offered me a lift up the climb..... no thanks ;)
Entering the national park I was told all campsites were full, but as a cyclist I could spend 1 night at north pine campground and put in for a waiting list somewhere else for the next night.
I asked again at the info center and told "sorry, all full". I was starting to get a sense of what the international popularity of this park means for even camping availability. Not to be deterred, nor did I have much choice, I found the backpacker's site (reserved for back country hikers with wilderness permits) and ended up in the good graces of the campsite host who, in adulation of my means of travel, told me I could stay in her site the following night and avoid the large hassle most have to deal with in finding a place to camp in Yosemite Valley.
The next couple days were filled with what are now familiar, iconic views of Yosemite Valley:
While Yosemite Valley is a remarkable place, majestic in its own right, I had a hard time overlooking the traffic jams and construction that it's popularity with tourists has created. Over 5 million people will visit the park during the ~May to ~October season this year, I was told.
It is no longer a remote wilderness sanctuary that Ansel Adams so well depicted, but another tourist destination where masses swarm to take photo shoots of themselves and their friends. Selfie sticks and 5 foot tripods, everyone's a photographer.
Leaving Yosemite Valley to get over to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range, I was poised for one of the biggest days of cycling/climbing of my life. I was for many days apprehensive about it... Fortunately for me, about 4 days before arriving I learned of more campsites outside of the Valley and the 1 in my direction that remained open was about 1/2 way to the other side of the Sierras.
This campsite turned what would have been over 10,000 feet of climbing over 110 miles in 1 day (mind you, my rig weighs ~90 pounds) into a more sane 2 day ride of 45 miles with 6200' of climbing and 65 miles with 4700' of climbing. Still a hell of a climb!
After 6 miles of flat leaving the Valley, it was uphill the rest of the day, ~10am-330pm. I took regular breaks, of course, but it was relentless uphill maybe of 5-7 degrees. I loved it all :) Except for the traffic of course..
Looking down at Yosemite Valley
There were 3 tunnels during the ascent, a little scary when you're not too visible to cars behind you nor with much of any space to be passed...motivation to push harder!
The only service out this way was a gas station, where I filled my cooking stove fuel canister, cost me $.25!
At the Porcupine Flats campground I found myself a nice spot to camp by a stream where I bathed and collected water. As usual, I made friends with my neighbors with whom I hung out for the night.
Over night it got down to the upper 20s, though, so I didn't sleep much.
It was so cold in the morning that my UV light water purifier didn't work so I had to boil water to fill my bottles. It also meant my cloths, hung out to dry over night, were still frozen when I went to put them on. Yikes- that sucked!
The climb to Tioga pass included plenty of grand views and more long climbs.
This video montage pieces together some down hill footage:
Getting up to almost 10,000' altitude definitely made things a little more challenging: taking a drink of water while climbing is really hard! - you lose your breath real fast!
After cresting the summit,
it was 12 miles of some serious descent :
The experience of traveling by bicycle is amazing! It's a lot of work but it's the best adventure!
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