Yosemite Park, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!  I didn’t even realize what day it was until I put the date on this entry. This is the first year without the house, and the trick-or-treaters that visited us each year. The good news is it means no left over candy to tempt us.

Today we did another road ride, all paved, no dirt. The route to Yosemite Valley was over 150 miles. We left before 10 am even though we knew it would be cold.  We are camped at 6000’, the entrance to the park is at Tioga Pass, 9945’.  It was very cold at the higher elevations, but down in the Yosemite Valley it was much warmer, as it is only 4000’. We were over dressed for walking around the valley, and of course that is where all the famous sites are. I would have liked to see the visitor’s center, but their signage is bad, either that or it was closed for the season, which is hard to believe.  Although the visitors center on the Tioga Rd was closed, but then so was everything else on that road.  In fact the Tioga road itself closes sometime in November. 

 

El Capitan

Lunch stop at one of the many picnic areas

 

This forest contains many different kinds of trees; sequoia, more Jeffrey pine, Ponderosa pine, Pinion pine, Douglas fir and my favorite the Noble fir.  They remind me of the Christmas trees myfamily always had when I was growing up.  We went through many stands of Nobles of all sizes, from table top size to the giants used in reception areas of businesses.

 

The entrance to Yosemite Valley

This is remote living

Color amongst the Sequoias

Natural rock formations, kind of has a man made look to it

What a great view

Tenaya Lake

One big rock, trials bikes anyone?? The face is very steep!

Mother Nature’s idea of logging; or pick-up sticks, if you prefer.

It was very windy as we started back to homebase through this canyon; yes that is the road in the distance

It was nice to get down out of the wind, and into warmer weather.  Although the cold front is coming in; we can feel it.  Much of Lee Vining will start to shut down; the RV Park where we stayed is closing tomorrow.  We barely snuck in.  Tomorrow we head a little bit farther south, hoping to warm up and to ride in the Saline Valley.