From Yosemite to Lake Tahoe

Friday 7 September 2012 – A day travelling through magical scenery.

Day 148 and 10 days to go

With a more restful sleep we were up relatively early this morning. It was suck a beautiful morning outside that we ate our breakfast outside again listening to the birds singing.

Once all of the usual bits were done we went to the campground shop to buy a souvenir racoon hat and bear. We were then ready to hit the road at 9.15am and take the road to Yosemite for the final time.

We stopped at one point to take in the view of the valley and then snaked our way through Sierra National Forest before entering Yosemite through the stone arch and then taking route 120 north towards Crane flats.

We stopped at the top of cascade falls to check out the water draining from above and then it was back to driving. This road was steep and had a few tunnels to pass through along the way. There was plenty of traffic and it made it a taxing drive on Paul.

The scenery continued to impress. I was keeping a keen eye on the forest in the hope we would spot a bear lurking amongst the brush. There were plenty of fir trees here. Some sections appeared burnt out from recent fires and it made for quite a stark appearance.

At we reached heights of 3000m the landscape changed looking more like a stony desert; the white granite not sustaining a lot of growth at this higher altitude. We passed many camping and picnic areas before stopping at Olmsted Point. From here we had a view over the valley that was just magnificent. We were able to walk on the granite rocks and peer over the edge into the valley below and the massive rock structures that surround it, including Half Dome. I could have stayed sitting on the rock for ages but we had further travels ahead.

We continued on the Tioga Road Pass that travels from West to East. For the winter months the road is not accessible due to the snowfall. I am glad we were able to use it today.

 Our next stop was Tenaya Lake. A crystal clear lake nestled amongst the rock cliffs. I walked down to the edge and checked the temperature of the water. It was surprisingly warm. There were even two English girls swimming around in it.

As we drove away we could see rock climbers taking on the challenge of one of the domes. They clung like crazy spiders to the edge. Nutters! We then passed Tuolumne Meadows, a large flat expanse where people were riding horses. From here our decent out of the park began. Thankfully the roads here have been resurfaced and are wider than the ones we travelled when completing the Italian mountain pass in July. However it still required plenty of concentration on Paul’s part.

With the pass behind us Lee Vinning came into view along with Mono Lake where we stopped to have lunch by it’s shore.  The lake itself is saline and is a migratory stop for many birds. It was quite a peaceful spot. We went for a walk along the boardwalk to the lake edge and checked out the birds and the interesting rock formations surfacing from the water.

After our lunch stop we then returned to the van and the road to continue our travels on to South Lake Tahoe another couple of hours away and closer to the Nevada border. This required us to spend a fair bit of time in Toiyabe National Forest. We passed through Bridgeport where there were cows out on the large meadows. There were homes dotted here and there but again it was a place we thought why would you want to live here? 

To head on to South Lake Tahoe, which is still in the state of California we had to head over yet another mountain pass. Again it weaved its self up, up and up. There were not a lot of cars on this road and it was another one that had been resurfaced recently, so the journey was smooth, though the hippo likes to cough and shake as it keeps wanting to click down to second gear and when it does it is a violent and unexpected shudder.

With the drive almost behind us we descended the pass with Paul envying the bikers riding the roads as they were leaning into the corners and accelerating away. Oh boy is he missing his bike. I asked him what he was looking forward to when we get home and going for a ride was high on the list.

By 3.30pm we finally made it to the Lake and it was a twinkling blue jewel amongst the mountains. Spying a campground across the road we pulled in and were given a spot that was a real bugger to get into, but after a few goes we finally had the hippo parked.

We set up the van and stopped for a drink and a bit of a rest. It was nice to be stopped after such a long day on the road. Once we were rested enough we wandered over to the Lake to take a closer look. From here we could see further along the lake edge and into the Nevada border where large hotels, funded by casinos, lined the lake. 

We walked for a while before stopping for a few grocery bits and then returning to the campground where I loaded the photos, did some checking for tomorrow and worked on the blog.

Our neighbours turned up on two Harleys and it wasn’t long before Paul was out making friends with Greg and Tracey from Missouri. He was having a great chat about traveling and bikes. Right in his element.

When he finally returned he started cooking our dinner and I finished up with the computer bits. We ate our salmon and then I did the dishes before grabbing the camera and heading back to the lake to some more photos as the sunset. It was so calm and soothing sitting by the shore. I tested the water and it wasn't too cold either.
When I returned I rang home to catch up on what has been happening and then we played cards before finishing up for the night.

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