Last night in California

Day 14 – June 23, 2009
Leaving Placerville this morning we took 49 South heading for Yosemite NP. HWY 49 North was a real treat with all its twists and turns and 49 South proved to be just as much fun to ride. But nothing compares with route 120 approaching Yosemite! We climbed thousands of feet with 5 or 6 switchbacks because the climb was so steep. This road is not just the park entrance – it is traveled by trucks as well as buses and small towns (or what were towns in the past) can be found along the road. We were behind a truck and a bus trying to inch their way up this mountain and maneuver the switchbacks so this dropped our speed to about 10 mph so I was playing with the clutch and the brake to keep Abigail pulling. In Yosemite the stone walls reach high into the sky and the waterfalls seem to be falling in slow motion. You stand with your head tipped back as far as possible to see the tops. We saw a brown bear resting in a meadow and some dear. Heading out of the park we continued on route 120 which is Tioga Pass and climbs to over 9000 feet in elevation. The ride is amazing as you pass through meadows and forest then suddenly the forest slips away and the earth has suddenly opened up and you are riding beside a bottomless pit with no guard rails or shoulders on the road. I glance at the view but dare not linger lest I begin to pull the bike in the direction of my sight. Then as suddenly as the gapping hole appeared it is gone and the space is filled with the forest again and all the time we are climbing and coasting down the other side. About 9000 feet up I was getting cold so we stopped to put on our jackets. When we reached route 395 the speed picked up and we could move along at 70 mph then suddenly around Bishop CA we were in the desert again with no warning and the heat index jumped to a very uncomfortable degree. We have settled for the night at Motel 6 in Bishop, CA.