Day 71: Pine Flat Lake to Sequoia National Park

August 31, 2014

Pine Flat Lake to Sequoia National Park

This is about how I felt waking up after sleeping on a pile of rocks after riding through 90 plus degree heat all night after eating only cookie cream sandwhiches.



Getting higher!



Heat killing me but I'm getting higher!



Made it to Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park!



I made less than 50 miles today, barely, which is a rare occurance.

I am camping in Sunset campground in General Grant Grove. I chanced to come across an incredibly kind couple, Jim and Jean. As I was registering for my campsite, I exclaimed at the high $18 fee. Jim offered to share a campsite, and I gratefully accepted!

Jim and Jean were great campsite friends, and even better because Jean is a veteran school teacher. I got to talk education, which is something I have done very little of since the school year ended.

The campsite is FULL of people, some of them very party hardy for labor day. About the time we called it a night, an RV pulled up and whipped out some floodlights. No joke. I guess there's a first for everything.

Day 70: Bass Lake to Pine Lake

August 30, 2014
Bass Lake to Pine Flat Lake
60 miles

California heat will be the end of me. I got a late start and made 10 miles before stopping at a library at noon. I figured I would wait out the hottest part of the day and continue in the evening after the library closed.

When I left the library at 5:00 the temperature was still in the upper 90's. Progress was slow, and I had little water.

Fortunately I saw some paramedics as they were walking in from their ambulance and they let me fill up my bottles. Better from a bottle than an IV line.

I decided I would pedal through the night, so I whipped out the old headlamp and rear lights. Night riding is the way to go, the temperatures are a nice cool 85 degrees.

The hills are very steep, and it is hard to maintain a rhythm because you go up and then you go down and before you can shift into the proper gear you are going up again.

I got to ride through a cattle grazing land, and nearly ran over some cows that were standing in the middle of the road. That was about the most exciting part of the day. Besides the paramedics and their jokes. I love paramedics.

Extreme exhaustion combined with my fading battery power on my headlamps forced me to cowboy camp beside a turn out point along a reservoir. It was extremely rocky, nay, bouldery, but somehow I managed to fall asleep. From time to time a car would pass by and twice the drivers stopped to see if I was okay. It must have been a sight.

I also probably felt lethargic because all I ate were cookie cream sandwhiches.




If you are into this sort of landscape it would be really pretty. The roads would be amazing to bike on without all my gear!



Sun is setting and it is still 95 degrees.

  

Day 69: Yosemite to Bass Lake

August 29, 2014
Yosemite to Bass Lake

Good morning from Camp 4!

I had plans to hike to Nevada and Vernal Falls before heading out, but decided against it because I was afraid I would have difficulty getting out of the park and finding a place to camp if I didn't leave early enough. The hike would take several hours, and I have to climb a couple thousand feet on bike to get out of the valley, out of the park. So I will have more things to do when I come back to Yosemite!

Last night Brandon and I got new camping mates. We had hoped for some hot climber/yoga girls to show up but fortunately our wishes didn't come true because we got something better. The three guys that showed up were really nice, and one of them was Guatemalan. I was able to get his email and I will be able to meet up with his cousin when I get to Guatemala. He told me about some places to see, and also assuaged my concerns about safety. In the morning, when he was more sober, his views on the safety were also more sober. "Do lock your stuff up." he told me

Thanks Sergio!

I did take one more lap around the valley on my bike, a nice consolation prize. I bike beneath the famous rock climbing spot, El Capitan.

On the way out, I went through a long, dark tunnel.

And later I found this nice little tablet that someone apparently dropped out of a car window and left on the ground. It still works. Their loss. I turned it into the visitor's center and if no one claims it I might be able to keep it.

They had lots of these signs.

I left the park and made it to Bass Lake, which is actually a reservoir. I hate that they call reservoirs lakes as if they naturally exist. But I like that they provide water in the middle of a desert.

I wish I could have stayed in Yosemite Longer, but I didn't want to put up with Labor Day traffic. I'll just have to go back some time!

Day 68: Yosemite: Glacier Point

August 28, 2014
0 miles
Yosemite

Late last night I met one of the people I'm sharing the site space with, Brandon. He's road tripping by himself and doing a lot of hiking and biking. He offered to drive to Glacier Point, and so I went along with him and had a great time talking with him, and it was good that we both let the scenery soak in at the same slow pace.


Here's a view from Glacier Point. Half Dome on the left. Oh, and Brandon and I might be on Google Earth. We saw the Google man with his crazy camera thing walking around. We're not there yet, but check for the trail views or the panoramic views and maybe we will be. 





After taking in Glacier Point, we took a short hike starting about a couple of miles down the hill from Glacier point. I enjoyed this one much better. A 360 panorama, and the wind felt amazing.

Half dome on right, Nevada and Vernal Falls center, our campsite somewhere in the valley. I was happy I didn't have to ride my bike up here.

 

Brandon having one of the best nectarines ever. I saw it. It looked very juicy.

This spot was my favorite. Obviously the view is fantastic, but even better is if you are sitting on the rock you can feel the full force of the wind coming up from the valley. It's a powerful experience.



In the evening, we went down the mountain to relax in the river. I'll have to add it to my list of most beautiful places I've swam.

And I had fun racing leaves down the stream. No better way to end the day.

Day 67: Yosemite: Porqupine Flats to Camp 4

August 27, 2014

Yosemite is the real thing. The rocks are amazing, and I wish I was still friends with a climber who could take me climbing out there...





I tried to hike, but I was too exhausted from the 92 mile day, and then Tioga Pass, so I sat in camp and stared at the tree canopy.



I rode my bike around a valley loop, which was spectacular.

A photo of a quiet little meadow that is not in any way level:

The people at this campground are mostly climbers and some hikers. It's funny, because there are probably at least 100 of them, but they make less noise than a single family with unruly children.

Also, most of the people at Yosemite are foreigners. If they can get over here, why don't more American's get out to these places????

Day 66: Lee Vining to Yosemite

August 26, 2014

Good morning from Lee Vining!

34 miles
3:38:16 RT
3677 total miles
TO Porqupine Flats

Made it to Yosemite! Went up steep steep 10 miles to Tioga Pass, the entrance to Yosemite. This was slowest ascent I have ever done. Riding 92 miles the day before didn't help.

On teh way up the hill Mike saw me! It was a nice little bit of encouragement as the pedaling was extremely slow. Beautiful, but slow. 5.4 mph average at top.

Also got encouragement from a group of children who started chanting "Go biker go! Go biker go!"

There was construciton at the entrance, so I had no glorious summit photo.

Am taking time going through Yosemite. Hiked to Dog Lake and Lembert's Dome.

Also swam in Tenaya Lake. A most refreshing way to celebrate making it over Tioga pass and entering Yosemite!



Made it to Porqupine Flats camping area, which is nearly empty! I am still in the alpine region of Yosemite, and tomorrow I will descent a couple thousand feet to Yosemite Valley, which is where all the real magic happens.

Day 65: Markleeville to Lee Vining

Day 65 Markleeville to Lee Vindu
92 miles

Goodmorning from Markleeville!

Made it to Yosemite's doorstep.

The plan was not to go 92 miles,  but it just turned out that way. All you have to do is force yourself to make it up the hill, and then you can go down the other side. So I kept making myself make it up the next pass until I could go no further.

Monitor pass was my favorite. I took many breaks to enjoy the scenery and keep cool in the heat. The ride down was amazingly smooth and fast.

Poetry on a signpost:

Pass number 2 on the day:

At Bridgeport I ate 5 servings of Mrs. Freshley's doughnuts, and went onward. As I looked behind me, I could see a storm coming my way. There were very few camping spots along the road. The doughnuts and the storm gave me the energy I needed to make it up the third pass even though it was getting dark.

The sun went completely down, the stars came up, and i still had 15 miles of biking to do. It was safer to bike at night because there were far fewer cars out. I wasn't getting passed every minute and I was extra careful to let them by when they did.

I finally made it to my goal USFS campground, about 10 miles outside of Yosemite. I started talking with a guy, Mike, who had just parked his car for the night. He was nice enough to let me stay in his campsite for the night. He was fun to talk to and I enjoyed the campfire he made, which was the first campfire since my buddy Shawn made one up in the Yukon. Thanks Mike!