Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 04/12/2009 10:48 AM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 04/12/2009 11:48 PM
Expires: 01/01/2014 12:00 AM
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Yosemite in a Day… By the PineTree Pedaler, Brett Loring
…well, not really, but if a day is all you have to visit this magnificent marvel here’s what you can do to not merely take this spectacular site for “granite.” Any season is ripe for experiencing the uniqueness of Yosemite, but in early spring the wonders of the water flow, a hallmark of the rivers and cascades in the Park, now seems to be at its peak. For a day trip, plan a six-to-six schedule; that is, leave home at 6 a.m. and leave from Yosemite by 6 p.m. to enjoy the bonus of the setting sun framed by the great granite walls that form Yosemite. This allows you about 8 hours of daylight to take in a moderate......
    
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hike, peruse the Visitor’s Center and shops, enjoy a picnic lunch, and do some brief sightseeing along the drive. From Calaveras County, you’re looking at about a 100-mile drive on Highway 49 then 120 to what is considered the Big Oak Flat entrance to the Park. You pass through historic towns like Jamestown, Chinese Camp, Moccasin, Groveland, and Buck Meadows, and will border Lake Don Pedro. You’ll have some detour options including Old Priest Grade (beware - that’s “Grade” with a capital “G!”) and Old Highway 120. Be ready for a $20 entry fee, but count it well worth the cost for the handy visitor’s guide, indescribable views, the free Valley shuttle service, and a priceless and humble reminder of how small, but blessed we are amidst a majestic creation.
This past week after passing through snow flurries and “Carry Chains” zones, we ended up near Yosemite Lodge and the Yosemite Falls trailhead. From there, we basked in a breathtaking view of the thunderous basin of Lower Yosemite Falls then continued along the base of the mountain on a trail to Mirror Lake, pausing for the kids to explore boulder “caves” and seasonal streams. After about 3 miles, we found ourselves at the end of a historical toll road that brought early visitors to a now-extinct lodge at Mirror Lake. In the interest of time and hungry children, we made a U-turn and retraced our steps for a mile, then took a left turn at a “comfort station” alongside a service road, where incidentally, a lone coyote tried to sneak past behind us, furtively glancing at us as if to ask, ”Whadd’ya doin’ in my backyard?!” We followed the road to a shuttle stop, waited a few minutes, and were then on our way on a circuitous loop thorough the Valley as the driver narrated points of interest, including the “Speeding Kills Bears” signs in locations where bears have been hit and killed by motorists this year.
Back in the Visitor’s Center area, we experienced “The Spirit of Yosemite,” a dramatic 20-minute cinematic presentation about the Park, admired Ansel Adams’ works in the gallery, and boarded the bus to amble about the Ahwahnee Hotel. Prepare yourself for Yosemite’s own micro-climate; we had snow, rain, sun several times off and on throughout the day. In the spirit of Ansel Adams (who must cringe in the grave at the commercialism of his much-photographed current-day Yosemite) bring your camera and binoculars. Besides the famed Bridal Veil Falls, El Capitán, and Half Dome, so many other “Kodak moments” present themselves along a backdrop of granite, or alongside streams that feed the Merced River. For more about Yosemite and its weather and road conditions, go to www.nps.gov/yose/.
by Columnist, ThePineTree Pedaler, Brett Loring
If you have ride thoughts, suggestions, ideas, feel free to e-mail me at brett@thepinetree.net
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