Wednesday
July 16, 2014
We got an early start this beautiful Wednesday morning. We are bidding Truckee, CA goodbye and heading to Yosemite.
Our first part of the trip included a drive around picturesque Lake Tahoe. The water was a beautiful blue and pretty calm. There were some boaters out and about on the lake but, the water is too cold to swim in. George and I considered several homes that were for sale there but, decided we wanted to stay close to Reidsville. LOL (sarcasm..We couldn't afford the front porch of one.) It is always fun to see how the other people live. Sometimes you get a little envious but, then I think of how lucky I am and all the worries they must have and I find myself satisfied. I don't have to deal with tourists (LOL), bears in the trash can, high gas prices, etc. We stopped at our favorite overlook, the one we used several years ago, and made a few pictures.
Next we rode to Marshal Gold Discovery State Park. Let me tell you, this place was off the map. We traveled down, down, down, going left, then right for what seemed forever. We did see some grape vineyards. When we arrived, it was sorta a disappointment. It was hot, no bathrooms, summer camp kids and counselors everywhere (ugh it reminded me of school field trips.) We walked around a little, went down to the memorial to Mr. Sutter, got our feet wet in the river, and decided to leave. We did not even get to pan for gold as the kids were taking up all the time with the sluice. No problem.
What an incredible drive it was going into the park. First we noticed how drought stricken they are in this area. The lake outside Yosemite was really, really low. We have been constantly warned by signs that the fire danger is very high in this area. I can see why. The mountains and valleys are covered in brown grass. It's pretty to look at but certainly it is extremely flammable.
We entered the park from the end. We could see remnants and evidence of past forest fires. It was disheartening to see the devastation but, again we are reminded that it is the cycle of life out here. As we climbed in altitude and mountains became less wooded and more rocky. The tops got higher too. We rode along the Merced River and it was filled with boulders left over from the glaciers. These rocks were as big as buses and small cars. The are piled up all over the place. Signs along the way reminded us of the possibility of rock slides. That I can believe. The mountainsides are covered with slabs of granite and loose rocks. I wonders when looking at some of those large boulders how in the world they got there. They are teetering in one special spot. It's no telling how long they have been there.
Our biggest surprise came when we got our first glimpse of Half Dome and El Capitan. Talk about big!! and so, so beautiful. We were coming into the park in the late evening and the sun was setting on the two peaks. As we descended into the valley there, we really got a feel for how big these mountains are. We certainly rode in with our mouths hanging open. We checked in to our room, had some supper, and then konked out for the evening.
The worst part of this was we had to bring everything out of the car that was food related. We weren't traveling with a load of groceries but anything with scent, deodorant, car air fresheners, or resembling food had to be stored in our room.They warn that bears will break out windows to get to food. If one does break into your car, your car is messed up and you get a ticket from the park ranger.
Can't wait till tomorrow to explore the park.
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