Day 10-After leaving the beaches of central CA, we met up with Tyler and Amelia for a hearty breakfast in Paso Robles. It was great seeing both of them and catching up with what they’re doing with each other, and their busy lives. It’s only been 12 hours and we miss them both already! Oh, and thanks for a great breakfast. We can’t wait to see you both again soon! Maybe a trip back to PA, eh?
As we traveled through the hills east of Paso Robles, we noticed a small herd of Elk at the top of a distant hill, staring across the road. When we turned to see what they we’re looking at we were surprised to see they were staring at a small cattle drive (see below)
On our horizon today were the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountains, and more specifically, Yosemite National Park. Known mainly for its waterfalls and famous granite peaks such as Half Dome, El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks, the park’s nearly 1,200 square miles host so many different ecosystems to explore, including alpine meadows, giant sequoia groves and high mountain lakes and streams. Around every turn there seems to be a different view of Yosemite’s rich, natural resources.
Four of Yosemite NP’s most popular attractions (below) are Bridalveil Falls (l) and Yosemite falls (r), and the granite peaks of Half Dome (l) and El Capitan (r).
Since we were visiting the park in mid-May, there was the chance that some of the roads we wanted to explore might be closed due to snow. We were in luck today, and our timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The one main road we wanted to drive (and would need to exit the park from) re-opened this morning after being closed for several days, so, after visiting all the main, but still spectacular, tourist sites, we headed north for Tioga Pass. Now this road is not for the faint-hearted. It winds its way across high peaks ranging from 6,000’-10,000’ and turns and switches back about 100x in 40 miles. The views are stunning, but should only be seen and appreciated at one of the many pull-offs along the route-not while you’re driving! Although there was quite a bit of snow higher up, we only hit a little bit of rain mixed with some sleet. We took our time, and stopped along the way to see the less visited side of Yosemite, as the sun poked out through the low clouds that surrounded us. It was worth the cautious drive, as we were blessed with some of the most beautiful sights the park has to offer-most of which are not seen by the majority of visitors to Yosemite. The Sierra Nevada Mountains are big, really big, and they seem to go on forever. Just when you think you’re down out of them, another 8,000′ pass looms in front of you, and up you go again!
I asked Theresa and Darby to compare Yosemite to Zion, which we visited four days earlier, to see if they had a favorite. We all agreed that the views that Yosemite offered, along with the dozens of cool, snow-capped, granite peaks, were beautiful and simply unmatched from a scenic standpoint, but in the end, all three of us chose Zion. Maybe it was the trails of Zion that we had a chance to sample, maybe it was the towering sandstone pinnacles that stand like guardians over the forests and streams below, or maybe it was just because we got to hike up the middle of a fast-moving river! How cool is that!
After four days of traveling throughout Central California that took us from the lowest point in the U.S., to the bright lights of Hollywood, and from the coastal beaches to some of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we departed the Golden State and landed in Carson City, NV (after a failed attempt to get to our hotel room in South Lake Tahoe, due to two key roads being closed because of snow). Although we have many miles to go, and still many places to see, Big Blue has officially turned himself (and us) back toward the East!
