Yosemite

Edit (2011/11/29): Added photos (finally)! Old entry (mostly trip logistics) at the end of the post.

2011 Yosemite

See the album (above) for more photos and captions; here are some of my favorites:

Old post:

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Yesterday we went to Yosemite! Pictures to follow eventually, but here are some details about the trip:

Packed our bikes (SC's in the trunk with both wheels removed, mine in the backseat with the front wheel removed) and departed Friday evening with a full tank of gas. Stopped by Safeway at 9:15 pm. Got lost (accidentally drove from Manteca to Stockton), but got to our hotel in Oakdale (Holiday Motel, $58 via Orbitz) before midnight.

Started on the road again Saturday morning 6:45 am, stopping at McDonald's for breakfast. Traffic was thankfully very light. We got in to the Big Oak Flat entrance (Hwy 120) at 8:30 (70 mi). Some more driving within the park, with lots of stops, and we got into the valley at 9:30. Lots of water!

Got our bikes out at 10:45. Biked to Mirror Lake at 11:00, hiked for a bit and had a picnic lunch (bread, salami, and cheese), and got back on bikes at 12:30. Got to the lower Yosemite Falls at 1:15, had a second picnic at 1:45, then biked around the valley until 3:30.

Started driving out, reaching Tunnel View at 4:00 and stopping at Mariposa Grove at 5:15 (27 mi). No traffic. Hiked until 6:45 (started getting tired around 6:00), had a final picnic, and left the park at 7:00.

Due to my reluctance to go above 3 or 4 thousand rpm, we were one of the slower cars going up hills. However, sometimes there wasn't a passing lane, so I'd push it in 3rd gear just to keep up. The engine temp looked fine, but we started smelling some kind of smoke in the car. This happened twice. Coincidentally-located barbecue or trouble in the engine compartment? I don't know.

Refueled in Oakhust ($4.15/gal, similar to that in Mountain View). Stopped for dinner at Carrow's in Merced at 8:45 (82 mi via CA-49 and CA-140). Started raining while we were driving (680 was miserable in the rain) and we finally reached home at 12:00 (135 mi).