Yosemite National Park

Park Sierra in Coarsegold, CA is a sister Co-op Escapee Park to our Benson, AZ Saguaro Park. Using it as a staging ground, we left our riglet at 2,000 ft elevation and headed out on the Harley for the 4,000-6,100 ft elevations of Yosemite Nat'l Park 26 miles away. Just 175 miles from San Francisco and open year round, Yosemite Valley draws large crowds... car loads and RVs of Americans, bus loads of foreign visitors, rental RVs of foreign visitors. We haven't heard much English being spoken in our nat'l parks. We entered through the south entrance and almost immediately reunited with the BIG TREES of the Mariposa Grove. It is hard to wrap your mind around how BIG they are...35+ft in diameter at the base, 275+ft tall and still 25+ft in diameter at the crown!

We were dressed in many layers, topped with leather chaps and jackets, but we were not prepared for the gripping chill at 6,000 ft. By the time we zig-zagged our way north to Yosemite Valley, our hands and faces were numb and our inner core was aching. We searched out sun-dappled spots from which to appreciate the sheer mass of El Capitan, the powerful plunge of Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, the unusual features of mighty Half Dome and the far-flung spray and mist of Bridal Veil Falls.

By the time we traveled 2 hours on the famous gold rush trail RT.49 back to the Coarsegold area, we had been out in the elements or 9 hours. B-r-r-r! The steaming choices at a wonderful Chinese restaurant revived us and a local couple dining next to us warmed us with their hospitality. How can you improve on a day like that?