OK, Have not posted since Ridgecrest because I have not had internet service. Barely had cell service at some times. Met 2 guys from Holland in Ridgecrest, Michael and Roland. Really nice guys having the time of their life on some rented Harleys! I left Ridgecrest and decided to go North on 395. I wanted to go see the big trees that you can drive through. I asked some locals and they were supposed to be in Yosimite-they are not. So I went up 395, sometimes wet, sometimes hot, sometimes cold. Really cold over Mammoth Mt and into Lee Vining. I got 1 of the last 4 rooms left in Lee Vining for the night. Actually, the hotel was a dive and I left and went up the street and every Hotel had NO VACANCY signs up so I went back. By the time I got back I got 1 of the 3 remaining rooms and 2 and 3 pulled in as I was registering. Want to thank the really nice guy at Lee Vining Mobil for the advice about staying in Lee Vining and not going through Yosimite that evening.
So I got the room and then took a drive up to the Ranger Station to get my pass for the next day. It was 52 and dry as I took off up the mountain. in the 11 miles to the station it went to cold and raining to Snowing and freezing! I finall rode a motorcycle in snow, on a mountain with huge dropoffs!! Ok I was white Knuckling it all the way down. Ate dinner at the Mobil in Lee Vining, had the Elk Chops, again the guy there at the Mobil was right-great chops. Never had Elk before but the meal was Great!
I met a guy there while I was ordering and we sat and had a beer and dinner. His name is Matt Newell. Matt was riding his newest purchase home, and 02′ BMW R1150GS. He gave me a lot of good info and tips. Next morning I got up early and loaded so I could take my time through the park. I stopped in a couple of places to take pictures and then stopped to take a pic of this huge rock wall and a Huge Grey Coyote came out of the woods and sauntered across the road-way cool. I was stopped right down the road from that taking a pic and Matt came by. He stopped and, since he grew up around there and Yosimite was his playground, decided to give me the highlight tour. We were kickin down the road going through some nice twisties and a deer ran across the road, while he was looking at that one, another came out and he BARELY missed it. After we stopped right down the road I told him that I had learned in Alabama, when you see one-you better be looking for his friend because it isn’t too far away. As we were going down the road I had the helmet cam on and I saw a Huge deer in a meadow, hopefully I captured it on video. Matt took me down to the valley and the falls were awesome! The paintings and photos I have seen do not do them justice. This is a spectacular place. The sheer size of everything is fantastic! I did the valley then Matt headed to the house.
I went south and was going to dip in to see the huge redwoods at Maricopa Grove, but the road was closed to the public, only shuttles. I didn’t feel like unsuiting and carring my helmet etc on a shuttle so I figured I would see it another time. Yes, I will be coming back! I took off out of Yosimite and headed for the coast. Went down some real cool roads, went down some real boring roads. Wound up in Morro Bay for the night. Better room, with wireless internet, better bed, better shower, Cheaper price than the one in Lee Vining. By the way-I found out that they cannot build a really nice hotel in Lee Vining-or anywhere near there because Los Angeles own all the land, and more importantly, all the Water Rights all the way down to LA. Man that sucks. All that crap sucking up all that great water. Invest in water rights out her and be a millionaire!
Well, I hade a great dinner at Dockside here in Morro Bay and took some pics of the sunset-or what was left of it. Headed up the Pacific Coast highway tomorrow and into San Francisco. Can’t wait to see the Golden Gate.
