We pulled out at 6:30 a.m. to head to Yosemite. Should be a 3 hour drive and should route us around having to clear New Priest Grade road. WRONG!
All went well until I listened to the GPS. He had me turn off Highway 395 and that was the road we needed to be on. I didn't notice as I wasn't checking the printed directions and they were vastly different.
We passed through a long valley was thousands of cattle grazing. Then came the sign: STEEP HILLS.
I knew we have to cross a hill or two to get into Yosemite. Didn't seem to be a problem. HA! And somewhere we re-entered California.
Kit Carson Pass - over 7,000'
Avalanche Area - No Parking, Stopping, Peds
Carson Pass - 8,574'
Carson Spur Pass - 7,990'
Unnamed Pass - 8,0000'
Another pass with no name - no elevation listed
Peddler Hill - 7,000'
It's getting serious now. There are vultures on the side of the road enjoying lunch with a deer.
Did I say it was a three hour drive? It's way past three hours now. There's a lot of snarling going on the truck, too. And it's not Chrissy......
I realize we're coming up on Chinese Camp and that's very close to New Priest Grade. That's when I realize what's happened with listening to the GPS. We're about 10 miles from the campground at this point, but David won't pull the trailer up the hill at New Priest Grade. He's afraid the truck won't make it, and there is nowhere to pull off on this road. We call the campground and she tells us it's at least a two hour detour to drive around to the southern entrance. David heads for the southern entrance going through Mariposa.
More of viewpoints:
Emergency Heliport in the middle of nowhere
Cowbells ringings
One of two idiots of the day:
We're on a two lane road and we're going slow. We have an "entourage" behind us and we're careful to use the pullouts so the traffic can get by. Apparently that wasn't good enough for one person. We're headed uphill, there is a double yellow line, and a car is coming down the hill and almost even with us. I hear the noise of a motorcycle coming from behind us! He's passed two other cars and is now trying to pass us with the car coming toward us. He actually passed between our truck and RV and the other car on the double yellow line. How he wasn't killed, I'll never know. I had my hand over my mouth and didn't even have time to scream! He must have been crazy!
We passed Butte Store - "This is the only structure remaining of Butte City, prosperous mining town of the 1850s. As early as 1854 Xavier Benoist was conducting a store and bakery in this building. Later Ginocchio had a merchandise business here." Highway 49
We enter Calaveras County - Yes, the county from Mark Twain's story of the Jumping Frog. We missed the Jumping Frog Contest this year. It was held in May.
We think about a turkey sandwich for lunch. Especially when a turkey runs in front of the truck!
Saw a large fake rooster in someone's yard.
We go through San Andreas. Is the fault here? They were selling ambulance tickets in the town. Do you need a ticket to ride in one? Do you win one?
Yoga Sanctuary. Didn't know it needed protecting.
Jacksass Hill - no elevation listed.
Mark Twain's Cabin - one mile.
We saw an array of American Flags along a long line of fence. It looked quite nice until you got close. They were all stuck in barbed wire.
Rawhide Road.
A beautiful valley seen from the hills. Are the Barkley's home?
We go through the "town" of Hornitos. The fields here are so dry. It looks like Alabama in late August/early September.
One road we've been on looks as if it will end in dirt and be the end of the road in someones driveway. We turned off before that happened.
Mariposa! The campground said to take 49, but the sign says Yosemite on 140. We take 140. Bad move!!! We keep seeing signs about vehicle limits of 46'. We are way longer than that. We keep going. The snarling and growling has vastly increased. It's still not Chrissy....
Did I mention it was a three hour drive? It's now after 3:00 p.m.! We're tired and David's threatening to unhook the trailer somewhere and drive on. I tell him the campground is already paid for, so he continues on. It's gotten quiet in the truck. We're going up a LONG hill. There is a sign that concerns me: Vehicle length restrictions and the fact that you get a $270 fine for over-length vehicles! David won't turn around. We keep going. By now my Secret has failed me.
There is road construction and the road takes two strange turns over the river. There is a one lane road with traffic lights and two bridges. Seems a HUGE landslide took out the main road some time back and this is how you continue on the road now. Scary!
We realize we're are going up a steep hill and there are rocks overhanging the road on our side. I keep asking if the buses and RV's coming down are longer than us. David says no. We're headed over El Portal. Then I realize we're entering Yosemite through the Yosemite Arch. Didn't know it had one!
I was recovering from my surprise when another one awaited me. The Yosemite Arch. This picture is through the windshield and doesn't do it justice. All I could think was "We ain't going to make it!"
Finally on the road to the campground. It's 5:00 p.m. We're almost there when the second scary driver meets us. We're pulling up a pass and we have vehicles behind us. Unfortunately, there are not many pullouts along this stretch of road. A Suburban keeps passing all the cars behind us and tries unsuccessfully to pass us, to. It's a no passing stretch of road, but there is a pullout ahead. It's short and we start to pull in when the guy tries to pass us. Only problem is there is a big vehicle coming down the hill. We weren't completely off the road yet and the other car moved over. The guy just cleared us both! Then he proclaimed us to be Number One for the next 1/4 mile.
Campground ahead - 5:30 p.m.
Quick set up....quick dinner....and go to bed really early!
See you down the road!
Jenny :)
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