Claire L
<font color=blue>Enjoys a good broadway show<br><f
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2002
- Messages
- 10,782
Monday June 27th 2011
Today we headed inland to Yosemite, one of my favourite places for nature and scenery, so I was excited to be heading back there. This was the first morning we actually packed the van and we finished about 15 minutes ahead of schedule which Michael said did not usually happen on the first time of a tour. Soon we were off in the van heading east and towards the Sierra Nevadas. On the way we had several breaks one was near a huge man made reservoir, so we stopped to take pictures
including one of our van
And the nearby windfarm turbines, it is good to see the Americans using such techniques to get power, shame there is not more of it here!
Then we drove through more agricultural landscape
We stopped in Modesto to get more food supplies and also lunch, which was from the coolers as usual and gave us a great variety for food. Then the long haul up the roads to Yosemite began, which also gave great views
We then got closer to El Portal, where I stayed 5 years ago and where just before that visit there had been a landslide that had closed the road, as it is next to the Merced river there was no other way through. This had meant that the traffic flow into Yosemite from that route was just the El Portal residents and visitors
Anyway 5 years on the road is still blocked, but a new road the other side of the river and two bridges linking it to the old road have meant it is now passable to smaller vehicles.
So we had our first glimpse of the Yosemite valley
We then entered the park and went to Mariposa Grove for a little walk to marvel at how tall the Redwood trees were
Then we headed back out of the park to our campground, passing some of the fire damage from the controlled burns
And the stunning scenery
Once we had set up camp it was time to cook dinner, which tonight was chicken or veggie tikka masala, cooked by my cooking group
After this we all settled down to sleep as tomorrow we would be doing some of the longer hikes of the trip!
Today we headed inland to Yosemite, one of my favourite places for nature and scenery, so I was excited to be heading back there. This was the first morning we actually packed the van and we finished about 15 minutes ahead of schedule which Michael said did not usually happen on the first time of a tour. Soon we were off in the van heading east and towards the Sierra Nevadas. On the way we had several breaks one was near a huge man made reservoir, so we stopped to take pictures
including one of our van
And the nearby windfarm turbines, it is good to see the Americans using such techniques to get power, shame there is not more of it here!
Then we drove through more agricultural landscape
We stopped in Modesto to get more food supplies and also lunch, which was from the coolers as usual and gave us a great variety for food. Then the long haul up the roads to Yosemite began, which also gave great views
We then got closer to El Portal, where I stayed 5 years ago and where just before that visit there had been a landslide that had closed the road, as it is next to the Merced river there was no other way through. This had meant that the traffic flow into Yosemite from that route was just the El Portal residents and visitors
Anyway 5 years on the road is still blocked, but a new road the other side of the river and two bridges linking it to the old road have meant it is now passable to smaller vehicles.
So we had our first glimpse of the Yosemite valley
We then entered the park and went to Mariposa Grove for a little walk to marvel at how tall the Redwood trees were
Then we headed back out of the park to our campground, passing some of the fire damage from the controlled burns
And the stunning scenery
Once we had set up camp it was time to cook dinner, which tonight was chicken or veggie tikka masala, cooked by my cooking group
After this we all settled down to sleep as tomorrow we would be doing some of the longer hikes of the trip!
