Days 15 & 16 Yosemite National Park

Today’s plan was an exciting and uncertain one. We wanted to take highway 120 from Lee Vining, CA through Yosemite to Groveland, CA to our next campsite. But the Tioga Pass is closed through the winter and was still closed when we left for this trip. Two days ago, we found out that they were opening the Tioga Pass for two hours a day, one hour at 10:00 am and one hour in the afternoon. We got up extra early as we had an hour and a half ride to get to the gate and line up. We arrived an hour before gate opening and were fairly close to the front of the line up. By 9:45 am, the lineup behind us went on for miles. Sadly, we were not allowed to stop to take pictures. The ride and views were spectacular!!! Ruggedness of the majestic mountains was breathtaking. We were expecting walls of snow like we saw in pictures during our research. But instead the roads were perfectly clear and there was just a bit of snow in the forest. Tioga Pass is definitely a must see and must ride on a motorcycle. I hope to go back one day mid season so we can stop and take pictures.

The road leading to Yosemite Village and the Village itself are extremely busy with heavy traffic and many, many tourists. One advantage of being on the motorbikes, is being able to quickly pull off and fit into smaller spots when you want to stop and take in the natural beauty of the area. And the store in the Village has designated motorcycle parking, so no making laps in the parking lot waiting for a stall….awesome!! The most amazing waterfall was just outside the main Village, with water cascading over the granite mountain and crashing below on the rugged boulders.