Day 12: Yosemite Sam!

 Distance traveled: 265.5 km

Cumulative distance: 2,823.0 km

Maximum speed: 114 kph

Moving average: 64 kph

Temperature range: 21.0 – 29.2

I wasn’t in too much of rush THIS day, either. Take a shower when you have the opportunity since who knows when will be the next one? Also, I had to avail myself of that wonderful roadside-motel breakfast. However, unlike at a Canadian motel, U.S. motels have biscuits and gravy. I had a biscuit. I skipped the gravy. But there was fresh fruit, so it all evened out.

Other than to eat and have another shower, I had to sort out where I would stay tonight. Sadly, I was quite naïve about it. I figured, it’s shoulder season, so how hard could it be? Even for Yosemite? NOT. Yosemite has been fully booked for five months to the day since that is when the window opens for a reservation. On the booking website, they say to make sure the clock on your device is exactly on time as, it seems to me, people get on the website the second the booking opens. There are no campsites in the park specifically designated “first come, first served”. Book it or forget it. Unless you KNOW people in high places…

So, after exhausting my attempts to find a campsite in Yosemite, I resorted to looking at campgrounds outside of the park that appeared to have availability or were first come, first serve and I did find a couple that I thought reasonable. One, which was on the way from Sacramento, didn’t allow bookings less than two days in advance but the website showed plenty of availability for tonight so I knew I could stay there if that was my only option. However, it was well over an hour outside of the park so staying there with a view to commuting to the park wasn’t too practical. Another place I found was strictly first come, first serve and it is much closer to the park and also Lee Vining, the town to the east of the park where the gas station has good food. That was my back up campground should the first somehow fill up before my arrival. The back up campground, which may yet come into play, is at 7,800 feet (about 2400  metres) elevation, so it is winter up there at night time.

It was pretty easy to get out of Sacramento as it was a simple matter of crossing over the freeway then driving straight south, which was very handy. Navigating around a big, totally unfamiliar city when you are on a motorcycle is occasionally challenging but his couldn’t have been easier. I rode 26 km before my first turn.

Based on the recommendation from Spencer, the Honda service “guy”, I had a fun and motorcycle-popular route laid out for getting to Yosemite and going by my two targeted campgrounds. Along the way, I had a very pretty view of the countryside that looked picture-worthy though I hadn’t been fast enough with the GoPro to get a picture and there was no safe place to pull over due to the narrow shoulder, so when a right turn presented itself, I took it. Unfortunately, I did not get the same view that I had seen earlier so I was disappointed but I did snap this one.

I noticed once I was off the targeted route that the GPS did not try to take me back the way I came, so I

just continued on the road that I was on. This ended up taking me through the town of Ione and as I approached the town, I saw there a grand steeple on a somewhat gothic looking building. My assumption is always that, out in the middle of nowhere, small towns often have a monument to their religious affiliation. As I was riding through town, I kept getting glimpses of the building and I decided to take a turn up a side street to see if I could get close enough for a better look. As it turns out, it is a former reform school, Preston Castle,

originally opened in 1894. When I rode up to the gate, which was closed, I noticed that there is still barb/razor wire on top of the fence and that there were vehicles inside the compound so I presumed it was still operating as a reform school. (editor’s note: I endlessly repeat the same joke when  meeting somebody that I went to reform school. In future, I can show a picture of this place.) In fact, I was able to grab a brochure from a box near the gate that told a little more about the place. It is NOT currently in use but there is a historical society charged with its upkeep and tours are possible, including ghost tours.

I arrived at the first campground I had targeted but as I had only been on the road for 182 km and it was still early afternoon, it seemed a shame to stop so early. Plus, the park person at the gate didn’t seem too clear on how far it was to Yosemite, which surprised me somewhat. He said “an hour or an hour and a half”. So I rode around the campground to have a look and even though it was nice and with lots of room, I didn’t stop.

It had occurred to me, as I was riding, that there might be an opportunity in Yosemite. The website this morning had indicated there are sometimes cancelations and to keep checking. I thought I would ask at the park before pushing on to my number 2 backup campground.

When I came to the gate, I paid $30 (the minimum for visitors) for one week’s park use. The gate

Queen Zoe on the left, Queen Sarah on the right.

attendant directed me to the camping office just inside the boundary where, if you can believe it, I met the queens of Yosemite, Queen Sarah and Queen Zoe. They asked what they could do for me. I said “you could find me a place to camp.” And they did! I’M SAVED! I told them they were my queens and would they like to be internationally famous and be featured on a motorcycle travel blog? They were keen for that so I told them I would be taking their picture. And they put on their crowns (park hats! But no handcuffs – different branch). Thank-you Your Highnesses!

After I had secured a tent site, and a nice one, too, I went back to the bike thinking I would call Nan and tell her I had found a place for the night but that there would be no cell service at the campground. But no service at the park gate, either! So I went back to my two queens and asked them if they would email Nan and tell her that I was ok for the night. I can only presume that happened.

And It IS a nice campground. Even though I HAVE a reservation, people still sign into the campgrounds here. At the entrance is Bill, a volunteer campground host. He lays out the ground rules for me: no riding deer or elk, no smearing peanut butter on myself to get a selfie with a bear and no food inside my tent. And then the usual other stuff. And because I am riding a motorcycle, Bill and I strike up a conversation. He actually rides a small dirt bike and he keeps it here at his campsite and uses it in the park, where he is allowed. And outside of the park. Bill offers me some firewood and some potable water. People have to bring their own wood and while there is a small stream with fresh, clear water, it needs to be treated or boiled. It’s that community, you know.

And, it turns out, Bill’s queens are Sarah and Zoe, too! Apparently, they travel out every morning to inspect their lands and meet their loyal subjects. They come by this campground every morning and get a coffee and bring Bill his morning paper. Maybe his slippers.

This is the old highway into Yosemite.