Archives for October 2007

Good People

October 11, 2007 by bobcatou

I was looking for a campsite in Sequoia. I rode into the Potwisha campground. The camp was full but as I was leaving these two RVers, Leon Johnson and Eva Pendley waved me over then told me to set up a tent anywhere on their site. They had plenty of room.

I stayed there for 2 nights. We had delightful talks over morning coffee. Leon told me about a log cabin kit he bought on Ebay. He is planning on putting it together on a piece of land up in Montana soon.

The last day in Yosemite, I met Lynn, Easy, Vera and several other people from the same family that were meeting there for a family gathering. (I didn’t get a picture) They were from all over the country. I drank a beer with them before I went to bed and had breakfast with them in the morning before I left the park. Good people as well.

I’m beginning to feel that this trip is about meeting new people. Since I am camping so much, I am getting acquainted with lots of “folk”. It makes you realize that there are alot of great people in the world.

More about my Death Valley experience next…

Dared Sequoia…Well kind of.

October 10, 2007 by bobcatou

Note: You can click on the map to get a better view.

After my hotel stay in Tulare, CA and against my better judgment, I rode to the Sequoia National Park. I called the weather line that morning and they said there was ice and snow in parts of the park. It was beautiful in Tulare though so I figured it couldn’t be that worse, 90 minutes away. Well I was wrong.

I got to Sequoia hoping that the roads would be clear by the time I arrived. The visitors station said no and even told me that 2 motorcycles had gone down in a certain area.

The ranger said it was safe up to the Giant Forest. I don’t know if I would agree if it is in the forest by the picture below.

The above picture was taken at a visitor’s center near the entrance of the Giant Forest. As I approached the road was went with only ice on the sides of the road. It is did make me nervous so I turned around at the visitor’s center. For obvious reasons, I didn’t feel safe going farther.

I’m in Boulder City, NV tonight. It’s about 20 minutes south of Las Vegas.

I haven’t had a chance to import my pictures from my camera but I will in a day or so. I am doing some minor bike work at a borrowed biker’s garage tomorrow. I plan to hang around here until Saturaday most likely.

I met some great people over the last few days and see some beautiful areas. I even got up BEFORE sunrise to take some pictures of the Sand Dunes in Death Valley.

More to come very soon…

Yosemite

October 6, 2007 by bobcatou

My route in Yellow the past few days

I have been at Yosemite the last four days trekking around and enjoying the area.

I never hiked to Half Dome. That is behind me. A 12 hour round trip hike seemed a little daunting for my first hike.

Here are some more pictures of the dome.

I did get some hiking in. I took some trails up in the north part of the park near Tioga pass on Rt120. I saw alot of trees.

The night before I left Yosemite, I got rained on and it got really cold. Popcorn snow even fell.

Yes…I’m cold!!

Yesterday morning, the road I wanted to leave on was closed. I was told by a ranger that my second choice would not be safe for motorcyclists because there was still too much ice and slush on the road at higher elevations. I decided to be safe and take the same road out that I came in on and head south on RT99 by Fresno. This morning, I am about an hour south of Fresno.

I want to go to the Sequoia Natl. Forest and Kings Canyon but after calling the weather line for the park, it sounds like snow tires are needed for some areas so I might have to continue south.

More later…