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- #21
Got a final post I'll do later. Surprise part of the trip to me....
Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Yosemite Trip
- Thread starter wngrog
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Fantastic pictures Nolen. It's certainly make me think harder about what else to tack onto our Rubithon trip next year.
Once again you amaze me, Grogan. I could plan the same trip and not get 1/10 of the value out of it. When I retire I plan to become a stalker...
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- #24
I was showing my pics to one of my customers yesterday that loves to travel. He said Yosemite was on his bucket list and he's saving time off to take 2'weeks to go.
I asked if he was going to drive. No. Fly.
I asked if he was going to hike deep into the park. No. Wife can't hike.
Why are you wanting 2 weeks? He just figured he needed that to see it all.
I sat down with him and came up with a super slow agenda with lots of hanging out and sleeping in time and it still was only 2 - 3 days.
He texted me last night and had his trip booked in 17.
Reason I say this is that lots of people think they need so much time and money to see things and they put them off and never see it.
I'd rather spend 2 days seeing the highlights than waiting until I have time to do it "right" and that time never comes.
He would have never been able to take 2 weeks .......
I asked if he was going to drive. No. Fly.
I asked if he was going to hike deep into the park. No. Wife can't hike.
Why are you wanting 2 weeks? He just figured he needed that to see it all.
I sat down with him and came up with a super slow agenda with lots of hanging out and sleeping in time and it still was only 2 - 3 days.
He texted me last night and had his trip booked in 17.
Reason I say this is that lots of people think they need so much time and money to see things and they put them off and never see it.
I'd rather spend 2 days seeing the highlights than waiting until I have time to do it "right" and that time never comes.
He would have never been able to take 2 weeks .......
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- #25
Like I said, after the failed Georgle attempt I pulled up Google with terrain and found exactly what I was looking for.
This road and terrain looked great for a lazy drive to the hotel.
Nice. Golden State showing out.
Better
Not only was the road through here beautiful but it was deserted. So much so the rougher it got the more I began to expect a road closed sign around every corner. That would suck because backtracking would put me a minimum 2 hours to San Jose from the beginning of the canyon at Patterson CA
This road and terrain looked great for a lazy drive to the hotel.
Nice. Golden State showing out.
Better
Not only was the road through here beautiful but it was deserted. So much so the rougher it got the more I began to expect a road closed sign around every corner. That would suck because backtracking would put me a minimum 2 hours to San Jose from the beginning of the canyon at Patterson CA
This.
We only made a day trip out of it (on our way back from the Rubicon). Four hours of that was driving in and back out from the 395 side via Tioga Pass. We saw a sh!t-ton and still stopped at a several places to get out and take a closer look. Way worth it.
We're doing a family vacation like this next year - seeing a ton of sh!t by hitting the highlights.
- Thread starter
- #27
There was a closed 4x4 park in this canyon. It said it was closed due to fire concerns but I'm sure it's just another Northern California environmental closure. Greenies hate to see 4x4s tearing up Rocks
After the park that was 16 miles in the road got nicer and the elevation rose and got me into the clouds
Deer and TONs of quail. Still no cars.
The last really cool thing at the peak before I dropped down into San Jose Valley was this Observatory. The dome was so caped in fog I could not get a good pic but I'd love to go back up there one day.
On the way down from Lick was perfect pavement and I think I read 300 turns. Crazy. Makes
Tail of the dragon look straight.
Great cap to the trip. It's hard to imagine being impressed after being where I had been but I would put this road in the top 10
Of non National Park roads I've ever driven.
Can't wait to go back....I love California
After the park that was 16 miles in the road got nicer and the elevation rose and got me into the clouds
Deer and TONs of quail. Still no cars.
The last really cool thing at the peak before I dropped down into San Jose Valley was this Observatory. The dome was so caped in fog I could not get a good pic but I'd love to go back up there one day.
On the way down from Lick was perfect pavement and I think I read 300 turns. Crazy. Makes
Tail of the dragon look straight.
Great cap to the trip. It's hard to imagine being impressed after being where I had been but I would put this road in the top 10
Of non National Park roads I've ever driven.
Can't wait to go back....I love California
- Thread starter
- #28
I bet that Tioga Pass road is awesome. What was it like?
We did Tioga pass spring break 1976 in brand new rear wheel drive Ford Grenada. It started snowing our way up the pass. At one point dad got out of car and let a CHP officer drive us around an accident he was working. Mom tells that story all the time.
Apologies in advance for hogging your thread
. But this just makes the point that you can cram a ton of sightseeing in a short time. I think we did all this in 7 or 8 hours.Coming down 395 (395 is a must-do IMO. Absolutely spectacular views all the way from Tahoe.), about to take the turn to Tioga Pass...
The road up is STEEP (on the left in this pic):
This pull off is only halfway up. You climb an 8% grade for 8 miles. For reference, very steep interstate grades are 5-6%.
That was the view looking where we came from, this is what is still left to climb (road on the right):
Finally, at the top:
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It's about 20 miles to get to the NPS shack at the top. Overall, it's about 75 miles from Lee Vining, CA on 395 to Yosemite Valley. Takes about two hours, if I recall. All of the action and places you see in the pictures are in Yosemite Valley.
The long drive across the Sierra to get there is totally worth it though.
The long drive across the Sierra to get there is totally worth it though.
ToyotaDon
I am here
With Sequoia and Kings Canyon in my back yard, and Yosemite not much further, in 41 years I still have not seen all those sights (particularly End of the Road). Yeah, we hit some of them here and there, but it's great to see a quick trip that takes in so much. Kudos to Dan for giving you the plan.
That Patterson road is one that I believe I've been partway through when working on a house with my dad. Heading in early, we spotted a nice bobcat moving up over a ridge; sort of a rare sight around here.
That Patterson road is one that I believe I've been partway through when working on a house with my dad. Heading in early, we spotted a nice bobcat moving up over a ridge; sort of a rare sight around here.
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- #33
Yeah I had a 4 hour round trip figured on Tioga Pass.
Sure all the pics people see are Yosemite valley is because it is easy. And crowded.
But a must do IMO.
That said, the remoteness of Kings Canyon is 1000% worth the effort.
Sure all the pics people see are Yosemite valley is because it is easy. And crowded.
But a must do IMO.
That said, the remoteness of Kings Canyon is 1000% worth the effort.
Man, killer pics. Toga Pass drive is amazing. You really lucked out to get some of that weather in Yosemite-I'd love to shoot it with that kind of cloud cover. This really makes me want to finish my thread from 2 years ago...
And you're totally right about the highlights. We may never get back to some of those places, but I feel like my family really got a taste of the American West. It's really a diverse and beautiful place.
And you're totally right about the highlights. We may never get back to some of those places, but I feel like my family really got a taste of the American West. It's really a diverse and beautiful place.
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under_psi
SILVER Star
THIS. PIC. so beautiful....... thanks for sharing this.
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- #36
THIS. PIC. so beautiful....... thanks for sharing this.
That's CA130 before I hit the solid clouds at Lick Observatory.
4 hours on that road and I saw 10 cars max.
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- #37
euclid
SILVER Star
Great pics, thanks for sharing.
Nolen, See any squatches?
I was in Arkansas
