Yo Yosemite!

So the Napa and Sonoma trip came to an end. The second morning hangover was a little perkier, so a sleep in until around 9 am was required.

Where to next then?

Tentative plans had me jumping over to Sacramento, then heading back South via Yosemite, before dropping back into LA to

(a) pick up a bag I left at my initial AirBnB; and

(b) check off the sights I didn’t do the first time around (being in a hurry to depart la la land after spending a week organising Charlotte’s purchase)

The trip to Sacramento was pretty uninspiring, and loathe to say the city itself was the same. I wont bore you with the details, suffice to say it was an overnight stop only.

From there it was off to Yosemite.

An early start, a 4.30 am workout and shower before slipping quietly out of Sacramento around 6 am) had me chugging along beautifully to one of America’s most famous National parks on Thanksgiving day

I saw the sun come up over hills, lighting up lakes in the morning mist and traipsed my way around some pretty narrow backroads, before hitting the foothills of the mountains.

There’s really only one way up to the park, but my early start and the holiday meant traffic was light so I could take it easy.

Charlotte is  a sold girl, but a bit “boatish” in the steering – taking it easy was highly recommended travelling up and down mountain highways with sheer drops off to one side.

25 mph blind u-turns on a rated 55 mph road will make the palms a bit sweaty!

The scenery heading up was beautiful

However, as I kept climbing, things started to look a little more hairy. Up past 4000 ft and it was a winter wonderland – snow everywhere and a little bit of ice on the roads.

It seems the first snow fall of the season had happened 2 nights ago, and there was a serious cold weather system over the mountain.

At the park entrance I was told that:

(a) chains were mandatory (I don’t have any)

(b) overnight temperatures were forecast into the 20s F (or about -5 Celsius)

Now I could have gone back to one of the townships, tried to buy chains and fit them, but the prospect of sleeping in Charlotte in -5 C was a little off-putting! I’d survive but it probably wasn’t going to be fun.

So, with some regret I turned around and headed back down. Yosemite can wait until 2016, along with Yellowstone and the major parks.

Heading down the mountain was less fun that coming up, especially as Charlotte had developed a little brake shudder on the  steeper sections.

A nervous chatter I suppose, only raising its head on steep sections, leading me to brake with gears more than the pedal.

Eventually we descended safely, and the only thing was to head back South to LA.

I found a  turn out to stop and have lunch (lentil soup over a campstove) , but then it was all barrels down to the Valley

Now, I have a penchant for driving non interstate highways and freeways, which is all well and good until you realise fuel is low, and you’re in the middle of nowhere. Luckily for me I found a small town to refuel but then made the mistake of heading back out to side roads instead of Highway 99 South.

Dusk comes early up here – by 5 pm the sun is setting, by 5.30 it’s pitch black and I’m in the middle of farmland nowhere, no streetlights, barrelling along at 50 mph following cats eye’s only.

Garmin comes to my rescue, cutting me miles through some of the poorer roads I’ve seen, and through really pokey 5 house communities until I finally hit Delano – a community just of highway 99 with a Walmart SuperCentre as it’s main claim to fame.

440 miles today, up and down dale, so I’m glad to pull in, find a darkened spot and rest up.

In the spirit of the day I give thanks for what I have – Charlotte, a safe day on the roads, a warm and safe place to sleep. family and friends back home and more adventures to look forward to. Not a bad lot methinks.