May 24, 2005
Day 7: Day Off in Yosemite
I had realized in March that Tioga Pass wasn't going to be open by Memorial Day this year. My plan was to ship my bike from the valley to Tioga Lodge, hike up the John Muir Trail to snowline, then snowshoe over the pass. In fact, I had mailed my snowshoes to the valley post office and they were waiting for me.
Unfortunately, I had no luck - zero - zilch - in finding a bike box. I thought, for sure, that there would be some in the bike rental shops, but they had already crushed them. I spend a good part of yesterday and most of the morning trying to make it work, but I just couldn't get all the pieces to fit. So, I decided to detour around Sonora Pass and bag the backcountry expedition.
I decided that I would just enjoy the valley. I strolled out to the Lower Falls and stood on the footbridge getting soaked and frozen by the spray. Fortunately, it was hot and sunny.
In the evening, I rode out to Mirror Lake and hiked up the trail. Half Dome was beautifully reflected in the still water.
When I got back to the campground, there were still no cyclists. There always were on previous visits. Maybe bike touring is falling out of favor. Maybe the park service doesn't do anything to encourage it. It just wasn't the same kind of visit to Yosemite this year. A bad start - a valley cluttered with orange construction tape - and no companions.
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