My recent roadtrip to the Eastern Sierra’s was precipitated by an online registration to do my first x-country style mountain bike race at Bodie State Historic Park located near Bridgeport, California. My original plan-of-attack was to basecamp around Mammoth; I am familiar with all the options in Mammoth but had never visited Bridgeport before. After scouring various distances and itineraries, I opted to setup my basecamp at Paradise Shores RV Park and Campground. Located just a few miles outside of Bridgeport and owned and operated by a young couple from New York City, all the online reviews consistently spoke to a great vibe there and conveniently located.
My departure from Las Vegas around noon was less than ideal and also 110º which made the next 6.5 hours an extremely tiresome roadtrip. But, I arrived at 6:30pm with just enough time to procure one of the most pristine campsites at Paradise. Actually, it turns out I sort of poached this location as it is not an official tent camping site but Alan blessed my mis-behavior and I was happy to see a pristine sunset as my final tent stake was firmly pounded into the sandy and soft terrain.
I boasted to Alan I would be up at 4am to capture the first light in Yosemite, but it turns out the moon was mostly full and terribly bright so I went back to sleep. I hit the tarmac with a fresh pastry and Bad Dog coffee from Nugent’s High Sierra Bakery at 6:30am. I was dreading the engine-stressful climb up Tioga Pass in my beautifully aged Subaru Outback but I knew I was in no hurry.
I had never been to Yosemite or driven the Tioga Pass and I could see why it is closed in the winter. Gnarly climb up and descent to say the least. I entered the Tuolumne Gate to Yosemite around 7:30am and renewed my National Parks pass for $80. Once you buy your first National Parks pass, it quickly justifies the expense if you enjoy all the fantastic national parks and monuments located in the west and everywhere in the USA. Blazing light was just beginning to electrify Yosemite and I was excited to see the first paddleboarder, shirtless, enjoying the absolute pristine moment.
Still tired from the arduous drive the day before, I arrived at the Tuolumne Park HQ 20 minutes prior to their opening at 9am so it gave me a nice moment to catnap. Once inside, the cute-ish Yosemite Guide confirmed that a reasonable itinerary was to do the May Lake hike and then maybe head down to the Sequoia’s.
One reason I had never been to Yosemite and certainly during the summer is that insane populations that really detract from the wilderness experience but I knew I needed to forge ahead. Any person can quickly discern the popular hikes including the John Muir trail based on the overcrowding of designated parking areas and the click-clack of walking sticks. The clone-ism of outdoor hiker apparel was sort of funny.
My first pull-over to May Lake was Olmstead Point with a fantastic view of Halfdome. Tons of people scurrying around to get the best photo, but a person could probably spend a half day here composing 1000 different shots with Half Dome. Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture. Olmsted was famous for co-designing many well-known urban parks with his senior partner Calvert Vaux, including Central Park in New York City, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and Elm Park in Worcester, Massachusetts, considered by many to be the first municipal park in America.
Next stop is May Lake. I was encouraged to see the trailhead was actually 2+ miles down a rough asphalt road which should inhibit the average rental car hiker. As luck would have it, I got celebrity parking right next to the trailhead and met a friendly couple my age with many great suggestions and tips to ensure my May Lake hike was successful. The trail was well marked and adaptable to folks in sneakers to the REI-catalog shopper wardrobe. The hiking at altitude tempered my pace but within an hour I arrived at May Lake and fortunately there was a well-stocked and modern restroom. The gut burger I had eaten at the local saloon the night before was claiming front and center. There is a privately run rustic lodge/tour company up here and if I was into that sort of caretaking, it would be most excellent. My hike to the left side of the lake was inspired as the best way to jump in for a swim but the water was too chilly without peer motivation. The water looked clear and wonderful. After a fantastic hike, unfortunately the next 4 hours I would be stuck driving my car. I had not brought any food and I was running out of water and there are very few concessions in Yosemite. When I finally got to the gas station, I bought a bunch of drinks and junkie food and committed to driving all the way into the main Yosemite Visitors Center knowing the crowd factor in August would be 100x. It turns out being starstruck by the first view of El Capitan was worth it. I processed El Capitan for just a few minutes pondering the sheer impossibility of actually climbing this vertical wall and it confirmed my respect to the climbers of old and the new free climbers doing it in less than 48 hours.
[dropcap]H[/dropcap]eading back to my basecamp at Paradise Shores, I was exhausted from my 200 mile drive and looked forward to settling in. I saw a lady with a young boy bringing a kayak in from the Bridgeport Reservoir and struck up a conversation. It turns out they were from the Netherlands and I expressed my enthusiasm for their country as the most progressive bicycle country in the world. After charging up my electronics at the community men’s restroom, they invited me over for pizza and salad and we had a lovely dinner and conversation. Instances like that are what I enjoy the most about traveling solo is the spontaneity of meeting people and being able to adapt quickly. I had some swag leftover in my car and I returned their generosity with swag. LOL The children enjoyed the stylus pens and sunglasses and the adults enjoys my lens cloths.
[separator]
[heading element=”h2″]DAY TWO[/heading]
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] good nights rest does wonders for the adventurous soul. I was already feeling settled in and knew my first appointment was to have breakfast at Nugent’s bakery and then some local exploring without as much windshield time like the two days prior. I purchased a bag of donuts for my new friends from the Netherlands knowing they would be off to their next destination. I did not notice until I returned later in the day, my friends had written me a nice note and put it on my tent. Good times.
Drinking great coffee and munching on donuts, I googled best hikes around Bridgeport and all links led to Twin Lakes. I had no idea what to expect or exactly how to get there but I stopped in the local gas station and the gal working told me to just turn left and I will find it. A nice leisurely morning drive of about 30 miles until the 1st lake came into view with a blue heron and a stand up paddleboarder enjoying the morning sun. I ventured to the very end of the second lake resort owned and operated by the Annett’s family and I was quickly impressed and knew instantly this is where I would spend my day.
[dropcap]R[/dropcap]eturning to basecamp after a wonderful afternoon, the sun and hiking required an afternoon nap as I charged my electronics. There was a scheduled meet-and-greet for the Bodie Bowl MTB race that evening but Alan, the coolest dude in Bridgeport and proprietor of Paradise, recommended if I like shooting old mining towns to head up to the Chemung Mine site at the base of Masonic Mountain just a few minutes down the road. Wow! Perfect timing for sunset and a great place to grab some pix! THANKS ALAN!
[separator]
[heading element=”h2″]DAY THREE[/heading]
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]runch time! Race day is here. I have all the excuses already in robospeak. Overweight, out of shape, too old, altitude, etc. I pulled into the Bodie State park around 7:30am and everyone was on the same page – Have fun riding your bike in a very unique backdrop. After about two hours I knew I needed to cut the ride short to get back to break down my tent and head back to Las Vegas, but, it was still a great ride!
[separator]
[heading element=”h2″]Postscript[/heading]
You ever wanted to pull over and take these pictures? I finally did! hahahahahah
