California

 

Crossing the desert

 

 

Normally this is a dry barren place. We just happened to be crossing it when a rain front had moved through.

 

 

Wind Farms

 

 

 

Crossing the Mojave Desert was interesting enough. When we got near the town of Mojave these wind towers stood out on top of the hills in the distance. Wind seems to be a viable power source in this area.

 

 

 

Coursegold, CA

 

 

 

The town of Coursegold is small but pleasant. There are a number of tourist-oriented shops along the highway with a large community spread out in the surrounding hills.

 

 

 

Moon set

 

 

 

We were enamored with the natural beauty of the hills and the western sky.

 

 

 

Oakhurst, CA

 

 

The town of Oakhurst is the larger metropolitan center in the area. Oakhurst has more services and is the last pit stop before entering the southern end of Yosemite National Forest.

 

 

 

 

Yosemite National Park  November 2000

	http://www.yosemite.org

 

 

 

 

 

Our 1^st California snow near Yosemite

 

 

Sierra Nevada Mountains  

 

 

  It really amazed us to see wildlife along the roadway into Yosemite Valley. They acted less surprised than we were and went about their business paying little attention to gawkers like us.

 

The majestic entrance to Yosemite Valley held breath-taking views. Even with a reduced flow of water this time of year, Bridal Veil Falls has a beauty all its own.

 

 

The whole valley opened up to stunning views in almost every direction. El Capitan dominated the far side of the valley in this view. The public walkways held stunning vistas in every direction. 

 

  We didn’t get to go over to see the giant sequoias because the roads were closed from snow in Mariposa Grove. But, the Western Incense Cedars are quite large as you can see Judy and Mary at the base of one. 

 

 

Yosemite Falls was still spectacular even from a distance with snow and ice build up at the bases.   

 

 

 

Half Dome had a sheen of ice and snow as well. 

 

The Park roadway seemed eerily dark as the quickly fading afternoon sun pushed its way down behind the western ridges. Many of the trees had lost their leaves already but there was still a fair amount of colored foliage to see. The contrast between the shade and sun was stark with the shaded areas remaining much cooler out of the sun.

 

 

These bucks caught us by surprise browsing next to the roadway. Signs indicated that they could be dangerous if approached with an apparent history of attacking people trying to feed them. We were safe inside the truck with these fellas. They didn’t seem too bothered by our curiosity.

 

 

  The smoke and mist combined to drape the valley floor with a veil. The smoke came from some controlled burning the forest rangers were doing for reasons unknown. What I found so peculiar was that this was after 2 P.M. in the afternoon. Where the mist was, so was still snow and ice. You could feel the temperature difference whenever we went from direct sun into the shade.

 

 

  The awe-inspiring views were plentiful in Yosemite National Park.

 

 

Escapees Park Sierra