louiskathy
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A few pics of Yosemite April 18th-19th 2012
Now we know why Yosemite is such a popular place. Wow. It's beautiful and has a special spirit. We've been to Glacier Park, North Cascades, Yellowstone, and will go back to them again and again. Yosemite is a place you should try to go to at least once. It's above and beyond what we thought it would be. Pictures do not do it justice.
What I learned. Reservations are tough to come by. Every site has a length limit and some are pretty tight. We had a truck camper (23-1/2 ft). I choose site 115 in North Pines which touted a 24 ft length. We had 4" on one side and 5" on the other between the big trees backing in.
North Pines was a good choice for us and nicer (we thought) than Upper or Lower Pines. Some of the sites fartherest from the CG entrance kiosk were gravel and showed signs of being flooded in the past.
The sites on the left side from the CG entrance kiosk (on the river) were all suited for big RV's and there were no trees in the way.
As far as the roads going in... there isn't an easy way. This summer the road between Fresno and the Yosemite entrance (Hwy 140) is being worked on with one stretch having 15 minute to 2 hour delays. That's because an entire hill came down on the road so they moved the road to the other side of the river, built a one lane road and have lights at each end allowing alternating right-of-ways. If the line of cars that you are setting in, is five miles long (and it could well be) it's going to take a long time until your turn comes.
We came into Yosemite on hwy 120 (up the new Priests Grade). It's a five mile uphill climb but so is hwy 140. I think hwy 120 is the way to go in. Go up as light as you can. Gas at the top of Priests Grade was just the same price as what it was a the bottom (in Manteca) when we were there. We stopped at the RV/Trailer sales place just east of the 120/99 junction to buy propane and they had the best dumping station (dual) WITH sewer and rinse hoses in place AND they did not charge to dump. Don't carry any extra water or fuel up Priests Grade and don't put your air conditioner on. Save what power you have for the climb. And make double sure that you take the NEW Priests Grade because the old one does not allow anything but cars and pickups ( NO RV'S) on it.
There is a gas station, auto/truck repair place and a hardware store at Big Oak Flat that fills propane containers (before Grove Land). Grove Land is a fancier touristy town.
Everything I read said that internet was not available in Yosemite Valley in the campgrounds. (You can pay by the minute for it at the lodge or you can stay at the lodge and it's free.) BUT, I was able to get online and check email from our site #115 in North Pines with my Verizon connection and Wilson Cradle. Too slow to upload pics or download pod casts but good enough to check email and sent text messages.
Hwy 120 east bound from Yosemite to Hwy 395 was not open yet when we were there. Neither was Glacier Point. Two nights was enough time because we were limited on where we could drive and we don't do long hikes. We used the Valley shuttle service (free)to get from water falls to the museums and kept our truck camper parked in the site the entire time we were there. The Shuttles run constantly and are nice.
We dumped our tanks when we left. The dump station is across the road from North Pines (it's the first left after you cross the bridge when you leave North Pines.)You need your own fresh water hose to fill potable water. There are no sewer hoses or water hoses at the dump.
We took hwy 140 toward Merced when we left. It goes downhill as it leaves Yosemite and follows the river...(so coming into Yosemite it would be a long uphill pull), but at that point we left the river and climbed...long and steady up...when you get to Mariposa you are finally going downhill.
There is a NAPA in Mariposa but it's tucked away out of sight one street behind the grocery store.
We saw plenty of oil and transmission stains on the ground at every pull out and vista. You might want to pack some extra along.
* This post was
edited 04/22/12 11:15pm by louiskathy *
Kathy
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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Actually 140 comes out of Merced. 41 is the one that runs from Fresno into Yosemite. If its the climb you're worried about 140 is no where near as steep as 120. 140 pretty much stays level with the Merced river while 120 climbs a couple of thousand feet higher and goes over a mountain pass before dropping back down into the valley. The big tour busses take both routes but even they prefer 140. There is the steep climb near Mariposa, but that is the steepest part of the road and it's at a lower elevation.
I have some land just off of 120 near Groveland so I've been up Priest Grade a few hundred times. Although it's a steep climb my DP does it just fine. I can normally keep my speed up about as fast as I can take the curves anyway so it isn't that bad.
* This post was
edited 04/23/12 12:08am by msmith1199 *
2004 National Tropi-Cal T-350, Class A, Triple slide, 330 HP Cat DP.
2006 Dodge Dakota 4x4 or
2002 Harley FLSTF Fat Boy on a Trailer or
2004 Polaris Quad on the Trailer
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RVUSA
Orlando, FL, USA
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The road I suggested (CR J132 via coulterville) for your exit is far easier than 120. And it is the easiest of all the routes in and out.
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louiskathy
Oregon (presently)
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RVUSA wrote:The road I suggested (CR J132 via coulterville) for your exit is far easier than 120. And it is the easiest of all the routes in and out.
We went into the Ranger info office at Yosemite Valley (before we left) to ask about that road and she did not know anything about it or even where it was. I wanted to make sure it was open. Lots of trees downed in the last heavy snow storm just a week before that. She assured us that there was NO uphill grade on hwy 140 going out. She was wrong.
And If asked to make a choice between going in or out on hwy 120 or hwy 140 this summer... I'd still choose hwy 120 because of the road repairs causing a backup on hwy 140. sitting in a hot sun in a line of tour buses, big rigs and cars for five miles or going up a five mile grade I've done before... no question which one I'd take. (After the Ford tranny seal is fixed, that is.)
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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132 is easier than 120? Like I said, I have land up there and I've been both routes many times in all kinds of vehicles. To take the 132 route you have to take 120 down to Smith Station Road which is a couple of miles past the ranger station. Smith Station cuts over to 132 and then you go through Greely Hill and on down to Coulterville. In my experience, no way is that route easier than 120. There are steep climbs on both roads and Highway 120 is a lot wider than both Smith Station Road and 132. My land is very close to the intersection of 120 and Smith Station so distance wise I can go either way, but I always take 120. The only time I go and take 132 is on the Sunday of a Holiday weekend because 120 will be jam packed with cars coming out of Yosemite and heading to the Bay Area. You can get stuck in a several mile backup trying to turn left at highway 49 and 120. Nobody knows the 132 route so I go that way. And the other exception is if I'm heading up in just the car or on the Harley then I'll take 132. But with the motorhome and a toad 120 is the much easier route.
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louiskathy
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msmith1199 wrote:132 is easier than 120? Like I said, I have land up there and I've been both routes many times in all kinds of vehicles. To take the 132 route you have to take 120 down to Smith Station Road which is a couple of miles past the ranger station. Smith Station cuts over to 132 and then you go through Greely Hill and on down to Coulterville. In my experience, no way is that route easier than 120. There are steep climbs on both roads and Highway 120 is a lot wider than both Smith Station Road and 132. My land is very close to the intersection of 120 and Smith Station so distance wise I can go either way, but I always take 120. The only time I go and take 132 is on the Sunday of a Holiday weekend because 120 will be jam packed with cars coming out of Yosemite and heading to the Bay Area. You can get stuck in a several mile backup trying to turn left at highway 49 and 120. Nobody knows the 132 route so I go that way. And the other exception is if I'm heading up in just the car or on the Harley then I'll take 132. But with the motorhome and a toad 120 is the much easier route.
We're in our truck camper for this trip. we're just under 24 ft.
Know anything about this?...Just got an alert that Highway 41 just south of Yosemite National Park is closed due to an accident, probably until later this afternoon. If visiting Yosemite from the south, take Highway 49 north from Oakhurst, then Highway 140 into Yosemite.
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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My local paper says a big rig spilled 600 bags of sulfur on Highway 41. They are cleaning it up now. That's why the road is closed.
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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Haven't heard about an accident on 41 but I am quite a ways North of there. A 24 foot truck camper can do the 132 route just fine, but like I said, the only advantage to going that way is to avoid heavy traffic at the end of the three day weekend.
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louiskathy
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msmith1199 wrote:My local paper says a big rig spilled 600 bags of sulfur on Highway 41. They are cleaning it up now. That's why the road is closed.
What do they need sulfur for in Yosemite??
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louiskathy
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What a mess.
They had to clean it up by hand with plastic shovels...or it would spark and ignite.
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