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<\/a><\/p>\nWe are in Yosemite at last, and it’s great. The weather is beautiful (upper 60s, sunny, and dry, low 30s at night), the pines are tall, and the granite of the sheer cliffs is glowing brightly in the sun. Best of all, there’s hardly anyone here by Yosemite standards.<\/p>\n
Getting here was a bit of a challenge. Route 49 is highly scenic and dotted with cute western downtowns, but a tiring road to pull a long trailer on. Those who are averse to sharp turns and rolling terrain should, as they say, “seek alternate routes.”\u009d<\/p>\n
It got even more interesting when we turned onto Route 120 into Yosemite. The Old Priest Grade has been replaced by a shallower but much more twisty route for several miles. The hairpin turns overlooking a steep drop where you’d most want to see a guardrail seem to rely on Darwinism rather than protectionism, e.g., if you drive too fast (over 25 MPH or so) you will leave the gene pool permanently. We kept the truck in low gear and took our time.<\/p>\n
Good thing the brakes are working again, too. Coming into Yosemite Valley via Rt 120 means a lot of descending. We paused about 3\/4 of the way down and I could smell the brakes. Overall, I’d rather take Rt 140 but it is still closed to vehicles over 28 feet long (total length) due to a rockslide and CalTrans says it will be a looooong time before that changes. On the way out of the park, we’ll take Rt 41 to Fresno. It features a hefty climb out of the village, but it is the only viable route to the south, and that’s where we are headed next.<\/p>\n
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