Post by rebeccad on Sept 13, 2015 10:17:51 GMT -8
Since we are now into the school year and thus not backpacking season, I thought I'd post some photos from our ride on Labor Day weekend (yeah, I know--I still owe a TR for our second Sierra trip back in July. This is a lot shorter and easier!).
Headed out early (not really) from the in-laws' place in Chico, so we started riding from the intersection of Hwy 36 and 172 about 11:15 a.m. We looped down 172 to Mineral, then back to pick up the Park road at about Mile 13. A few miles farther on, we entered the park:
On to the cafe at the Visitor's Center at about 19 miles, and a sandwich for lunch. Next stop (about a mile on) was the Sulfur Works to stare into the bubbling Mud Pot.
Continued up, and up, and up some more. Eventually (about 3:10 p.m. in my case), we hit the high point on the road, at about Mile 28:
I dropped about 4 or 5 miles down the other side to Kings Meadow (the spouse went farther down past Summit Lake).
As you can see, the meadows were pretty brown and there's not a hint of snow on the mountain. It was still pretty, but I'd like to do it earlier in the year sometime, when there is snow and there are flowers! I ground my way painfully back to the summit (by that time I was at about 36 miles and had climbed over 6000'). The spouse lagged behind, of course, due to his extended ride (and climb). Then, unbeknownst to me, he also had a flat. I happily proceeded down to the VC, and bought our ice cream moments before the place closed.
As it turned out, he was just over an hour behind me. I had given up on him, poured his melted ice cream into an empty water bottle, and gone on down to get the car, preparatory to going hunting for him, before he arrived there. He followed me on down, though, and got to the car just as I was ready to go looking! (For those who wonder: we had our phones with us, but had very little coverage. For some reason he was able to get texts out to me here and there, but though I received some of them, I couldn't reply. And I had no coverage at all at the VC where I was waiting).
In all, it was a satisfying ride: 53.3 miles, 6240' of climbing, and we got back to the car by 6:30. That did make us very late to dinner, but they saved some food for us.
Headed out early (not really) from the in-laws' place in Chico, so we started riding from the intersection of Hwy 36 and 172 about 11:15 a.m. We looped down 172 to Mineral, then back to pick up the Park road at about Mile 13. A few miles farther on, we entered the park:
On to the cafe at the Visitor's Center at about 19 miles, and a sandwich for lunch. Next stop (about a mile on) was the Sulfur Works to stare into the bubbling Mud Pot.
Continued up, and up, and up some more. Eventually (about 3:10 p.m. in my case), we hit the high point on the road, at about Mile 28:
I dropped about 4 or 5 miles down the other side to Kings Meadow (the spouse went farther down past Summit Lake).
As you can see, the meadows were pretty brown and there's not a hint of snow on the mountain. It was still pretty, but I'd like to do it earlier in the year sometime, when there is snow and there are flowers! I ground my way painfully back to the summit (by that time I was at about 36 miles and had climbed over 6000'). The spouse lagged behind, of course, due to his extended ride (and climb). Then, unbeknownst to me, he also had a flat. I happily proceeded down to the VC, and bought our ice cream moments before the place closed.
As it turned out, he was just over an hour behind me. I had given up on him, poured his melted ice cream into an empty water bottle, and gone on down to get the car, preparatory to going hunting for him, before he arrived there. He followed me on down, though, and got to the car just as I was ready to go looking! (For those who wonder: we had our phones with us, but had very little coverage. For some reason he was able to get texts out to me here and there, but though I received some of them, I couldn't reply. And I had no coverage at all at the VC where I was waiting).
In all, it was a satisfying ride: 53.3 miles, 6240' of climbing, and we got back to the car by 6:30. That did make us very late to dinner, but they saved some food for us.
I'd like to go back and do it when things are greener, too, and maybe arrange to stay at the campground, so we could take our time and do some hikes (shorter ride, or split it over 2 days, or even just start earlier!).