Day 7 saw the departure of my beloved travel buddy. She took the big bird out of Sacramento and landed back in Moscow in the early afternoon. A little tear-shedding aside, it ended up being an excellent day spent in Davis with my good friend John; lots of catching up and dabbling around the local eateries. The standout for me was a Burmese spot where we had dinner — it was incredible. Of course we had to go to the town’s coolest book store, too, where I did actually grab a copy of Journey to the West. Look at this ridiculous cover; this translation just came out earlier this year, the latest in a long line of English-language translations.
Anyway, that about wraps up Day 7. I’m very thankful to have visited John on this trip and it’s always very centering catching up with someone who’s known you for so long, knows you sometimes better than you know yourself. Thanks, John.
Onto Day 8. This day consisted mostly of driving through central California. I left Davis early in the morning, heading south on I-5 to Stockton (yuck!) before taking a series of winding highways to get to the entrance of Yosemite.
Yes, I went to Yosemite. Or rather, I hurriedly went through Yosemite. It is the busiest national park in the country, being the most appealing option in close proximity to the overflowingly-populated Southern California. As such, it requires a reservation to even visit the park. And I knew this months ago, which is why I didn’t even bother to try. However, I thought I’d take the opportunity to at least drive through given it was on my way to Death Valley. That morning I thought maybe I could at least to a quick hike or something midway through. But no, that wasn’t going to fly.
When I finally got through the line at the park’s entry gate, the woman in the booth questioned my intentions like a well-trained police officer. Where was I going, what is my plan, have I ever been to Yosemite before, etc. Finally, she handed me a yellow slip to put in my dashboard that was my official “thru traffic” pass. I noticed it expired at 1pm. I looked at the clock — 11am. I’m thinking “okay, well I guess stopping and doing anything within Yosemite is off the table.” Clearly they’re serious about nobody literally visiting the park without a reservation. I even asked if I could grab a souvenir or something really quick; you know, give them some of my money. “Nope, shops are in the valley which you won’t be going to.” Okay then.
So I got moving. I did stop a few times for pictures (usually due to road construction). What surprised me about the landscape is how much it reminded me of areas within Idaho, specifically the Sawtooth mountains area. Obviously the park’s main draw, Yosemite Valley, which has all the massive rock structures and whatnot, is totally unique and unlike anything we have in Idaho, but the surrounding area and the rest of the park? Looks a lot like Idaho!
Anyway, I expedited myself through the park as requested, arriving at the east gate by 12:45p — just before my deadline. The descent from the ~9,000 ft summit of Tioga Pass is intense and immediate; I think I dropped 3,000 ft in 15 minutes. Not to mention you can see the whole descent in front of you; think of the White Bird grade in Idaho. Since you can see where you’re going, and the entirety of the descent, it really does look like a looooong way down. And at the bottom was one of the weirder things I’ve seen on this trip: a huge green lake, Lake Mono.
After that quick descent I suddenly found myself in Lee Vining, CA, which is at the junction of HWY 395, my route leading further south. However, for this night, I only had to go the short distance to the Mammoth Lakes area, which is a tourist-y town at ~7,000 ft surrounded by various subalpine lakes; I stayed at Lake Mary.
By the time I arrive mid-afternoon I had used all my energy for the day. I took a nap after checking in with the camp hosts, who surprisingly looked to be about my age. I handed one of them my ID upon request, to which she responded “oooo, Idaho!” I’m starting to get that a lot now. Ooooo, Idaho!
