So after a week in Los Angeles (with Pete and Suzi)A, a week riding the Pacific Coast Route to Santa Cruz, 10 days riding, walking and hanging out with Lisa and Richard in Santa Cruz, and a lovely long weekend in Lake Tahoe, it was time to get back on my bike.
My aim was to get back to Los Angeles following the Sierra Cascades route developed by the Adventure Cycling Association. The aim of this route is to follow the highest route possible through the Sierra Nevada mountains. As it was early spring and there had been 170% of normal snow over the winter, the route over Tioga Pass was not possible so the first part of the route from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite Valley was pretty much freestyle. I chose to go over Carson's Pass on Route 88 as this was the only scenic highway available. However, at 8,600ft it was still pretty challenging, very spectacular and quiet enough (the ski season now over).
For the record here is the first half of my route back to LA.
My aim was to get back to Los Angeles following the Sierra Cascades route developed by the Adventure Cycling Association. The aim of this route is to follow the highest route possible through the Sierra Nevada mountains. As it was early spring and there had been 170% of normal snow over the winter, the route over Tioga Pass was not possible so the first part of the route from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite Valley was pretty much freestyle. I chose to go over Carson's Pass on Route 88 as this was the only scenic highway available. However, at 8,600ft it was still pretty challenging, very spectacular and quiet enough (the ski season now over).
For the record here is the first half of my route back to LA.
Day 1 - 48 miles from Tahoma (Lake Tahoe) to Nevada Beach Campground (A to B)
Day 2 - 40 miles to Grover Hot Springs Campground (B to C)
Day 3 - 82 miles to Indian Grinding Rock Campground via Carson's Pass (C to D)
Day 4 - 78 miles to Moccasin Point Campground (D to E)
Day 5 - 36 (+14 detour to shop) miles to Hodgdon Meadow Campground (E to F)
Day 6 - 27 miles to Yosemite Valley Camp 4 Campground (F to G)
Arriving in Yosemite, stunned by its beauty, I decided to hang out there for a few days, recharge the batteries, do some washing, hike some waterfalls, and, as it turned out, avoid some bad weather.
Continuing my route, I was now back on the Sierra Cascades route proper. This was truly an amazing route through lots of National Parks and National Forests, and skirting seemingly endless lakes. The last day back through Los Angeles was pretty interesting, coming from chaparral country into a mega-city!
Here's the route for the record - the route through LA itself is only rough.
Day 7 - 54 miles from Yosemite Valley Camp 4 to Bass Lake Campground (A to B)
Day 8 - 62 miles to Pine Flat Campground (B to C)
Day 9 - 45 miles to Grant Grove Village Campground (C to D)
Day 10 - 60 miles to Horse Creak Campground, Lake Kaweah (D to E)
Day 11 - 56 miles to Camp Nelson Campground (E to F)
Day 12 - 58 miles to Kernville Lodge, Kernville (F to G)
Day 13 - 67 miles to Brite Lake Campground (G to H)
Day 13 - 78 miles to Monte Cristo Campground (H to I)
Day 14 - 82 miles to Shady Vista Road, Palos Verdes (I to J)
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