Day 16: Yosemite National Park

After heroically surviving Death Valley yesterday, today I was threatened with two days of coffee withdrawal. With the last of my strength, I managed to put the filter in the machine and press the button. That was close.

With regained energy, after checking out, I passed by the very reassuring 'Beware of Bears' sign once again and headed to the underground car park for today's 250 kilometers, which would take me through bear-inhabited areas the entire way. From my ski resort, I would be crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the famous Yosemite National Park.

The first few kilometers took me along the eastern edge of the mountains towards the north. Before heading west, I made a stop for gas, paying an exorbitant price of $6.60.

Before some of you drop your jaws in shock, let me assure you: Since stubbornly refusing to use sensible units of measurement is still a thing for Americans, gasoline is sold here in gallons, not liters. One gallon exactly equals 3.785411784 liters. As I calculated without a calculator, $6.60 per gallon equates to $1.74 per liter. Still significantly cheaper than in Germany, even though it was by far my most expensive refueling here. In Utah, for example, I was able to fill up with regular unleaded gasoline for $1.30 per liter. In a country where being without a car forces you to either purchase a sporty and durable horse or just stay at home forever, such a low price is definitely necessary.

Fueled up (both Engelbert and I), I set off on the beautiful Tioga Pass, which crosses the Sierra Nevada Mountains at 9,800 feet (about 3,000 meters).

A few kilometers later, you'll find the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park on the pass. To drive through it, you need both an admission ticket and a special permit. Since it's been a few posts since I praised myself for my excellent preparation, it's finally time again. I've actually had this permit for almost three months now.

The road winds through beautiful dense pine forests for nearly 100 kilometers, with green clearings and crystal-clear mountain lakes appearing along the way. Of course, I made frequent stops at the numerous pullouts to take photos.

Eventually, I reached the heart of Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Valley. From here on, every view in every direction is a potential postcard motif.

One of the most famous rocks is located on the north side of the valley:

That's El Capitan. El Capitan is an almost 1,000-meter high cliff. And what does every person think when they see a 1,000-meter high cliff? That's right, I absolutely have to climb it. That's exactly why El Capitan has become the ultimate challenge in the sport of climbing over the years. In 1958, over 47 climbing days, a route to the top was established for the first time. One of the sport's greatest achievements is the feat of Alex Honnold, who completely free solo climbed El Capitan in under 4 hours in 2017. The resulting documentary 'Free Solo' won an Oscar.

From my position, I also carefully studied the paths and routes and came to the realistic conclusion that I would probably fall after exactly 28 centimeters.

But besides El Capitan, there are countless other beautiful rocks, meadows, and landscapes:

The road takes a roughly 15-kilometer long loop through the valley and back. In addition to many starting points for various hiking routes, a popular stop is the visitor center. Since there was a large selection of keychains, I give it 10 out of 10 points.

Then, I actually dared to go on a hike to the Lower Yosemite Falls. The goal is a medium-sized waterfall. The trail initially gently slopes towards the falls for a few hundred meters before the difficulty level escalates completely, forcing you to scramble on rocks without a defined path in 37-degree heat to reach the small pool at the base of the waterfall. For the first time on this trip, I wished I had put on my hiking boots. However, they have been comfortably at the bottom of my suitcase for a good 17 days now. With my sneakers, which are completely worn out by now, this was by far the most dangerous undertaking on this trip, but it was worth it:

On the way back, I got slightly lost while looking for a better path and had to fight my way through the underbrush back to the actual trail. Never before could a brown bear have made its prey faster. Oh well, missed opportunity.

Then, slightly sweaty, I arrived back at Engelbert and we set off for my hotel today in the town of Oakhurst. This was the first time today that a circumstance became relevant, which I had been somewhat concerned about for the past week: the 'Washburn' Fire.

This forest fire in Yosemite National Park broke out two weeks ago and made headlines worldwide because, among other things, the very old and rare giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove were threatened. The fire is now mostly under control, and today, the residents of Wawona (which is only 32 km away from me) were able to return to their homes. However, Highway 41, which would have been the fastest route to my hotel, is still closed, so I had to take a detour of about half an hour. That was no problem for me, but I really would have liked to see the giant sequoias...

My hotel room is once again good and large (as you can tell, I'm a good hotel reviewer).

But most importantly, there is an ironing board and iron again. And yes, I forgot to mention this in yesterday's hotel, but they had both there as well. So, the score before the last hotel tomorrow is 8/11 (72.7272727272727272(...)7273%).

To make up for my forgetfulness yesterday, I even set up the ironing board and iron this time and had them pose as a photo motif. With the most beautiful picture of the day, I say goodbye for today. Tomorrow is already my last full day in the USA. See you then.

traeL