A number of the NorCal MildHogs and their lady companions spent the weekend in Yosemite Valley enjoying riding and all the scenery this lush valley has to offer. The valley was formed millions of years ago when massive glaciers flowed carving the sheer cliffs that can be seen today. It is actually a bit more complicated than that, but this is not a geology lesson and you may be a product of the California School System in which case it is more important to know how to put a condom on a banana… I do have to mention that the first visitors to the valley were Native Americans of various tribes, the most recent being the Miwok that called the Yosemite Valley, Ahwahnee which means “place of gaping mouth” which is exactly what you do when you first see the valley. That is also the name of the Lodge where we had Sunday brunch and also describes the look on our faces when we first saw the beautiful buffet, but more on that later.
The ride up was relatively uneventful. The Snakes, Outlaws, and Repo Team were accompanied by non-members Hollywood and Hello Kitty…don’t ask…. One of the wives took the SUV so “the others did not have to carry their gear all that way on the bikes.” It worked out well as she was able to look out for us on the road. We had a Civic with one of those big exhaust pipes come flying up on our rear end and then jerked around the rear bike only to cram the next bike in line. Unbeknown to us, our support crew got pissed and called 911 with the license number. Next thing we know, a CHP comes blasting up on us with his lights flashing and siren blaring. We were going 70 in 55 mph zone and assumed we were nailed, and me already on the most wanted list. Most of us pulled over to let the cruiser by, but one of our group did not budge and even appeared to speed up. We all assumed it was due to Hollywood’s rather questionable immigration status. Eventually even he let the cop go by. Later up the road the CHP had the Civic driver pulled over and was issuing a citation. Makes me smile just thinking of it.
We arrived at the hotel, the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. The lodge is right along the Merced River which this time of year is churning and flowing due to all the snow melt. Each room has a balcony with a view of the river. The lodge is only a few miles from the entrance to the park. We stowed our gear and rode through the park. The nice thing about visiting the park several times during different hours is that the scenery changes with the changes in lighting. There were not a lot of flowers in bloom due to the late winter snow which occurred as late as that week at higher elevations. We did see California Poppies and purple spider lupine. All of the waterfalls were gushing from the late melt. In addition to the normal waterfalls you see every year; I believe there were others that are not typical. We also saw 15 deer, not 14…and one bear. You can spot the bears easily in Yosemite as they are accompanied by several rangers to keep idiot tourists from becoming part of the ecosystem. That night some of us ate at the lodge restaurant, which was quite nice and reasonably priced. I do not recommend their pizza restaurant from a previous visit…
The next morning we ate a wonderful breakfast buffet at the Ahwahnee Lodge. The lodge opened in 1927 and is considered one of America’s most distinctive hotels with its huge cathedral ceilings, enormous stone hearths and richly colored American Indian rugs. If you are attending breakfast at the lodge, I do recommend reservations as it is one of the more popular places to eat in the area. In addition to an extensive breakfast fare, they had White Gulf shrimp (pre-BP), salmon, pasta, salads of every type and even cheese blintz with berry topping. It is somewhat expensive, but worth the experience and view. After we ate we walked around the hotel and enjoyed the views and took many pictures.
The ride home was fantastic. If you have not been to the Yosemite Valley, you need to add it to your bucket list and be sure to do it on a Harley.
See you on the road….
The ride up was relatively uneventful. The Snakes, Outlaws, and Repo Team were accompanied by non-members Hollywood and Hello Kitty…don’t ask…. One of the wives took the SUV so “the others did not have to carry their gear all that way on the bikes.” It worked out well as she was able to look out for us on the road. We had a Civic with one of those big exhaust pipes come flying up on our rear end and then jerked around the rear bike only to cram the next bike in line. Unbeknown to us, our support crew got pissed and called 911 with the license number. Next thing we know, a CHP comes blasting up on us with his lights flashing and siren blaring. We were going 70 in 55 mph zone and assumed we were nailed, and me already on the most wanted list. Most of us pulled over to let the cruiser by, but one of our group did not budge and even appeared to speed up. We all assumed it was due to Hollywood’s rather questionable immigration status. Eventually even he let the cop go by. Later up the road the CHP had the Civic driver pulled over and was issuing a citation. Makes me smile just thinking of it.
We arrived at the hotel, the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. The lodge is right along the Merced River which this time of year is churning and flowing due to all the snow melt. Each room has a balcony with a view of the river. The lodge is only a few miles from the entrance to the park. We stowed our gear and rode through the park. The nice thing about visiting the park several times during different hours is that the scenery changes with the changes in lighting. There were not a lot of flowers in bloom due to the late winter snow which occurred as late as that week at higher elevations. We did see California Poppies and purple spider lupine. All of the waterfalls were gushing from the late melt. In addition to the normal waterfalls you see every year; I believe there were others that are not typical. We also saw 15 deer, not 14…and one bear. You can spot the bears easily in Yosemite as they are accompanied by several rangers to keep idiot tourists from becoming part of the ecosystem. That night some of us ate at the lodge restaurant, which was quite nice and reasonably priced. I do not recommend their pizza restaurant from a previous visit…
The next morning we ate a wonderful breakfast buffet at the Ahwahnee Lodge. The lodge opened in 1927 and is considered one of America’s most distinctive hotels with its huge cathedral ceilings, enormous stone hearths and richly colored American Indian rugs. If you are attending breakfast at the lodge, I do recommend reservations as it is one of the more popular places to eat in the area. In addition to an extensive breakfast fare, they had White Gulf shrimp (pre-BP), salmon, pasta, salads of every type and even cheese blintz with berry topping. It is somewhat expensive, but worth the experience and view. After we ate we walked around the hotel and enjoyed the views and took many pictures.
The ride home was fantastic. If you have not been to the Yosemite Valley, you need to add it to your bucket list and be sure to do it on a Harley.
See you on the road….
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