A Day at the Spa

My dear old girl's missing a tooth. She's feeling down. First I take her shopping...

...here.

Mechanical insects, KTM style.

The shop's called Tri-Valley Moto, and they open at nine. I'm there at a quarter till. They have Brünhilde's tooth in stock,
which is nice!

I also pick up a quart of Motorex. After our shop, I take her down to the fine lads at Autopia in Livermore,
who give her a spray and a rubdown.  I know, I know, I like them better when they're dirty, too. But a beauty like her
deserves a day at the spa every once and a while. Don't believe me?

The boys did a fine job, but when I got back to the motel, I put her up on her center stand and gave her a good once over...

...and I must say...

she scrubs up nicely!

Brembos...

Now that she's been pampered a bit, she's ready for some time by the seashore.

The fine artistry of packing a motorcycle.

Off we go to Monterey to see the fishes! My girl feels better already!

Old Toll Road

I continue along the Merced river to Mariposa...

...stopping often at spots of particular beauty.

Like this one.

What an amazing motorcycle...

Outside of Mariposa is Old Toll Road, a short cut to Modesto, which I'm erroneously told has a KTM dealership.

The road serpentines through gentle, rolling countryside, lined with sturdy Oaks.

I select one to my liking...

then pull over for a simple lunch of salami and chocolate.

Not a bad spot, if I do say so myself.

Yosemite Valley

I thought I'd try one last time to get the bike into the valley...

The road up to the park gates follows the raging Merced. At the Ranger's station, I was
lucky enough to run into this kindly fellow, who strongly cautioned me before, unbelievably,
allowing me to pass.

The road was as slick as oil,

but beastie and I made it through!

I was glad she got to see some of the beautiful granite formations.

The valley in winter...exquisite natural beauty.

At this point on the road, I had to ride with my feet out, so poor was the traction.

After a while, the novelty wore off, so I turned around and headed out of the park...

...in search of some sticky pavement.

Yosemite Valley

I arrived in the "town" of El Portal with just enough time to secure a room, then catch the YARTS bus into the valley.
After passing the through gates to the park, the bus pulled over here to put on snow chains.

Once secured, the chains soon became necessary as the bus climbed into the valley. Within minutes, the ground
was covered in snow. I must confess, I hate taking pictures through glass, but in this case, it's a pity. I have no
images of one of the most memorable drives I've ever experienced. We soon arrived at Sentinel Bridge, and I
began to look around.

The so called classic, with Upper Yosemite Falls in the distance.

Every tree, shrub, and stone lay beneath a heavy blanket of snow.

In the shade, it was thickest.

But as the day progressed, the sun warmed the valley,

and snow began to melt.

Throughout the forest, white clumps of fluff would suddenly fall from an Incense-Cedar, or a Ponderosa pine, 

crash on the branch below, and burst into a shower of shimmering powder.

In this section of the park, the sound of water is a constant companion.

Snowmelt falls into the mirrored stream. 

Boulders of granite litter the edges of the valley.

A strong current at the base of Lower Yosemite Falls.

Lower Yosemite Falls.

I wandered through the forests in a state of wonder. Coming back to the lodge afforded this view of Sentinel.

As the sun set, a fog began to settle over the meadow...

with Half Dome in the distance.

Old Priest Grade to El Portal

My second attempt to reach Yosemite Valley began on a spectacular twisty road called Old Priest Grade.

It was a lot of fun, with hardly any ice...

 

After rejoining the new highway for a mile or two, I turned south on Hwy. 49, a good road which winds down from the hills due south. Along the way were several
historic buildings...

At Mariposa, I turned north following Hwy. 140 along the Merced river to Yosemite.

Looks like a good spot to drop a line...