3,000 Mile M850 Fall Trip to Five National Parks

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Spectacular scenery over 12 days in Bryce, Zion, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite.

Day 4 - Zion National Park
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Day 3 - Bryce Canyon National Park
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Day 4 - Bryce Canyon National Park
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Day 4 - Zion National Park
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Day 5 - Zion National Park
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Day 8 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks
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Day 10 - Yosemite National Park
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I like National Parks. Always have. I never get tired of them. Maybe it's because my dad was a driving fiend and would plop all of us into the Ford Galaxy du jour and off we'd go on two week adventures, usually involving a park or two.

We went to a lot of them, but somehow missed all of Utah, including Bryce, Grand Staircase Escalante, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Cedar Breaks & Zion. Grand Canyon and Sequoia/Kings Canyon didn't make the list either. But, to be fair, we did several Canadian National Parks, Niagara Falls and a lot of exploring on the East Coast.

The rest would be up to my adult self to get done. Starting in 2019, the Colorado Plateau area, with close to 25 National Parks and Monuments, has had a strong gravitational pull for us. Several parks have been hit up multiple times in the last 5 years.

So, in July I decided we needed to watch Ken Burns' documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea. We watched it 15 years ago when it came out in 2009. The country has drastically changed in the ensuing 15 years, and not all of it good. The parks endure as the best cathedrals in which to escape the drudgery of everyday life, especially if you live in a large city. Oh, sure, they're crowded as hell now, but you can still stand in those places and be glad someone was smart enough to set these aside forever.

A lot of the documentary focuses on John Muir and Yosemite, and the struggles he had to get people to listen to him in the last decades of the 1800s. Sequoia and Kings Canyon, being close by (well, all of the Sierra Nevadas for that matter) received a lot of his attention too, because he loved to wander the mountains and sleep among the 300 foot tall, 2,000 year old trees. The miners and lumberjacks were running rampant and needed to be reigned in.

After finishing, we decided to focus on Sequoia / Kings Canyon and Yosemite as a starting point. Plus, I'd been itching to get back to Bryce and Zion in Utah (which we first saw via an F90 in 2019) - they are less than 90 miles apart. Just cruise out to Salt Lake City, head south to Bryce and Zion, then loop around the south end of the Sierras and Bam! - you're in Sequoia National Park. Then meander north through Kings Canyon and Yosemite. Late September, early October: the summer crowds should be thinning a bit and it should be a bit cooler. Ahem.....Wrong.....and dead wrong.

This was Long Trip #7 in the M850, now just 2 1/2 years old. 24,830 miles is like a trip around the world. Yet, the farthest we ever got from home was 1,680 miles at the Texas border.
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This trip is just a big clockwise loop
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It seems like Salt Lake City has been a hub for many outbound and inbound trips. It's a long, but comfortable two day haul from Portland. I always say our trips actually start on Day 3.

Before leaving, I decided to get the wheels balanced - had a slight vibration that would have driven me nuts over 3,000 miles. They said the brakes were all at 7mm. A couple days before departure, MyBMW app said I needed rear brakes soon. OK, two weeks should be fine, I don't think I'll burn through 3mm in 3,000 miles. I made an appointment for right after I get back. The car was running as smooth as it ever had.

Day 1: Portland to Ontario, Oregon - 401 miles
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Only a couple things to do today: lunch at a chicken place we found in Pendleton last June, see the Hot Lake Springs Hotel and stop at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City.

After 200 miles we stop for lunch.

Me: "Yeah, we'd like the roast chicken dinner."
Server: "Um, sorry, we're out of chicken."
Me: "It's in your name - Roosters Country Kitchen"
Server: "Yeah, but we're not really known for chicken."

The meatloaf turned out to be delicious.

An hour later we pull in to look at the Lodge at Hot Lake Springs, an historic Colonial Revival hotel.
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Originally built in 1864, it was operated as a luxury resort and sanitorium due to its mineral water hot springs located on the site. Visitors came from around the world. Over the years it was a retirement home, an asylum and nurses training school during WW II. Eventually abandoned in 1991, it started back through a long rehab beginning in 2003. It is now operated as a hot springs resort, pub and theater.

A few miles away is the quaint little town of Union. We came through in May of 2021 just when things were opening up after Covid.
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The Rexall proprietor was a young gal with an entrepreneurial spirit who had bought the building and ran a gift shop and lunch counter. She was struggling, but making a go of it. Sadly, the building is abandoned today.
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Another 40 miles gets us to the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. We went to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, WY back in June. Four major western movements passed through Casper, heading west. Hundreds of thousands made the 2,000 mile, six month, journey. Now it's time to see if any of them made it. Today you could drive from Casper to Baker City in about 12 hours.
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Ontario is only 80 miles away down interesting freeway. Dinner and the only car wash of the trip await. Day one in the books.

Day 2: Ontario to West Valley, UT - 424 miles
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MyBMW app said I needed rear brakes again. Nag.

The only thing to do today was the Golden Spike National Historic Park at Promontory Point, just north of Salt Lake City. We stopped by in April last year, and while the website said the park was open for summer hours, who would've thought they wouldn't be open on Wednesdays?
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The site commemorates the last spike pounded in to join the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States on May 10, 1869. The Central Pacific Railroad came out of Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad came out of Omaha.
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Of course, for us, they are only half open today.
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Still, a fun visit.
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It's only 90 miles to the hotel, but I-15 traffic starts to build at Ogden - 43 miles out. The Salt Lake City area is a giant megalopolis - stretching about 90 miles north to south. East to west is only about 15 miles, because you are hemmed in by the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. The whole area is nearly 3 million people - about 85% of the entire state population. And they are ALL on the freeway right now. But it moves extremely well. We never go below 60 and most of the time its 5 lanes of cars going 75 mph. There's no screwing around down here. I can go about 3 miles in 20 minutes during rush hour in Portland.

We get to the hotel about 4:45 and MyBMW app says I need rear brakes. Nag. Then the car chimes and basically screams at me: YOU NEED REAR BRAKES!! NOW, YOU DUMBASS!! I call my guy back in Portland and he looks me up - yup, you need brakes now. But, but, I have 7mm.........

He gives me the name and address for BMW of Murray. I call, don't get through, but they say the service department is open to 7 PM. Luckily they are only 4 miles away. We walk through the service doors to an empty service bay at about 5:15. Everyone is leaving and they are turning lights off.

I meet Jacob, the only person at a service desk, and explain my out-of-town plight. "I usually need a week to get an appointment in Portland, but I got a problem now. I'm on a really tight schedule. Is there any chance............"

Well, Jacob is already filling out paperwork for my loaner car. He checks the system - there aren't any, except the special VIP i7 for special customers. He calls his boss and gets approval to give it to two lonely strangers they've never seen before. He says have fun with it, I'll put you at high priority for tomorrow morning and hopefully we have the parts and you only need pads. Son. Of. A. Bitch. Jacob is my new best friend in all the world.

The i760 is a giant boat of a car. It is a full foot longer than my GC. It's all techy and we can't figure out how to make anything work. Well, the go pedal works. It works just fine. Hoowee. We manage to find our way to a Cracker Barrel for dinner before heading back to the hotel - and then I go back out and spend a half hour figuring things out. I am not a fan of The iMax Screen.
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Day 3: West Valley to Bryce Canyon City - 282 miles
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We get up wondering what our day will be like. How long will we be here? Will I have to juggle all the hotel reservations? I really, really want to get to Bryce and stand on the rim today at 5:00 as the sun is going low. The color is fabulous.

I get an inspection report at 9:15 - rear brake pads, and, brake fluid change and an oil change are due. Should be ready by 12:30 - we would make the 5:00 viewing of Sunset Point at Bryce. We look for things to do to kill 2 hours in SLC. Another text comes in at 10:44 - your car is ready. We go back to Murray and shower Jacob with a bunch of Cracker Barrel fun-food we bought last night after dinner. We thank him profusely again, pay the bill, grab lunch and we're on the road down I-15 by noon going 85 mph. Sometimes things go your way. And, the car stops on a dime.
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Having never been on this stretch of I-15, we found it to be quite entertaining. 200 miles and 3 hours later, we turn off on UT Hwy 20 and head east passing through three little mountain ranges and hook up with US Hwy 89. After 17 miles we turn east on to UT Scenic Byway 12. The landscape changes instantly.
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Everything is orange. And not just a little bit. We have entered the Colorado Plateau - 130,000 square miles of some of the most glorious landscapes on the planet.
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We soon pass through one of the two Red Canyon Arches
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Once you're on Hwy 12 it's only 15 miles to Bryce Canyon City, climbing to an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet. It's about 4:30 and we quickly dump our bags at the hotel and scurry on to the park. The Bryce Canyon Lodge and Sunset Point are only about 4 miles away.
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Parking is always a premium around Sunset Point. There are many cars waiting ahead of us at the lot. We skooch out and head over to the Lodge, snake past the overflow lot and snag a slot out back in a hidden cul de sac. Bingo, front row. Life is good. We are literally 75 feet from the back door of the Lodge - and 75 feet the other way to the rim.
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The Lodge was opened in 1925 and offers 114 rooms, including lodge suites, motel rooms and cabins. It is located just a short walk from Sunset Point and the iconic Bryce Amphitheater. There is also a nice dining room and gift shop.
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We do a quick tour of the lobby and gift shop and then head out to the rim. It's 5:00. Perfect timing. The amphitheater is in all its glory. For some strange reason the photos aren't very good. I salvage two.
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A photo from 2019 is much nicer
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Sunset Point is awash in people. We pass by the cabins on the way back to the lodge.
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We still have light, so we grab the car and head up to Inspiration Point, just a couple miles away. The view opens up a lot.

Lower Inspiration Point
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That's us, on the left.
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Upper Inspiration Point (and some elevation gain at 8,000' feet, await)
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They view is something else.
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Bryce Canyon is not actually a canyon. It is a plateau of sedimentary rocks, raised upward by tectonic movement and then fractured and eroded away toward the east. The Rim runs north/south for about 20 miles and falls away to the east. The main geologic feature at Bryce are the hoodoos, the rocky colorful spires, shaped over millions of years by wind, rain and ice. There are more hoodoos in the Amphitheater than any other place on earth.

The Wall of Windows
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The sun disappears over the horizon behind us and we head back to the hotel in search of a meal. For a day that could have been disastrous, it turned out pretty damn good.

Day 4 - Bryce to Springdale, UT - 130 miles
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We don't have far to go today, but it will certainly take us all day. We wake up to 40 degrees and sunny. Time to head over to Sunrise Point, just a short hop north of the Lodge.

The camera decides to cooperate today. The early light is spectacular and the colors are outrageous. As such, there's going to be A LOT of Bryce pictures - just sayin'

We get to the rim and just walk south, taking dozens and dozens of pictures. No need to comment.
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Hikers heading down Queens Garden Trail - The trail system into the hoodoos is quite extensive. most of them involve losing a lot of elevation to get down to the action.
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We return to the car and go back to Sunrise Point, snagging our spot back at the hidden cul de sac. We walk back to Sunset Point, where the Navajo Loop Trail heads down into the hoodoos. I want to at least experience the hoodoos up close, so we head down the trail. The altitude gets to the wife, so she heads back up.
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Its sunny all of a sudden and the temperature climbs pretty quickly. Somehow the 400' drop to the bottom seems less enchanting without a hat or sunscreen. Ok, I'll just go part way. The trail splits at Wall Street, forming the loop. I choose the Wall Street side because it's less sunny and way more interesting. The hoodoos looked a lot smaller way back up on the rim. Just fascinating. We're not in Kansas anymore.
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I trudge back up to the missus and we go back to the car. It's time to drive the 16 miles south along the rim out to Rainbow Point.

First stop is Bryce Point at the south end of the Amphitheater, sitting at 8,300 feet. It is the viewpoint with the greatest view of the hoodoos.
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Paria View is nearby
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Then the marvelous glowing orange sandstone of Natural Bridge
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And, finally, a car pic.....
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The road meanders through some nice forests and sometimes comes right up to the rim.
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We eventually reach Rainbow Point (Elev. 9,115') at roads end. Also insanely popular. Every slot is taken, two times through the lot. They don't want you parking along the side of the road, but I cram the boat into a tiny space on the shoulder just in front of the No Parking sign. Whew.

The colors at Rainbow Point do not disappoint.
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There are several more stops to hit up on the way back, including one with a taco truck in the parking lot. Tasty.
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It's about 2:30 now and, sadly, we turn our backs to the rim and make our way down to the Visitor Center, which we somehow missed 5 years ago. The large parking lot.........is full. So is the visitor center.

Of all the National Parks, Bryce is truly unique. It's certainly the most colorful. But it's hard to choose a favorite National Park, because ya got your Glaciers, Rockies, Yosemites and Grand Canyons. It may not be in a class all by it self, but it certainly doesn't take long to take roll. Gotta go top 3....easy.

It's 3:30 as we wind our way back down Scenic Byway 12 to Hwy 89. Once again, we pass through The Red Canyon Arches.
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The picture limit says I have to start another. There will be 4 posts. Each takes about an hour to load. See you in a bit.

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Continuing on to Zion......

A couple more orange landscape shots while we're still on Scenic Byway 12
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We reach Hwy 89 and turn south toward Mt. Carmel Junction where UT Hwy 9 takes us into Zion National Park. It's only 13 miles up to the East Entrance Ranger Station. Just a quarter mile in you're hit with this thing. And you know the landscape will soon be very different.

Checkerboard Mesa
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It's 5:00 again and the light is settling into where it needs to be. The road is slow, curvy, narrow, fairly crowded and has limited turnouts. I make a conscious effort to pull off often - we kinda just drove straight through 5 years ago. Not today, man.
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One of my favorite pictures on the way in
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At 5.5 miles we reach the Canyon Overlook Trailhead, but it seems like there are dozens and dozens of cars parked every which way along the road. Might be because they call it the best viewpoint in the park. Some other time.

This is also the east entrance to the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel - 5,613 feet carved through solid rock to get Zion proper. The tunnel was completed in 1930. It is not particularly wide. And very dark. (Not my picture)
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3 minutes later you bust out to view the mountains of Zion and hairpin your way down the side of the mountain to the valley floor.
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My Donington M5 from 2019 - taken 3 minutes later, 5 years ago.
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We get to the valley floor and meander toward Springdale. The road is very crowded and people are everywhere. The town seems to have been spruced up considerably over the last 5 years. It was nice before, but everything is top notch and extremely well kept up. Definitely not your typical tired out tourist-town-next-to-the-national-park kinda deal. Good on ya, Springdale.

I'm giving today a 10 - easy.

Day 5 - Springdale to St. George, UT - 47 miles
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Today's plan is to check out early, get to the Zion Visitor Center / Shuttle parking lot and head to the park for several hours before it gets hot. There are free shuttles that run through Springdale that take you to the Zion Shuttle, but we opted to just go for it and drive to the lot.

It's a big lot, it's early, but......... Cars are circling the lot like vultures. The effer is already full. I try the far nether reaches and the guy in front of me snags the last slot in the whole place. And ain't no one coming out for several hours, because they just got here.

We try street parking, but they are all taken, all the way down the road. I saw a lot across from Visitor Center with some spaces.....hmmmm. We pull in and see why - $40 bucks. Don't care. We grab some snacks at the store and hustle over to the shuttle pick-up.

The weather was supposed to be mid-eighties but the last few days were in the high nineties. Wanted to get some hiking in while it was still relatively cool. I wanted to be on the shuttle by 8am - it's now 9:30. Unfortunately, we find this when we get there.
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What is this, Disneyland? The shuttles are large - 50 people or so - and we gotta be at least 4 down. We finally get in the park at 10.

The shuttle is the only way in, unless you are staying at the lodge, and will drop you at 9 different stops on it's 8 mile route along the valley floor. Our target is stop 6, The Grotto. You can access the Emerald Pools here and also hike along the trail that will take you up to Angels Landing. We did a small portion of this in 2019 and missed the Emerald Pools entirely. Time to fix that.

The Grotto stop is very busy. The Emerald Pools are popular, but the main draw is the West Rim Trail that takes you up to Angels Landing - or close to it. Did I say it's busy here?

We cross the bridge over the Virgin River and head north up the trail. Angels Landing comes in to view.
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The Virgin River is in the bottom of a narrow U-shaped valley. The sun hasn't hit the floor. The trail is easy and rises a hundred feet in the first 3/4 of a mile. The sun peaks over the eastern ridge and the trail steepens. I want to get up to a lookout carved into the face of the wall in front of us.
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I point up and declare "This is where I want to get to - minimum."
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It's warming quickly and getting steeper. The wife declares, "Yeah, you can go on ahead. I'll be back in the shade at The Grotto." She gave it a shot. I said, "Gimme an hour."
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The shade is gone and the trail steepens again. She made the right choice. I'm quickly gaining altitude.
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A set of switchbacks will lift us (me and the hoards) maybe 500 feet in a scant half mile. This is awesome.
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I reach the big gash in the cliff face and the trail gets steeper yet. The lungs and legs are getting a workout.
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The view is tremendous, the shade on the valley floor is almost gone.
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Made it.

Just to prove it.
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This spot is packed with folks going up and folks going down. I try to get my heart rate down and guzzle water. Eventually I get up and keep going and enter the apt named Refrigerator Canyon. It's 15 to 20 degrees cooler and the trail flattens out.
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My real goal was to climb up to Scout Lookout. I decide to stop just before Walter's Wiggles - a series of nearly 30 switchbacks that take you up 250 feet, rather quickly, to the lookout. There's not enough air, not enough time, and the 2 miles back to The Grotto in full sun would probably ruin me for the rest of the day. I sadly turn around and trudge back to the viewpoint.
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Had I continued, Scout Lookout offers tremendous views. And from here, the real Angels Landing Trail begins - and also requires a permit. Hundreds and hundreds of people a day - of all ages and fitness - make the final death defying trek across a knife ridge and up another 500 feet to the summit. It's 1,500 feet down on either side and all you have is a nice chain to hang on to. The following photos were swiped from David Leiter - The World Travel Guy. People actually die up here. Surprisingly, it's not very often.
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I quickly make it back to the viewpoint and stop to gather it all in again. The flow of people in each direction is constant.
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The gash turns into an oven.
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Still have my own switchbacks to deal with. The quads are working hard.
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The trail lessons somewhat at the bottom of the switchbacks and now it's just a really hot slog back one more mile to The Grotto. I pass hundreds of people just starting out. The wife looks fresh as a daisy. Not doing Emerald Pools today.

We grab the next shuttle and take it to the far end - The Temple of Sinawava, stop 9. You can hike a mile up a nice trail to the Narrows, and then step into the river and just keep going.

We started out and quickly realized that even in the shade it's just too hot. From 2019.
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Stop 8 is Big Bend.
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Looking up to Scout Lookout. This is not a mountain wall of a plateau - it is just a narrow fin of rock that falls away on the other side.
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On closer inspection, you can see the lucky people on the ridge. Next time, dammit.
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The next shuttle takes us back to the Zion National Park Lodge. It's 1 o'clock and we snag a couple of sandwiches and park it on a bench out front. It's hot.
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We wander the gift shop and decide it's time to depart Zion. I wish we could've done more, but I did what I wanted to do. The rest of the afternoon would not be fun had we stayed. It's hot.

We pass spectacular scenery on the shuttle on the way back. You can't see any of it because the seats face inward and the windows are such that you can't look up on the mountain walls. Dumb. Might need to speak to the manager.

We get back to the Visitor Center and hoof it back to the car. It's 2 o'clock and I snap this as we drive through town. Yeah, we made the right decision.
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Some thoughts on Zion. It is truly a remarkable place. I wish I would have hiked all those trails in my twenties - and a dozen others. But, there's close to 20,000 people a day trying to visit during April to October - and they ALL have to take the shuttle into the park.

And every place you go there are 500 to a thousand people already there. Throw in the heat and.......well, there ya go.

An uneventful drive takes us down to St. George, just an hour away. Back to the Cracker Barrel for dinner again with a fraternity brother that recently moved here. He made it to Scout Lookout the following week. Jerk.

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Day 6 - St. George to Henderson, NV - 199 miles
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Not much to do today. Just part of the big loop around to get over to the western flank of the Sierras.

I spotted what looked like an interesting state park just north of St. George. We make it the first stop before heading south. It's about a dozen miles north on UT Hwy 18.
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Snow Canyon Scenic Overlook - the sign on the side of the road is about 2 inches high and barely visible. Weird.
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Nice spot for pictures. Maybe I could start a side hustle taking wedding photos. I might know of a few places for some great pictures.
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The orange, black and green make for an interesting landscape - quite unusual.
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We make our way down to the valley floor. There are several hiking trails..............that we do not partake of. It's hot.
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In 4 short miles we are out of the park and into the fancy St. George suburbs. This place has exploded in the last 15 years.
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We drive up into a neighborhood with large lots, expensive low slung homes and and an interesting back drop. The house is at the left edge of the photo.
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We go have lunch, tour downtown St. George and hit the road for Vegas on I-15, another new stretch of road foe us. We soon drop into Arizona and the terrain becomes quite mountainous. In 30 miles we pass into Nevada. It's really hot and dry.

I grab a quick snap of the outside temp. It was just 112F a minute ago. Hey, I'm getting 25.7 mpg at 80 mph. Cool.
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We turn off south on NV Hwy 189 and take a great little 2 lane road that cuts through the Lake Mead National Recreation Area for about 75 miles, and then in to Henderson at the southern edge of Sin City. It's still 105F when we head out for dinner. And 2.3 million people live here, for some reason. Did I mention how dry it is.

Day 7 - Henderson to Three Rivers, CA - 379 miles
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Time for a long and boring day. And hardly anything to take a picture of. Unless you like brown dry desert.

Back on I-15, we soon hit the soul sucking 145 mile stretch of the god forsaken Mojave Desert. Luckily it's only two hours, and I was able to find a spot to break up the monotony for a few minutes. The little town of Baker, CA at roughly the halfway point.
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Because, you see, Baker is the home of the worlds tallest thermometer!!! A majestic 134 feet tall.
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But wait, there's more!! Alien Fresh Jerky horns in on the action.
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Back on the freeway, we blow through Barstow and skirt the north edges of Edwards Air Force Base - home of the Space Shuttle landings, and a few other odds and ends over the years. Tehachapi finally brings relief from the desert and we pull in for a nice lunch 235 miles into the day.

Generally I'm loath to venture into big cities if I'm not staying there, but we'd never been through downtown Bakersfield. It's Sunday, so we give it a try. It's been an energy and agricultural hub for over a century and the area has nearly 1 million people. Traffic isn't bad at all, we take a few pictures (none turned out) and we set our sights on the final destination.

We head north on CA Hwy 65 and pass through a vast oil field area with thousands of oil donkeys pumping away. There are neighborhoods on the west side of the road and oil wells on the east side. Eventually the city ends and its just oil fields.
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Oil finally gives way to farming and it's orchard after orchard, with millions of trees, as far as the eye can see. We think they are lemons. Billions of them. For miles..............

We are on the western flanks of the Sierras, and after 65 miles of lemons we turn east and shortly arrive at Three Rivers - a gateway to Sequoia National Park.

Gonna see some big trees tomorrow.

Day 8: Three Rivers to Cedar Grove, CA - 91 miles
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We hook up to the General Highway and reach the entrance to Sequoia after only 7 miles. A quick stop at the Visitor Center and then we're off - steadily climbing up the Sierras on a slow winding road.
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First up is Tunnel Rock. I believe the road actually was routed through here at one time, then the rock shifted. Don't know who these people are, but they wouldn't leave.
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Its' very dry going up the mountainside. We are trying to climb above the brown haze that we have been in since we crossed into California yesterday. The pictures at all the vista points don't yield much. There is burn damage everywhere.
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The big trees (Giant Sequoias) show up at around 6,000 feet. They thrive in a very specific climate zone. We stop at the Giant Forest Museum and head out on to the Big Tree Trail.
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Now we're talking
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There's something magical about a tree that is 250 feet tall and might be 2,000 years old.
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Same tree at the base - for scale. Wow, a tree hugger married to a guy driving a fire breathing V-8. Go figure.
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The trail winds around a spectacular grove of the big fellas.
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Moro Rock is a short drive and I read there is a fun trail to the top. I'm in.
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Parking is at a premium, but we fund a spot. The trail is only a half mile, but there are 300 vertical feet and 350 steps to to navigate. And maybe a little exposure.
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The wife bails about here. Just me again.
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Steep steps
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We are rising above the haze over the vast San Joaquin Valley to the west.
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Summit run
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The view east across the Sierras
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The way down
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Back in the car, we wind our way over the the General Sherman Tree. It's not too far off the road, but the parking has been turned into a shuttle stop and disabled parking only. We continue on and drive nearly 2 miles to a large parking lot.

You pick up a trail that descends 200 feet and 3/4 of a mile to the grove.
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The General Sherman tree is the largest tree on earth, by volume. It is 275 feet tall and 103' in circumference around the base. There's enough wood for fifty 2,000 sq ft houses. It's big.
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The wife heads down to the shuttle pick-up. I hoof it back to the car. Getting my steps in today.

We wander over to Wuksachi Lodge. Nice place - not my picture. I'd stay here.
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The road stays at about the same elevation (7,000 feet?) and we meander along the Sierras. Lots of fire damage. The Sequoias seem to be in groves - it's not like the mountainside is covered in them. Several viewpoints only yield hazy things in the distance.

Redwood Mountain Overlook - best I can do. We are now in Kings Canyon National Park.
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We descend into Grant Grove Village and take a peek at the John Muir Lodge and check out a lunch spot for tomorrow when we come back through.

We hook on to the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and make our final 30 miles to Cedar Grove for the night.

Junction View
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The landscape is dry and arid after a long hot summer. Yucca Point below.
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We descend thousands of feet and nearly reach the valley floor at Horseshoe Bend. 2nd pick is actually the wife's.
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We finally make it down to the South Fork of Kings River. There's a little cavern tour here. Probably not quite like Carlsbad. We pass.
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The river out front of our hotel. Just as we sat down a bear scurried along and out of sight across the river. Hmmmmm.
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Day 9: Cedar Grove to Oakhurst, CA - 151 miles
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We are in the bottom of a canyon with mountains that rise steeply for thousands of feet. If you want to hike around here, you must go up. We are 6 miles from the end of the road. First up is little Roaring River Falls
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The plan was to get to the road's end and hike out to a bridge along the river. But it's already hot, there's not much shade and the forest isn't very foresty. Plus, there's signs everywhere warning about bears. We can attest to that.

So we go over to Muir Rock and do a small hike in the nice part of the forest.
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The flies and gnats are unbelievable. People are walking around in full head nets. We head for the car car and say adieu to this part of Kings Canyon.
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Coupla shots of the dryness as we wind back out of the valley.
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Before long, we have regained thousands of feet and we're back at Junction View. The air is clearer today.
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We've actually left Kings Canyon but re-enter it back at Grant Grove Village. We grab lunch and then head over to the Grant Grove of Giant Sequoias.

A nice path takes us through some big ones and then we meet up with the General Grant Tree. It is the worlds second largest Giant Sequoia, standing 268 feet tall and 107 feet in circumference at the base. It's a biggie.
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It's a hundred miles to the hotel, so we wind ourselves out of the Sierras and head toward Fresno. We skirt the edges and hook on to CA Hwy 41 and make our way to Oakhurst.

Tomorrow is Yosemite Day. I think it's going to be good.

[snowbimmer]

Day 10: Oakhurst to Groveland, CA - 138 miles
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Today will be one of the more highly anticipated days. Who doesn't like Yosemite National Park? We were last here in 2018 and have been wanting to come back.

John Muir fought tooth and nail for it. In 1868, at the age of 30 he said. "It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter."

He is considered the father of the national parks and worked tirelessly to get the government to set the land aside from development. Yellowstone was first in 1872 (before he was on scene), followed by Sequoia and Yosemite in 1890 (because he was on scene), then Mt Ranier in 1899 and Crater Lake in 1902. The country and the world can't thank him enough for what the National Parks have become.

First up today is the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias - another of Muir's favorite spots in all the world. We reach the Yosemite South Entrance in just 16 miles and pull into a giant of a parking lot at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza. Yes, you have to get on a shuttle.
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The ride is just a few miles and we are let of at a wonderful arrival area and the entrance to the Big Trees Loop Trail. It's all new and nice.
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The grove contains around 500 Giant Sequoias and has an extensive trail system. We chose to do about 1/4 of it. It's really quite something.
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We reach the main draw about a mile in: The Grizzly Giant. It is considered to be one of the oldest trees in the world (just under 3,000 years) and is 209 feet tall. Some of the branches are at least six feet in diameter.
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In 1903, President Roosevelt had come out to look around the area. John Muir wanted to take him on a camping trip and was able to convince everyone it should just be the two of them - at least for a couple of the days. They, and their horses, spent their first night sleeping under the Grizzly Giant.

From the National Park Service.........
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Walking back we pass the Fallen Monarch.
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The Army stuck their F Troop on it, horses and all, back in 1899.
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One last look up at the un-fallen
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The Wawona Hotel is just a short hop down the road.
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It was built in 1876 to service visitors to the Mariposa Grove. The main lodge is currently getting a facelift
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Time for the main event. We are already up high and head down the Glacier Point Road to two of the best overlooks - anywhere. First up is Washburn Point, named for the brothers who built the first road from Wawona to Yosemite Valley.

Getting close
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The lot is not huge, but there are spaces. We park.....and there it is: Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and Little Yosemite Valley. The weather is perfect.
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Zooming into the Little Yosemite Valley to see 317' Vernal Falls on the Merced River.
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Half Dome (El. 8,839') was described as being "Perfectly inaccessible" as late as 1870. First climbed in 1875 with the aid of bolts driven into the rock on the East Face, it is now conquered by 50,000 people a year. A permit system was instituted in 2010, with a daily limit of 300, because at times, over 1,000 people a day would make the attempt. The West Face is shown here.
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The hike is an arduous 17 miler from the valley floor and can take 10 over hours. You gain about 5,000 vertical feet in the process. The trail passes by numerous waterfalls, with many sections containing hundreds of stone steps.

Vernal Falls (not my picture)
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The crux of the climb is the last tenth of a mile, where you climb 400 vertical feet. A cable system was put in place near the original bolts from 1875. Regrettably, having never been there, none of the following pics are mine.
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Although 20% to 30% turn around at the cables, it can still get very busy - and potentially dangerous.
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Summit view
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Truly an epic experience for those willing to undertake the effort. Damn, I wish I was still 25.

Meanwhile, for those of us back at Washburn Point..............
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Wow. How 'bout that - a Half Dome/M850 picture. What are the odds?
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We hop pack into the car and head about a half mile to the main event up here: Glacier Point, which gets you a little further north, with a better view of Yosemite Valley. You can also hike up 4 miles and 3,200 vertical feet from the valley floor to get here, but this is much easier. It's crowded, but there is plenty of parking.
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A short hike takes to you out to the best view at 7,216 feet. The whole Yosemite Valley.
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The viewpoint can get crowded
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3,200 feet straight down to the valley floor
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Looking across to the dry Yosemite Falls. It's quite the sight in the spring. Someday I'm coming back in May.
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The face of Half Dome
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A different perspective: Alex Honnold on Thank God Ledge (Not seeing a rope)
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A couple more......it's hard to leave this place.
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We wander back to the car and grab a couple ice creams from the crowded gift shop. One last shot before we put Half Dome into our rear view mirror.
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We head back down Glacier Point Road and turn north back on to Wawona Road, heading for Yosemite Valley, losing 3,200 feet in the process. We stop as soon as the valley comes into view.
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We pass through the Wawona Tunnel and reach the very busy parking lot at Tunnel View. El Capitan (more later) on the left, Half Dome in the distance.
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We drop down to the valley floor and pull off to get a closer look at El Capitan.
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The people and car count skyrocket. They are everywhere. We make our way to the end of the road and spy Half Dome from from below. 10 hours to the top and back???
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We find a giant parking lot with one slot open. Time to look for lunch - it's 2:15. There's a store, but not much else. And thousands of hikers and campers. We head over to Yosemite Village and manage to get a spot in the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center lot, which we were denied back in 2018 because of the crowds. We check out the Welcome Center, find a burger at the grille and walk over to the Village. The Ansel Adams Gallery has hundreds of fabulous photos and shouldn't be missed. First time for us.

The road out takes us by Yosemite Lodge, so we check it out and find a better place where we should've had lunch. Next time.

Another stop by El Capitan
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Since its almost 4:30, the light has changed and we go back to Tunnel View - with a couple hundred other people. Another half hour would be perfect.
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The road out loops you back down and we come around again for another look at El Cap
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The nose
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El Capitan might be one of the most famous rock climbs in all the world. 3,000 vertical feet of straight up granite. First climbed in 1957 by Warren Harding, Wayne Merry and George Whitmore - and took 45 days using siege tactics and fixed ropes. People eventually got it down to a week. Then solo climbing.

Then women. Then free climbing - where you can only use ropes and other aides for protection, not assisting. The Nose resisted and had several serious obstacles. Many of these climbs took days. Then, climbing it in under 24 hours.

Then Free Solo: no ropes, harnesses or protective equipment. You slip, you die. In 2017, Alex Honnold soloed the Freerider line in just under 4 hours and the documentary Free Solo was filmed at this time. Mercy effing sakes. Can we say exposure?!?
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And with that, we scurry out toward the Big Oak Flat Entrance and head for the hotel. We were going to try to get into Hetch Hetchy (another pristine valley that Muir tried to save, but failed) but it was getting dark.
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Man, what a day this was.

Some thoughts on the National Parks

The National Parks are being loved to death. Annual visits went from 1 million in 1920 and tripled to 3 million by 1930. Visits went up another 5-fold to 16 million in 1940 due to more people owning cars. WWII slowed things down, but 1950 saw 33 million visits. The interstate freeway system helped push the total to 70 million by 1960, and then 168 million in 1970. Park facilities have had a hard time keeping up with the demand, along with poor funding. Last year saw a whopping 325 million visits.
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Granted, there are more parks now, but The Great Smoky Mountains saw over 13 million visits alone last year. The next parks were Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain and Yosemite - all around 4-5 million visits. The infrastructure was designed for 95% fewer cars and people.

Some parks have timed entries, shuttle systems, trail permit requirements and lotteries. Parking is always at a premium and grabbing a meal can be quite a challenge. You stand in line - a lot. There are no "off months" between March and November. You are never even remotely alone.

But, my god, they are still fabulous places to visit. Zion and Yosemite drive me nuts, but I'm still itching to go back for some unfinished business. We have been to 62 National Parks, Monuments, Landmarks, etc. since 2017 - some several times now. There are still many more to see.

Day 11: Groveland to Red Bluff, CA - 310 miles
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Easy day today. We drop out of the Sierras and spend the next 65 miles skirting the foothills. We pass through a multitude of mining towns from the California Gold Rush days from the middle of the 19th century. They are now little destination spots full of charming streets, antique stores, restaurants, shops, galleries and hotels. It takes several hours before we stop for lunch in Sutter Creek.

Jamestown
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Angels Camp - home of the Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County fame
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Mark Twain came to the area in late 1864, heard about the frog and wrote his famous story.
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He lived here while writing his short story that changed his life
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San Andreas
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Sutter Creek
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We are close to Folsom, so why not go take a look at the prison made famous by Johnny Cash. They have a museum. The song Folsom Prison Blues was on his debut album in 1955 and went on to be one of his signature songs. His live version, recorded at the prison
in 1968 became a #1 hit on the Country Music Charts.
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The museum was closed.

On to Red Bluff, just up I-5 from Sacramento - 160 miles away.

Day 12: Red Bluff to Portland - 449 miles
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Today was supposed to be a loop over to Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park. The weather was looking iffy and I just felt like being at home. We would have stopped in Grants Pass tonight. The mileage was supposed to be 292 today and only 245 tomorrow. Last night we decided to drive straight home instead. We cancelled the Grants Pass hotel and went to bed. Both of us woke up around 4. So, we packed up and hit the road by 5 am. Unfortunately, it was dark for a couple hours and we drove past Mt Shasta without seeing it. Quick stops for gas and lunch got us home just after noon. One photo through the windshield of a weird cloud formation down by Roseburg yielded our only picture. I-5 today. That's it. An unceremonious way to end a great trip.
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Long Trip #7 in the M850 is successfully in the books. I have not changed how I feel about this car at all. It runs as good as the day I bought it. That being said, it now has 48,500 miles as I write this. I think I've decided I would like to replace this M850 with a new M850 toward the end of it's production run, whenever that may be. My dealership will only go out on the limb to say that the 2025s end Feb 2025, but have no information if there will be a 2026 model. A forum member that has done extensive research across all models is showing the G16 goes out to June 2026

I would love to keep this car another 20 months - I have no desire to replace it. Which is a first for me in 20 years of BMW ownership - I have always looked forward to something else. As such, I am shopping extended warranties.

All clean. The car went without a bath for the last 2,600 miles of the trip. My OCD must have gone on vacation, too.
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For now, I am happy to start planning BMW V-8 Long Trip #14 (going back to my 2014 550xi).
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There's still some things I want to explore in Montana and North Dakota along with a few places along the Colorado/New Mexico border. We'll see.

Thanks for tagging along again.