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Text and photos by Brent & Kathy Salmon • GWRRA #49319 • Reno, Nevada

The guidebooks use phrases like “this national treasure” to describe Yosemite National Park. This has always stirred the imagination and instilled awe in those who visit it. But until we spent a week riding in the park and surrounding areas, we had no idea what this really meant. It was probably the single best week of riding, touring and sightseeing we have ever had.

The Salmons with their Wing and Half Dome in the distance.

We moved from the Chicago area to Reno a few years ago and have been exploring Virginia City, Lake Tahoe, the gold country and the Sierra Nevada for the past two seasons on our vintage ’79 GL1000. Every ride in this part of the country is a story in itself, so we thought a week riding Yosemite and the surrounding area would be more of the same. Instead, we found Yosemite to be an exceptional experience!
We decided to visit the park because Kathy is a talented photographer, and it was time for her to follow in the footsteps of Ansel Adams. Because we had photographic gear and other stuff, we needed to take our Ford Windstar and trailer the bike. There isn’t much storage capacity on a 23-year-old, Vetter-equipped GL1000.
Rich Thorwaldson, General Manager of BVH Motorsports in Reno was kind enough to loan us a trailer, and his service staff did an excellent job of getting the GL1000 ready for the trip. BVH is an outstanding dealer and a good place to service your bike when you’re visiting the northern Nevada area. BVH is located at 222 South Market Street, Reno, Nevada, 775-322-4311 or www.bigvalleyhonda.com. They also are a Ducati and Cannondale dealer.
The Yosemite Sierra Visitors’ Bureau in Oakhurst, California, provided us with area lodging and touring information, not only for the park but for Oakhurst and Bass Lake, located 15 miles from the southern entrance of the park. They also suggested a number of day rides in the Sierra and gold country in addition to the park, and put us in touch with Pam Salisbury at Big Creek Inn, a bed and breakfast in Fish Creek.
Yosemite is a long day’s ride from Reno, five hours from San Francisco and six hours from Los Angeles. We entered the park through the easternmost entrance, Tioga Pass, Highway 120 west of Lee Vining, California, which is open only in the summer. There are three other entrances: the Big Oak Flat entrance is 88 miles east of Manteka via Route 120; Arch Rock entrance is 75 miles northeast of Merced via Highway 140; and the south entrance is 64 miles north of Fresno via Highway 140. For motorcycle touring, the park can be ridden from about May through October. During the winter, much of it is snowed in. In the spring, many of the upper-elevation roads are not as rideable for motorcycles as they might be later in the year.

Big Creek Inn.

Bridal Veil Falls.

Bass Lake.

We’re not going to attempt to write a guide to Yosemite—there simply is too much to see and do—and there are already wonderful guidebooks and information from various visitors’ bureaus, bookstores and on-line. But we do want to give you a feel for our experience and some of the things that we recommend. You can reach the Yosemite Sierra Visitor’s Bureau for help in planning your trip at 559-683-4636, or www.goto
yosemite.net, or Ysbv@sierratel.com. Yosemite National Park general information is at 209-372-0200.
Yosemite itself is near the eastern border of central California, and comprises roughly 1,170 square miles of the Sierra Nevada range. Initially created in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln as a grant to the State of California for the benefit of the public, it was the basis for the later concept of state and national park systems.
The park includes 263 miles of roads, 800 miles of hiking trails, nearly 240 species of birds, 80 species of mammals, 1,400 species of flowers and plants, and 37 types of trees. Elevations inside the park range from 2,000 feet above sea level to more than 13,000 feet. Nearly 95 percent of Yosemite is designated as wilderness area.
Within Yosemite Valley’s seven square miles there is an unequaled spectacular display of natural wonders. John Muir called it “the incomparable valley where nature has gathered her choicest treasures.” It is said the best way to see the magnificent cliffs, waterfalls, granite spires, domes and meadows of the valley is on a bicycle. Right after that, we would submit, is on a motorcycle. The seven-mile loop around the valley takes in Yosemite Village and most of the spectacular sightseeing locations and trail heads. The entrance permit fee is $20 per vehicle—various reduced rate “passports” are available, including one for visitors 62 or older at $10.

In addition to our planned rides, we visited some of these major attractions of the Yosemite Park area.

Wawonas Pioneer Village. This is a pioneer history center where you travel back to the ninteenth century with the help of hosts and hostesses dressed in costumes of the era. Guided tours, describing important periods of Yosemite’s development, take place from mid-June until Labor Day.

Glacier Point. One of the most spectacular overlooks on the planet. From this location, 3,214 feet above the Yosemite Valley floor, you have an eagle’s view of many of the most popular landmarks of Yosemite.

Mariposa Grove. Home of the “Grizzly Giant,” the oldest known giant Sequoia in the world.

Tunnel View. One of the most photographed vistas in the world. It provides a panoramic view of Yosemite Valley including El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks, and Bridal Veil Falls.

Bridal Veil Falls. The place the Yosemite Indians (Ahwahneechee) called Pohono or “Spirit of the Puffing Wind.” Bridal Veil Falls is as high as a 62-story building.

The Ahwahnee Hotel. Grand, elegant, and majestic, the 75-year-old prestigious Ahwahnee is a national historic landmark named for the original native word for Yosemite. Photographer Ansel Adams always stayed here. Have brunch or dinner. It is a must.

El Capitan. This massive monolith rises 4,000 feet from base to summit. It is the single largest granite rock on earth. Rock climbers from around world converge here for this challenge.

Half Dome. At the far end of Yosemite Valley is another of the most photographed scenes in Yosemite. The Half Dome soars 8,842 feet above sea level. It lost its other half when glaciers receded from Yosemite Valley 250,000 years ago. There is a wonderful view of Half Dome from Glacier Point.

Yosemite Falls. The highest waterfall in North America and fifth tallest waterfall in the world, it plunges 2,425 feet!

While accommodations are available either in the park or near most of the entrances, the southern entrance has the only town near it, the town of Oakhurst and the Bass Lake recreation area. We were fortunate to stay at the Big Creek Inn located in Fish Camp, only two miles from the southern entrance and 13 miles from Oakhurst and Bass Lake. Here, we could take advantage of some of the areas’ restaurants, the town amenities, and we had quick access to riding outside of the park when we chose to.
Big Creek Inn is one of Yosemite area’s newest bed and breakfasts, and a proud member of the California Association of Bed and Breakfast Inns. California Tour and Travel magazine calls the Big Creek Inn one of the area’s “best hideaway spots.” And the Fresno Bee newspaper describes the inn as having “a comfortable elegance.” We agree!
We had never stayed in a bed and breakfast before because they generally seemed rustic to us and limited in their comforts. Pamela Salsbury, the owner, changed our minds about that. A refugee from the healthcare management world in San Diego, she has created a wonderfully contemporary 5,000-square-foot inn with three fully appointed guest rooms.
Each day started with a delicious homemade breakfast served in the beautiful dining room. Furnished with cherry wood mission-style furniture and huge cushioned sofas that face a massive stone fireplace, the dining room overlooks Big Creek and an adjoining meadow. Outside, a large deck takes in the same view, and cheese and wine are served there in the afternoon.
Upstairs, soundproof guest quarters each have their own bathroom and private balconies with a view of the creek and pasture. You can hear the soothing sounds of the creek from every room. Kathy set up her camera equipment on our balcony and took critter pictures in the morning. I took advantage of the luxury bedding and pillows and slept in.
The guestrooms and living areas of the inn have an open uncluttered feel. Light neutral colors and large windows give a bright and airy ambience to the inn, built as a private family retreat in the 70s. And that is just what it is today, a comfortable, contemporary private retreat. It is also Pam’s home and it doesn’t take long for Pam to make you feel like an old friend. She even had us put the Gold Wing in her garage. Big Creek Inn is located
at 1221 Hwy 41, P.O. Box 39, Fish Camp, CA 93623. (559) 641-2828 or www.bigcreekinn.com.
We had planned three different day rides and time to visit Yosemite’s must-see sites.The first ride on the motorcycle was going to be to Tuolumne Meadows, Tioga Pass, but since we entered the park through Tioga Pass and drove the 75 miles through the park in the van, we decided not to do it again on the bike. It is a great ride however you do it, particularly from Yosemite Village. You will feel like you are on top of the world as you ride Tioga Pass, the highest vehicle pass in California at 9,945 feet. Tioga Pass offers a number of scenic pullouts to stop and take photographs. Don’t miss spectacular Tenaya Lake, meaning “lake of the shining rocks.” Farther on is Tuolumne Meadows, the largest sub-alpine meadow in the Sierra Nevada. Tioga Pass is closed to vehicles from mid-November through May because of snow.
Our second day trip was the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway located in the Sierra National Forest. The entire route meanders through this national forest starting at North Fork down the road from Oakhurst to the exit point on Highway 41 just past Nelder Sequoia Grove. It is about 100 miles long and takes five hours or more.
This beautiful ride is one of the most scenic in California and is just made for motorcycles, with more curves than you could imagine being able to ride in a day. You will be in the exact geographic center of California at North Fork while winding your way to Mile High Vista (5,300 feet), offering a spectacular view of Sierra Crest, including the Minnerets, Mt. Ritter (13,159 feet), and Mammoth Mountain (12,300 feet). The Ansel Adams, Kaiser, and John Muir wilderness can also be seen from this site.
Among other points of interest on this ride is the Ross Cabin at 4,000 feet. The cabin was built by one of the first settlers in the 1860s and is one of the oldest standing log cabins in the area. Another highlight is Globe Rock (7,152 feet), a unique geographical oddity featuring a large balanced rock. This phenomenon was caused by the action of water freezing and thawing on the granite.
Near the end of the 100-mile loop, you have a choice of continuing the scenic byway onto Fresno and Nelder Sequoia Grove, or proceeding down Beshore Road to Bass Lake. Nelder Sequoia Grove (6,000 feet) is one of the two major groves of giant Sequoias in the southern Yosemite area, having 106 mature trees. The other grove is the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite Park, home to the “Grizzly Giant,” the oldest known giant Sequoia in the world, along with 250 of these giants, many of which are 3000 years old. Beautiful Bass Lake, at 3,400 feet, offers excellent restaurants, fishing, water sports, gas, food, lodging and various shops year round.
Our third trip was from Oakhurst on the Golden Chain Highway, Route 49 to Mariposa, one of Madera County’s original gold country towns. Madera County is home to the southern Yosemite area. Many quaint communities make up Madera County, including Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, Chowchilla, Coursegold, Madera, North Fork, Oakhurst, O’Neill and Raymonds. All have played interesting parts in the history of California gold country.
On the way to Mariposa, Ahwahnee is famous for viewing eagles and Wasuma Round House State Historic Park where the local Miwok Indians have continued tribal traditions. The Golden Chain Highway winds through the rolling hills of gold rush history. In Mariposa you find the California State Mineral exhibit with its display of gold, a mine tunnel, stamp mills and mining equipment. Other points of interest are the Mariposa Mine founded by Kit Carson, the History Center, County Courthouse, and the best fresh peach milkshake I’ve had in a long time at the local ice cream shop.
Yosemite has affected generations of people as it has affected us. Perhaps it is the feeling of spiritual renewal or the sense of our relationship to the natural we felt most keenly. This place is more than a beautiful place to ride and visit. It truly is an experience most Wing World readers will want to do again and again.