Sierra Ride
Fall 2004 24 Sep 04
On Saturday, 24 Sep 2004, three of us began a fall bicycle tour over
the Sierra as I often have in spring, and occasionally in fall. Last
weekend we thought the mountains were closed because, after a longer
heat wave, snow and cold closed Tioga Pass. But the following week
brought back the heat, giving us mid summer weather for our ride.
John Woodfill, John Padgett (a noted frame builder) and I stayed in
the Sonora Gold Lodge motel where I have started many such rides, and
got a good night's sleep for an early start at 06:00 in the morning.
We headed east from Sonora (1750ft) on old HWY108 to Tuolumne City
Road where we joined John Padgett who insisted on a hot breakfast,
while JW and I roughed it in the usual manner with a grocery store
diet. From the shopping center at the big junction, we took Tuolumne
City Road and turned south on Wards Ferry Road that starts as a two
lane highway with center stripe and shoulders, climbing gradually to
2100ft while losing its center stripe and shrinking to a narrow road
with little traffic.
The sun had just risen above the ridges to the east as we crested and
began descending toward Wards Ferry (815ft) in the Tuolumne gorge. We
stopped for a photo at a working Chicago Aermotor that was pumping
water into a livestock watering trough in the morning westerly breeze.
http://www.windmillersgazette.com/gallery.html
From here the road narrowed to one lane as it reached the rim of the
canyon. Cut into the side of the wall, we could see almost straight
down to the Tuolumne river and the Wards Ferry bridge, more than
1000ft below. The road only seems steep, climbing in hot weather, but
it has a moderate grade on either side. We crossed the bridge under
which the backwaters of Don Pedro Reservoir reached, even though the
water level was about 50ft below full.
The usually submerged abutments of the old one lane bridge were high
above water. The new wide and banked-curve highway bridge, built to
span the higher waters of New Don Pedro Reservoir, stands in stark
contrast to the ancient, seldom used and twisty driveway width road it
serves. Only a few cars passed us from the start of the descent until
we reached Deer Flat (2579ft) before taking Deer Flat Road over the
hill (3000ft) to Groveland (2846ft).
We stopped at the general store in Groveland before heading up Hwy 120
to the Oak Flat entrance of Yosemite Park. Old Hwy 120 was visible
now and then south of the new road, climbing every hill and dale on
its way, as I recall from rides before the new road was built. On the
way, we passed small groves of maple and dogwood that had not yet
changed to autumn colors, I suppose for lack of cold weather. After
crossing the South Fork Tuolumne River (3719ft) twice we made the long
climb to the park entrance (4830ft) where once again, we passed
without question even though we had park passes in our wallets. It's
about time that the park rules let bicyclists pass free as they do
other non motorized visitors.
We got a Coke at the information office before heading down the road
to Hodgdon Meadow Camp Ground on the old Tioga Road. Past the
campground but before the maintenance yard, a "One Way - Do Not Enter"
road comes in from the left over a small hill. That was our road that
I recall driving on it years ago when it was still open to one-way
(downhill) car traffic.
Although its pavement is failing in places, this is a wonderful route
to Crane Flat, entirely without traffic. The narrow road descends
gradually into a lush forest where we crossed the North Fork Tuolumne
river before beginning the climb through a forest of Maple, Dogwood,
Cedar, White and Red Fir, Ponderosa, Sugar Pine, and Sequoia Gigantea
Redwood. The solitude and richness of the forest make this a high
point of the ride to Tioga Pass. Dogwood, that had large white
magnolia-like blossoms in the spring, now had red berries but with
leaves that had not yet turned pink from cold fall temperatures.
Although it was another hot day in the central valley, we had pleasant
temperatures as we gained altitude.
We stopped at the Tuolumne Grove, near the top of the climb, to take
pictures at the enormous redwood next to the road. We noted that most
of the visitors, that took the half mile hike from the parking lot,
spoke foreign languages, this time mostly French. We rejoined HWY120
(6200ft) and skipped going back to the Crane Flat store and gas
station, having enough food and drink with us as we headed toward
Tioga Pass.
The warm weather made this seem like a summer ride except that,
typical of the rocky high country of Yosemite, all streams were dry.
At White Wolf Road we had already climbed 10,000ft as we crossed the
divide from the Tuolumne to the Merced River watershed at McSwain
Meadows (8224ft) before descending to Yosemite Creek (7487ft). On the
descent we passed an area of layered stone where a park information
sign used to proclaimed "Exfoliating Granite", a sign that stuck in my
memory from all the years it was there. Yosemite Creek was bone dry
and its granite boulders a rusty brown from minerals of waters.
We had a grand view to the south on the gradual climb to Porcupine
Flat and at Olmsted Point (8470ft) we had a view of Half Dome and the
huge granite walls of Clouds Rest. Rolling down to Tenaya Lake
(8160ft) I refilled my water bottle before climbing to the saddle
(8639ft) between Pothole and Fairview Domes to descend to Tuolumne
Meadows (8565ft). In the spring this was an expanse of rich green
grass and wildflowers between melting snow, but all that, except
bright yellow Rabbit Brush, were gone until next year.
We stopped at the Tuolumne Meadows tent store that was to be
dismantled Sunday evening was still open. After getting something to
drink before we crossed the South Fork Tuolumne River for the last
time with Lambert Dome (450ft) as a backdrop to the bridge. We began
our gradual climb along Dana Fork to Dana Meadows and Tioga Pass
(9943ft) that lies on a broad saddle between Dana (13053ft) and Gaylor
(11004ft) Peaks. By now the gentle breeze had become a gusty tailwind
instead of the light cross and headwind we had until now. At the
summit entrance/exit station the wind had stopped and we were again
not asked for our passes. We rolled past the gate commenting on how
officious the old gate guard, Ferdinand Castillo, had been in his many
years of tenure at this station.
http://data2.itc.nps.gov/morningreport/archive/1993/12-30.doc
As we rolled off the summit to descend past Tioga and Ellery lakes to
Lee Vining Canyon, the wind returned with brisk gusts. After the big
sweeping turn at 9000ft, we rode in the wind shelter of Mono Dome
(10622ft) but got good assist (at times) so we were able to briefly
reach 60mph. I was most impressed by how poorly one can estimate
speed because at the places where we seemed to be going fast we
weren't, going a bit over 40mph, while at the moment of top speed
there was no sensation of high speed other than the approach to a fast
bend ahead leading into the long ramp to the end of the main descent.
We rolled easily down Lee Vining Canyon into Lee Vining (6700ft) on
HWY395 with the tailwind.
Under clear skies, Mono Lake was pastel blue to the east in afternoon
sunlight as we stopped at the general store for some food and drink.
As we headed for Bridgeport, 25 miles to the north, I recognized the Lee
Vining WEB CAM mounted on the roof of visitor center, a view that I
often consult for weather on the east side of the Sierra.
http://www.monolake.org/live/monocam1.htm
http://www.monolake.org/live/monocam2.htm
Although a few aspen had begun to turn their brilliant gold of autumn,
most were still green. In contrast, brilliant yellow Rabbit brush, at
the peak of its bloom, lined the road, setting off the pastel green of
sage. The tailwind had become a stiff crosswind, slightly from ahead
as we took the 250ft drop to the lakeshore on the approach to Conway
Summit, visible to the north.
Conway makes makes a large ess-bend up the mountains to the north,
vanishing into the pass as seen from below. It makes two quarter mile
radius bends on its way to the summit, after the first of which turned
us directly into the wind all the way to the summit, where the wind
conveniently split to blow down the north side for our descent.
Conway Pass offers a great panorama of Mono Lake to the south and
beyond to Mammoth Mountain, although today the sky was not clear
enough to see much farther than Lee Vining. On the climb I got a
great view of the road below to the south below and the vast landscape
with shadows reaching across Mono Lake. It was cooling off as we
crossed Conway Summit (8148ft) and our headwind became a tailwind for
the descent along Virginia Creek toward Bridgeport. The last few
miles into town were flat along the east side of the great marshy
Bridgeport Valley. John Padgett gave us some good pulls as we crossed
the flatland from Bodie JCT to town.
Bridgeport (6468ft) is a quaint town with a beautiful Victorian
courthouse and other historic mementos of past glory. The otherwise
huge lush green fields had turned brown from freezing weather that
Bridgeport has in abundance at night but that didn't stop cattle
grazing apparently. The evening chill had already set in (7:00PM) as
we rolled down the main drag and felt radiant heat from buildings
whose walls were still warm from the afternoon sun.
http://www.bridgeportcalifornia.com/historyii.htm
As it turned out, John Padgett's friend, Susan, secured the last
vacant lodging when she arrived earlier by car from Truckee. We ate
at the Sportsman's Inn with reasonable results and got a good night's
rest at the Redwood Motel. We got hearty breakfast, again at the
Sportsman's and got on the road a bit after 8:00. There wasn't a
trace of wind, so the cold air seemed OK and rapidly getting warmer.
As we rode the three flat miles out of town, we saw red tailed and
marsh hawks hunting in the fields between the cows that didn't seem to
mind the cold nights for which Bridgeport is famous. As we started
climbing to Devil's Gate, riding uphill was more warming than the air
was cooling and the hearty breakfast did its work.
The ride up Devil's Gate is gradual, rolling along the west side of
broad sloping grassy Huntoon valley. The valley narrows before the
pass whose summit is deceptive because after the road seems to crest,
it takes another half mile to reach the real summit that at first
appears lower. On the climb, in the broad part of the valley, an ever
present heard of sheep was grazing as usual, across from the rancher's
brick house that looks out of place there, all by itself surrounded by
a few Junipers. By the time we reached Devil's Gate (7419ft), with
its red jagged rock formations, the air had warmed enough for a
comfortable descent to Sonora Junction.
On the descent we passed Fales Hot Springs that, as always, looked as
though it were only recently closed and would open again soon. This
time, there was a well drilling operation nearby and some road grading
adjacent to the house. Maybe next season will be the new beginning.
We turned left at Sonora Junction (6909ft) onto HWY108, rolled past
the swamps where we usually see yellow headed blackbirds in the spring
and descended to the West Walker River that was flowing briskly, in
contrast to the dry creeks of Yosemite Park.
The Marine Mountain Warfare School along Pickel Meadow was as inactive
as ever. The old main gate was closed and covered with barbed wire
and the old guard shack barricaded. A new entrance with an uphill
approach had been built with concrete road divider barriers arranged
in a maze to prevent car bomb gate crashing. The only personnel we
saw were guards at the maze.
At the end of a nearly flat run along Pickel Meadow (6737ft), of a
mile or so, the road takes a few steep jumps to climb around the
narrows of the Walker River and descends to Leavitt Meadow. At the
Pack Station, I ate some power food and drink for the short but steep
six-and-a-half mile climb to the summit. Just after Levitt Pack
Station (7155ft), the road has its steepest grade of more than 20% as
it rounds a hairpin bend to make a half mile climb that gradually
flattens out above. From the Pack Station we could hear some Harley
Davidson motorcycles that just went by as though they were aircraft as
they climbed the steep section above the corner.
There are some tricky curves as the road climbs next to Levitt Creek,
one of which can be a hazard when descending. At 8200ft a sharp steep
ess-bend, with poor superelevation, hides directly below a short bump
that gives no warning of a sharp curves that follow. In spring this
curve usually has snow banks that make the road a wet surprise for the
fast descender. Just the same it makes a good picture for ascending
riders taken from above. A second steep ess-bend lies at 8900ft
shortly below the final dip and quarter mile climb to the top along
Sardine Creek.
We arrived at the top not unduly far apart, this being a climb where
reaching the top is enough to keep riders too busy to talk or wait for
others. The effort of reaching the summit without blowing up is
paramount. Sonora Pass (9643ft) has a slew of warning signs as well
as a county line and summit sign, showing that highway sign makers are
busy.
Susan had driven her car from Bridgeport to Sonora Junction, starting
we joined her for the rest of the ride although we didn't stay
together much of the way. The west descent of Sonora Pass starts
gradually along Deadman Creek, as it makes a big sweep around to
Chipmunk Flat Campground (9233ft) with a small uphill section before
its steep descent begins. The section between 9000ft and 8000ft,
known as the Golden Stairs for its continuous steep grade, is not high
speed because it has tight curves with a steep ess-bend. After that,
the road levels off for a while at 8000ft.
About a mile farther, after a couple of uphill bumps, a long steep
ess-bend leads to the final and steepest part, the half mile drop
through the Rock Window. This is a rude awakening for riders from the
west because the already climbed for hours to get there. Baker
Campground in Kennedy Meadow (6268ft) lies at the bottom of this
section, after which the road is much like most mountain roads as it
descends pleasantly along the Stanislaus River to the Dardanelle store
and gas station (5765ft).
In spite of the steep grades of Sonora Pass, it is not a fast road
because it has so few straight sections. The smell of hot brakes of
passing cars makes their problem apparent. In contrast, the bicyclist
blows most of that away in wind drag rather than continuous heavy
braking.
We stopped at the Dardanelle Store for food and drink before taking
the last steep ups and downs on the way to Clark Fork Road (5671ft)
from where we climbed the two mile grade to Donnell Overlook (6231ft).
Lake Donnell was as low as I've seen it in the past, similar to Don
Pedro, but from 1300ft above, it made little difference. From the
overlook, Ebbetts Pass ridge is visible to the north, the Dardanelle
Cones to the east and the lake and dam almost straight down.
http://tinyurl.com/4qveh
http://www.inn-california.com/sierramountains/TUOLUMNE/hwy108c.html