# The Rear Side of Yosemite



## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

We decided that doing one climb up to 10,100 wasn't enough so my friend Joe, myself, and my wife stopped in Lee Vining to climb up Tioga Pass (Highway 120) and beyond. This time of year means that Highway 120 through Yosemite is a traffic nightmare and it didn't fail to impress us this time with the shear amount of trailers, RVs, cars, trucks, and motorcycles. We basically just kept to the side of the road with our heads down and charged forward. It was such a beautiful day with such an incredible climb that we really didn't want to miss out on it. 

Starting out at Lee Vining we went up to the Mono Lake overlook by the Mobile Station on the corner of California S.R. 120 and U.S. 395. Mono Lake in itself is impressive and a photographer's dream, but instead we turned our backs on the beautiful sapphire and started up 120 to find the high point of Yosemite N.P (or at least the high point for us). Looking back down the road we had just climbed we could see the Mono Craters in the distance. These were volcanoes that now just have the cinder cones remaining. If you like to pick up huge rocks and play Star Trek you can find pumice chunks there that are quite easy to pick up.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

*Up and towards the top*

We climbed further up into the snow covered granite to find Ellery Lake glistening at the top. What a gorgeous blue it was. My camera decided that mixing snow, high altitude UV, and light colored granite was pure evil in its little processor eye, and I apologize as most of these pictures came out a little strange in contrast, but what are going to do? Stupid little point and shoots . Passing Ellery we rode along the snowbanks until we reached the Tioga Yosemite Gate not quite at the top. $10.00 per person for a 1/2 hour of riding!! Yikes, but I guess it helps fund some government thingy somewhere.

After riding a little ways into the Park we turned around due to time constraints and flew back down from the pass. I had to stop at one lake though. The ice filled waters just looked too neat to ignore and I grabbed some photos from both above and below. I always love the effect of ice in alpine lakes.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

*Descending*

Coming back down was a hoot, but you have to watch the numerous craters in the road where slabs of granite came crashing down over the winter. Sure wouldn't want to get caught under one of those. Finally, made it down for lunch. Little hint: Get lunch at the Mobile Station! Yep, these guys know how to make food. . .and for relatively cheap prices. Carrot cake, rasberry vinagrette salad, bbq chicken! Yuuummmmyyy! And all with a view of Mono Lake thrown in for free.


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## dingster1 (Jul 2, 2006)

Sweet pics!


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## icalles (Jun 16, 2008)

*yosemite*

I am from Spain.
I am planning a roadBike trip to california during Summer, with few days in SF bay area, some days visiting a friend in lake Tahoe, and then I was thinking to go Yosemite.

I found your fotos and I wandered if you can give me some advice about the routes, maps, or links, to plan two or three days there biking.

your photos look great.

Thanks in advance from madrid, spain.

br

Ignacio


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

Wow! That's some spectacular scenery. Yosemite is almost definitely our next NP destination, or maybe Utah (Zion, Canyonlands) but probably Yosemite. The grade looks like it wasn't too bad? Or are the pictures fooling me?

I'll keep that Mobil in mind for when we do make it out there!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

What kind of gear range were you using for them climbs.

BTW Next time take a 4x5 view camera will ya?!?


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## abiciriderback (Jun 8, 2005)

Another Sweet Ride report. I remember a time when Mono lake was dry. With all the climbing you guys have been doing are you using Compact Cranks.

Ray Still


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

abiciriderback said:


> I remember a time when Mono lake was dry.




yeah, looks like that water/bird situation is resolved, at least temporarily


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

MB1 said:


> What kind of gear range were you using for them climbs.
> 
> BTW Next time take a 4x5 view camera will ya?!?


Yeah, just like Ansel Adams did.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

I always wanted to do Tioga, but I never had the guts. Too much traffic, and too much debris on the road. I was there last year around this time of year, and the wind was absolutely howling. We stopped to sightsee and could barely get the car doors open.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Ignacio, I'll send you a private message (PM) with my email address and some info.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

The grade isn't too bad there. It's about 8% I believe at the most. Starts out very easy and then becomes steeper but doable. We had no problem climbing up it at all except for the traffic.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

I was using a compact 50/34 with an 11/23 and my wife was using a 50/34 with a 12/27. The 11/23 is too small and I can definitely feel myself burning out on anything over about 9-10%. I really need to change it out. My wife switched from a triple and says she wishes she still had it. Oh well.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Yep, compact cranks.


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

*California!*

Killer ride. I'm jealous.


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

Gorgeous!

+1 on the compact. Did the switch over the weekend for Saturday's ride: 100 miles, 7000 feet. Great gearing for the climbing enthusiast!


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Beautiful.

If you can pick a morning to do it without freezing to death, that would probably be a great ride to start at sunrise, as early as possible. I've ridden from Lee Vining up into the park at sunrise (on a motorcycle) and it was absolutely spectacular. There was no traffic, and the rising sun at my back shed an amazing light on the pass scenery.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Man, you have been posting some BEAUTIFUL reports lately.

I saw that Shimano finally released a Dura-Ace compact crankset. $700! Holy crap.


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

DrRoebuck said:


> Man, you have been posting some BEAUTIFUL reports lately.
> 
> I saw that Shimano finally released a Dura-Ace compact crankset. $700! Holy crap.


Screw that. A word to the wise - Ultegra SL Compact. Awesome charcoal gray. And when it's spinning uphill, ain't no one that can read the Ultegra graphic no how. Plus, you can swap the DA 7800 back and forth with the UltSL. I didn't even need to re-adjust my front derailleur, it works flawlessly in the higher DA position. I set-up a shorter chain (SRAM w/quick links) for the compact (-4 links), and set the full length chain aside for the swap back. To save a little time, I scored another set of crank brothers eggbeaters so I could leave the pedals on the DA crank.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

DrRoebuck said:


> Man, you have been posting some BEAUTIFUL reports lately......



Not to mention the rest of the pix that his wife isn't even in!


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## JohnHenry (Aug 9, 2006)

Wow. You are on some awesome rides. Great pics, too. Just great.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

My wife is using DA derailleurs, Ultegra SL compact, and the short reach Ultegra level (or so I've been told) brifters. She loves it all and the color of the crank is nice.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Thanks MB .


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## gray8110 (Dec 11, 2001)

One of my favorite climbs (see my avatar.)

Now do that ride before Memorial Day after Labor Day (to avoid the heavy tourist season) and ride to Crane Flat and back and it's a gem with only a few miles of flat in Tuolumne Meadows. If I remember correctly, that ride is around 110 miles with about 13,000' climbing 

Thanks for the photos and report.


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## mrrun2fast (Apr 14, 2003)

OK - that ride is ridiculously awesome! I'm sick of riding in the farmlands of PA. Thanks for sharing.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

Thanks for letting me see that road again. I drove up that road when I was 17. We drove over from Lee Vinning and it got dark on us going down the far side of the pass. In those days, we just drove up to the Yosemite Inn and got a room for the night, I slept out on the balcony. The sun woke me up and I saw those rock walls for the first time. That was quite a shock.


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