MC Raven Trip Report 28 – Yosemite, The HU Rally, Central CA Coast

I bypassed Yosemite Village and headed to Bridalveil Creek Campground. I spent 2-nights there then, since they closed for the season at noon on the 22^nd I moved to Crane Flats Campground for my last night camping before the U event which starts on the 24^th.

Look in the center of this picture. That speck is a climber.

Here's the climber without the zoom.

I took lots and lots of pictures which I’ll share with you. Yosemite is kinda like the Arches National Park in that you can’t point your camera without finding a good picture opportunity. 

Looking down from Glacier Point

Overhanging rock at Glacier Point

Old picture taken looking up at overhanging rock - Glacier Point

9/24-9/27 Horizon’s Unlimited (HU) Rally, Mariposa, CA. This event has turned out to be everything I hoped it would be. I’ve spent 3-days hobnobbing with riders who’ve done the trips I’m planning and all were very ready to share what they learned.

I even had a chance to meet a couple of celebrities: Clemente Salvatori, the M/C travel writer and, Eva Rupert who was on “Naked and Afraid” the TV survival show.

John W (Fire Chief from Arizona) had his tent set up next to mine and took it upon himself to try to solve my gas gauge problem – he wasn’t able to fix it but, I really appreciated his trying.

After attending several lectures, I’m feeling much better about heading to Baja later this Fall. The weather (hot and getting hotter) is now more of a concern than banditos and drug lords. 

The caption says "If you're going to be stupid, you better be lucky."

9/28 After the HU Rally I headed over to the coast to ride down Highway 1. I hadn’t been that way since hitchhiking up the highway back in the 60’s.

The road seems the same (mostly) but the traffic is 100’s of times more than then. When I finally found a campground with a vacancy, who should I run into but one (the only one I didn’t attend) of the presenters from the HU Rally! 

Mike K. proceeded to give me my very own personal presentation on the Baja and where to go when I get there. Great!

Mike also recommended some highlights along the Central California Coast: The Nacemiento Road, The little French bakery in Moro Bay and, The Jamala Beach Campground just south of Vandenberg AFB.

The road was a great ride for winding, twisting and diving into corners. The bakery has this great apricot kuchen and very good coffee (I even got to plug in my phone and charge its batteries). And, the Jamala Beach Campground, though pricey, was a neat place – my first campground with palm trees. There’s even a street with Sunset Magazine’s top hamburger for sale (had one and their very good).

On my way down the coast I stopped to view the elephant seals, and even had lunch at Hearst Castle. I had a bar-b-que sandwich with fries and a pickle. While I was leaning over trying to coax a raven to take a French fry, a gull snatched the last bite of sandwich from my other hand.

All in all, a good ride and a fun day.