March 2005

Yosemite by Bicycle

The bicycle rental stand didn't close for another hour and 13 minutes. "A bike," I thought, "would be the perfect way to cover some ground before the sun sets." A quick pedal-powered ride around Yosemite Valley would, in fact, be the only way I could see the sites before dark. As usual, I had packed too much in to a single day of sightseeing, and in the process learned Yosemite was simply too big for one day, let alone a single afternoon. So with high hopes, I walked up to the counter.

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

"Ooh, I'm sorry. It's too late in the day. We're not renting out any more bikes." The college-aged girl at the rental counter seemed nice enough. But it was her policy to make sure all the bikes were back, 15 minutes before closing time. Since no one's allowed to rent a bike for less than an hour, I was out of luck.

Yosemite valley can be a frustrating place, especially if you're in a hurry. There's a lot of traffic, no matter when you visit. There's only one road in, and one road out. Once you're wedged in between the towering canyon walls, the one-way streets can leave you driving in circles. Road signs are confusing, and the sign for the bicycle stand? It couldn't even be seen from the street.

El Capitan

   These are all reasons I arrived at the bicycle stand two minutes too late.

   So I started to beg. "I've been hiking all day, and there's still so much left for me to see." I explained the one-way streets and the traffic. I promised to have the bike back on time, and wrapped it up with a "Please?".

   I must have looked just pathetic enough.

Biking Through Yosemite

   Yosemite's bike-ability is probably one of the national park's best kept secrets. Paved trails take you places roads made for automobiles can't. In many places, the paths take you alongside or across the picturesque Merced River, which flows through the center of the valley. Compared to the roads, the bicycle trails aren't crowded. Best of all, you can stop, get off and on again, and turn

Merced River, Looking Toward the Valley Entrance

around, whenever you want. In all, the park offers 12 miles of paved trails, designed especially for bicycles.

My tour began at the park's only bicycle rental stand, at Yosemite Lodge. The lodge is one of only two hotels in Yosemite Valley. If you can get a reservation (months in advance!), prepare to pay a hefty price for a room that looks out onto nearby Yosemite Falls. In the morning, you can arise and take a quick walk to the base of the falls.

I started pedaling southwest, heading towards the entrance to the valley. Before long, the path looped back, taking me across the Merced over a swinging bridge. From there, I followed the path to the Yosemite Chapel,

Yosemite Chapel

which provides an ideal wedding spot, or a great place for travelers to attend Sunday morning services.

After snapping a picture of the chapel's towering steeple, which is dwarfed by the half-mile-high canyon walls, I continued east, passing Curry Village (which offers canvas-walled cabins at a more reasonable price than the luxurious lodge). My destination was Mirror Lake, but it proved to be too far, especially since bicycles are prohibited on the path's final, steep segment, and I didn't have time to walk.

I did have time to take a quick break though. I parked the bicycle, walked down to the rushing water of Tenaya Creek, and plunged my baseball cap into the water. Then, I splashed my cold wet cap back onto my head. It was a perfect moment.

But, it was a moment that couldn't last. I had only about 20 minutes left to meet my deadline, which I so convincingly promised to meet. On top of that, I wasn't even sure of my location, since I left the park map in my car.

Stoneman Bridge

I headed west once again, towards the heart of the valley. Along the way, I stopped at the picture-perfect Stoneman Bridge, the subject of countless photos since its construction in 1932. A little further, the Sentinel Bridge (Yosemite's newest, built in 1993)provides a perfect place to take your own postcard-quality image of Half Dome, the park's most recognizable feature.

View of Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge

After taking in the view from Sentinel Bridge, I continued on the final stretch back to Yosemite Lodge. With a little extra time, I could have stopped at the Village Store, which is stocked to the ceiling with every type of park collectible you could imagine. It's a good thing, too, because you'd hate to leave the park without a Half Dome snow globe, or black bear on-a-string key chain.

With only minutes to spare, I made it back to the rental shop. In one hour, and without a map, I managed to circle the entire valley, take dozens of pictures, and best of all, see enough of the park to leave happy.

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