THE THREE PARKS TOUR Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks and the southern Sierra Six to eight days, 400-500 miles For spectacular scenery on the grandest possible scale, it’s hard to beat this tour through three of the most magnificent national parks in the country. It also happens to be one of the more challenging routes in this collection, with lots of climbing..but worth every drop of sweat and every aching muscle. And as you’ll notice in reading the elevation numbers below, there is more descending than climbing..and what descending! Some of these downhills are so long and so exciting, you’ll have to stop half-way down to rest and recover your wits. The tour begins at Twin Lakes near the town of Bridgeport. (For trekkers coming up from the south, we offer an alternate beginning near Mammoth.) For openers, it climbs up and over Conway Summit on Highway 395, setting the tone for the days ahead: up and down, over and over. (The southerners do the Mammoth scenic bypass and the pretty June Lake loop instead.) After a run along 395 to Mono Lake, both routes converge near Lee Vining and turn uphill toward Tioga Pass and the backdoor, upstairs entrance to Yosemite National Park. The route then winds along the pristine, alpine roof of the park before descending into legendary Yosemite Valley. We’ve made provision for a layover day in the valley, with a possible excursion to Glacier Point thrown in, or else plenty of free time for hiking and/or biking around this awe-inspiring canyon. It takes most of the next three days to connect Yosemite to Kings Canyon National Park, or four days if you add in the optional Sierra Vista loop day. The between-parks route travels via Bass Lake, Pine Flat Lake, and a series of quiet, pretty byways. (You may come on this tour for the sights in the marquee national parks, but these little roads through the middle of nowhere will provide you with some of the nicest miles and most vivid memories of the tour.) After an incredible descent into awesome Kings Canyon (pictured above)–the deepest gorge in the United States–you climb back up to the wonderful Generals Highway linking Kings Canyon to Sequoia National Park..a cycling dream road through the big trees, culminating with a wild, 30-mile downhill to Three Rivers, just beyond the southern edge of the park. • Tour packet: 43 pages; 48 photos, 8 maps • Where does it go? Day 1: Twin Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows 52 miles, 5000' up, 2300' down Bonus miles: 16 miles, 1700', 12 miles, 1200' For those arriving from the north on Hwy 395. Drop from Twin Lakes to the town of Bridgeport and head south on Hwy 395, up to Conway summit and down to Mono Lake and Lee Vining. Two optional out-&-backs on scenic side roads. Then climb for 12 miles to 9945’ Tioga Pass–the highest paved road in Califonia–before descending to camp. Showers are two miles from camp at Tuolumne Lodge. Day 1 (alternate): Mammoth to Tuolumne Meadows Mammoth: 55 miles, 3700' up, 2300' down For those driving up from the south on Hwy 395, a start near Mammoth at a full-service camp. Head north to Tioga Pass on the Mammoth Scenic Loop, the June Lake Loop, and stretches of 395. Day 2: Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley 58 miles, 2400' up, 7100' down Spectacular scenery at every turn as you cross Yosemite’s alpine attic before descending into one of the most mythic spots on Earth. Downhills dominate all day, culminating in the 13-mile free fall into the valley. Camp in one of several camps at the east end of the valley. Showers at nearby Curry Village. Day 2.1: Optional Layover Day in Yosemite Valley Explore the wonders of Yosemite Valley’s towering granite walls and domes and its plunging waterfalls. Many options available, both on and off the bike. Details in info packet. Day 3: Yosemite Valley to Bass Lake 58 miles, 4500’ up, 5000’ down Three long climbs and three long descents make up almost the entire route today, with nearly level runs along Yosemite Valley at the start and along Bass Lake at the end. Ride through a mile-long tunnel, visit the old Wawona Hotel, and have a ball on the long downhills. Camp in one of two forest service camps on the lake..perfect for swimming. Showers at a nearby private resort. Day 3.1: Optional Sierra Vista Loop 78 miles. 8000’ up and down An absolutely magnificent loop up into the Sierra National Forest above Bass Lake. Follows the course of the Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway. Splendid views over wide valleys, lots of boulder-choked mountain streams, pretty woods and meadows, and plenty of impressive sculpted granite soaring overhead. Virtually no traffic. And near the end, a huge, highly entertaining downhill back to Bass Lake..almost 4000’ of drop in 12 miles. Camp again at Bass Lake. Day 4: Bass Lake to Piedra 71 miles, 5700' up, 8300' down 58 miles, 3200' up, 5300' down The only day on the tour with longer and shorter options. Winds through the pretty Sierra foothills between the national parks. Miles and miles of dinky, empty backroads that you will enjoy as much as the marquee attractions in the big parks. Camp in a very pleasant, quiet county park on the Kings River. No showers, but easy river access for swimming. Day 5: Piedra to Kings Canyon 75 miles, 10,000' up, 5600' down Probably the hardest day on the tour, but also one of the most spectacular. Starts with more little backroads along the approach to the park..short, steep climbs and longer, more gradual ones. Far more climbing than the assault on Tioga Pass on Day 1, but the overall impact is not as wearing..perhaps because of the lower altitude. Superb descent into Kings Canyon–the deepest gorge in the U.S.–followed by a beautiful run uphill along the magnificent Kings River to camp. Showers nearby in Cedar Grove village. If you have the time, it might be worthwhile to take another layover day in Kings Canyon. You can probably use the rest, and there are many more things to see and do here than can be squeezed into what’s left of your day after this long ride. Day 6: Kings Canyon to Three Rivers 89 miles, 7500’ up, 11,000’ down Begin with a dream downhill for the first ten miles of the ride, then work your way back up out of Kings Canyon with 25 miles of uphill in the next 40 miles (all gradual), past Hume Lake and south along the Generals Highway into Sequoia National Park. Visit the grand old trees that give the park its name, and then get ready: the final 30 miles of the stage are almost entirely downhill. A large chunk of this constitutes one of the greatest descents in the world: 6000’ of drop in 25 miles of writhing, switch-backing excitement. Camp in a private resort on the bank of the Kaweah River. Showers. • How hard is it? To put together a tour through these three magnificent parks, you have to do some climbing...a lot of climbing. But, as is so often the case with high Sierra grades, the climbs may be long, but are seldom steep. With only one day offering a shorter option, this is not a tour for everyone. However, we found out–when we did this tour with our club–that reasonably fit, moderate riders could do it, if they brought the right gearing and the right attitude...a willingness to take all the time neccesary for numerous rest stops. Doing the optional day, one of the optional out-&-backs on Day 1, and the long route on Day 4–in other words, the whole enchilada–you would average 71 miles and 6400’ of climb for seven days. That doesn’t include anything you might do on one or more layover days. But remember: there is considerably more descending than climbing, including a whopping 11,000’ on the final day. • When should you do this tour? There is a tiny window that is ideal for this tour: after Labor Day and until the weather turns bad. In effect, that means the month of September. Springtime is out because the roads in the high country are still closed by snow, and mid-summer is less-than-ideal not only because it can get really hot in the foothills, but because of the hoards of motorized tourists in the parks then–especially Yosemite–and the difficulty in reserving campsites. Both the roads and the camps are emptier after Labor Day. However, some of the camps begin to shut down soon after the holiday weekend, and then the weather starts to get very iffy as well, with the likelihood of storms increasing every day. • Accommodations All of the campgrounds on this tour are pleasant and some are fantastic. All can be reserved, except for the county park near Piedra, where there is always ample room. Showers are something of a problem throughout. In almost every camp, you have to hike or bike some distance to reach them, and they don’t exist at all in the county park. With the exception of the overnight at the remote county park, each of these campgrounds could be swapped for a nearby motel. But that one obscure overnight will make it hard to leave the camping gear behind entirely. • Travel..to and from Twin Lakes is about six hours from the Bay Area via I-80, and Hwys 50 and 395. Mammoth is a similar distance from Los Angeles via I-5 and Hwys 14 and 395. The finish at Three Rivers is about four hours from Los Angeles via Hwy 99 and I-5, and about five hours from the Bay Area via 99 and 5. Adventure Velo 7315 Fircrest Avenue Sebastopol, CA 95472 707-823-9807 backroad@sonic.net