The Thin Blue Ride - Part 1 - Day 9

Bakersfield, CA to Yosemite, CA: 201 Miles (RV)

Ride Report: None

I know that there are those among you pining away for your daily dose of happenings in my life.  Just know this, I tossed and turned at nights worrying about all 9 of you.  Seriously.  (Nose grows)

Most of the trip up to Yosemite was spent transiting California’s Central Valley.  Its largely an agricultural area dominated (at least along highways 41, 99 and 49 where we traveled) by vineyards, almond and pistachio groves, oranges, and not insignificantly the raisin capital of the world.  For the uninitiated, that would be Selma, CA.  I’d put money on an annual raisin-fest with a parade, speeches by local politicians in honor of the raisin, raisin pie, and a raisin queen – complete with wrinkles.  Rumor has it that to be elected one must be over 85 and able to raise one’s arm above the height of one’s ear and wave obligingly to an admiring public.  The competition must be fierce, among those still alive.  But on to other weightier matters.

Oh yes – and we now all know where those “Halo” oranges come from.

They come from right here in river city.  It was a new experience for us to pull in to get gas at truck stop and see an entire semi load of oranges go by.  In Kansas semis haul wheat and cows.  BTW - this is not a road sign.  Its a huge (processing?) building.

We passed field after field of these.  We eventually determined that they are nut bearing trees.  Almonds, pistachios, etc.  All in very orderly fields with nary a weed to be seen.

We also noted that the State of California pays an inordinate amount of attention to highway medians.  These things were everywhere on the route today – at least until we closed in on Yosemite…

Gotta admit, this is impressive.  And these are just the pink ones.  In several places they were mixed colors: white, yellow, red.  Pretty cool.

And then there was this pic.  Just too good to leave out.  Used by permission: Susan Schoen photography, LLC.

If only the State would pay as much attention to the paved stuff.  Though in California’s defense they do have a LOT of traffic and even MORE truck traffic.  All that traffic has to wreak havoc on the roads.  But curiously, I’ve begun to note that even in areas where the highway has been recently “remodeled” they never do the portion under a bridge.  This is curious as these areas, at least in my experience, have accounted for some of the worst sections of pavement we’ve seen.  I personally blame one such section for the trailer tire failure we had yesterday, but if you're Susan's pessimistic brother Jim you'll say, "I told ya so.".

Anyway, the trip up was largely unremarkable until we started climbing toward Yosemite.  For some reason Google Maps put us on a couple of sections of what had to have been (at best) minor state highways and (at worst) a very short section of County Road – if that’s what they call em here.  Poor Susan. We had arranged for her to drive the last section up to Indian Flats RV Park located just 8 miles outside the gates to Yosemite.  This in order that she get some experience with steep grades.  She got that in spades.  My phone has been ringing off the hook ever since.  All New Jersey numbers.  Thus far I’ve not answered.  My guess is that this got bumped all the way up to the Teamsters National Organization, and I doubt that they’re calling to wish me a happy retirement.  Check out some pics of the action that put me on the Teamsters hit list…

A relatively benign up-hill section.  But these up-hill sections went on and on.

Thus, we eventually encountered this..

And this...

And this.  Holy Cow - she hit the trifecta...

Despite the signs, it didn't look too bad.  At first...

But on second look, there was this.  Susan immediately noted the dirt bank on the outside of the curve and was calculating how best to use it to her advantage.  I dunno, maybe this goes back to her dirt track days.  I politely insisted that she just slow down and stay on the pavement - if one considers a blood curdling scream polite insistence.  OK - maybe I exaggerate, but I was nervous.  Side bar: note the olive green trees in the valley below.

These are the same trees as we careened (sorry - "went" ) around the corner.  Those babies are prolly 100 feet tall.  And I'm looking down on em.

But Susan handled it well.  At this point I anticipate her taking on “drivers in waiting” in order to train the next generation of our nations truck drivers.  So, when some guy named Guido shows up in South Dakota and rides along for a week with us, the reader will know what’s going on.  If my posts stop shortly after Guido shows up, the reader will know to call the police and report me missing.

On the way in to the RV Park we stopped to admire the Merced River, which is flowing quite vigorously right now.  No doubt due to this years snow pack.

They don't make em like this in Kansas.  Well - OK - Us they do, but not the river.

Before dark we went on a walkabout of the RV Park and its environs.  It was a notable trek and there was a very nice park along the river's edge just across the street from the RV park.  I encountered a couple of bears and Susan managed to snap a pic of me with them.  See below…

Wild river bear.  A rare sighting.

C'mon! How many other guys do you know who have kissed #angelbear?

Then there was this guy with the camera.  Next thing I knew he was making a pass at me.  But I was having none of it…

I told him I was an old fashioned guy from Kansas and to keep his paws off me.

In reference to these last three pics - The new reader is advised to check some of my old posts.  I believe that in the first 2-3 posts I lay the basis of my penchant for kissing statues.  Hey – gimme a break.  I can quit any time I want.  I just don’t want to.  It doesn’t help that Susan is an enabler…  
One of us is clearly dysfunctional.

Tomorrow is our first day in Yosemite.  We’ve already got the Scooter unleashed and will be ready to take off first thing in the morning.

Till next time…