Day 6

Day 6 worked out a bit differently than we planned. According to the original plan we were to check out Yosemite Valley and ride across Yosemite NP in W-E direction via Tioga Pass Road all the way to Lee Vining and then back to Mariposa which would have been a 221 mile ride. Our group however got a little bit lazy and we spent so much time in Yosemite Valley that we decided to abandon the rest of the riding between the Valley and Lee Vining. While it reduced the distance to a mere 87 miles, it was well into dinner time when we got back to Mariposa.
It is a good of rule of thumb for route planning on a longer motorcycle trip anyway: Have a day of very light riding or off the bike between every five days of active riding. If you break this rule, your trip might turn into an endurance ride and the moment when you finally get off the saddle would become the most memorable of all.

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About 12 miles north of Mariposa the pleasant winding road joins the Merced river.



Natural rock tunnel at the entrance of Yosemite National Park.



Dividing your attention between the road and the scenery is a real challenge here.



Don't miss a soothing and delicious frozen cappuccino at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel.



Sport-touring a la Ducati.



George took photography very seriously. Fortunately he always found his way out of the wilderness.



Nature did a great favor by making riverbeds curvy, so roads need to follow the line.



At lower elevations there are some easy access points to the still momentous Merced River.



Mariposa is a pleasant, relatively quiet old town outside the tourist main stream.



The picture album of the day: