Page 118 - 2022-2023 Travel Guide to California

BACKPACKING THE HIGH COUNTRY in Yosemite National Park, above.
DRIVE TOUR
Highway 120 is a magical mystery tour through the heart of Yosemite National
Park’s exquisite high country. From the handsome old mining town of GROVELAND,
follow 120 east into the park (HETCH HETCHY, the fraternal twin of Yosemite Valley
that was dammed to provide San Francisco’s water supply, is a short side trip) past
the TUOLUMNE GROVE of giant sequoias and up into the rarefied alpine world.
Pull over at OLMSTED POINT to view HALF DOME from an angle you’ve never seen
before. You’ll traverse TUOLUMNE MEADOWS, the jumping-off point for some of
Yosemite’s finest hiking trails, and cross 9,943-foot TIOGA PASS before descending
three-quarters of a vertical mile to shimmering MONO LAKE.
116 2022-23 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
energy and interest in recent years. With
a large inventory of hotel rooms and a
cluster of hotel-casinos just a few steps
over the border, it’s a good bet for inex-
pensive lodging. In Truckee, a handsome
old railroad and lumber town between
Donner Pass and Squaw Valley, a collec-
tion of Old West historic buildings along
Commercial Row houses busy restau-
rants and bars, some adorned with
portraits of gunslingers and despera-
does. Farther south, sprawling Bishop
sports the Owens Valley’s most exten-
sive collection of lodging, dining and
resupply outlets.
The Great Outdoors
Just a few hours’ drive from San Francisco
or Los Angeles, the Sierra Nevada has been
California’s outdoor playground almost
since the arrival of the original 49ers. In
Yosemite Valley, spectators with tele-
scopes watch the progress of climbers
inching their way up the impossibly sheer
granite walls. Tempted to try it? Sign up
for an introductory class at the Yosemite
Mountaineering School—or at least treat
yourself to a “Go Climb a Rock” T-shirt.
With some of the most reliably sunny
summer weather of any major mountain
range, the High Sierra is a hiker’s paradise,
from easy day walks in the Desolation
Wilderness to challenging, multi-week
journeys through Kings Canyon and
Sequoia national parks. Skiers have their
choice of world-class venues, from
beginner-friendly Granlibakken to the
double-diamond chutes of Squaw Valley
and Heavenly. In summer, many of the
resorts—particularly Northstar and Mam-
moth—convert their lifts and gondolas to
carry mountain bikes.
Heritage & Culture
Native Americans, pioneer emigrants and
gold miners all left their mark on the High
Sierra—often literally. At Grinding Rock
LARRY HABEGGER