Angels Camp to Yosemite

Today has to be the easiest of the trip so far.I had a good night's rest in a real bed. Even with that I woke up sore and achy. Go figure. I suppose that the overall trip is wearing on me.The highpoint of the day was riding on Wards Ferry Road. This is a twisty, windy, one lane road descends steeply into a valley, over a bridge, then just as abruptly goes back up the other side.Oh, and most of the corners are blind.And there's almost always a cliff on one side or your or other.This road is not one to fuck up on; there are no guardrails on this bendy bit of asphalt.I had a brief text with Ennie while waiting for breakfast. I described it like "Beartooth pass, only steeper, more windy, narrower, and more cliffy."If you've been on Beartooth you know what I mean.As I was driving around the national forest (I forgot which one, I have pictures though) I stopped at one of the roadside vistas. Power lines were buzzing and crackling above us. The view was that of a forest in the early phases of regeneration from a fire a decade ago. This reminded me of Yellowstone when Ennie and I went there -- swaths of tress reduced to black toothpicks standing upright from the ground.A work release crew was mostly busy picking up trash. "I would've expected you to be working," said the supervisor to a girl in the driver's seat, "this is a work release program after all." Excuses we made... she didn't seem to budgeWhen I arrived at Yosemite, I had to take the obligatory sign shot. This photo-op is pretty interesting. They have a stand set up and roughly the right distance for you to compose, set the camera's self timer, and rush to the sign to get yourself into the shot. I didn't need to use it because I traded taking pics with someone else."The barter system is what this country was built on..." as they headed back to their car.Yosemite is spectacular. Would be doubly so without the plague that is RVs that clog up the roads. Just like Yellowstone. /sigh/I drove to see El Capitan and Half Dome. Totally worth it. Even with the pesky RVs.As I drove around the Yosemite Valley I was happy with the camp site I'd booked. It was around 1000-2000 feet higher than the stuffy valley floor. As nice as it would be to wake up to that sight, I'll take cool and laid back just as much -- maybe more.Camp was set up by 2:30 and I resumed reading a book on my Kindle: "Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road" by Neal Peart. It was recommended eons ago by a friend. I now know why. The first couple chapters are so familiar from when Ennie and I did our own trip to Alaska.Next year we do it again when she has more vacation time. :-)My camp site had the previous occupant's firewood sitting there... Karma from Redwoods maybe? I don't have to run out to get some myself.I had a can of beer from last night that went un-drank. I rigged up a little swamp cooler with one of my new towels dampened with water. Now it's chilling on the table waiting for dinner.Chill is what I needed right now. Almost feel like a nap even.

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Love of machines