Two-Wheeled Adventures

It was still hot inside the cabin when we went to bed last night, so we slept with the windows wide open. Every time someone turned over in their sleep, the beds would creak and I would wake up, convinced that Yogi and Boo Boo were trying to get at our food. (Yep, call me a city girl!) By early morning, it had gotten pretty chilly, so we definitely made use of the extra blankets in the room. No complaints, though - I'd gladly take cold over hot at any time!

Once the rest of the family got up and moving, we walked over to rent bikes from the Curry Village Recreation Center. The same place also rents rafts for floating down the Merced River, but the season for that ended more than a month ago. (Yet another reason to come back again!) They had a large number of bikes to choose from, so once we found ones that fit us, we were on our way.

From the rental area, we took the bike trail past the Upper Pines campground and on towards the Happy Isles shuttle stop.

Looking upstream from the bridge over the Merced River near the trailhead for Mist Trail

We rode alongside the river for awhile, which was great for a couple of reasons.... 1) it was beautiful! and 2) it was downhill! These bikes only had one gear, and it's been loooong time since I've been to spin class. Feel the burn!

We were able to ride part of the way in on the paved trail toward Mirror Lake, until the posted signs instructed us to park the rental bicycles (too steep of a hill). Walking just a little farther, we saw huge granite boulders that had fallen from the cliffs above and what was left of Mirror Lake.

Dry as a bone



Before we got back to the trailhead, we turned onto a different bike path that took us towards the Ahwahnee. Stopping at another bridge over the Merced, the boys went down to the river to skip rocks, while I took in the view.

We could have ridden around more of the valley, but for the sake of my old legs and our wallet, we completed the loop and went to turn the bikes back in. The boys agreed that this was their most favorite thing they have done in a national park so far!

So much fun to see the valley this way!

Who's ready for a nap?!