Back to the coast from Yosemite National Park

We were a little worried about traffic getting out of Yosemite Valley this morning after checking out of the Majestic Hotel (Formerly the Ahwahnee Hotel for years and years). Also, much like Timberline Lodge where I also like to stay on Mt. Hood near portland, Oregon it is a historic Hotel like Timberline and as a historic site it is protected in this way too. I think both hotels were originally built in the late 1920s and 1930s.Timberline Lodge was built by the CCC during the Great Depression in the Mid 1930s. My first visit to Timberline I experienced 5 feet of snow falling in 3 days time.That was pretty impressive. They had to run snowplows 24 hours a day to keep the roads open those three days.And the 4th day we went skiing after the huge blizzard had passed. There were men shoveling 5 feet of  snow off some of the roofs nearby that were more flat so the roofs wouldn't collapse then.Timberline Lodge is at around 6000 feet in elevation to the east of Portland Oregon.But, if you are going there from about  November to April or May you might get snowed in depending upon what kind of vehicle you are driving there. The Yosemite Valley is much further south and so getting snowed in is much less of a problem in Yosemite Valley than places in Oregon and Washington. The elevation of Yosemite Valley is 4000 feet. Also, the elevation of Lake Tahoe is around 6000 feet which is similar to Timberline Lodge in Oregon.


This is what this Majestic Hotel in Yosemite looks like when it is snowing there. However, now it is springtime and might look like this once not or more or less between now and next fall sometime.If you look at the 4th floor where most of the best view rooms are we were on the left of the roof with snow on it on the 4th floor if you are looking at the 3 stories to the furthest right with snow on top. From this room we got by "Divine providence" through someone cancelling at the last moment (likely because of the traffic and road work in the valley)

So, we were amazed when we were checked into this room yesterday afternoon with a beautiful view of Half Dome, the Merced River in the distance and out another view window Half Dome and a waterfall that just isn't there unless you have snow and rainfall like we did this year in California. So, we felt very blessed indeed for this gracious gift from God! I actually think this room and the one above it on the 5 floor might be the best view rooms in the whole hotel.

Driving home over 140 was beautiful today not too hot and not too cold but it was a mile long traffic jam for people waiting to get into Yosemite National Park so we were sort of glad we were leaving and not coming now into the park.

By the time we got to interstate 5 and Santa Nella to go over  the Pacheco Pass  past San Luis Reservoir we were surprised at just how windy it was as the temperatures kept dropping with cloud cover showing us maybe a storm coming. But, it might have been the single windiest crossing over Pacheco pass ever. However, I didn't see any semi -trucks or trailers blown over this particular time over the pass so that was good even though the Highway patrol was stopping a lot of high windage tall vehicles. But, my truck is heavy enough and I don't have a camper or shell on it so it hugs the road pretty good with my wife and I and our luggage in it even in heavy winds. So, we were very lucky once again all the way home to the Northern California coast.

Note: Do you see that short veranda on the 4th floor between the tall stone columns? That I'm pretty sure was our room with perfect views of Half Dome, the Waterfall and in the distance, Merced River flowing through the park from all the waterfalls coming off the granite Cliffs surrounding Yosemite Valley.

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