Motorcycle riding in the High Sierra

Cruising around the High Sierra on our dual sport motorcycle was a great way spend our wedding anniversary. "Dual sport" means sometimes riding on dirt roads and other times touring on the paved roads.

We started our week at June Lake with dramatic mountains circled all around us. The serene alpine setting was very peaceful. We camped at a large, clean campsite that included a picnic table, barbecue, fire ring and bear-proof container. My husband and I were in our toy hauler trailer so we weren't worried about bears bothering us and we did enjoy seeing deer.

There was a water faucet nearby and also a clean bathroom with flush toilets. There's an RV dump station at the entrance too. Our campsite had a very tall pine tree to shade us and there was lots of space between other campers. We could see the nearby June Lake ski runs and also got to ride our bicycles all around the paved roads. Everything was perfect except for a day of smoke from California wildfires.

June Lake was our base station and each day we took our BMW motorcycle cruising around neat places in the mountains. I had never been to Convict Lake before so we went there first and it was gorgeous. It wasn't far to Tom's Place, an old restaurant and bar south of Crawley Lake where my dad used to fish. He loved being there and after each days fishing he would celebrate his big catch of the day at Tom's Place. He told me lots of stories about those fun old days way back in the 1940s and I enjoyed seeing the old place and remembering Dad.

Other interesting places were Rock Creek Lake and Twin Lakes with its majestic Sawtooth Mountain Range. We've camped there with our grandkids before and they loved seeing all the deer and swimming in the cold lake.

The Hot Creek Geological Site is just north of the Mammoth Yosemite Airport. It was a couple of miles of gravel road to get to the hot springs. I brought along my bathing suit but when I read the information about the Hot Creek, I changed my mind. There were bright blue steaming pools, geysers and mud pots, and if I jumped in I would have been boiled alive! Thanks for the great information, Rod Jones.

The Mammoth Scenic Loop Road is an exciting twisting road that's the kind motorcycle riders love. No traffic, just astonishing views and fast, sharp turns. Our next stop was Mono Lake. It's more than 700,000 years old and twice as salty as seawater. You might think that nothing could live in it, but alkali fly larva and brine shrimp thrive there. Mono Lake has fantastic tufa towers that are made of calcium carbonate deposits. Stop by and see the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center " it's great.

If you happen to be in Lee Vining on a summer evening, you've lucked out. While on the road to Yosemite, we met some other motorcyclists who told us about the big happenings at the Whoa Nellie Deli in the Tioga Gas Mart. What a surprise it was. Hundreds of people sat at tables outside with a great view of the eerie Mono Lake. Lots of people were dancing while live bands played funky music. For dinner I had the "world famous" fish tacos and a mango margarita for dinner.

And now for our favorite day " the day we spent in Yosemite. What can I possibly say about all its spectacular natural beauty? It's overwhelming to me. We're lucky to live so close as its just a couple hours drive away for us. We took Highway 120 over Tioga Pass. It was breathtaking, especially on our motorcycle. There's so much to see including towering granite cliffs, huge boulders, pristine wilderness, millions of trees, granite domes, waterfalls, cold lakes, rivers and streams that flow peacefully through the valley. It was the perfect way to spend our 48th wedding anniversary. I loved it.

n Linda Monohan may be reached at 782-5802.