ON THE ROAD AGAIN – THE JEWELS OF THE SIERRA NEVADAS

East of Modesto about two hours driving time, you enter the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.  Located in the Eastern part of California and the western part of Nevada, the mountains lay claim to two California attractions – Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe.

Due east of Modesto is Yosemite National Park.  A federal or national park, it is home to waterfalls, pristine creeks and rivers, granite rock formations and cliffs, and the famous giant sequoias or redwoods groves.  It is a famous place for campers, hikers and rock climbers who love the outdoors and the beauty of the park.  It is inhabited by a variety of birds and animals; one always needs to be on the lookout for bears.

The park’s famous granite cliff, El Capitan, is a favorite of rock climbers world-wide.  A sheer rock formation that rises about 3,000 from the valley floor to the top, it is a challenge for even the best climbers.  Most climb with tools such as ropes, carabiners, helmets, harnesses and more; and then there are those who have conquered the climb by free climbing or using minimal tools.  I’ve tried to find a picture that shows the steepness of El Capitan.  It is straight-up!

The giant sequoias or redwood trees also call the park home.  One of the largest trees in the world, the redwood grows to an average height of 160-280 feet tall and 20-26 feet in diameter.  They range in age from hundreds to thousands of years old and carry names such as The Grizzly Giant, the California Tunnel Tree (opening large enough to drive a car through it), or the Telescope Tree. 

This picture from the Extranomical Tours site gives you an appreciation for how tall the redwood tree is compared to a human.

Leaving Yosemite and driving north four to five hours, you come to Lake Tahoe.  The lake area is a grand resort offering activities for all seasons.  In the late fall and winter, people come for the skiing, snowmobiling, snowboarding, ice skating and more. In the spring and summer, they come for mountain climbing, hiking, camping and swimming at the lake.

We live near two lakes, Kerr Lake and Lake Gaston with the closest being Kerr Lake.  Let’s do a comparison between Lake Tahoe and Kerr Lake and see what we find.

	LAKE TAHOE	KERR LAKE
Length of Lake	22 miles	45 miles from Nutbush Buoy to Clarksville
Width of Lake	12 miles	Can see shore-to-shore
Depth of Lake	1,645 ft	Average 30 ft; at dam 100 ft
Surface Elevation	6,225 ft	300-320 ft
Shoreline	72 miles	850 miles
Acreage	122,000	55,000
Scenery	Mountains	Trees and flatland
Location	California & Nevada	North Carolina & Virginia

One of the most interesting facts I learned about Lake Tahoe -  “If you were to pour Lake Tahoe out onto an area the size of California, the water would still be 14 inches (36 cm) deep.”  To discover more ineresting facts, visit http://www.virtualtahoe.com/Community/TahoeFAQs.html

That ends our California road trip.  We will be begin our trip home on Wednesday morning, November 16^th.  I will write from the road, as we are planning to take a different route back. 

See you on the highway!