Santa Cruz to Dirt Flat Campground (near Incline, CA) – plus side trip through Yosemite
Mileage: 310 miles
Sarah: The ride to the campsite was a bit brutal. We had to take highway type roads to make it there (152 to 59 to 140). After Watsonville the temperature was incredibly hot. But luckily we invested in perforated clothing to keep us (somewhat) cool.
Off of the 140, it was a little tricky finding the Dirt Flat campground. I figured we would see signs off the main road but there were none to be found and luckily someone at Indian Flat campground pointed us in the right direction (hang a left at Frontera road then left on Incline). I had reserved this camp site a few weeks before, but there were still a couple that were vacant. The site was great; right next to running water which was freezing and a great relief from the hot weather. Chris and I took a quick dip in the icy water, set up camp, and headed towards Yosemite and to Oakhurst to pick up food and wood, then back up north on the 49 towards Mariposa and back on 140 towards our camp site.
Christopher: Incline? Never heard of it. I’m glad that not too many other people have either. The campground was a bit out of the way, but it was a great location and not crowded. The stream that was running right at the foot of our campsite was amazingly refreshing after riding from Santa Cruz. I didn’t particularly like the ride on Hwy 152 because it was extremely hot and extremely not curvy. Although picturesque heading into and out of Merced, I am not fond of being on a motorcycle and seeing the road and the telephone poles and wires and trees and the lines and the cars ahead of me going straight until the horizon. However, as told by a wise man (also a rapper with his own clothing line): “Sometimes you have to go through the pain to experience the joy…this too shall pass.”
After we set up camp and cooled off in the creek, we mounted back up and headed into Yosemite National Park. We decided to take a loop that we would not be taking to get to our other destinations for the weekend. It took a couple of hours, but well worth it. We got to see Half Dome and rode through this newly dug tunnel. I think it was newly bored…well, whatever, it was really interesting because it didn’t look complete. Not like in Switzerland where the tunnels are five miles long, and are concreted on all sides. This one was quite rustic and unrefined; the tunnel looked jagged and rocky as we rode through. Not sure if that was intentional, but it did have an effect of coolness.
We decided to pick up some provisions for dinner and breakfast at a general store that was still in the park. I never thought I’d pay $20 for a can of Vienna sausages, six eggs, and firewood. I have to tell you, though, those were the BEST Vienna sausages I have ever eaten in my life. Seriously, we opted to not by anything else and chance for a bigger, cheaper market somewhere else. I couldn’t bring myself to by a $15 pack of hotdogs for dinner. That would be a steal at a ballgame, though. Anyways, luck would have it, we ran into a Raley’s, where we acted like grownups that were hungry and tired. Okay, there wasn’t any acting, and we did get some good grub to cook on the grill that night.
Christopher and Sarah Motorcycle Adventures 