Happy Father's Day!!

[Piccola]

We have a lot of great dads on the Forum. I always enjoy the feeling of pride and love that comes through in many of the stories and pictures you have shared with all of us about your kids over the years. Here is a toast to all of you dads! I wish you a wonderful Father's Day and great weekend!!

[Nardo GT]

Thanks MJ!

[PL510*Jeff]

Thankks Mary Jo. It has been a very nice father's day.

See you in SLC

Jeff

[K-P Garage]

Thanks Mary Jo. P and I have had a geat roadtrip. Ran the dragon in an F150 ecoboost! Next time the GT! Hope you are well. KO

[RALPHIE]

Thanks MJ - You're a sweetheart -

As both my children were busy with their own families - and thus had their own Father's Day activities, I made my own plans for the day. I knew that they had finally opened Tioga Road over the Sierras into Yosemite National Park last week, so I decided to take a drive over to the Valley Floor - it's about 105 miles from my house to Yosemite Village. We had a record snowfall in the Sierras this year, so I knew that the waterfalls in the Valley would be spectacular with so much snow still in the high country.

It was a beautiful, clear morning, so I left about 7 am in the GT and drove to the top of the pass, where the entrance station is located. Seeing some friendly familiar faces in the entrance shack (who gave me a little static - just like the guys on the forum), I entered the Park, meandering through the snowbanked sides of the highway. It seemed like a perfect day to do a mini photoshoot of the GT, so I stopped frequently to evaluate the shooting opportunities in my favorite background area.

I finally got down to the Valley about 11 am, and drove to Curry Village, stopping and parking the GT in the lot. I went to the cafeteria there, and had a croissant and a cup of coffee for breakfast on the sundeck, the temperature somewhere between 75 and 80° F. I called my kids from the sundeck, wishing them a "Happy Father's Day" and then drove down the road next to the Merced River which was closed to rafting, as it looked like the Kern River (for those who have heard stories about the dangerous Kern!). A lot of the valley looked like a swamp and the river was up to the edges of its banks. The falls (Yosemite, Bridalveil, Ribbon, Cascades, etc) were absolutely stunning - I've seen them full before, but never fuller than today).

I drove west along the Merced R. all the way to the entrance station at El Portal, then turned around, made my way back to Big Oak Road, rose out of the Valley and headed east on the Tioga Road. Once over the pass and down the eastern escarpment to US 395, and had a lunch at "Whoa Nellie's Deli", then headed south, arriving home about 3 pm. (Nothing like a "RED" GT for great contrast!!)

Wish you had been with me -

Here are some photos of my journey - - -

Picture 1 - A full Tuolumne River - by the campgrounds at the east end of Tuolumne Meadows

Picture 2 - Water cascading onto the highway

Picture 3 - Tenaya Lake, still frozen over most of it's surface

Picture 4 - A marmot, at Ohmsted Point

Picture 5 - A wet road, sometimes a little icy in the shade of the early morning

[RALPHIE]

More Pictures - - -

Picture 1 - South Fork of the Tuolumne River (I've never seen it so full - at the middle to end of summer, it is so small a trickle that it's hidden in the rocks)

Picture 2 - Merced River from Big Oak Road showing the flooding of the Valley; Bridalveil Fall in the background

Picture 3 - Ribbon Fall - I've never seen it so full

Picture 4 - Yosemite Falls, huge spray at the bottom of the Upper Falls

Picture 5 - Yosemite Falls, Upper and Lower

[RALPHIE]

More Pictures - - -

Picture 1 - Ford GT admirers at Curry Village parking

Picture 2 - Bridalveil Falls, with a full Merced River

Picture 3 - Just east of the Yosemite River on the Tioga Road, this place used to be tagged as the "Quaking Aspen Exhibit" but they no longer give it a road sign (this is true of a lot of places for those who have been going to the Park for a long time)

Picture 4 - Snowbanks along the highway

Picture 5 - "Clouds Rest," from the Tioga Road

[RALPHIE]

More Pictures - - -

Like I say, MJ - Wish you had been with me - you'd have loved it!! Thanks again

My 3000th post - Yippee!

Picture 1 - Tenaya Lake, looking east from Ohmsted Point

Picture 2 - Small lake at about 9,800 ft., near the top of Tioga Pass

Picture 3 - Dana Meadow Lookout - today, it's just a snowbank!

Picture 4 - Ellery Lake outflow - east side of Tioga Pass, flowing down to Mono Lake near Lee Vining

[STUNTS]

MJ... Thanks :)
Ralphie, GREAT PICS :)
Happy Fathers day to everyone as well....

[SYCO GT]

Happy Father's Day everyone!

I was treated to a delicious home cooked dinner after seeing Kung Fu Panda 2!

My boys made the menu and helped with prep.