Nature

Driving through the Sierra Nevada

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Sierra Nevada

On my second day in Yosemite National Park, I had planned to do the Komoot tour from the Backcountry Parking to White Cascade along the Toulumne River, which has many waterfalls along the way. Unfortunately, it was extremely windy and cold that day, so I turned back after a short while and instead stopped at beautiful Tenaya Lake before leaving the national park and heading towards the town of Bishop.

The scenery on the way to Mono Lake was simply breathtaking. The rest of the journey on Highway 395 was not quite the same. For much of the way I drove straight through the high plains and Inyo National Forest, with a short detour via the Mammoth Scenic Loop, where the Mammoth Lakes ski resort is located.

Back on Highway 395, I stopped at Wild Willy’s Hot Springs just before my destination, where I spent some time while the cold wind blew across the plain. Well rested, I headed for my motel in Bishop, which I reached in the early evening. The Bishop Inn was OK, but a bit too expensive for the service it offered.

Pictures Sierra Nevada

 

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California / California Adventure Day 3 and 4

Fonts de l’Algar (2020)

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In the middle of the mountains near the city of Benidorm the Rio Algar has its source. For about five decades now, the water-bearing part of the river has been used for tourism. A large number of restaurants, an open-air dinosaur museum and a public pool, better known to many under the name Fonts de l’Algar (the springs of the Algar), have been built. The bath is located on several levels in the middle of a gorge. On the lowest level there is a rather high waterfall in a picturesque setting, but the real highlight is in a currently closed-off area on the upper levels of the bath – but proper footwear and some climbing skills are required.

Due to Covid-19 there was a one-way street system this year, which all bathers followed. As a result, the main entrance at the waterfall had to be started at the main entrance, because the side entrance, where the free parking spaces are located, was blocked this year – as well as the parking spaces… Well, so we parked at one of the numerous restaurants.

As the opening hours were split up into intervals, we waited for about 40 minutes at the entrance before we went into the pool. However, this meant that we were among the first bathers, which meant that we were mostly on our own for the time being. In the course of time, however, it became relatively crowded, whereby the safety distance was always given – indeed, the Spanish are very cautious.

After we cooled down under the waterfall in the icy cold water of the Rio Algar we went straight to the higher levels of the Fonts de l’Algar where the river is a bit wider and quite shallow. If you follow the river further up from here you will reach the most beautiful part of the river after a few minutes. In a breathtaking gorge you can let yourself drift and relax. The brave ones can dive under a rock if the water level is high enough – although I personally advise against it. In July, at least, you could easily pass through the passage and follow the river further; but this was hardly worth it, because shortly after that the river is gone and you only walk over rocks.

The Fonts de l’Algar at least are a must for every Costa Blanca tourist and therefore always worth a visit!

 

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Alicante

Brighton Beach and the Dandenong Ranges

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To shorten the waiting time until the late evening opening of Luna Park Melbourne, we started our day at Brighton Beach, which is mainly known for its colourful beach huts. Instead of some fun on the beach, however, an immensely high number of freshly hatched flies awaited us, which is why we only stayed here for a short time and headed back to the car as quickly as possible. It took a while until we could get rid of the last fly. With the window open and a bit of driving, it finally worked.

Our second stop took us to the Dandenong Ranges National Park. We parked at Grant’s Picnic Ground, where the first Rosella parakeets were already waiting for us. At a small feeding station you can also feed cockatoos here, which can of course be found in larger numbers.

Meanwhile, we were drawn to the rainforest. We first followed the Coles Ridge Track in the direction of Belgrave. On the way, we decided to have a look at Sherbrooke Falls, so we first changed to the Tregellas Track and then to the Bleakley Track. After crossing the Monbulk Road at the Micawber Tavern, things got really interesting. On the Hillclimb Track, we followed Sherbrooke Creek up the mountain, which gave us a sense of adventure due to the dense vegetation.

The Sherbrooke Falls were a little less impressive, but this did not detract from the trip. Via the O’Donohue Track we reached the O’Donohue Picnic Ground quite leisurely. Here we were finally able to catch a glimpse of the birds that had so loudly accompanied our hike – unfortunately you can hardly see the colourful birds hidden in the trees.

The way back to Grant’s Picnic Ground led us first into a residential area. After a few metres on Sherbrooke Lodge Road, we joined the Clematis Track, which took us back to our car, always going downhill. On the way back to Melbourne, we took advantage of a short petrol stop in Lysterfield to have something to eat at Nando’s.

Pictures Brighton Beach and Dandenong Ranges

 

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Hell Yeah, Schnabelteah Day 6 to 8 / Victoria