the rain storm that i so enjoyed in nevada had come across the mountains and dumped several feet of snow. this meant that Yosemite was now inaccessible. not just the road going to the park but also nearly every road that takes you up and over the mountains. for several hours i was stuck on the eastern side with no way to cross. this was distressing. i was very much looking forward to the ocean and had every intention of arriving there that day. but after driving along several highways only to see a gate that said closed, i finally found a highway that was open.
i wasn't sure how much snow there was but i knew that it couldn't be that much because it was late may. 30 minutes after passing the foothills i was able to see the cause of all the impassable highways.
it was very beautiful and also very strange. a week ago i was sweating through my shirts in the desert sun and now i was making snowballs. i had never really been in Sierra Nevada before and had no idea how extensive and high they are. i suppose i just assumed it would be like crossing the coastal range in Oregon. huge pines forests, snow covered peaks, and frozen over ponds were all sitting up there. it was very cool and i hope to get back there to do some camping and hiking.
exiting the mountains brought me into Stockton. Stockton is a shithole. it's absolutely terrible. the people i've met since being in CA all refer to Stockton as such and explain the entire state is embarrassed by its existence. i didn't know this as the mountain highway brought me into the city.
as i mentioned, i was very stressed out and just wanted a motel room where i could catch my breath, calm down, and get a game plan for the last leg of the journey. there were several places in the city where i could find a motel and they were all terrifying. all the buildings were covered in graffiti, everything was covered in trash, homeless people were out in droves, and every motel seemed to have at least 3 groups of mexicans drinking out of paper bags and staring at me as i passed by. i have a bike strapped to the roof of my truck, i am not inconspicuous.
as i drove around this ghetto i thought to myself "why the fuck did you want to move to california?" after much searching i was able to find I-5 and got the hell out of there as soon as i could. 10 miles down the road there was a holiday inn in a nice area and i paid 80 bucks for peace of mind.
Had a similar experience cruising over the Bighorns once. Nice 80 degree day turned into winter wonderland complete with moose up passed their knees in snow. Didn't come out into a Stockton though. Sounds nice, I'll keep that on my list for possible relo opportunities.
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