A Public Service Announcement/Lecture

I have to get a rant off my chest....

I know that I get a lot of traffic to my website from people looking for information on hiking in Yosemite. If you are heading to Yosemite along 120, please do not take Old Priest Grade on the way out unless you understand the term 'engine braking'.

On our way out of the park this past weekend we were behind a caravan of five minivans on Old Priest Grade, all of which spent the entire 3 miles on the brakes. By the end of the short stretch all five vans were smoking and the drivers seemed oblivious to it. This is not an unusual sight.

Put your car/truck/van in 1st gear and coast - the drivers behind you will appreciate not having to drive through a noxious cloud of smelly burned brakes.