By Dave Peterson

I told my wife, “You see, this is not just an ordinary ride.”

After preaching that, my spouse gave me the extra day I was looking for to attend the Yosemite Adventure Tour. It was an AMA-sanctioned event organized by Family Off-Road Adventures.

One of the best parts of the trip was the ride to the event’s staging area at Buck Meadows, Calif. I met a few friends at a cafe on Saturday morning and, after breakfast, mounted my BMW F 800 GS. We took back roads out of the Bay Area.

It was spring time. Wild flowers were blooming, the air smelled heavenly and the temperatures were ideal for riding. Our route wound through little old mining towns found along the narrow roads.

A great stop along the way was the Steel Door Saloon in Groveland, the oldest bar in California, dating to the Gold Rush days.

The Ride Begins

The adventure tour began on a Sunday morning. After grabbing breakfast and attending a ride briefing, it was time to start the engines.

The group departed Bucks Meadows and headed into Yosemite Valley on a dirt road. I used that time to sort out my pace and my distance to the riders around me.

I found myself in a fast group, and we put some distance between ourselves and the group behind us.

After starting on a beautiful, easy Forest Service road, we made our way to a rutted and mildly steep road. The better riders roared right up the hill while the beginners stopped to watch how others went or stalled their bikes in a rut.

It was spring, and the snow melt left the ground tacky. There were several giant mud puddles along the route. I enjoyed hitting the berm side just on the highest outside slope of the puddle to swerve and roll around them.

Five Corners

My group next arrived at Five Corners. Riders who used GPS got routed in different directions here. Often, the directions were wrong.

That’s what happened to me, and I had to pull out a map. It was easy to see the tire marks of the other riders who did the same thing and then turned back.

We got a few miles down the road, and I saw the largest bear I’ve ever seen. It was huge, and I was close enough that I could see its belly swaying back and forth as it ran away from us. The bear eventually ran over a steep drop-off and out of sight.

A few minutes later, the group arrived at Nelly Falls, which is set in a beautiful, dark wooded area.

Shortly after, I got to test my creek crossing skills. The road then climbed and turned really nice again. It featured lots of mud puddles and went from rocky to sandy to hard pack to leaves and mud.

The group eventually arrived in a wide meadow with a great view of Half Dome. What a satisfying moment.

We then got onto the pavement and stopped at several scenic overlooks to see waterfalls and take pictures. The event concluded with a group lunch. Everyone shared their riding stories from the day and showed off their muddy bikes and riding gear.

After I got home, my spouse saw my smile and my pictures from the ride. I am definitely planning on attending the Yosemite Adventure Tour again.

Dave Peterson is an AMA member from Richmond, Calif.