Phoenix - Seattle; advice needed
 

I'm doing a trip to Mexico this month and then leaving my bike in storage in Apaxche Junction AZ. Rather than ship it home I'm considering flying back down around the first of May and riding it back. I'm tentatively looking at a route that'll take me north west until I hit San Francisco, at which point I'd like to follow the Pacific Coastal Highway all the way north to Port Angeles and then catch the ferry to Victoria. I've been playing with Google Maps, trying to find routes that will keep me on fairly good regional highways, but still avoiding the Interstates and I've come up with average daily mileages of approx 400 miles - which is around five days of riding. I could do longer days but there's no need. Looking at the map I'll be going by two National Parks, Death Valley and Yosemite, which brings me to my question; Is Yosemite accessible weather wise this time of year? What about the route in general? I can get home quicker by going due north but is snow a concerne in Utah and Idaho in early May?
Any advice greatly apreciated
Thx
Dale

Phoenix-Seattle; advice needed
 

I would check in the Spring. Idaho can often warm up and melt the snow from the roads. If so, you would have a beautiful ride up Highway 55 from Boise to Washington. The same goes for north Utah. This winter we've had a lot of snow.

Hope this helps.

Death Valley and Yosemite
 

Death Valley is no problem coming from Phoenix in May - might even be too hot! Yosemite would have to be entered through the west gate I expect. The east entrance is not kept open in winter and was still closed in June a few years ago when I tried it.

There is a possibility of snow in the higher elevations in May. There have been "freak" snowstorms in the higher elevations in late spring in both the Los Angeles area and San Diego areas; if I remember, in May in L.A. several years back, and about 3 years ago in the low mountains east of San Diego, although that might have been in April.

Your route, however, seems appropriate for that time of year--heading east, and north. If you don't want to sightsee, you may just want to head to the coast and go up through California on the Pacific Coast Highway.

I think that you Canadians have a good chance to find fellow countrymen to take bikes for you, if you didn't want to ride up yourself. Snowbirds surely have extra room for bikes, LOL

If the weather cooperates, since I used to live there and am biased towards it, I would head up north, and go through the Navajo Nation and continue north through Utah, etc. The scenery would be more worth it, and, again, assuming the weather is cooperating, would give you a quick enough route avoiding the interstates, which the west coast route might not allow you to entirely do.

Go West!
 

I came down from Kamloops, BC last September, crossed Yosemite from east to west, then hit the coast at Moro Beach, just north of San Luis Obispo. North from there all along the coast and around the Olympic Peninsula. In early May, you will likely have difficulties with most passes in the northern Sierras due to snow. Tioga Pass in Yosemite is normally targeted to be open by Memorial Day (end of May) if I remember correctly. Highway 395 gives great views of the Sierras, but you may only be able to cross at Donner Pass on the interstate. The smaller ones will probably still be closed in early May.

It's a great highway along the coast through California and Oregon. Stays close to the water, lots of cliff-side views and good camping. Riding through the northern California (Avenue of the Giants... make sure to avoid 101 in that stretch... it misses all the good stuff) was the highlight of the trip for me. Great campground just north of the visitor's center.. coin-op showers! I found the coast of Washington to be far less interesting. Maybe it was just the torrential downpour, but the road stays back from the coast (no views) and lots of logging trucks.

Too bad you can't go a little later as you would have more options, but maybe that's just an excuse to do the trip again! Have fun on what's sure to be a great trip.

I've travelled the coast road (by car) from Los Angeles to Port Angeles (and then to Canada) and highly recommend it.

Obviously some sections are more interesting than others, but there's some dramatic coastal scenery along the way and some interesting side trips you can do.

Take your time to enjoy it.

On the other hand there's Interstate 5 - boring!