Route into Yosemite Valley
First, the reason I'm asking this question! The last time we went to the Yosemite Valley we came in on Hwy 120 and the Big Oak Flat entrance. This route has a serious downhill grade starting near C...
Forum Discussion
StarkNaked wrote:
Answers:
No, I do not have a tow mode. I do have an overdrive on/off switch on the shifter.
No, I do not ride the brakes. I brake firmly and release and coast.
Yes, this section works out to 4.356% grade. But it's still 10 miles of a 4.356% grade.
Once again, I was not asking how to drive in the mountains. I was not aware of the grade or the distance until after I was already on it. And there are only a few places to pull off in those 10 miles.
The question I asked was: Which route would you take to get to Yosemite Valley from I-5 Southbound?
The one that is shorter, but climbs to over 6300 ft. (Hwy 120).
Or the longer route that never goes over 4000 ft. and only takes about 25 - 30 minutes longer. (Hwy 140).
I would learn how to downshift and take the same route.
If you "smoked the brakes" on a 4% downgrade (length doesn't really matter), you were riding the brakes (assuming no mechanical problems with the brakes)
Even if you were already started down it before you realized you were on a grade, at 4%, shouldn't be a problem down shifting part way down.
If it doesn't have tow/haul mode, first step is to hit the button to turn off overdrive if on a steep down grade. If that's not cutting it, you can grab the lever on the steering column and move it to 3. If that doesn't cut it, try moving it to 2. Yes, the engine may be spinning at 4-5,000RPM but it's going to do most of the work keeping the rig speed under control.
