There’s a lot going on at Rush Creek Lodge this Spring, and we’re thrilled to get to share it with you. The second annual Groveland Grind bike race happens May 18th. We’re opening three new nature trails behind the lodge, and our Recreation team has added Glass Blowing and Yosemite Flight Tours to the mix! Our Wellness program continues to expand and will soon offer classes on our new Yoga deck in the woods.
Groveland Grind Bike Race
On May 18th our friends at the Groveland Trail Heads mountain biking club are hosting their second annual “Groveland Grind” multi-terrain bike race. It’s open to three categories of participation: Beginner, Sport and Expert/Pro, and there are three routes to choose from: Short/20 miles, Medium/30 miles, and Long/41 miles, all taking you through a variety of public and private land and forest adjacent to Yosemite. Registration is $85 per person, and you can get all the details at their web site, grovelandtrailheads.org.
If our lodges are full by the time you join the race, we highly recommend you talk to our local tourism pro’s at Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau. Their web site showcases all sorts of great local lodging and activities, and they’re also terrific at talking through the options if you prefer to give them a call directly: (800) 446-1333.
New Trails
Thanks to a cooperative effort with our Recreation team, Stanislaus National Forest, and local activist, Dwight Folien from Groveland Trail Heads, we have created trio of new hiking, biking and nature trails in National Forest behind Rush Creek Lodge at Yosemite. There’s an easy ½ mile walking trail, a moderate 1.6 mile hiking trail, and a 2.7 mile multi-use trail ideal for mountain bikers. All trails are now open!
We all appreciate Dwight so much for all that he does to create and promote public trails throughout our region. Whether he’s lobbying government agencies or crawling through manzanita bushes to carve out new routes, Dwight is a great testament to the human spirit. He found his passion for mountain biking as part of a challenging recovery from addiction and depression, and continues to be a beacon of hope for all who struggle with life’s difficulties. He’s proof positive that with the right attitude and determination you can make the world a better place.
Glass Blowing
A place as beautiful as Yosemite has a tendency to attract equally lovely and talented artists, such as expert glassblower Maggie Bean. We are fortunate to get to work with Maggie to offer hot glass blowing classes. Anyone 8 years or older is welcome to join Maggie in making their very own piece of custom glass art. No experience is necessary to succeed under Maggie’s instruction. The class takes about an hour and a half, then your glass art piece has to cool overnight so you can take it home with you the next day. Contact our Recreation team for details and reservations at (209) 379-2373 x 3 or [email protected].
Yosemite Flight Tours
The ace pilots at Courtney Aviation are using their state-of-the-art off-duty firefighting planes to conduct air tours of Yosemite. Their FAA Air Carrier certification allows them to take you high above Yosemite’s classic icons including Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows and the pristine High Country, seeing Yosemite in ways that no one can from the road or the trail. They’ve created a super one-hour trip, but can also customize beyond Yosemite if you want to venture further. Contact our Recreation team for details and reservations at (209) 379-2373 x 3 or [email protected].