Day 1. Mountain Biking in Sierra National Forest and Hiking at Mariposa Grove, Recreation Point at Bass Lake Campground
We depart from Fresno for Sierra National Forest for a thrilling downhill mountain bike ride through the rolling oak and pine covered foothills of the Sierras. Enjoy these quiet, seldom traveled backroads, with magnificent views and an exciting descent.
After lunch at Bass Lake, we shuttle to the southern boundary of Yosemite National Park and hike in Mariposa, the Park's largest of three groves of Giant Sequoias. Mariposa Grove contains several hundred of these monarchs, including two of the 25 largest trees in the world.
We begin to hike at the Fallen Monarch which fell more than three hundred years ago and continues to resist the process of decay.
The Bachelor and Three Graces are a group of four trees, three of them growing very close together with the fourth a little more distant. Their roots are so intertwined that if one of them were to fall it would likely bring the others along with it.
The Grizzly Giant is the grove's oldest tree and most commonly thought to be the largest but that title goes to a less inspiring tree name The Washington Tree. Estimated at 2700 years old, the Grizzly giant is 209 feet tall and 25.5 feet in diameter.
The California Tunnel Treel was cut in 1895 to allow coaches to pass through it (and as a marketing scheme to attract visitors to the grove) and is now the only living tree with a tunnel in it since the fall of the Wawona Tunnel Tree in 1969.
The Faithful Couple is a rare case in which two trees grew so close together that their trunks have fused together at the base.
The Telescope Tree has been left completely hollow by decades of repeated fires. In spite of that, the tree is still living, as Giant Sequoias do not require a whole trunk to survive. It is possible to walk inside the tree and to look up at the sky. The Columbia Tree: the tallest tree in the grove and in Yosemite National Park.
We camp tonight at Recreation Pin on Bass  Lake, in Sierra National Forest.
Shuttle (2 hours)

Activities:
hike (3 days)
bike (1 day)
rock climb (1 day)
raft (1 day--June departures)
horseback ride (1 day--September departures)

One night hotel overnight and the reset deluxe camping.

Passports
Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the USA. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport; check with the embassy (see Contact Addresses).
Passport Note
(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program (see below), passports must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry.
(b) All travellers entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program require individual machine-readable passports. Children included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require a valid USA entry visa.
(c) Passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 will need to have a biometric identifier in order for the holder to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Machine-readable passports issued between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page. Machine-readable passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).

The US has announced new measures that require all travellers to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel.
ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) came into force on 12 January 2009. It is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications must be submitted at least 72 hours before travel to the USA. Some websites may charge you for the service but you can apply online for free at www.dhs.gov. The granting of an ESTA does not guarantee entry to the USA.

New Requirements for Travellers: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, or other approved document, when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced on 1 June 2009.

For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: (website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html).

Visas
Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:
1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa.
Visa Note
(a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or Ireland are not eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) All passengers using US airports for transit purposes are required to obtain a transit visa. This does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. (d) To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days. (e) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. Note: Airlines are also required to collect passenger details, including the address of their first night's accommodation in the USA, before they board the aircraft. (f) 2. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. A passport which states holder has right of abode or indefinite leave to remain in the UK does not qualify for visa free travel. (g) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the holder’s passport. An unexpired, endorsed visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the USA, as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10 years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same nationality. (h) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist, Business, Transit and Student: US$131.
Validity
Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it expires. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the time of entry but is generally six months; there is, however, no set time.
Applications to:
Embassy or consulate (see Contact Addresses).
Working Days Required
Usually five after interview. Some cases may take up to 12 weeks – check with embassy/consulate.