The cargo space in the Model S was plenty for this trip. The front trunk held my duffle bag holding all my clothes and gear plus extra shoes. The back trunk carries two Scouts' duffle bags, two large tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, jackets, portable chairs, helmets (for rock scrambling), cooking gear, video camera, four first-aid kits, extra water, extra charging cables, hiking boots, and provisions. I also fit in my violin and music stand.

Also, my S was one of the two pilot vehicles that left a day earlier than the official Troop departure date. I wanted to do this so that we could leave at a comfortable time of day rather than some ungodly hour. In addition doing so was Helpful to the Troop because the campsites were first-come-first-serve, so I was assigned, as the first to arrive, to strategically choose the first two campsites so that we can grab two more nearby the next morning in preparation for the arrival of the entire Troop, over two dozen in all, on Friday. My passengers were my son and another Scout; our families have known each other since Wolf Rank of Cub Scouts so we have all the proper permissions; geez, don't even go there...

As we traveled, I logged the time, odometer, and range remaining for every event of interest. Thursday, June 27, 2019 Time Event Range Remaining 8:13 am Departed Home 332 10:24 am Arrived Tejon Ranch Supercharger 172 Range/Distance ratio: 1.188 Conditions: Traffic in LA, 64°F

We left from my home after loading up the car. Traffic in LA was significant, so the navigation routed us via the 605 to 210 route to bypass downtown and Santa Monica. The arrival at Tejon Ranch was a welcomed by all to take a bathroom break at the Petro Wheeler Ridge. I have not been at this Supercharger since 2013. There we shopped for a few provisions but couldn't find the right charging cable (he left it at home) for the other Scout's electronic gear.

Cost to Charge: $0

Refreshed we continued north on CA-99. Time Event Range Remaining 10:55 am Departed Tejon Ranch 282 12:58 pm Arrived Fresno Supercharger 122 Range/Distance ratio: 1.096 Conditions: Fast, 84°F

With the traffic behind us, the next leg of driving was very pleasant. As planned we had lunch in Fresno, and here we chose the Five Guys for a comfortable, filling, and enjoyable lunch. As before a bathroom break was required before we could even order.

Cost to Charge: $0

Before we go on I should point out how the navigation in my new 100D Tesla, with a maximum of 335 miles of EPA-rated range, was about to route us. Since the last time I drove all-electric this way, the number of Supercharger sites are numerous and easily more than enough for our purpose. When I first plotted a course to Yosemite Lakes RV Resort, the navigation enthusiastically plotted a route with only one charging stop in Kettleman City on the I-5, and each of the two legs of travel would be a little over 3 hours. I was very proud to know that the technology has now reached the point where I can drive that route with solely one charging stop. It also makes me proud of the technology to know that the bottleneck instead was human physiology: I would be pushed to my limit to drive for 3+ hours straight without a bathroom break, but more importantly both boys with me cannot possibly ride non-stop much beyond 2 hours. Therefore I manipulated the navigation as we traveled to force it to route using Supercharger stops at roughly two-hour intervals (the interval Tesla wisely spaces their Supercharger sites) for the itinerary to be human-compatible. The side effect was that the car collected way beyond enough charge as we travelled.

I also bought a chocolate milkshake at Five Guys as a dessert I could enjoy on the road. Once we were comfortable we returned to the car to unplug, but one of the boys wanted to get that new charging cable, so we drove to the Target on the other side of the parking lot to shop. That took an extra 20 minutes right there, but remember, for safety's sake and other good reasons, this is not and should not be a race. Time Event Range Remaining 1:51 pm Departed Supercharger 300 2:11 pm Departed Fresno Target 299 4:01 pm Arrived Coulterville 196 Range/Distance ratio: 1.20 Conditions: Uphill, Road construction, 86°F

One of the small towns on the route was Coulterville, a town my in-laws used to live many years ago. It so happened that the boys really really needed to use the restroom at this time, so we found one at the town's swimming pool. This reminded me of a phenomenon I named Bathroom Anxiety on our 4647-mile road trip last year. The boys digesting lunch must have triggered this immediate need. It was not that much further to the campsite, but I felt it was wise to heed their call of nature.

Bathroom Anxiety: worry on the part of a person riding in a car that their bladder or bowels will be unable to hold its accumulating contents before the destination or a suitable location to relieve oneself is reached.

After the relief plus a few pictures, we were off winding east on Greeley Hill Road, which I remember well as the route to Yosemite from my in-law's place. Time Event Range Remaining 4:11 pm Departed Coulterville 195 4:52 pm Arrived Yosemite Lakes RV Resort 152 Range/Distance ratio: 1.59 Conditions: Uphill It wasn't long until we found highway 120 where we continued east and saw the sign into Yosemite Lakes RV Resort. We were the first of our entire Troop to arrive. We drove to the front desk and found a significant line of other guests, mostly RV drivers but a few campers. Due to understaffing, it was another 30 minutes before we could check in. Once we obtained all the paperwork and instructions from the staff, we quickly got back in the car, drove, then scouted for the best campsites on the property and tagged them as instructed.

With that in place we unloaded our gear and set up camp and spread out in such a way it would be obvious for the other pilot vehicle expected to arrive a couple hours later. There was no cell-phone coverage here so I could not message nor call them from here.

Time Event Range Remaining 6:23 pm Departed Yosemite Lakes 143 6:45 pm Arrived Groveland Supercharger 135 Range/Distance ratio: 0.47 Conditions: Downhill We did not have any of the cooking equipment because the Troop was bringing that tomorrow, so we drove to Groveland for dinner 19 miles to the west. It so happens that is our closest Supercharger. The boys and I had a great dinner at Hotel Charlotte. Cost to Charge: $0 As we were finishing dinner my Tesla app was reminding me I should unplug lest my S sit there idle. The car was finished filling up before we were. After paying the bill, we drove to the MarVal, the local grocery store, to pick up a few fun provisions like snack foods and Oreo cookies before driving back to camp to meet with the others arriving tonight and decide on the remaining campgrounds for the Troop.

Time	Event	Range Remaining
7:49 pm	Unplugged from Supercharger	326
8:21 pm	Departed MarVal, Groveland	325
8:51 pm	Arrived Yosemite Lakes RV Resort	299

Range/Distance ratio: 1.3
Conditions: Uphill

Friday, June 28, 2019 Mine was the blue tent in the picture. I placed it near the river, and the sound of its rushing white spray was surprisingly soothing. This, and every night here, despite temperatures in the 40s, I slept very well, and definitely the best sleep at camp I have ever had. Intentionally, we all slept in late Friday morning. We drove to a late breakfast at Tangled Hearts about 11 miles away. When we returned we enjoyed the wide variety of facilities that this RV Resort had to offer such as mini golf, horseshoe throwing, foosball, billiards, and the WiFi in the lodge. These were all things the Troop was not to be told about once they arrived.

Later that day I took out my violin to play old classics like Off to California, Whiskey before Breakfast, Faded Love, and Ashoken Farewell with the rustle of a breeze flowing through the trees in the background. It was very pleasant, and our neighbors later complimented my performance.

Late in the afternoon the Troop arrived to set up camp for real. I cannot post detailed pictures of them per BSA rules.

Saturday, June 29, 2019 Now that we were in full Boy Scout mode, the Troop prepared breakfast and packed lunch for a day excursion into Yosemite. Bear in mind that Yosemite Valley is still 32 miles away from our campsite, so the vehicles were definitely part of the plan. I allocated two 64-mile round trips of driving starting today, and, just in case I couldn't get any charge at this RV Resort, allowed time Sunday night to top off back at the Groveland Supercharger.

Time	Event	Range Remaining
7:44 am	Depart Yosemite Lakes RV Resort	242
9:26 am	Arrived Glacier Point Parking Lot	161

Range/Distance ratio: 1.47
Conditions: Downhill then Uphill

Another father and his two boys joined my son and I in my S. This was their first time visiting Yosemite. Although they have a neighbor with a Model S, this is was also their first time in a long drive in an electric car. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I even tried the Autopilot on these windy roads, and it behaved admirably, much improved from my tests in January. The speed limit was usually no more than 35 mph to protect the bears from being killed by speeding cars.

Unlike some of the Troop, that father and I were happy to jump into the photo opportunities such as the Yosemite sign as we went. It was easy to catch back up with the Troop later. The road took us down into the bottom of Yosemite valley, and I identified many landmarks like El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls for them. The Troop leadership said our first stop was to be Glacier Point, which is a substantial 25-mile drive up from the valley floor after driving 30 miles, for a 1.5-mile hike to Sentinel Dome.

Parking at Glacier Point was extremely crowded, but we all found each other for the hike up. This hike on the other hand was gorgeous and, to me anyway, quite moderate and rewarding. It was covered in forest until we neared the exposed granite. The view from the Sentinel Dome was stunning, allowing 180° vistas simultaneously viewing famous sights El Capitan, Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome. A short walk to the east side of Sentinel Dome allowed a view of Half Dome, Vernal Falls, and Nevada Falls. Although exposed to the sun, this was an appropriate time for lunch before heading down. However this hike was a test for many of these boys and about three-quarters of them thought it was too hard. I loved the hike and the views and the great photography. Despite my visiting Yosemite a dozen times, this was my first time at Sentinel Dome. It wasn't long before we were back down at Glacier Point, a must-see vantage point, to see additional spectacular views of Yosemite, including the valley floor 3200 feet down.

Yosemite Valley Floor, Half Dome, Vernal Falls, and Nevada Falls

Time	Event	Range Remaining
1:30 pm	Depart Glacier Point	156
2:33 pm	Arrived Mariposa Grove Visitors Center	140

Range/Distance ratio: 0.48
Conditions: Downhill

The Troop leadership decided we should go to Mariposa Grove near the south entrance to Yosemite. It is a less well-known region filled with Giant Sequoias. I also didn't know it was additional 33 miles of driving, again with 35 mph limits. The walk amongst these enormous trees was flat and pleasant. They seem much like the forests in Sequoia National Park I've visited a few times. Time Event Range Remaining 4:33 pm Depart Mariposa Grove 138 6:16 pm Arrived Yosemite Lakes RV Resort 96 Range/Distance ratio: 0.76 Conditions: Downhill

Our return to camp was another 55 miles of driving. The other father and I enthusiastically took a stop at the famous tunnel view (top and bottom of page) to shoot pictures. However at this point all this driving got to many of the boys. My son and I of course had all of Friday to relax at camp, but the other boys just had 7+ hours of driving the day before to be hit today with 143 miles of driving in 35 mph speed limits; that's over 4 hours of driving on their first day in Yosemite. Once I knew we drove that long I felt sorry for the boys because that's a lot of driving around. 143 miles also blows right through the mileage I budgeted for two days.

Just before entering the RV Resort, all the other drivers immediately stopped at the gas station at the highway 120 entrance to the RV Resort, so clearly they all felt their range tested too. I ate dinner at camp first before driving to the Groveland Supercharger one evening earlier than planned. I had a nice cheesecake at the Iron Door Saloon, the oldest continuously operating saloon in California, and caught up on some work with my laptop via local WiFi while it charged. Still it was clear that shifting my one top-off to tonight instead of tomorrow was all my S needed.

I returned to camp with 295 miles of range. I already knew that I only needed 120 miles of range to reach the Fresno Supercharger from camp and expected to drive about 64 miles before then, so I knew I would be fine with range.

Today our plan was to split into two groups: about a dozen boys would go with a handful of adults to climb rocks on a short valley hike while five boys and five adults would hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls: Not much driving in any case.

Before we were about to leave, the Assistant Scoutmaster took me aside advising that I leave my car at camp. Why? Because he thought I was using up too much range so I wouldn't be able to drive home. This was interesting because it seemed like the gas-car driver was having range anxiety on my behalf, whereas I was experiencing none. I quickly told him that I topped off at the Groveland Supercharger last night, so now my S is in the upper 200s of range. Reassured, he agreed to my taking another drive.

Actual nearby gas stations: Foreshadowing a dystopian future where gas stations are abandoned and decrepit with only Superchargers left.

I took the same father but two other boys. His sons and my son went to the rock scrambling. Since I hiked to Vernal Falls when I was in seventh grade, to Nevada Falls in high school, and to Half Dome in 2003, only the 18-year-old who completed his Eagle Scout rank last year has as much experience on this trail as I by hiking Half Dome last year. He and I were automatically the guides. Time Event Range Remaining 7:21 am Departed Camp 288 8:21 am Arrived Mist Trail Head 252 Range/Distance ratio: 1.125 Conditions: Slow, Cold, 54°F

Selfie at the top of Nevada Falls

Because of all the extra snow pack from last winter, the waterfalls were amazing. The Mist Trail was more like a rainforest, drenching all of us despite bringing ponchos, yet surrounding us with bright rainbows.

Past Vernal Falls the weather warmed up. We had lunch at the top of Nevada Falls and the sites were awesome. We hiked down the John Muir trail much like the return from Half Dome my group did in 2003.

The only thing not so fun was the heavy traffic through Yosemite on the way back. It felt like the Glacier Point parking lot. While driving on Autopilot, I opened my window and stuck my iPhone out backwards to shoot Half Dome. Time Event Range Remaining 4:34 pm Departed Trailhead 236 6:04 pm Arrived Yosemite Lakes RV Resort 206 Range/Distance ratio: 0.968 Conditions: Hot, Traffic, Slow, 93°F

After some back and forth with the management about 50 Amp charging Friday, they did offer to let me use 120V charging at an RV parking spot that barely is used anyway because it is too short for most RVs. I thought it would be better if I simply accepted the offer rather than come off as snooty and reject the 120V, so I moved the car to the short RV spot and plugged in. It was only 3 miles of range per hour. I knew I already had more than enough to get to Fresno, but I could tell myself that my margin of error was even greater this way.

Monday, July 1, 2019 Everyone knew they wanted to head home and try to get out as early as possible, but such things don't always go to plan. I helped make pancakes as part of a larger breakfast. Then we cleaned up and packed up our tents and other gear. It took a little while to figure out the balance of gear between vehicles. When it was finally done the Troop circled up and moved out.

The navigation again took us through Coulterville, but today we had a little more flexibility for some excursions. I had not been to the Lazy J Ranch where my in-laws lived for a decade since the time they sold the place several years ago. I was curious to see if anything changed and wanted to take pictures to share with that side of the family. So I disobeyed navigation to take the Granite Springs road and drive there from several-year-old memory. Quickly we found the place, so I parked and took pictures.

With that diversion behind us we continued to Fresno.

Time Event Range Remaining 10:34 am Departed Yosemite Lakes RV Resort 240 1:05 pm Arrived Fresno Supercharger 145 Range/Distance ratio: 0.79 Conditions: Downhill, 96°F

Back in Fresno, the boys decided to eat at the Panda Express while charging. The car had more charge than needed for the trip and waited for us to finish lunch.

Cost to Charge: $0

Over lunch we discussed where we wanted to go next. We had a choice for our next stop: Tejon Ranch again or Kettleman City, a Supercharger where we've never been before. So we chose to cross from the CA-99 to I-5 to sightsee at Kettleman City. Time Event Range Remaining 1:42 pm Continuing Charge 290 1:51 pm Departed Fresno 306 3:00 pm Arrived Kettleman City Supercharger 234 Range/Distance ratio: 1.09 Conditions: Off highway, 96°F This Supercharger site is the first to have an actual "Tesla Lounge" where people could relax, shop, have coffee, play games, and enjoy a comfortable air-conditioned rest stop with WiFi. The key-code to get in the Tesla Lounge is visible only in the navigation. This site also has 40 stalls (the largest in America!) to make it a major transportation hub for Tesla drivers between northern and southern California. We saw families taking their kids to the children's games or bringing in lunch. We saw business travelers using the cubicles to charge and use their laptops.

We took a comfortable bathroom break and explored everything the lounge had to offer. I bought a Kettleman City Supercharger t-shirt and two Tesla-styled cellphone chargers for the boys with me. The charge here was really unnecessary to accomplish the trip. We spent 28 minutes here.

Cost to Charge: $0

From Kettleman, the navigation told us we could make the last leg of the trip on the remaining charge. However, after two hours it was completely clear we needed to use the restroom. It was so convenient that Tesla placed a Supercharger in Santa Clarita, a two-hour drive from Kettleman City. Time Event Range Remaining 3:28 pm Departed Kettleman City 309 5:28 pm Arrived Santa Clarita Supercharger 145 Range/Distance ratio: 1.1 Conditions: Fast, 96°F

Cost to Charge: $0

Time	Event	Range Remaining
5:37 pm	Departed Santa Clarita Supercharger	191
7:18 pm	Arrived Orange County	124

Range/Distance ratio: 1.14
Conditions: Downhill then Traffic

All the routes home had really bad traffic. The navigation surprisingly guided us through downtown LA, but I had to concede that the other routes would just be longer. We were only 20 minutes behind the gas car group, completely explained by our sightseeing in Granite Springs and Kettleman City.