Yosemite

After my wife and I got married, we didn’t go on a honeymoon right away. Instead, we opted for a few days to decompress near Yosemite National Park, a mere 5-ish hour drive from the Bay Area. We stayed at an AirBnB in Oakhurst. On our first evening there, I grilled up burgers and we enjoyed the hot tub under the stars. Our host came by to check on us and gave us some sightseeing advice. With her recommendations, we were able to create a rough itinerary; and due to the high temperatures expected during our stay, we made sure not to take on too much.

August 6, 2014

Over breakfast we decided to check out Bass Lake, which was nearer to us than the park entrance. We hiked the short and educational Way of the Mono trail. The high point of the trail was the “grinding rock”, featuring many smooth, round divots where native people ground seeds and the like against the hard stone. From here, we had a sobering view of Bass Lake, which was clearly showing the effects of the ongoing drought. After the hike, we descended to the lake and had a pleasant lunch there.

Then it was on to Nelder Grove, a stand of old-growth cedars, pines, firs and of course great sequoia. We took the Shadow of the Giants trail through this quiet forest. The sequoias – a favorite of John Muir – were so immense, they took my breath away.

Some giant sequoias grow to seventy feet in diameter.

As we neared the end of the loop, I stopped short. Through the foliage I saw a large black bulk with a pair of eyes peering at me. I thought for sure I’d just seen a bear of some variety. I was even more nervous since we hadn’t seen anyone else on the trail. We did exactly the wrong thing and quietly turned tail the way we’d come. A guy we ran into on the way back said another group thought they saw a bear, and that you can typically scare them off by making yourself look big and making a lot of noise.

Not far from the trailhead, something huge and black emerged from the woods. It was a cow! Now I remembered the sign we saw driving in: “Free Range Cows.” I’d even made a joke about getting a chance to see the majestic Sierra mountain cow. Little did I know we’d come face-to-face with them, twice!

The trail wasn’t very wide, so we were still very cautious as we approached the cow, but eventually it made some room and we were able to pass. Thus concluded the Bear-Cow scare of 2014.

August 7, 2014

We got up early to drive into Yosemite and take the road up to Glacier Point. The view was really indescribable. I’ve never seen anything like it. The colossal, strange-shaped peaks and domes; the valley far, far below (3000 ft!); the distant rumbling of waterfalls – it was just amazing. We took our time enjoying the view and taking pictures.

A distant plume of smoke to the north concerned us until we saw a sign indicating it was a natural fire from a lightning strike and was being monitored closely.

In the 1870s, John Muir advanced the theory that Yosemite Valley was shaped by glacial action rather than by earthquakes or volcanism.

We took a drive through the valley on the winding park roads, then stopped at the historic Wawona Hotel for lunch. Then it was back to the cottage for maxin’ and relaxin’.

August 8, 2014

We headed into the park early to secure a parking spot in the valley. From there, a park shuttle carried us to the Ahwahnee Hotel. The driver had a whole story about how a young Robert Redford washed dishes there; I wondered how many times he told it every day. After lunch and a beer, we sat in the heavy wood lawn chairs, taking in the scenery.

We again took advantage of the shuttle to get to the meeting location for a valley tour. We were soon underway in an open-air trailer with a ranger sharing information about John Muir and the establishment of the park, how the valley was formed, the effects of drought and more. She described the “Fire Fall” ceremony that was done back in the 60’s, which involved pushing a flaming bonfire over the precipice at Glacier Point – not to be confused with the famous firefall event that occurs at Horsetail Falls at certain times of the year.

The ranger described her own adoration of Yosemite and shared the story of her engagement at Cook’s Meadow. I had to admit – despite the crowds, despite the heat – that Yosemite is certainly a singular and iconic place.

Days after we returned home, I had dreams of valley fog and pine trees clinging to massive granite cliffs. Until I can visit again, I’m working my way through John Muir’s First Summer in the Sierras. His curiosity and love for living creatures and natural landscapes leaves as deep an impression as visiting the park itself.