Yosemite

May 13-19-We spent six nights and five glorious days in Yosemite.  A great Mother’s Day present to arrive at this campsite.  Right on the river, Mark did a great job of researching and booking this.  Look at the view from our front window.  Just incredible.  We got to stay in this spot (#522 in North Pines) 4 nights and then moved to walk in sites the last two nights.  Janae and Stefan loved playing in the water and making bark boats.

Our front window camping view

Our front yard view this week

We left the fog behind in Morro Bay and found nothing but perfect weather here.  Sunny, not a cloud in the sky and in the high 70’s, low 80’s all week.  We spent the first two days Monday and Tuesday biking and hiking.  The valley is stunning.  Waterfalls at every turn and meadows that are the greenest of green.  We enjoyed having afternoon tea and cookies at the Awanhee Hotel with soft piano music.  This was a treat and an accident.  I sent Stefan to ask the cost of the tea and was told it was free.  Turns out it was only for hotel guests.  Oops.

Yosemite falls, tallest in us and second tallest in world

We made the mistake of trying to hike the Upper Yosemite Falls trail.  Sandy, steep grade, 60 switchbacks (one way) and I had Stefan wear his water sandals in case we waded.  Stefan was not a happy camper.  Great valley views though and incredible seeing the falls up close.  We made it up about 3/4 before turning around.  The highlight was seeing a bobcat pounce on a squirrel right before our eyes at the base of Lower Yosemite Falls.

mirror lake

                                                                                                                                        One of our favorite days was on Wednesday.  Stefan enjoys making little boats out of bark, leaves and whatever that I thought he would enjoy floating himself down the river.  The hike yesterday had not been much fun for him and wanted him to have fond memories of Yosemite so we decided to rent rafts and float down the Merced River.  I was not going to go due to cost but when we got to the window, they said military was half off so we all went.  It was a hot, crystal clear day and we enjoyed seeing the beautiful scenery and stopping and having snacks at the beaches.  Mark taught Janae and Stefan how to man the raft so they did most of the driving.  After being picked up by a retired luxury coach bus, we rode our bikes the short distance back to our campsite where we had a snack and rested for a few minutes.    

Rainbow in the midst of Vernal Falls

eating supper at our private little beach

proud of their carved boats

We then set-off again and rode to the trail head of Vernal Falls.  It was a much better hike then yesterday and we all enjoyed it immensely.  Stefan has unusually strong senses and can spot anything.  Above the roar of the river, he heard a rattlesnake and much to his delight spotted him along the trail.  He drew quite a crowd with people watching this little creature.  Hiking is such a great activity.  It makes you feel good to get the exercise, see such glorious scenery and Janae and Stefan open up and share their hearts.  A true gift.  I had the joy of hiking with Stefan and he shared how he can’t wait to be a law enforcement park ranger at a national park, especially White Sands because they have scorpians and rattlesnakes.  We hiked along the river the whole way but when we got close to the falls we were rewarded with rainbows from the mist and and stone steps that took us to the top.

A quick snack for dinner soaking up the waning rays of sun on our private river beach.  We then made it just in time for the John Muir program.  It was excellent.  This man has been reenacting John Muir for thirty years and we all learned so much.  What was most inspirational was hearing his passion for life and nature.  As Iraneus said many centuries ago, “the glory of God is a human being fully alive” and I believe Mr. Muir fully encapsulates this thought.  We enjoyed his stories, especially hearing how he slept with a friend all night long on top of geysers as two feet of snow fell on them.  Also enjoyed hearing his connection with Ralph Waldo Emerson.  He was thirty, Emerson 70 and Emerson was taken with John Muir.  John told him he was a sequoia and needed to see Mariposa Grove. He convinced him to camp with him among the trees but his entourage wouldn’t let him for fear that he may catch a cold.  As Emerson was last to descend the hill, he turned around and tipped his hat to Muir.  He also mentoned that life is an every changing song.  Always full of beauty and evil. He closed by saying, “if you heard that I died of a broken heart, you have seen me and please know I departed in joy.

Thursday morning was the last day in our blissful campsite so we frolicked and enjoyed reading and playing until noon.  The last several mornings I have enjoyed getting up early and playing down by the river.   Regretfully muted but so much fun. 

After we moved Miss Jim B, we drove later in the afternoon to Mariposa Grove.  We enjoyed visiting the Pioneer settlement where a fifth grade class was on their trip.  Pretty incredible.  Each student got to rotate through stations and do everything from blacksmithing, axing wood to cooking.  We had been to the grove five years ago but Janae and Stefan didn’t remember.  This time we opted to walk rather than take the tram.  It was very interesting touching the bark of the sequoias.  It is very springy and birds can hide seeds in it.  Sequoias need fire to grow.  This helps dry and spread the seeds from their cones and burns off other plants that take their nourishment.   Their roots don’t grow very deep but spread wide.  Our favorites was the Grizzly Giant, who is around 1800 years old, the California Tunnel Tree, The Faithful Couple and the Clothespin tree.  Interesting that their cones are the smallest.  The sugar pines have the largest cone.

Not all was bliss though as when we got home late, I accidently burned the countertop while cooking.  It ruined it and is going to really hurt our selling price.  As not to be out done, Mark the next day forgot to remove the keyboard from the slide and it got smashed and ruined.  Children are thrilled that there is no more piano practice but Mark really loved this instrument and not sure it can be repaired.   So much for priding myself in that I hadn’t lost or broken my glasses, sunglasses or camera this year.  Instead we ruined bigger ticket items.

 

Our last day, Mark took a day of solitude and fishing.  The children and I enjoyed riding the loop again, getting junior ranger badges, going out to lunch and going on a bear walk.  We met a wonderful ranger after watching the mounted rangers who gave Stefan and Janae valuable advice in becoming a ranger.  We spent the waning sunlight hour at my favorite spot, Pastoral Point taking pictures and attempting to draw this magnificent site.

my favorite view, El capitan on left, Bridal Veil Falls on right