Our Journey to Yosemite

I have been going to Yosemite since the mid-eighties. Hands down, without a doubt, it is my very favorite place on the planet. The minute we enter the park I get a magical feeling, one that cannot be rivaled by any other sensation I have experienced. If I were more in touch with my spiritual side I might say I lived as a native in this place in a pervious life. Maybe it's a connection to my father, who loved the mountains so much he gave me their namesake? I have never bothered to analyze the bliss I have experienced here, I know better than to tamper with perfection. I just know, this place is sacred and important, and I am connnected to it. I first brought Theo here in 2001, and to my delight he shared my passion for the park; I couldn't wait to share it with our kids.
We departed Orangevale long before the crack of down, and ventured up the Sierra foothills into Yosemite. Ben got carsick on the way, so we made frequent stops, but we finally made it in to the park.

Now, I've been coming to Yosemite for more than 20 years, and I have never seen a real bear. I saw a tiny cub run across the street once, but never a grown bear. I used to seek them out, waking as early as possible and dragging my family and friends through meadows and behind the scenes of campgrounds, hunting for a bear. This time, when Theo and I drove into the park, we mused at the fall color, smoke from controlled burns in the valley, and scarcity of water. As we approached Bridal Veil falls, the first one you can see as you enter the valley, Theo spotted a crowd in an unlikely place. He said, "It must be an animal?" I leapt out of the car with my camera, and approached the small group of people. I was expecting wolves, as Theo and I had seen in the region years ago, but to my delight I saw a huge bear, eating roughage off the ground peacefully, unbothered by, although slightly curious about the people gawking at him. Theo got the kids out of the car, and kept them at a safe distance, but I was free to roam close as I wanted. I stayed behind the stupidest tourists who threatened the bears safe zone, if there is one. I did get closer than most, within two trees of this huge wild animal.

Yosemite has an elaborate "Be Bear Aware" program. Visitors are given tips on protecting themselves and the bears; rangers have bear traps in heavily populated areas, and if a bear is a nuisance they are tagged, and brought back to the high country. This bear has a tag already, which I assume most bears in Yosemite have been by now.

After settling down from our bear siting, we ventured to eat lunch. Our cabin would not be ready until 5pm, so we had the whole day to spend gleefully wandering.

Degnan's deli is in Yosemite village. We grubbed on sandwiches and lunchables for the kids. I had a tukey sandwich with lite cranberry mayo. Yum.

The valley was smoky most of the morning. In order to prevent major forest fires, the park has controlled burns to reduce undergrowth and fuel for fires.

Most of my childhood visits were in the spring or early summer, when the waterfalls, perhaps Yosmite's most spectacular wonder, are at their peak, flushing the winter's melt down the side of the granite towers. Once, exactly a year before Theo and I married, we even ventured here in the dead of winter. I was captivated by the masses of snow hanging over the cliffs, the unexpected ice pools, and water falls composed of large ice picks. At night we could hear ice falling off the cliffs. The park was empty, expect for a preist couple from Europe saying their vows in the snow at Valley View; they asked Theo and I to be their witnesses, as they married exactly 364 days before we did. Amazing huh? We strolled the whole valley hot cocoa in hand, romanced by the park.

This trip marked my first visit to Yosemite in autumn. Many of the pictures speak for themselves.

With a whole day to spend, we walked to Happy Isles first. Along the way we found some tree and rocks to take picture of.

This is Happy Isles. In the spring it's like white water rapids, but this fall it was a small, glassy, emerald pool.

Happy Isles is at the foot of the Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and Half Dome trails. In the summer of 2001 Theo and I climbed to the top of Nevada Falls. This trip, with kids and a stroller, we could not make it up any of the trails. We made it half way to Vernal Falls to see Glacier Point from a different. Had we more space and money we'd get those kid backpacks, but this only a one day stay.

This is the smoke blowing through the valley.

More to come...