Yosemite

We left Fresno late Monday morning and headed north on CA 41 towards Yosemite. The road wound and climbed quite a bit, which made for slow travel. We topped 6,000’ elevation several times along the route, and finally entered the park at 2 pm. Our first stop was at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, just inside the park entrance. These trees were as splendid as those at Kings Canyon, with some being over 1500 years old. Very hard to imagine anything that old!

After another hour of driving we passed through the stone tunnel that marked the entrance to Yosemite Valley, and as I remembered from 1986, the view as you leave the tunnel is spectacular! El Capitan, rising over 3,500’, stands to the left, Half Dome, 8,800’ in elevation, is ahead in the distance and Bridalveil Fall sends water spraying over the rocks to the right, with a 620’ drop. I can think of no other view that speaks more powerfully to me of the majesty of creation. We stood in awe for a long time, just trying to take it all in.

Our destination for two nights was Curry Village, a little more rustic than we were used to, but the largest lodging establishment in Yosemite and the only place that had any openings when I called five months ago. We stayed in a tent-cabin, with beds reminiscent of what you would find at a youth camp. With hundreds of black bears in the valley, all food and “things that smell like food to a bear (toothpaste, deodorant, etc.)” had to be stored in bear-proof lockers. We were especially warned not to leave any of these items in our cars, as bears have learned to rip open car doors to get to these items. There are almost 1,000 people staying in this Village, gathering from all over the world to see the splendor of this place..

Shortly after arriving we set out on our first hike, a short walk to Mirror Lake. Within the first ½ mile we encountered some wildlife that made Paul question this destination. First we saw a large black bear about 100 yards off the trail, ripping apart a fallen log in search of food. As we were watching, John looked down and called to our attention a 5’ long rattlesnake that was passing by just about a yard in front of us. I think this was nature’s way of saying “Welcome to my world!” Fortunately, the only animals we saw up close for the remainder of our stay were deer, squirrels, and large blue birds sporting mohawks.

When Mirror Lake is full, it offers a splendid reflection of Half Dome, which towers above to the east. The water levels are low this year, due to a very light snowfall this past winter, so the water falls and river levels are not what they could have been. On the way back from Mirror Lake the boys were lured off the path and into the water, and they made their way down the river by leaping from boulder to boulder. They call this “boldering,” and they had a blast doing it! In my younger days I would have been right there with them.

On Tuesday morning John and I set out for a five mile hike to Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. The weather was beautiful, and the views were spectacular. Even with a lesser volume of water, the views of the falls were worth the strain of the hike. (This five mile hike took a full four hours, and felt like 15 miles to me! I don’t think I have done anything this strenuous in almost 20 years.) Between us we took over 400 photos, as each bend in the trail brought a different view of the sheer cliffs, the roaring river and the thundering waterfalls.

Living in North Carolina I am frequently asked if I enjoy going to the beach, and I always answer “no.” The flat sand, salt water and scorching sun on the Carolina beaches are just not my thing. Just above Vernal Fall we came upon “my kind of beach.” There was a rapidly flowing part of the river that in its peak had carved smooth beaches on either side out of the solid rock. At a distance this smooth white rock leading up to the water looked very much like a beach. Here I would be content to lie down for hours watching the towering trees and massive rock formations, listening to the river and the falls in the distance, and feeling the spray of the water as it is carried by the cool mountain breezes. I first discovered this type of sanctuary while hiking in the Catskill Mountains (NY) as a teenager, and I have had a longing ever since for these quiet places of rocks, water and trees.

After returning to the valley a splash in the cold pool and a hot shower took some of the soreness away. We met with Paul, who isn’t feeling too well today, and had a good time reviewing all of our photos from the past two days. Then we headed over to Yosemite Village for dinner and for a short hike to the base of Yosemite Fall. At the viewing area for Yosemite Fall the boys spotted the massive boulders in the river bed and promptly set off to climb on the bed to the very base of the waterfall. I lay down on a rock in the riverbed and watched with great pleasure as my two sons spent the next hour picking their way up to the top and back, working together to pick a route one rock at a time. At one point I heard a young boy near me exclaim “Look at that boy jump!” That would have been John, who enjoyed testing his jumping ability with huge leaps from rock to rock. Paul, who made the climb in barefooted, was picking his way more cautiously. As I watched the boys my heart was filled with joy and thanksgiving to God who has blessed me so richly with my family.

While resting and taking in nature, I also had a great time praying for the members of my Small Group and the staff at my church, River Oaks Community Church in Clemmons, NC. This church has been a tremendous blessing to my family over the past three years, and I hated to miss last Sunday. When I am away from crowds and in the mountains I always feel closer to God – perhaps because I am then in His world, not thinking about the routine busyness of my daily routine.

It’s time to close and get some needed rest. Early tomorrow morning we leave for San Francisco, and from there the boys take over the route. It will be entirely up to them to plan the route to Vancouver and back home. I look forward to seeing the Golden Gate Bridge again, and to reaching the Pacific Ocean.

A side note: One of my purposes for this trip was to show the boys the grandeur of the country, and to open their minds to the possibilities that lie outside the familiar east coast. As we entered Arizona, John looked at the rocky terrain and said “Maybe I’ll take a trip back here with my friends some day to rock climb.” That was a great moment for me, reminding me of the time in 1973 that I determined to return to the Rocky Mountains someday, and the time in 1986 that I determined to return to Yosemite. John will be back out West someday, I am sure of that.