April 19, 2012 – Return Trip, Alder Ck to Wawona

Starting Place: A Spot on the Alder Creek Trail

Destination: Wawona

Miles Traveled: 3.8 miles

Gary's Additional: 5.0 miles

Woke up and it was already light. Not much of a reason to hurry, so I laid in bed for awhile. Then read. Finally, the bladder was begging for relief.

Not as cold as I feared. Comfortable. Took a stroll about 3/8 of mile back up the trail, past Three Falls. I think one of the things I like best in backpacking, is the sense of solitude in the mornings. When you can sense your surroundings—the chirping of the birds, the gurgling of a little creek, and the smell of the pine trees. The last I did not experience this morning, mostly because of a stuffed-up nose.

When I get back to camp, Sherri was just emerging from the tent. Oatmeal and granola for breakfast. Breaking camp. We will walk back to Three Falls. It is 9:30. Then head back and the Valley. By the time we look at Three Falls, take pictures and wander about, and then return to camp, which we then finish breaking down, it is around 10:30.

A Note For the Future: There is a small flat spot above where we camped. Better scenery. But not as much flat space.

Coming back is mostly the same as going up. We are just returning on the same trail. Nothing exciting happens—I did find a wonderful bathroom spot though. It is a lot hotter coming back even though we are going down hill.

Nothing exciting, that is until we got within .6 miles of the car. We stopped for lunch by a little creek. At this point we noticed Sherri's Garmin was missing. We try to remember where we saw the Garmin and decide it was at the bathroom break, almost all the way back to the trail junction. We examine the options and decide it would be best if I go on up and look for it.

I make a slow, but steady progress, looking under brush, grass beside the trail, and around fallen logs. Nothing. I must have gone past it and not seen it as I made it to the Mosquito Creek trail junction—even missed the bathroom spot. Some kind of sleuth am I!

Tired, I start back again. Looking, but discouraged. Shortly after the bathroom stop, I find it under a log, fallen across the trail. Feeling a lot better, I make it back to Sherri, as my water runs out. We get back to the car and have dinner at Todd's.