October 29, 2021-Yosemite Valley

 

Title: October 29, 2021-Yosemite Valley
Hike Info : Description :  Background : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Bridalveil Area

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Valley Loop

Destination: Loop from Pohono Bridge to El Capitan Bridge

Distance: 5.98 miles ¹

Start Time:  12:32

End Time:     5:00

Elevation Rise: 835 '

Descent: 722‘

Maximum Elevation: 4,076'

 ^{1Milage and elevations are a combination of GPS readings from a Garmin 60csx and drawn. The Garmin shutoff around 3.4 miles into the trip. About 2.5 miles of the trip is plotted on Garmin’s Base Camp}

Gary and golden trees

Description:

I got up a little before 7 and looked for lightning activity, my contribution to society-there was none. But got the “pleasure” of wondering who paid my AT&T bill-at least the payment information is not from me. Spent about 45 minutes with AT&T explaining and waiting. By this time, Sherri is up and feeding herself to breakfast.

Sherri crossing Bridalveil Creek

We leave our house by 10:00am, but stop at Costco for gas on the way out. Sherri is driving, so I read-The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles if you want to know. Sherri drives farther than she normally does. But our bladders give out in Wawona, so we switch drivers there. The rest of the drive was uneventful. One concern, which turned out unfounded, was how crowded is the Bridalveil parking area? This is a concern with the construction going on there.

We quickly found a place to park. It is about 12:30 when we landed. While I was waiting for Sherri, a first time visitor from Sacramento started talking to me about how beautiful the Valley is. I think she was only going to be here for a couple of hours or less. Still it should give her a taste of the Valley.

 

 

Our lunch view-Half Dome and Clouds Rest in the distance

Sherri and I set off at 1:00. We immediately were immersed in the yellows of broadleaf trees. So wonderful. The rain from last Monday is giving Bridalveil Falls some body, so the creek is flowing quite nicely. Which means it is a bit more of a task to cross it. The water is not rushing and is maybe knee deep at its deepest, and much shallower in most crossing places. I decided just to walk through since I was able to find a place where it did not top my boot. Sherri is more concerned and takes a while to pick through.

But once on the other side, we walk along, enjoying the sheer beauty of the fading forest. I try to identify where we ran into stinging bees several years ago, but to no avail. I do find where we stopped to pick the bees off of Sherri and Sonya. But before that, there are some inconsiderate photographers who have set up their tripods right across the trail, forcing us to go around them. On the other hand, Sherri stops and chats with one of them and picks up a bit about what the lady was looking for in her picture. We do stop at the trees right before Bridalveil Meadow for lunch. A good spot. We are able to gaze upon El Capitan and in the distance, Clouds Rest

Wounded hoary bat

barely pokes its head up to be noticed.

After lunch, which is getting close to two, we keep traveling west, through one of the more pleasant parts of Yosemite, in my opinion. While it is right next to the road, it is lower down so you see the river, but not close. This part of the Valley is moist and has a nice covering.

Sherri crossing logs

When we get to the Pohono Bridge which takes us across the Merced, we will start heading east. But first, we stop and enjoy the river scene. The colorful leaves grace the slow moving river-in the Spring, there is more water moving faster. One can stay here a long time admiring this. But like I said, we are half way through the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Capitan Climbers

 So we cross Northside Drive and continue on the Valley Loop. Soon, we come to a place where four large logs block the way-too high to go over, so I start working on going under, until Sherri says to stop. The reason? There is a bat on top of one of the logs. But the bat is not moving. Is it dead? how did it get here-I was just looking at this very spot? Should we go on? But how? Is the bat dangerous? After all, this bat looks distressed.

I make a remark about maybe making a ding, maybe it is a dingbat? Sherri makes a “ding” sound, and it moves. She makes another and it moves some more. Finally, it has moved across the tree and out of sight. Well isn’t that something? I crawl under the logs while Sherri goes over it and we both make it to the other side safe.

El Capitan

We continue on and encounter several downed logs, none as adventurous as above. Having walked this loop several times, there are spots which bring back memories, such as crossing Ribbon Creek. Today it is dry, but one Spring with our Meetup group, we did a log crossing. Or talking with Sonya about her partner climbing El Capitan. And as the base of El Cap comes into view, we spot a couple of climbers just starting out. I see two of them; Sherri thinks there may be a third. We spend a good 15 minutes just following ropes and cracks up this rock.

And now I am looking for a means to cutover since we are close to the base of El Capitan. I get out my GPS and note we probably will be walking about a quarter mile further.I think it is here is where I may have stopped tracking with the GPS. A little ways up the trail, we cut over. When we used to do this trail, we would go all the way up to Yosemite Falls, but two things have to happen: 1) my body needs to be in better shape, and 2) we need an earlier start-it is closing in on 4pm.

 

 

 

Autumn Leaves

The crossover comes up and we come to the El Capitan Bridge. Once again the Merced is graceful appearing. When we hit Southside Drive, there is a question: Do we take the road-easier or the trail-more ups and downs. Sherri has a good point: the trail is more scenic and has more places of pleasure, so we take the trail.

Last week there was a prescribed burn just to the east of where we met the trail. The trail going that direction is closed. But that does not stop a trailrunner. We just wonder if he will regret it or not. Along those lines, going on the Northside, we hardly met anybody. But now, it is almost a regular freeway. We meet at least 8 groups of people. 

 

 

 

Bridalveil Falls

But as Sherri said, it is more scenic and enjoyable. We get our last taste of hiking in the Valley in Autumn for the day, and it does not disappoint. Being in the shadows on this side of the Valley, the colors were more subdued, less intense. So we got to see a different aspect. Also when we rounded the corner, Bridalveil was there. Maybe because I see it with either more water or almost no water, or it could have been the angle, the Falls just showed a different aspect-being able to see the gap between rock and water. So glad we came.

As we got close to the car, a couple from the Bay Area asked if I would take their picture-always. I guess I must look like Ansel Adams. Sherri says it is more that puppy dog look of wanting to help. By the time we reach the car, it is 5pm, and a few minutes later we take off. A brief stop in Wawona before heading to Carl’s Jr in Oakhurst for dinner. We made it back to Fresno around 8pm. Steven has gone to Disneyland, so Korra has been caged up for a couple of hours-she is appreciative of being released. A good day. We are making plans to go back up before we lose the colors.

Background

Bat. A friend of ours is a docent with the Fresno-Chaffee Zoo. Jamie checked with the bat person there and reported back that it is a Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). Unfortunately it has a broken wing and probably some broken fingers and will not survive. Yosemite notes that when you find an animal in distress, report it to a park employee. We did not see any park people after spotting this bat.

Extra Photo's

Trail through color

Bridalveil Falls

Sherri walking through a canopy of color

Merced River at Pohono Bridge

Explosion of color over Bridalveil Creek

El Capitan

Trail color

Bridalveil Falls

Bridalveil Falls

Animals

Wounded Hoary Bat

 
Flowers and Plants

Autumn Color

October 21, 2021 - Yosemite with the Rose’s

 

Title: October 21, 2021 - Yosemite with the Rose’s
Hike Info : Description : Background :  Extra Photo's :

Trail head: Fresno 

Hike Info:

Type: Car

Trail head: Glacier Point Road

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Old parking road

Destination: Sentinel Dome

Distance:  1.2 miles ¹

Elevation Rise: 388’

Maximum Elevation: 8,122'

 ¹No GPS on hike. Information from plotted course on Google Earth 

Enjoying the view from Washburn Point

 Description:

Last week Bonnie asked about going to Yosemite her grand kids and daughter. Bonnie was the photographer at our wedding a few years back (read: 45 years). Her husband was my best man, so we have had a long family connection. Anyway, Sherri and I finagled an invite to go to Yosemite with them. So today I play tour guide.

I got up around 6:45 and made breakfast-something simple: bacon and french toast. By the time, Bonnie, her daughter Moriah, her three grandchildren, Noah, Leah and Delilah, along with Sherri and I get feed and packed up, it was 9:45 when we left. My guess is that it will be a long day and we will run into darkness before leaving Yosemite.

Sherri climbing Sentinel Dome

We stopped in Oakhurst to pick up sandwiches at Subway, then went on. Not much of a line into the park. Our next stop was the bathrooms at Chinquapin. Like in the meaning of Wawona, “It is a good place to stop.”

The original plan was to go to the Valley and explore. I had asked if they were interested in going to Glacier Point-which will take up at least half of the afternoon-turned out it would take up more. After some hemming and hawing, everybody was in favor of seeing the Valley from on top first, then going down to the Valley.

The drive along Glacier Point Road is familiar to us, but even Sherri and I always get impressed with how the Clark Range pops up as we descend to Bridalveil Creek. We pass by the full parking lot for Sentinel Dome. I take mental note of this. Then it is the descent down to Glacier Point. But before we get there, I stop at Washburn Point. To me this view gives the feeling of the backcountry going on forever-a favorite of mine, if you cannot tell. For a first view, our friends are shocked with the beauty of what they are seeing. We stayed there for a while.

Jeffery Pine and El Capitan from Sentinel Dome

Now on to Glacier Point and lunch. We walk out to the point, look around. It is a different view, a view which allows us to look down into the Valley. Camp Curry plainly stands out with its white tents. I point out the Ahwahnee. Sherri has her pattern, which looks like a Christmas decoration in Ahwahnee Meadow-we still cannot figure out what is going on there. After getting our fill of scenic wonder, time to have lunch. On the handicap walkway is a nice rock border which we procure for our eating pleasure.

After lunch, we head back to the car. I had talked about Sentinel Dome as a possible hike. Everybody wants to do it. But the parking area was filled up when we came in. We will see if an alternative entrance is available. It is. Fifty years ago, there was a road to a parking area at the base of Sentinel Dome. Now it is a gated service road. But we can still walk it. Lots of parking here, plus, it is a shorter walk than the regular parking area..

Bridalveil Falls from Tunnel View

We cross over the Glacier Point Road and start walking the service road. I start with the lead, but Leah is like out Korra-Steven’s dog-and wants to be in front. Then Moriah also walks ahead of the slowing old man.There is a place where the trail meets with our road. There we are asked which way back to their car, After understanding where they are parked, we direct them on the proper way. We came to a big puddle in the road. Your intrepid explorer spots a way around it. And then the skies wets us. But only for about ten minutes and not badly.

Before the assault of Sentinel Dome, I go over what we are going to do if lightning appears. More of a precaution than an expectation. Then up we go. The climb is not strenuous because it is not long and the Dome is well traveled. The reaction I got was it was well worth the climb and the time. Seeing 360 degrees and Yosemite from the top ;looking down is something most tourists do not do. Even for someone like me, it is always a thrill to be there. The kids are fascinated with all they can see. We even take pictures with the old Jeffery Pine.

Oldside the Ahwahnee

And then it is time to go down. The kids show no fear and go down to the base of the dome in a safe, but quick manner. I am not as nimble. But I do pick my way down the dome with Bonnie and Sherri following. At one point, I hear someone slipping and turn to check on our group-not us. But then I slip, but catch myself with my left hand, while my rear gently makes contact with the granite. A few minutes later we reach the base, and start back on the road to our car. My left little finger starts to ache and I wonder about it.

 

We head back down Glacier Point Road, stopping briefly at the outhouse at the Sentinel Dome parking are. Then off to the Valley. We play the “hold your breath in the tunnel” game. Of course Wawona Tunnel is a 1 mile line, going at 35mph-well, you can figure out if this is possible-in my younger days it was. We stop at Tunnel View for the signature view of the Valley. It gets the appropriate Oh Wow’s!

 

Glow off of Sentinel Rock

There is still time to take a lap around the Valley floor in the fading light. The broadleaf trees form a yellow and green canopy over the road, giving the feeling of being within a kaleidoscope. I keep one eye on the road and one on the display around us. Also I do my tour guide imitation. I am so glad I live so close to this splendor. There was to be a prescribed burn starting today along Southside Drive, but I do not see evidence that it started. 

 

We continue on our drive, a slow drive as I am taking my time. Someone talks about Curry Village, so we go by there just to take a look, not stopping. Just enough to say we have been there. We now pass Ahwahnee Meadow and see two things. First the diggings we observed from Glacier Point. The second is the flashing lights of law enforcement as well as a helicopter. There must have been a SAR action today.

View of the Valley from Valley View

 

 

I decided that with the light ending in the Valley, the Ahwahnee would be a good place to visit. What’s more, they have nice bathrooms. So we wandered through the Grand Lounge (some places call this the Great Room) with fireplaces as tall as me. Noah counts chandeliers. All are in awe-it really is a Grand Lounge. We read the various historical plaques.. After going around the public areas on the first floor, we go out and circle around the outside of the dinning area. Sherri and I ate here 40 years ago on our fifth anniversary. For a simple person like myself, this is an impressive area-I always approach it with awe. Sometime during this day, I was asked if there were Indian grinding holes in Yosemite. There are some in the back of the hotel.

It is time to head home. There is one more stop I want to make on the west end of the Valley. But as I am going along Northside Drive, talking about the natural firefall, I glance up at El Capitan. There is a bright red patch. Right then, we are passing El Capitan’s picnic area, so I pull in and start gawking. This is one of those experiences which Yosemite gives you unbidden. Hopefully it is not a once in a lifetime. Not only is El Capitan lit up, but looking towards Sentinel Rock-not Dome-that whole ridge has turned orange. Just a total Wow!

But there is one more stopping place: Valley View. This is a turnout right before the road loops back around to go back up highway 41. This is one of the many great views looking up the Valley. I am not expecting much since the sun has already set and the Valley is growing darker by the moment. Once again, I am surprised. The kids like being around the Merced River and the adults are just so fascinated by the darkening views.

View the Valley from Valley View

Finally, we leave the Valley in the dark. We stopped in Wawona to order a pizza. The first place will close before we get there, but Round Table is open, so we order a pizza from them. I do not know if it was because we were hungry or the pizza was good, but all of us were well satisfied. Then off we went back to Fresno. Along the way, there was one more teaching moment. I taught an ancient chant which shows each person the enlightenment of who they are, “Owa! Tagoo! Siam!”. If you do not understand, just repeat it until you do. We get home by 9:30, a bit tired, ready for bed and still rolling in laughter with enlightenment.

Background

Ahwahnee Meadow. It turns out that the Park Service is doing a restoration project to the meadow. They are removing the hard surfaces such as unneeded pavement and tennis courts and returning the area to vegetation. The natural drainage is being restored. While I cannot find a specific project for what we are seeing, it is in the right area.

Little Finger. Turns out my little finger had a minor fracture. Just enough to turn it black and blue the next morning. The following Monday, Kaiser puts a splint on it. I guess if I am going to break any bone in my body, this would be the one.

Prescribed Burn. Yosemite has been doing prescribed burns for years on the Valley floor. Way before that, the Native-Americans who spent their Summers there would regularly burn the area as well. But evidently they were not ready to burn on the 21st. A followup email indicated they started the burn the next day. The idea behind prescribed burns is that it cleans up the ground from a layer of natural debris. This returns the nutrients to the ground and makes an area less vulnerable to intense fire.

Extra Photo's

Yosemite Valley from Valley View

Evening glow on Sentinel Rock from El Capitan Picnic Area

Glow on a spot of El Capitan from the Picnic area. The dark spot is the chip which fell a couple of years ago

Gary and Sherri at Tunnel View

El Capitan from Tunnel View

Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View

Yosemite Falls-before the storm-from Sentinel Dome

Enjoying the view from Sentinel Dome

October 19, 2021 - Big Stump and Hitchcock Meadow

 

Title: October 19, 2021 - Big Stump and Hitchcock Meadow
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Trail head:  Big Stump Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking 

Trail: Big Stump and Hitchcock Meadow

Destination: Big Stump Loop

Distance:  3.25 miles  1

Start Time: 11:25

End Time:    2:00

Elevation Rise:  718'

Descent: 604‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,368'

 ¹I forgot my GPS. So this is what is plotted out on Google Earth

Description:

I like to get an early start when I hike, but I think I am out of practice. I did not get out of the house until about 10:15. I got up after 7, then mozied along, trying to figure out what I wanted to do-maybe a bit longer day and go to Yosemite (we are doing this Thursday) or maybe something shorter, like an hour drive to Grant Grove. Grant Grove won.

Crews preparing for a prescribed burn cleared around a Sequoia

But by this time, I listened to my weekly weather webcast and ate my breakfast. I then got myself ready, making my sandwich and filling up with water.. Sherri is up and we talk for a few minutes-she is going up to Dunlap this afternoon for a wine tasting. So I am alone on this hike. As I have said before, I enjoy hiking with Sherri or alone or with friends.

 

Remains of Smith-Comstock Mill

The trip to Grant Grove was uneventful. I asked about Park Ridge Trail at the entry station and got the answer I expected-it still is closed. I got to Big Stump, where I am going to hike, but the gates are closed. But there is a large area right besides it where you can pull off and park. The only other vehicle is a park truck. So I park here and get ready..

I met the electrician who goes with the truck. I make sure that the trail is open. But then we also talked about why the parking lot is closed-the bathroom is non-operable. I knew the bathrooms were not open because the water had been shut off throughout the park. But it is even more. When the evacuation order came through, they shut off the propane which heats the bathroom-makes sense if you are concerned with a forest fire going through the area, you do not want everything blowing up due to propane. Because of the cold, several pipes split. He also said that the bathroom is being hooked up with solar so it will be self sufficient, at least electrically.

I get on my way to do the Big Stump Loop. There is a thin layer of snow on the ground, about an inch or two. Just enough to make me think to be cautious, but not enough to really get me concerned. In other words, I may be my own worst enemy by being oblivious to the hazards the snow can hide or compound. But I did make the whole hike without incident. The snow covering morphs the world into something which is almost mystical. Traveling by myself makes it even more awe-inspiring. Not enough snow to cover, but enough to transform.

Footprints in snow

Of course, anytime you are among the Sequoias, you have a sense of majesty and awe, like being in front of a truly great king. The covering of snow is the white robe of purity around it. This is true of almost any Sequoia from the “young” hundred year olds to the grandfathers of the forest. Even in the destruction of Big Stump, you feel this. You get the feeling of the sense of immense loss of glory. Let me ever lose that sense of glory in my God.

After crossing the meadow, I go across the road by the entrance station. Even in the more frequented parts of Big Stump, I saw only a few footprints in the fresh snow. Now there is only a single set of prints going along my way and the same ones coming back. There is nothing spectacular along this trail. But that may be the attraction. There is nothing to distract me from around my own thoughts. Not that I ignore what is around me, but it brings my own thinking to a sharper level. Also allows me to notice more detail in the “blandness” of the ordinary. And as I look at the detail, there is more sense of wonder. All of this fills my mind, as well as I am conscious of my need-to-breath on the few uphills.

Sawed Tree

 

Speaking of uphill, there is a little offshoot trail with a sign saying “Sawed Trail, 100 yards.” Since I am alone and have not been up there before, I decided to see it. After a bit of huffing and puffing, I come to the tree, obviously, a tree which has been sawed. Or more appropriately named, a tree with a saw cut. Which brings up a could of questions:

• Why were they sawing the tree?
• Why did they stop sawing the tree?
• Why so far up the tree? It is way above my head.

No answers here. And even doing a quick Google scan leaves these questions unanswered. But you get the impression that there is more of a story than just a saw cut on a tree. That is also true of all of our lives as well. We see each human in its packaging. Sometimes the packaging has been damaged and sometimes there was never an attractive packaging in the first place. But each of us have our own story which may be prosaic or painful or enlightening. It just needs to be told.

The footprints disappear on me. I am not too concerned as there definitely is a trail to be followed, even covered by a thin layer of snow. Eventually I get down to the culvert pipe which allows the hiker to go under the road safely. When I come out the other side, there is a sign pointing to Hitchcock Meadow, 0.8 miles. It is only 12:40. So pondering going on over. Sounds like a proposition to consider during lunch.

Leaning Tree

With food inside of me, I text Sherri and Steven to say, I will be doing a side hike down to Hitchcock Meadow. Another place I have not been before. Evidently not a lot of people go this way either. The trail leads me down a slope. The fire crew has been here as well. They have piled up stacks of wood to be burnt.There is a few big trees, one looking like it is giving Pisa’s leaning tower a run for who can tilt the most without falling.

Paw Print

Hitchcock Meadow has signs of old logging as well. A couple of stumps in the meadow are a reminder that logging was down here, not entirely unexpected. I cross a wet spot in the meadow and find a road. I realize this is the same road Sherri and I have walked on from Grant Grove. This is the terminus. But there is another realization. I have been seeing tracks all along in the snow. These have been squirrel, maybe a rabbit and definitely deer. But these new tracks are giving my heart a few extra beats-cat tracks. No claw marks like a coyote and definitely more in the shape of a cat. I scan around to see if I can tell if the cat is still in the area. No sightings. Then I notice the cat tracks are parrelling a set of deer hoof prints. I am thinking the cat is on the hunt.

With that knowledge, I retreat back up the trail. A bit harder going up than down. But that is more the indication that my body is no longer the same body as ten years ago. I get back to the truck. My friendly maintenance man is talking with another worker and we exchange waves in the distance. Then I am on my way home. Just before crossing Mill Creek, I see Sherri on her way to her gathering. Then I make it home around 3:30pm, content and not too tired.

Extra Photo's

Sawed Tree

Stump and a hole

Sequoia