Gary-Summer: May 23, 2023 - Yosemite Valley

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

May 23, 2023 - Yosemite Valley

Title: May 23, 2023 - Yosemite Valley

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Car

Description:

Steve, Connie, Sherri and Gary

A couple of friends of ours, Connie and Steve-no, not my Steven, have not been to Yosemite for a very long time. While I was at Delilah last week, Sherri invited them to Yosemite. Today is the day.

The last several days my lighting report has taken over an hour to do each day with over a hundred strikes each day. Today, there were only five so it was a breeze. I even had time to tear up some boxes for recycling.

Bridalveil Creek

We leave our house at 8:15 and get to Connie and Steve’s place about 8:40. I then drove us to Oakhust where we stopped for donuts at Judy’s. Then off to Yosemite. On the way up, we spot some dogwoods, which gives me hope that Yosemite Valley will still have a few. The bathrooms at Chinquipin which calls us. Then it is off to the Valley.

We get to Tunnel View at 11:10. It does not disappoint. While there is a slight haze over the Valley, it is a spectacular view. Bridalveil is right there pouring tons of water, looks like a lot of spray. Of course, there is water coming off all the rocks. I play my part of being a tour guide and name various points in the Valley. They are suitably impressed with the Valley-with me, that is an open question.

Gary and Sherri found a sitting tree

We then head down to the Valley. Lately we have not stopped at Bridalveil since there was construction going on. Today we found a parking place and stopped. When finished, the new plaza area will be able to handle so many more people without trampling over everything. I think when finished the Park will have a jewel.

We walked up the path towards the Falls. Bridalveil Creek is raging! Not only is the main channel full, but all of the fingers are flowing high. Fascinating watching. The path is better graded than before. Water is running down the path, but the path has been made to have traction, so the amount of water coming down is not an issue, except for the shoes getting wet. Connie decides to hold off on going up as the spray gets more intense. Then Sherri, stop, leaving Steve and I. When we get to the top, my glasses are almost unseeable. We see the falls, sort of, take a picture and head down, soaking wet.

Before we headed up, I had seen somebody spot a climber on El Capitan.

Climbers Gear

Now that we are down, I break out my binoculars and spot the climbers. Connie finds another interesting object which turns out to be a shelter on the wall. Then another group of climbers on the east side of the Nose. This keeps us occupied for about 20 minutes.

Lunch time is way past. Where to eat?

Sentinal Creek/Falls

Sentinel Beach’s Picnic area is open, so we stop there. I had tried one road, but turned back when I saw the depth of the mud. We find a table and have our lunch, enjoying the Merced flowing about 30 yards off-a bit of a swamp around us. Good to get food in us. In the meantime, we are entertained by someone who did not turn back from the mud. They are stuck and try a bunch of tactics which all fail. They are still stuck when we leave-I do not have any good solutions except having someone pull you out. I do not have the equipment to do that.

On the way out, I hear someone call out “Gary”! It is a person whom I worked with at FUSD, Eric from REA. We talk and exchange places we have been to and what we are doing now. I am surprised to be recognized. And then we are off again.

This time to Camp Curry. The parking area is full.So I drop off Sherri, Connie and Steven, having them go on the tram. I drove through the parking lot and eventually found a place to park. I get to walk up the road to Happy Isles

Lunch at Sentinel Beach

. Along the way I stop and admire some dogwoods. As I am admiring them, a couple of Israelis ask me about getting to Mirror Lake and Half Dome. I disillusioned them about the walking up to Half Dome today-it is a 16-17 mile walk with 4,000’. They understand that it is more than just a few minute hike. They decide that maybe they would do it another day. Later today I get a bit more beta on this trip, but that is too late for these folk.

I make it up to Happy Isles and quickly find Connie, Steve and Sherri. We talk for a few minutes and a tram comes along, so we hop on that tram. Our next stop is the Ahwahnee. Today’s visit is less impressive than usual. The Ahwahnee is getting a makeover, so major parts of the place is cordoned off. Still we wander through the Great Room, but cannot go into the lounge, nor see the dining area. Even outside, it looks like the grounds has had a rough Winter. Usually they are immaculate. Now they look like my backyard.

Royal Arches Falls

As we were walking back towards the hotel, I saw a woman waving at us. We have already had a strange encounter with someone out of my past, who could this be? As we get closer we see that it is a friend named Ellen. I was on a board with her for our daughter. Also her husband, Micheal is a fellow hiker. Ellen tells us another friend, Suzanne, is in the Valley as well, hiking. I guess half of Fresno is here today as we know our hiking group, the Central Valley Hiking Group has a hike here today as well, but we do not run into them.

We now hope onto the Green Tram and head to Yosemite Falls. On the bus Sherri and I strike up a conversation with a guy who just got done hiking up Half Dome. He confirms that there is still a lot of snow, making it hard going. Also that the cables are still down. The falls are roaring and spectacular. It is a pleasant walk. The shadows are growing, but the temperature is agreeable. I am expecting to get drenched but when we get close to the bridge, we experience only a drizzle. At least at the start. Pictures get taken and the roar of the Creek is heard. What a good way to be in Yosemite.

Yosemite Creek

We now need to walk back to the Village. I think we are excited by the day, so the walk is good. Excess water from Yosemite Creek crosses our path, providing a temptation which even at the end of my seventh decades I find too hard to resist. There is a large child inside of me who wants to splash in the water. So I jump, making a splash. Unfortunately the splash was mis-directed and went up, covering Steve. Apologies made. Not sure what Steve thought of the expedition's fearless leader after that.

But we made it to a purple bus stop with no more mishap and only the additional foolishness of telling the story of Lost Arrow. When we boarded the tram, it was the same bus driver as we had two weeks ago! I make a comment and she recognizes me. Once again a good person for Yosemite to be ferrying around visitors. We make it back to Camp Curry and load up the car.

Yosemite from Valley View

But that is not the last of the stops this tour makes. First there is the stop for the viewing of Horsetail Falls. It still looked more outstanding earlier in the year. Still the spray which comes off of there is really impressive. Then we travel down the Valley to near the Pohono Bridge at Valley View. The water has come up several feet from when we were there two weeks ago. Now the water laps right at the edge of the pavement. I wonder if the Park will close the road if things really heats up? The resulting view is breath-taking, the contrast of straight up walls with the falls coming down, the still grasses with the rapid flowing river. It is just there giving a reminder of change and changelessness.

We continue on to what seems like lately our stopping place for the Valley: Fern Spring. If anything, there is more water flow now than there was two weeks ago. I cross the road and stand beside the Merced. So swift, so high. Also the water from Fern Springs is flooding the trail. I suspect there are many places where the Valley Loop trail is flooded this Spring.

And now we are off, going back to Fresno. First, we stop at Round Table Pizza in Oakhurst and devour a large pizza. We reach Fresno after 7, dropping off Connie and Steve. Then back home for a bit of a rest.