Classic Yosemite Shots

Two Yosemite pics of classic views for your enjoyment.

Wedding in the Yosemite Chapel

Ever since my love affair with Yosemite started, I have always wanted to attend a wedding in the Chapel in the valley.  This past weekend I got my chance. My Alexander Technique teacher got married there, and I jumped at the chance to get away to Yosemite during the off-season. Of course, a wedding in mid-March could have dicey weather, but this year's unseasonable warmth gave us a most glorious weekend with no need to wear hiking boots and heavy coats to the ceremony. 

I think my favorite part of the wedding was that at the very end, as the bride and groom walked out, the bride got to ring the chapel bell by tugging at a rope that I didn't even notice when we walked in. 

Whoa Nelli Deli

I find it difficult to believe that I have not given the Whoa Nelli Deli at the Tioga Gas Mart a whole blog post to itself. Maybe it's because I have spoken at great length about this place to so many of my friends when we talk about food or Yosemite that I felt that I must have written about it. Alas, as I have gone through my old blog posts I see only a passing reference to this little gem.

As you travel north on US 395, you approach Lee Vining, and just before you arrive in the small town, you have the chance to turn left onto US 120 otherwise known as Tioga Pass. Up the hill just a bit you have a chance to fuel up at the Mobil Station. Not just gas for your car, but happiness for your stomach.

You have probably never eaten gourmet food in a gas station before, but don't be fooled by the pumps out front. This food is real good. One of the best parts is that after you get your food (pickup at the counter) you can take it out to the picnic tables and look over Mono Lake as you enjoy your food.

During this last trip we had breakfast and dinner here each day (lunch consisted of snacks in the backpacks). The first day we each ordered a breakfast burrito, but only ate half of it and had the rest for lunch (it's better when it's warm). So the next two days we shared a burrito.

I think my favorite dinner is still the fish tacos, one with mango salsa (which finds its way onto many other plates, too).

On Thursday nights the Gas Mart features live music, and we heard The Trespassers, a bluegrass band, on the night we were there. The outdoors was jam-packed with all kinds of people (and lots and lots of beer), including quite a few small children who danced and danced their little hearts out.

Fear Allayed!

Ever since, well for a long, long time, I have had a fear of heights. This expresses itself in a fear of being too near a ledge, fear of flying, and a fear of driving on scary mountain roads. For a number of years now, whenever we drive down the Tioga Pass Road from Yosemite to Lee Vining, I will sit in the back seat behind the driver and either close my eyes or look out the window that doesn't look down over the edge.  This is one steep slope on a narrow road.

This year, I took this photo as we ascended the pass and started thinking to myself.  "I don't really have to be afraid of this road anymore."  So, upon driving down from Tuoloumne this time, I sat in the passenger seat and kept my eyes open the whole time.  AND I WAS NOT AFRAID!

I cannot say why this time was any different.  I know that I while I am still quite unsettled by air turbulence, I have convinced myself that it is okay to fly, especially when it gets me places I really want to go.  I do not have any advice for anyone else trying to overcome fears such as these, but I have to say that it is greatly freeing to have fewer worries!

Hiking in the Mountains - Parker Lake

It's always great when the people you choose to travel with like to do things the same way that you do. H and I have our modus operandi all figured out for trips like these. Get up a little early (but not TOO early) and have a good breakfast.  Start hiking before 10:00 and snack along the trail. Get back from hike in the middle of the afternoon and sit by some great body of water (lake, river) or meadow.  Take it easy the rest of the day and eat a delicious dinner.

Two of our three hikes were not new to us.  We chose them because we knew we wouldn't have much time to adjust to the altitude, so we wandered up and down the Tuolumne River where it was relatively flat.  One day we went towards Glen Aulin, stopping just when the path takes a steep descent.  The next took us up the Lyell Fork of the river towards Donohue Pass.  

On the way home, however, we tried out a new hike, this one just outside of the park.  I read about it and thought it sounded great, and it WAS.  Off of the June Lake loop road is a dirt road leading to the Parker Lake Trailhead.  The first 20 minutes of the hike are pretty steadily uphill in the full sun, and I took advantage of frequent stops to take photos.

 Here is one photo from our ascent as we look back over Mono Lake.

After a little way the scrubby growth gives way to a forest of huge pine trees and aspens and the trail is much more level, as well as shady.  It wanders by a stream, so the sound of water was soothing.

After 1.9 miles and 300 feet in elevation gain, we emerged at Parker Lake, and if you look up, you can see a beautiful waterfall.

We enjoyed this hike so much that I am sure we will do it again, and next time we'll take some friends!

Eastern Sierras by the Numbers

Clouds over the Sierras on 395

Last night we arrived home after a long weekend getaway to the Eastern Sierras.  Until I go through all my photos and start thinking about all the fun we had, here is a quick summary of the trip by the numbers:

3 hikes (1 new to us)
18 total miles hiked (6 and 8 and 4)
6 meals at the Whoa Nellie Deli
770 miles on the car
3 nights at the El Mono Motel in Lee Vining
2 books (one on CD, one in paperback)
1 jacket forgotten (1 bought at Kmart in Bishop)
Over 300 photos taken
4 marmots, countless deer, butterflies, ground squirrels, 0 bears seen
1 fear overcome, or at least tamed quite a bit

Yes, folks, you are in for a few blog posts this week about some of these very items.

Home!

2,650 miles, 435 photos, and 11 days later, we have arrived home! We knew we wanted to leave nice and early so we could have breakfast in Mammoth Lakes, so when the pack of coyotes barking and howling woke me at 5:20, I used that as my alarm clock. Wow! Coyotes howling in the wilderness . . . what a beautiful sound!

It was lovely to see the sun come up over Yosemite as we drove along, and I captured a few photos from the car window.

Home by 2:00 where Claire was waiting for us!

Special Edition: On the Road, Day 11

One thing about the Porcupine Flats campground. I think it is warmer and a little quieter than Tuolumne. It's much smaller, too. Okay, that's more than one thing. Hal rustled up some instant oatmeal for breakfast while I scanned the hiking book and maps. I discovered that there was a nice, fairly level hike to Lukens Lake, about a 4.6 mile round trip starting at White Wolf. I thought we might be able to buy coffee at the restaurant there before heading out, and that's what we did. The hike itself was lovely, and we ended up spending about an hour just admiring the lake, taking photos, and eating leftover lunch from yesterday.

The afternoon plan was to walk to our special spot on the river, but by the time we had hiked back to White Wolf, the altitude had gotten to me, so we drove to another river spot and enjoyed the afternoon of listening to the water and reading some more. (After all this reading, there will undoubtedly be a book review coming up in this blog!)

With more time to spend, we decided on another trip to the Whoa Nellie! Deli for dinner where we actually sat inside (we usually sit outside overlooking Mono Lake) and watched the Cubs on t.v.

Special Edition: On the Road, Day 10

Sometimes on vacation we get up early if we're headed somewhere special. This morning we left Sacramento early, beating some rush hour traffic, as we drove to Yosemite. We had no camping reservations, so we made a beeline to the Tuolumne campground and got there by 11. The sites were all taken, so they put us on a waiting list (#11) and told us to return at 2:00. Garnering provisions at the store, we headed to the river in the meadow and ate, took pictures, read books until the appointed hour. While watching the river, I noticed something long and squiggly swimming towards a rock, and out of the water popped a small snake! I had never before seen a snake in the high country, so I made sure to take a photo.

At 2:00 the line at the campground reservations was long, and the ranger came out and said that there were absolutely no spots available! Plan B: hightail it to Porcupine Flat campground, about 25 minutes west of Tuolumne. We needn't have worried, though. There were plenty of sites in this mostly undeveloped site. No water, pit toilets, but space.

Despite our exile, we spent the rest of the afternoon in the meadow, then went down the hill to the Tioga Gas Mart and had dinner at our very favorite Whoa Nellie! Deli.

Paradise

It's hard to say everything about our 7 days in Paradise, so I'll hit the highlights. First of all, we found a section of the Tuolumne River that we had not seen before which is fairly isolated and absolutely stunning. We made several trips there to enjoy the scenery and solitude.

The most memorable part of the trip, though, was the 3-day family backpacking adventure. We covered over 20 miles, hiking from Tuolumne Meadows down to the Valley. The first day we hiked and hiked uphill, past the lovely Cathedral Lake and made it to this high point you see in the picture. The first night we spent in the Sunrise High Sierra Camp (the backpacker's section). Day two found us hiking downhill toward Half Dome. We reached our camp (just off the main trail) by 3:30, and Hal, Liesl and Claire decided to go the extra 4-mile roundtrip to summit Half Dome. That's two miles straight up, then two miles straight down. I stayed in the camp to protect our food from bears. I ended up protecting our gear from the small rain shower. They made it up and down in 3 1/2 hours - amazingly enough - after having hiked all day. Day Three brought us all the way down into the Valley via Nevada and Vernal Falls. I think the descending switchbacks between the two falls was just as dastardly as the hike up out of Tuolumne. My calves still ache!

I have put 28 pictures of the 250 we took on my Picasa Web Album. Take a look!