Day 157 - JMT Yosemite Tuolumne Meadows

Wildfire smoke would be the antagonist for our trip. I learned this on day 1 of our 200-mile hike while on the bus to Yosemite. A father and daughter had to leave their journey halfway through because dense smoke from the 55,000 acre Rough Fire in Kings Canyon was pouring east over the high mountains, making the air poisonous and ruining the views:(

But we knew the first few days would be clear. A half hour into the four-hour bus ride the smoke shrouded the mountains and the towns. It cleared eventually as we turn up a steep hill to the eastern pass of Yosemite. My first views of Yosemite were as lovely as they had been in my dreams.

We picked up our wilderness permit, lying about the extra food outside our bear cans (having too much food--heavy food- was another hike antagonist). Then we were off. A stroll through the woods, past streams and quiet bird calls led us to a long meadow- Tuolumne. I remembered hearing about Tuolumne Meadows while researching the Pacific Crest Trail and here we were. It felt awesome!!

We immediately felt the weight of our packs-- mine around 45 pounds and Bob's maybe 60 pounds. I had invested in ultralight hiking gear but the bear canister, 7+ days of food and extra water added heft. Bob had heavier gear but also an Alaskan toughness to carry him on. The mountain range containing Donahue Pass, tomorrow's exit from Yosemite, neared as we trotted onward.

And closer, the green gave way to grey. Alpine awaited.

We climbed halfway up, maybe 1000 feet in elevation and stopped at a wooded stream crossing. We found a secluded campsite by a waterfall, setup our camping gear (tarp plus bivy sacks) and jumped in the ice cold swimming hole near the falls. Hello Sierra! We cooked our first meal, Couscius with mixed veggies, nuts and raisins and learned our first lesson--too many veggies. Very full, supremely content and more excited than ever, we camped beneath the stars, awaiting the next wild day.

Comments

Days 89 and 90 - Waterton

I started my journey north to Canada today. My plan was to head to Waterton Lakes, just north of Glacier, then to Calgary, then the Canadian Rockies parks of Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Glacier and a few others, then to Vancouver and finally to Seattle, all over the next several weeks. But first I needed the Internet! I drove south out of Many Glacier to a place I remembered having cell reception. I did some emailing and calling back home, did some research for my Canada trip and watched the final three episodes of Game of Thrones--wow, the final two episodes were sensational. This rainy, dreary day was perfect for such activities. I then drove into Canada late in the evening and to a campground set in the cloudy mountains at Waterton. The weather cleared a bit the next day and I was able to do some hiking around this scenic alpine lakes district. Waterton Lakes district from a high hill called Bear's Hump: The chipmunks at Bear's Bump were very interested in the conten...

Day 106 - Seattle

My July 4th started with a drive from Vancover to Seattle, arriving at the Museum of Flight by 11. The museum tour began with a display of the 27 U.S. Flags, made interesting by announcing the history of the states entry into the union. This B-17 is similar to the bomber my grandfather flew in WW2. A former Air Force One plane that Kennedy road on was another highlight. I stayed all day at the museum enjoying the history of aviation exhibits and finally space! I drove into downtown Seattle to checkout the city parks reserved for fireworks watching. These neighborhoods were crawling with people and would make horrible stealth street camping sites. I called several hostels and all were full... but then I found one with one bed left. I reserved the spot and drove to the hostel to find it in walking distance to the fireworks. I joined a group waking down to see the fireworks. We were joined by a few others. Two skydivers with fire flaming behind their path were followed by...

Day 93 - Calgary to Banff

After a very pleasant morning at Dave's house spent photocopying trail and scramble guide routes, enjoying a great breakfast and coffee, meeting some of Dave's extremely kind family members and chatting more about adventures, I set out for downtown Calgary. I thought a walk around a museum would be a nice change of pace, so I toured the Glenbow Museum. Two highlights were a Blackfoot Indian describing the meaning of their Tipi decorations and the Gun Scupture. The history of Alberta section was also quite interesting: fur trappers then cowboys then railroad builders then oil drillers. I then walked down to a nearby waterfront park, along a pedestrian only shopping street where a Christian pride rally was taking place, and then down quiet side streets to the park. Seeing people out jogging and playing on this Sunday afternoon reminded me of the real life I must one day return to. But not yet! Hungry and ready for mountains, I walked back to my van and left Calgary heading wes...

Road Trip Daily

Search This Blog