Central California National Parks: A Campsite Caper

Monday, May 20th

[So this is actually the second time I’m writing this because for some reason, while working on this on my trip, my computer decided that it didn’t need to actually save what I had done despite the fact I saved what I had done…or thought I did.  So I’ll try to remember what I had to say and repeat myself.]

On Sunday morning I packed up camp and set out on the road from Hodgdon Campground one last time.  I planned to spend one last morning in Yosemite before making my way to Fresno.  The first stop of the day was something they call Tunnel View.  It is the last place you can view Yosemite Valley from before heading through the tunnel that takes you away.  Unfortunately the morning I was up there, the view wasn’t great.  It was rather hazy in the morning sunlight, so I don’t think it was as awe-inspiring as it could have been maybe an hour or two later in the day.

View from Glacier Point

From Tunnel View, I headed to Glacier Point.  Glacier Point offers a fantastic view of Yosemite Valley from up above.  You can actually hike up there from the Valley via 4 Mile Trail, but I decided that trail would have to wait for another trip.  The views from Glacier Point were stunning for sure.  You could see Vernal and Nevada Falls and Half Dome all very clearly in one direction.  Then wander over a little further to your left and get amazing views of Yosemite Falls and the meadow down below.  Up on Glacier Point, once upon a time there used to be two hotels.  However, when both burned down in a fire, they decided to not rebuild, allowing that area to return back to nature.

Yosemite Falls as seen from Glacier Point

After leaving Glacier Point I continued south through Yosemite to the visitor center on the south end of the park.  The plan had been to take the road back to Mariposa Sequoia Grove and hike the Grizzly Grove Trail, but the road was closed and shuttle buses not yet running, so the only way to get back to the grove was a 2 mile hike.  So instead, I hiked back to the grove, took the loop through Mariposa Grove and hiked back out.  On the way I decided to count the rings on a tree that was down.  I counted 89 rings (this was not a sequoia or I’d still be counting).  

First Sequoia Sightings

Just north of the visitor center you could see that fire had recently run through the forest.  A volunteer that I asked said that the fire had occurred 2 years ago, the Washburn Fire, and they were able to stop it just north of the visitor center and save it.  It was the first area I had been through that you could tell fire had passed through in the past couple of years.  There were other areas that I had been through that showed signs of fire, but probably more in the 10-30 years ago range.

The drive from Yosemite to Fresno went quick and I made it to the hotel mid-afternoon.  I had the most amazing shower and I did some laundry.  I also made a run to the nearby Target to get a couple of things I decided would be useful to have that I hadn’t packed, and ate supper.  Then to bed.

Kings River in the V-Shaped Canyon

This morning I hopped on the road early so I could get to Kings Canyon as soon as I could.  Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are 2 parks adjacent to each other that are administered as one park, but count as 2 different parks visited (Bonus park!)  In fact, you often see them called SEKI. That is SEquoia and KIngs Canyon National Park. I made it to the park just before 9 and after talking to the park rangers, found out that the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway that goes into the heart of Kings Canyon was still closed for road repairs after being damaged by a storm.  I could make to to V shaped canyon, I was told, but not the U shaped canyon.  I learned that rivers make V shaped canyons, but glaciers make U shaped canyons.

Despite the fact the last part of the road was closed, I enjoyed the trip on the highway down into the canyon.  It was interesting because you started your drive in the pine forests, but as you descended you made your way into territory that had more desert-like plants.  Not cactus, but things like yucca, and the yucca was in bloom.

Eventually the road met up with the Kings River and boy was it a flowing!  It had as much force behind it as the Merced River in Yosemite that Vernal and Nevada Falls are on.  I pulled over a bunch of times to just appreciate the river and its rapidness.  I had lunch at Grizzly Falls which was about as far as I could go before turning around and heading back up.

On the way up, I stopped at a sign I had seen on the way down, but didn’t stop to read at the sign.  It was kind of a sad sign.  It was located in an area that had once been private land.  The owners cut down all the large sequoias and other trees leaving only the largest sequoia standing and then just a boatload of stumps.  It’s so sad that they recognized the greatness of the trees, but not enough to save them all.  I didn’t take the trail back there, but was told it is an interesting trail.

View from Panorama Point...everything the light touches is Kings Canyon, except that one spot...it's Sequoia National Forest.

I then made my way to Panorama Point.  I drove up there to check out the amazing view.  You could see much of what makes up Kings Canyon National Park from there.  And then I chose to take a hike out to a fire tower.  This trail was up over 7000 feet, which was a couple thousand feet higher than I had previously been on this trip, and boy did I feel it on this hike.  A quick glance at the trail map before heading out told me I should hit the fire tower about 2.4 miles in.  I hiked back and at around 2.5 miles still hadn’t found the fire tower so I turned back, thinking I had lost the trail and that the fire road I was on was not the right trail.  On the way back I found that I was only supposed to stay on the fire road for about a 100 feet before turning back off of it.  I did later see on the trail map that you could take the fire road to the tower, it was just about a half mile further.  Oh well, at least it was a nice hike and I got lungs working at 7000 feet as warmup for the next few days.

Krystina or tired Spongebob?

After finishing my hike I headed to my campsite at Azalea Campground where I was confused to find a tent already in my campsite.  I went over to the visitor center and told them someone was in my campsite, and they said they’d send the campground supervisor over to stop by.  A little while later just after I pulled in to find another car already there, a park ranger stopped by.  After chatting a little while with her and this other woman who was the person who had her tent up there we thought we had come to a conclusion.  I was supposed to be in campsite 109, which was where she was set up.  I asked if she was supposed to be in campsite 110 instead and if that was the case I could just set up there as long as she was only staying the one night and she said yeah.  The park ranger left, and so did the other woman, and then about 15 minutes later just after I had gotten my tent put up, someone else pulled into the campsite and said that they had reserved 110.  Hmmm…so it turns out the woman lied.  There was enough space that I just pitched my tent about 50 feet from where she was camped.  Saga to be continued….

That's okay, the view from my makeshift campsite was better.

Central California National Parks: A Flyover Celebration

 Saturday, May 18th

Yesterday morning I set out for Yosemite Valley.  The plan for the day was to hike Yosemite Falls, take in El Capitan, and see Horsetaill Falls.  I only did one of those things because I was too exhausted to do anything else.

The Goal for the Day: Reach the Top of Yosemite Falls

I parked down at the parking lot near Camp 4 and from there set out on the trail for Yosemite Falls, after a brief stop at the bathroom.  The first half mile or so was switchback after switchback.  Steep switchbacks.  In the first .75 miles I climbed 640 feet from where I had started.  I tried to keep going at a steady pace, only allowing myself a long break once I hit 30 minutes of hiking.  I mean, I still stopped for picture breaks and you all know what that means (Breather!).

Picture Break!

I knew going into this hike it would be difficult.  It was listed as “strenuous”.  The trail was only 3.5 miles to the top and the trail was going to have to rise roughly 2600 feet.  There’s no way a hike with stats like that is going to be easy.  I kind of figured this was a good test to see what sort of shape I was in.  On the other hand, I could potentially regret my choice to make this my first full day hike because what if it was too much?  Oh well, I was going for it!  I decided it was better to do it on fresh legs than to do it on my second full day at Yosemite.

View of Yosemite Valley from Columbia Rock

Columbia Rock was going to be the first major point of interest on the trail.  It sat almost just barely past 1 mile in, and right at 1000 feet of ascent.  From there you had an amazing view of Yosemite Valley, but it turns out that was just a teaser for the view from the top.  For some people that was the end of the hike and they chose to turn around, and that totally would have been a stunning hike.  But I was there for the challenge.  

From Columbia Rock you headed down a little (NOOOOO!!!).  Nothing is worse when going on a trail up to something, than to go down.  Kilimanjaro was great because it was mostly up.  Everest Base Camp was loads of ups and downs which made it more difficult.  After going another half mile or so from Columbia Rock, I started hearing this plane engine sound.  It was the falls.  I would love to know what the decibel level is on those falls because they’re loud!  And the view!  Wow!  With every step you took, it got better...also a little damper.  Where we were was about where the Falls were hitting the rocks at the bottom of the Upper Falls and for a while we followed them up higher.  Then after a bit we broke from the Falls and started another set of steep switchbacks.  This time the switchbacks were in the sun, which made it even worse.  There was a lot of leap frogging happening as you passed a group and then stopped for a break and they passed you back.  I also noticed we had mostly lost the 50+ crowd of climbers.  I wasn’t sure if they had stopped at Columbia Rock, or the first sighting of the Falls, or if they were just behind me.  

Up we go!

Up and up I went and then I started seeing the first people I recognized; people I had seen before down at Columbia Rock or lower, who had passed me. I must be getting close!  Then there were a bunch of large, smooth rocks, and then the Falls.  I had made it!  The first thing I checked out was the Falls itself.  They’re so powerful!  It’s hard to believe that by late summer or early fall they will be gone.  Yosemite Falls is fed purely by snow melt, so when the snow is gone, so are they...so there’s a reason to come to Yosemite in the spring.

Top of Yosemite Falls!

Looking down from the top

After checking out the Falls, I found a nice place to rest and take in the view.  It is stunning from up there.  I had planned to take at least a 30 minute break up there, and it ended up being roughly 45 minutes.  It was enough time to rest up my legs, eat some salty snacks, and take photos.  It was also enough time to dry out my sweaty shirt and backpack.  Oh, and apply more sunscreen (2nd time!) like a good redhead.  Then it was time to head back down.

But was it really?  The Navy had other plans.  Two fighter jets swept across the skies above the Valley.  I was getting a military flyover of Yosemite!  They circled around 4 times before disappearing.  It was a neat thing to happen.  Almost like a celebration for making it up there.

The way down was long and not really all that easy because you had to make sure you didn’t turn an ankle or a knee or slip on the sand that was on top of the rocks.  I gained a second life (or maybe 5th life) when I hit Columbia Rock.  Only a mile or so to go!  When I finally made it down I was exhausted!  I also decided I deserved a big supper.  I went to the Village Grill at Yellowstone Village for a burger, fries, and ice cream, then headed back to camp.  I was in bed by 8, while my neighbors were just cooking supper.

This morning I got up with the sun.  That was part of my new plan.  Go to bed with the sun (sunset was about 8:04), and rise with the sun.  After a breakfast of peanut butter on tortillas (I got this idea from the astronauts and I really think I like it better than peanut butter or bread), I hit the road heading back to the Valley again.  This time I was reading all the signs along the way.

My first stop of the day was Bridalveil Falls.  This is the first waterfall you see upon entering the Valley.  It is also there year-round, just with a little less water later in the summer because of how its fed.  I took the short trail up to the base of the falls, getting slightly damp along the way.

Bridalveil Falls

From there it was to the trailhead for the Mist Trail, and this was no easy feat.  The parking lot closest to the trailhead was already full so I had to park in a different spot.  This meant I would have to take the shuttle to get there, but the road through the Valley is only one-way so I had to go almost the whole way around because the shorter Village shuttle hasn’t started for the year yet.  And then because of construction, I had to walk a mile to the trailhead.  Ugh!  Exercising before my exercise!  

Today’s trail is the busiest of the park.  During summer it averages 3000 hikers.  This is because it goes up to Vernal and Nevada Falls, but also up to Half Dome.  Today was going to be a see-how-the-legs-feel day.  I wasn’t sure how far I was going to be going; I was going to let my legs decide instead of my brain.  This trail was no slouch either.  Depending on how far I decided to go, it could be almost as much ascent as the day before.

Merced River down from Vernal and Nevada Falls

The first part of the trail was paved, at least sort of.  You hook up with the Merced River pretty quickly and can hear it off to your right until you hit a bridge and see massive amoutns of water flowing at extremely high rates under you.  On the other side of the bridge you get to make a decision: hike up along the side of the falls or hike around directly to the top of the falls.  Really a better way to put it is WET or DRY?  You go up right next to these falls that are producing so much mist (huh, wonder where the Mist Trail got its name) that you come out looking like you’ve just taken a shower (my hair hasn’t been washed in 4 days!)!  Thank goodness I had my raincoat and backpack raincover.  I had decided to leave my rainpants in the car.  I sort of regretted that decision to start, but they ended up drying very quickly.  

WET!

After passing up the falls you reach the place called “The Drying Point”.  This is a large area of rock face at the top of the falls.  People are in all states of undress trying to dry themselves off.  It is also a good place to have a snack.  At this point I had decided that the trek to Nevada Falls was off, but I wasn’t going back through the wet to get down, so I was taking the dry route back down.

The Drying Point

But on the way to the dry route, I could see a bridge from which I could see Nevada Falls.  I headed up to the bridge, but decided that was as far as I was going.  The water rushes through the small span where the bridge is located with such ferocity, it is astounding!  I would love to know what the flow rate is through there right now.

From there I headed back down via the dry route (John Muir Trail) which went up first before coming back down.  There were some amazing spots for pictures up along there.  It is definitely a trail that should be hiked...just remember to take rain gear with you whether it be a poncho or a raincoat.

Up next was a quick trip to Yosemite Village to check out the Ansel Adams Gallery and the Visitor’s Center where you could learn about the geography, history, and flora/fauna of Yosemite Valley.

My last stop of the day was El Capitan.  In the afternoon they have an official event called “Ask a Climber” where you can learn about rock climbing by people who actually do it.  They can answer questions about climbing El Capitan.  The thing I wanted to know most was how long it took to get up.  The climber said that most routes will take 3-5 days, but some take as many as 10!  10 days on the side of a shear rock wall!  Though with that said, the speed record is something like 5 hours.  El Capitan rises 3200 feet above the Valley so that is exhausting.  Also at Ask a Climber, they have spotting scopes set out, trained on climbers.  You realize how slowly it actually goes most of the time.

That's a man in the middle, I swear!

Now I’m back at camp for my last night before heading out.  Tomorrow I head towards the south end of Yosemite before spending the night in Fresno...where I assume these posts will finally get posted (they did).

Central California National Parks: Yosemite or Bust!

 Thursday, May 16

Yesterday my California National Parks Adventure began.  I worked half a day before flying out to San Jose.  My flight from Wichita to Las Vegas was wonderfully on time.  We were out of the gate before our departure time.  It was glorious.  However, after arriving in Las Vegas, I found that my connecting flight to San Jose was delayed by a little over an hour.  Bummer.  I did what I do best...I wandered through the whole airport taking it all in.  It has been a few years since I last flew through Las Vegas and they were doing construction last time.  It seems to be done, though as an irregular traveler through there it is hard to say what changed.

The special surprise I made for my friends' son.

After arriving in San Jose, I headed down to pick up my bag.  It was one of the first bags off the carousel which was nice!  I then headed across the street to the car rental place where I proceeded to wait around 45 mins in line.  Then once I got up to the floor to pick up my car, it ended up being another 20 mins or so wait.  All of this was costing me time!  My schedule had me swinging by my friends’ house to pick up some things from them and then setting out so I was 1-2 hours down the road.  By the time my car finally showed up there was a change in plans, though.  It was decided that I’d spend the night at my friends’ house.  I wasn’t supposed to be staying there until after I got back from exploring.  But it was nice to spend the evening with my friends.  I got to meet my goddaughter, which was special.  She cried.  But then I got to hold her for a while after she decided to fall asleep for a bit.  

I set off this morning, bright and early.  I was on the road before 7 and managed to beat all that Silicon Valley traffic.  Turns out most of them don’t wake up that early.  I didn’t hit any stop and go traffic and only experienced a few slowdowns the whole way.  

San Pedro Lake

On my way to Yosemite, I passed through land that is full of fruit trees.  I think they were cherry trees, based off the signs I was seeing saying, “PICK YOUR OWN CHERRIES!”  Along the way I stopped for some breakfast before rolling into the north gates of Yosemite around 11:30.  After a quick stop at the information center and bathroom, I headed to my campground which was just a few minutes away.  I was able to get my tent set up, which only took about 20 mins, which I don’t consider too bad considering I have done that in a year.  After getting water, I then set out for Hetch Hetchy.

Hetch Hetchy was not part of my orignal plan.  My original plan was to take Tioga Road today, but that road is still partially under snow and isn’t open to the public yet.  But Hetch Hetchy ended up being a good choice for my first day.  Hetch Hetchy is actually a dammed up reservoir for the San Francisco.  John Muir had a thing or two to say about that when it happened, but he lost out.  I took the trail out across the dam to Wapama Falls.  Wow!  I don’t think I’ve seen a waterfall with that much water since Iceland.  And really, probably outside of Niagara Falls, it is the most powerful one I’ve seen in the US.  It is still fairly early in the year and snowmelt is still adding a lot of water to the falls.  Signs said that later in the summer and fall the amount of water coming over the falls is drastically reduced.  The hike out and back was around 5 miles.  Upon coming to the first set of falls (Tueeulala Falls), if you wanted to continue to Wapama Falls, you had to take your shoes off and wade across the rushing water from the first set of falls.  The water was fairly chilly, but felt good at the same time because it was definitely a warm day for hiking (somewhere in the 80s).

Just a little water to wade through.

Wapama Falls at Hetch Hetchy

After getting back to camp, I spent some time trying to figure out the camp stove I borrowed, but eventually got it working.  I made myself the post-hiking Supper of Champions!  Velveeta Shells & Cheese.  I had to.  If there is one thing that makes me think of the few times we went camping when I was a kid, it is Shells & Cheese, because that was one of the few times we ever had it, so it was special.  

Skyward view from camp

Tomorrow’s plan is to head down into Yosemite Valley.  Lots more hiking, some waterfalls, and seeing El Capitan.