Into The Great Wide Open

Once again, it has been a while. And once again, it is not just my penchant for being a sloth that has kept me away. In a second travel installment, I spent a lovely, and crazy, weekend in the wilds of Yosemite National Park. Overall, I had a fantastic weekend in the outdoors with good friends and fresh air, something I could use far more of in my life. But I definitely need to be better prepared for the next time, as you will see.

We left on a Friday morning, taking a nice long drive to the park with a few fun stops along the way to break up the monotony of the road. The route traveled was one I had driven once before on a trip to Mammoth Mountain, and I was excited. For along this route, in the middle of nowhere California, you will find a small stand on one side of the road and a gas station on the other. What is this stand you ask and why would stopping here be so exciting? It is the home of Really Good Beef Jerky, of course! I could not resist this for two reasons. One, the beef jerky is really good and quite tasty. And two, it is a stand in the middle of nowhere, and I mean nowhere! If you stop and look in any direction, you will see absolutely no sign of civilization for miles. Who runs a beef jerky stand in the middle of nowhere! I was not the only one suckered in, though, as the parking lot was packed with travelers stopping to sample the wares and leave with tasty food stuffs.

After this delicious diversion, we were back on are way and moving closer to the park. The drive was mostly uneventful, full of good music and conversation as the excitement built in the car. None traveling had ever been to the park, so we were anxious and excited for the adventure ahead. As we wound upward through the mountains, things became noticeably greener and more alive. This added to the thrills as we moved ever closer to our destination. We reached the last turnoff, and stopped at a last chance gas station to top off the tank and refill our ice chests. Here, I got a fantastic souvenir of the trip before it had really begun. I began a tradition earlier this year of acquiring a shot glass from places I have visited. In this little gas station, I got one for Yosemite. It is red, metal, and has a carabineer as a handle. A little odd and very singular to our destination, perfect for the collection! After this fun stop, we ventured on, moving continuously through the mountains and winding our way to the entrance of Yosemite.

The natural beauty of Yosemite stands front and center no matter where you go in the park. Even the road, nestled between the high peaks, is a thing of beauty. In all directions, great peaks and stands of trees line the path, as though inviting you in to see the wonder of nature and this thrilling preserve of natural beauty. Sitting in the car in awe of the world around us, one we rarely see living in a modern city, we found ourselves so transfixed that before we even realized it, we had come upon the entrance to the park. As we moved up to the gate to pay our entrance fee, I noticed the sign that stated we were now 9945 feet above sea level. Wow, other than in an airplane, I had never been so high up before. Right from the start it was already a new experience.

After successfully navigating through the gate, we continued to wind our way through the majestic forest to our appointed campgrounds. For our first trip to Yosemite, we stayed in what many regard as one of the most beautiful parts of the park, Tuolumne Meadows. And just from what we saw on the drive, it definitely lived up to the hype. Beautiful wide fields and clear blue streams and lakes surrounded by trees and mountains all framed under a clear blue sky. Fantastic vistas and photo opportunities from every angle you look, there really is no bad view. We passed the beautiful Tuolumne Lodge, which looks like a great place to stay and visit. We never did get there this trip. Perhaps next time, we will be able to see more sights, and plan some other excursions. It was amazing to look at the area, so filled with life and people running around and enjoying nature, it was hard to imagine that this area is closed to the public for months of the year. Due to the high elevation, this area receives heavy snow fall in the wintertime, and subsequently, the road becomes impassable and the area is closed off. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in the wintertime covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow.

With excitement bubbling over, we entered our appointed campgrounds, checked in with the ranger, and slinked our way to our campsite. There were many people with the same idea as us, out to get away from it all for the weekend and we saw them all busily setting up their sites. We pulled in and greeted our friends and camp mates and the first issue of the weekend crops up. I look at the outdoor temperature gauge in my truck, and it reads 65 degrees. Hmmm, somewhat low for 3 in the afternoon, I thought, much lower than I had expected. As it turned out during the entire weekend, it was much colder than we were expecting, and I really needed to be better prepared. We planned on mid 80’s during the day, and 50’s during the night, however, it was actually mid 70’s during the day and mid to high 30’s at night. This was definitely an eye opener and created more than a bit of craziness and hilarity later.

After saying our hellos to our fellow campers that arrived before us, we stowed the car, began unloading our food and gear, found a spot to set up the tent and basically went about the business of creating a little home away from home in the forest. All food and anything with a scent we safely secured in our site bear locker. If you are unfamiliar with these, the bear locker is basically a large metal cabinet planted into the ground and secured with a latch. That way, if a hungry bear makes his way around through campsites looking for a snack, he cannot get to them. All weekend, except when we were pulling stuff out for meals, snacks or general hygiene, all of us were very diligent about using the lockers. And not surprisingly, we did not see bear one the entire weekend. I am not convinced that it was because we were good with the lockers, although I do believe they help. I think it was because no bear would want to come near our crazy, loud behinds.

We proceeded to set up the tent, giving the dwelling its inaugural run as shelter. Since neither of the Lady K or I had been camping in many years, a new tent was one of the many pieces of gear we had to procure before the trip. We found this great tent designed for six adults on sale and snatched it up. I like extra room in my tent to spread out. But we were excited to see how our new tent would do in the rigors of the wild. We found a good location, on a slight incline, that worked out well. All of our clothes and other gear were stowed safely inside, and the air mattress was inflated and adorned with our blankets and sleeping bags. However, as we organized the interior of the ten, I mistakenly positioned the mattress wrong on the incline with one side of the mattress on the lower part instead of the foot of the mattress which would have been more logical. However, neither of us would discover this faux pau until much later at a far more inconvenient time. With all the hard work out of the way, it was time to relax and socialize.

As our first evening began, we started by making some food and sitting around the campfire, swapping stories and being generally goofy. There were quite a few of us there, 18 all told by the time the late stragglers showed up the next morning, so we had a great group of people. At one point, during a bathroom run, a few of us stopped to look up and gaze at the star-filled sky. Something I do not get to see at all where I live, due to light pollution, but I miss greatly. Thousands upon thousands of stars on display creating a canopy of starlight for us. It was such a beautiful sight. We also laughed and played mad libs throughout the evening. A few drinks of an alcoholic nature were had, and I was slow on the intake of said drinks. I know that with such a drastic altitude change, it does not take much for one to get out of control. I learned that lesson once on a ski weekend the very hard way. So as I mentioned, I was being very careful with my intake. What I did not remember from that ski weekend was that without being acclimated to the altitude, I can still get a wicked headache. Which, predictably, I did and said headache lasted well into the early morning. Now, it is appropriate for me to mention now that as evening turned to night, the temperature turned from cool to cold and eventually to freezing. During our revelry, our band of merry campers moved closer and closer to the fire we had constructed, all the while adding more and more layers of clothing. I sacrificed my only sweatshirt for the Lady K, who was freezing and shivering with many layers and planted right in front of the fire. As the evening began to wear down, we adjourned and went to find some warmth, if any, in our tent.

At first, things were not too bad. We were sleeping fully clothed, but without my sweatshirt, it was definitely much colder than anticipated. Luckily, we were cuddled together to share body heat, which did help to a certain degree. However, it was here when the craziness began. Being on the incline, the Lady K would roll into me, which was exactly what I wanted, as it added to the sharing of our body heat. But with her leaning on me, together we would roll further down the air bed until inevitably I would fall onto the very cold tent floor. At first, while battling the headache, I would ask her gently to move back up. By the middle of the night, with my headache raging, the gentle whispers and nudges turned into outright shoving every time my body hit that cold plastic canvas. Unfortunately by that time, and unbeknownst to me, the sleeping bag we laid on the bottom of the bed had slid down, and exposed part of the very cold air mattress near the top. So when I shoved, she resisted, for fear of having to lie on the ice cold mattress. It was a comedy of errors, no doubt for anyone who may have heard or seen. If I was not so tired with a splitting headache, I am sure I would have laughed too. Unfortunately, this was the pattern all night. Needless to say, neither of us, nor hardly any of the party, was able to acquire much rest the first night.

As dawn broke the next day, we all began to rouse from our restless semi slumber. One couple, who had a nifty truck tent, had a horrible nights sleep because their air mattress failed and deflated, causing them to sleep most of the night on the truck bed itself. Another gentleman was basically on the bare ground, and he was not able to obtain much sleep. We groggily laughed at each other and ourselves as we began to pull ourselves together and began to percolate some breakfast.

As breakfast was swinging in, a few of us ventured out to a general store that was nearby. I needed some hot chocolate desperately, and was curious as to what they had, openly hoping they sold some sort of cold weather gear. The store itself was very cute, nestled into the woods right along the main road. There was a little greasy spoon attached to it, which a few friends of mine glommed right onto due to the fact that they had hot, fresh coffee. You would think they found gold with the way they reacted. My reaction was pretty much the same, once I found out the store sold sweatshirts and gloves! I picked up one each for myself and the Lady K, some hot chocolate, and prepared for a better day ahead.

After cleaning up breakfast and ourselves to a certain degree, thoughts turned to what our adventure would be for the day. Several people had a few hikes in mind, but the one we all kept coming back to was a hike around Tenya Lake. The hike was fairly easy with an all flat terrain, 2.5 miles around the entire lake, and would make a good easy stroll to get us in the park frame of mind and a great warm up for a bigger hike tomorrow. We were not sure of the distance from our campsite to the lake, but it was thought to be little more than a mile. So, being the intrepid explorers, and foolishly without checking with a park ranger to confirm the distance, we started off. And a merry bunch we were, rambling along the roads, laden with our packs of water and snacks. We jaunted merrily along, looking forward to the beautiful lake and a nice stroll. After a mile, we realized it was a bit further than we first anticipated, but looking at the map, we still thought it was not too much further in the distance, and continued on unabated. A few of our intrepid group at one point broke off to climb to the top of a rock dome formation. It was a little doing, but so very worth it. The view at the top was unbelievable. I snapped a handful of pictures from my vantage point overlooking the meadows and trees. We rested for a moment, all a little breathless from the altitude and the view, and ventured down again to continue toward our intended destination.

Once regrouped at the bottom, we started off to join up with everyone else. I began to walk with earnest, putting on my Ipod and trucking forward while getting some great exercise. I kept myself well hydrated, which I am glad I did, because with every crest of the hill or turn of the road, two things did not seem to appear, the group nor the lake. It seemed as though no matter how far I went, neither were in the distance. On we soldiered, waiting for one or both to show. Finally, rounding a turn going up a hill, at the top was the other part of our group, waiting patiently for the remainder of us. As we caught up and rested, our original distance measurer informed the late arrivals that it should be only a half mile further. Since we were no where near a shuttle stop, we girded ourselves and struck out, in hopes of finding this mysterious lake.

I started out this section of the hike slow, at the back of our group. I was not going to rush to get there, as I was unsure of the distance at this point and beginning to wonder of actually how far it really was ahead. The group began to stretch out, and the vanguard eventually disappeared from sight. The few of us bringing up the rear took opportunities to chat and snap a few pictures. But the unexpected length of the hike was beginning to take its toll. My lower back had become a large knot, and my calves were screaming as if they were on fire. Luckily before the start, I took the foresight to put my knee braces on, but even at this point, while they were supporting me, the were digging into the backs of my legs. But on we hiked, in hopes of seeing the ever elusive lake. Finally, after another turn with no lake, two of my friends in the rear stopped to ask a few sightseers how far they thought the lake was from where we were at. They said perhaps a mile, no more than two. It was more than I could bear at this point, as the strain of the hike had reached an apex. I snapped, and shouted I could not do two more miles. In the same instant, my brain screamed, yes you can. I slammed on my Ipod and charged ahead, determined to make up the last distance even if my legs fell off in the process. As I left a cloud of dust, my friends decided to get a second opinion. This couple felt it was more like five miles. Sensing their concern, the couple offered to give us a ride. My friends happily accepted, and picked up the Lady K and myself, now about a quarter mile past them charging like a stubborn mule. We crammed into their car, relieved to be off our feet and unsure of where anyone, or the lake, was at. The comedy of all of us in a small car was unbelievable. This friendly couple had two dogs, which sat in the front seat with her while her husband drove while the four of us shoehorned ourselves into a back seat designed for two adults and one child. To say we were cramped was an understatement, but it was well worth it just to be off our feet. We drove for approximately 10 seconds, and like a mirage the lake appeared before us. It was only ½ a mile ahead! I had almost made it, and probably would have considering how my brain was screaming at my body like a drill sergeant at a recruit. The nice couple dropped us off at a picnic location situated on one side of the lake, and with the luck of the Irish we ran into a member of our party who had driven there instead of hiking since he had two small boys. They were all spending the day by the shore, cavorting in the surf of the clear mountain lake. He offered to take us back, and we said to pick the others up first, as we had no idea where along the road they might be. We rested in the sand on the lakeshore, happy for the opportunity to relax as he drove off in search of the others. I pulled off my knee braces, soaked with sweat, to find they had cut into the back of my knees, leaving 3 inch open wounds. Plus, I had a few blisters on my feet that popped, making it painful to even cool off in the water. Regardless, I was happy to be sitting.

Our friend returned, saying he could not find anyone. We figured they had found the shuttle stop we were looking for and headed back to the camp. So, with a merciful heart, he took us all back, and came back for his friends and boys on a second trip. He dropped us off at the general store, and we walked the last bit back to camp, happy to see our tents again, and everyone else as well. It turned out they did find the shuttle stop after all and hopped on the first one that came along. We did manage to find the distance from camp to the lake, about 7 ½ miles. For those of us that went to the top of the dome, about 8 ½ to 9 miles of total hiking for the day. So much for the easy 4 mile hike.

Tired and exhausted, we managed to pull ourselves together, clean up and start some dinner. Now, I was excited by dinner because it gave me the opportunity to break out my new mountain pie makers. What is a mountain pie? I am glad you asked! It is basically a cast iron sandwich maker. You put a slice of bread on each side, and some sort of filling in the middle, then squeeze the sides shut, flip the latch to keep them closed and plop it into the campfire. Rotate the maker a few times for even cooking, then pull it out, open it up and wa la, you have a mountain pie. Or you can call it a turn over or a campfire hot pocket, whatever designation you like. They can be fun and really delicious and with come cooking ingenuity, you can make them out of just about anything. We made some ham and cheese and some pizza pie mountain pies Saturday night. There were a few skeptics amongst the ranks, but even they were interested in the process and a few adventurous souls even ventured to try one. They do add some fun to a meal in the great outdoors in my humble opinion.

After the dinner cleanup, we began layering up and congregating around the campfire for another round of gabbing and games. It was a relatively subdued evening, since most everyone was beat from the activities of the day. Everyone adjourned to bed at a decent hour this night. Now, to overcome the incline problem of the night before, I took the precaution of adjusting the position of the air mattress, putting the head of it at the top of the incline, exactly where I should have put it a day earlier. Without the threat of rolling out from under the covers, mixed with extra layers of clothing and being exhausted from the hike, I had a great night of sleep. I slept most of the night with no issues, save for having to use the restroom. Woof, there was nothing colder than trying to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night while you are half asleep. I have no idea how people with outhouses did it. By morning, with a good night’s rest and a fresh day ahead, we were feeling almost human again.

Sunday began on a great note. We made a big breakfast, everyone taking part and having a good time, each joining in as they roused from their slumber. A gigantic omelet was made, and mostly devoured. It was delicious, filled with a variety of meats, cheeses and vegetables. Everyone proceeded with a cleanup of the food stuffs and themselves following our enjoyable meal. By late morning, some of the heartier folks were interested in a hike. I was still feeling the previous day’s activities in my calves and back, so I passed, as did the Lady K. Two others did as well, and we wished the intrepid hikers a fond adieu as they trekked off on another adventure. The four of us who remained relaxed, shot the breeze, and played a spirited game of Mexican Train Dominos. If you have never played, I encourage you to try. It really is a fun version of dominos. By the time we finished and had crowned a winner, everyone else was returning from their hike with stories of the sights seen on their excursion. As people trickled in and out of the common area, we began operation perishable. The goal being to rid ourselves of every perishable item left in the coolers. Food was doled out like a relief mission, with encouragements to all to eat more. I broke out the burgers I brought along, and found myself for a change rather inept at the grill. Out of seven burgers I put on, I somehow managed to drop three into the fire. Now, I knew before I started grilling that I was not coordinated enough that evening to be leaning over the campfire. After 32 years, you begin to know yourself. And, low and behold, I was correct. I was nowhere near ready. But the ones I did make were pretty good, and everyone got a heck of a laugh out of it. So, I suppose all is well that ends well.

We ate and talked and played a few games well into the evening, finally retiring for the night and tucking ourselves in against the cold. I did not sleep as well that night, but still much, much better than Friday night. We woke early, and began the painful process of saying goodbye to our temporary mountain home. Packing clothes and gear, tearing down tents, putting away the last of the dishes and food stuffs, patrolling the campsite for errant trash and disposing of all waste, all of the things you need to do before breaking camp. Once the last of the fire was properly doused and we were loaded to the gills with our gear once again, we struck out for civilization. With a few stops on the winding road out for picture opportunities, we were soon exiting the park, and rolling toward home. It was sad to leave despite the comedy of errors that the weekend produced, as I did really enjoy our time there. There were so many things I did not get to see yet did not have the opportunity. Some of the more famous sites like half dome and the sequoia grove we never had an opportunity to visit and experience. We are already thinking of the next trip. Perhaps next year would be a good time to visit again.

As we trucked out of the mountains toward home, we made a few more enjoyable stops along the way. In the town of Bishop, there is a great bakery called Schatt’s, and they make some of the best bread I have ever tasted. We stopped for lunch there, and brought a few bits of culinary goodness home to enjoy. We of course made a stop at the Really Good Jerky stand; I just could not help myself. And in the town of Lone Pine, we stopped at a building that had a gigantic sign advertising that it was a film museum. In a town that is no more than 2000 people, in the middle of nowhere, there is a film museum. We had to stop and was it ever worth it. The museum is centered around the history of film in the town, and about all of the feature films that were shot in Lone Pine. Many old westerns were shot in and around the town, and some more current films, such as the Tremors series, were also shot there. They hold an annual film festival, and have many old stars return to speak about their careers in film and experiences on the films they made in Lone Pine. It was a lot of fun and an interesting tour. But, the road called to us and reminded us to get our butts home, as the day was wearing on.

The remainder of our drive was rather uneventful, short of seeing a hillside fire about an hour from home. And even that did not seem too exciting, as the hill had no houses on it, and fire crews obviously had the situation under control. After fighting the typical city traffic, we finally made it home safe and sound. The lugging of gear out of the car seemed to take forever, but we managed to get it all out, and some of it out for washing and other items unpacked air out. The Lady K went to fetch our dog from his sitter, and I took something I had not in days, a nice, long hot shower. Oh, it felt so wonderful and decadent. By the time she returned, and showered, we were finally able to sit down and relax, and reflect on the wonderful weekend in Yosemite. Well, except for being unprepared for the cold, and the unexpected monster hike. Other than that, it was great! In all seriousness, we did have a lot of fun, and Yosemite is unbelievably beautiful. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Just bring extra layers; you never know it might be colder than you think.