Yosemite Mar 1-4 2011

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

We are leaving the critters behind and heading to points cold. As is our usual pattern, I have suggested a course of activity that does not jibe well with our physical fitness level. Yes, we will be snowshoeing to Dewey Point from Badger Pass, weather permitting. How hard could it be. It's only 3 and half miles in the snow. Piece of cake. I'll probably bring more camera gear than I need to weigh me down.

I'll get the name of the hospital where to send flowers sometime next week.

It used to be, it was stay in a tent or you really aren't experiencing Yosemite. I'm very glad we will be staying in the Yosemite Lodge. We will not however be enjoying Brunch at the Awahnee because it is closed for repairs.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

I look forward to your photos and your harrowing tale of hardship.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

The Queen last went to Yosemite in 2003. This was her first and only trip to the best place on earth. However, we went late in the year and the waterfalls were less than spectacular. Okay, Yosemite Falls would have been better named Yosemite Cliff. Vernal Falls looked particularly thin. The valley was beautiful, it just wasn’t an optimal showing, especially for your first visit.

Neither of us had been back since, until last August when I was up at GM Tu’s ranch working. His retreat/ranch/ house was only about an hour from the gate to the park. The entire time I was digging post holes and putting up fencing and arguing with GM Tu about how things should be built, I kept burning with desire to be in Yosemite. After work one day, I got in the car and escaped. I also got to bring three asian passengers as well. They decided I needed company. My good manners decided I did, too.

It turned out to be a four hour round trip as I went up to Glacier Point to catch the sunset on Half Dome. I also had Maeve with me. She was a big hit as we strolled around looking at the waterfalls and watching the sunset. I think we spent almost an hour there. It was quite enough to satisfy my jones to be in the park, but it helped.

Through the fall and winter, I kept thinking I should go back and do Yosemite justice. I was finally spurred to return when I realized that GM Tu was having a seminar in the Valley in April. I figured I needed to get a little alone time there with the camera before I spent a weekend traipsing around with a bunch of Qigong enthusiasts.

I was going to go for a day. The plan was to drive up for a day, spend the night, and drive back the following day. That seemed insane. I figured I could drive up, spend two nights, meaning I would have a whole day in the park, and then drive back. I cleared the plan with the Queen and she agreed with the understanding that some time in the very near future, the two of us would go together.

I started checking dates for a good time for both of us to go. It turns out people make their reservations for the Yosemite lodge a year in advance. Most of the days and weekends coming up were already booked. The only time we could both get a room was the time I was going to go by myself. Which is what we did. Oh my god, we were being spontaneous. Yes, we had a week’s worth of planning. Yes, I had to buy a million things from amazon.com for the trip including Tire Chains. It turns out it is still winter in the mountains.

We planned to do a snowshoe trip to Dewey Point and photo walk with one of the teachers at the Ansel Adams gallery. The snowshoe trip left from Badger Pass along the Glacier Point road and heads to the rim of the valley. I wanted to do this because you can’t get all the way to Glacier Point in the winter unless you want to Cross Country ski for 16 miles. We were doing the photo walk so Cindi could break in her new camera and I could see the spots were Ansel Adams took some of his famous Yosemite Valley Photographs.

We left Tuesday morning and before you new it we were driving through the gates of Yosemite. The Ranger told us we would need to put on our chains about ten miles up the road but I never saw anybody telling us to do that.

The sky was blue. The air was crisp. It was the perfect Yosemite Winter day, something I had never experienced before either. I think the closest I got was when I went on a week long field trip in 8th grade to the Yosemite Institute. The Yosemite Institute used to be headquartered at the Yosemite Lodge where we would be staying.

The view from the parking lot at Tunnel View was breathtaking. I took great pains to screw up my cameras settings so all the pictures I took were tremendously overexposed. We then stopped at Bridalveil falls. It was kind enough to have tons of water flowing over it.

After we checked in at Yosemite Lodge, we took the cameras to Yosemite Falls. I know I will be struck down by the back to nature gods, but it was really nice having a nice hotel room in the middle of the park. Especially one that is within walking distance of Yosemite Falls. We did have cable but we didn’t turn the TV on the entire time we were there.

The best part about the park in winter, no one was there. On our trip to the Falls, we saw eight people. Four of whom were inappropriately dress kids. I wear shorts a lot but even I had pants on for this trip.These kids did not. I think one of them was also wearing sandals. For some reason, they were all shivering.

Regardless, the Falls were magnificent. I think the Queen was happy to see finally what all the fuss was about. We took plenty of pictures.
We walked to Yosemite Village and then took the free shuttle around the park to Curry Village and Happy Isles. I think the Queen would have been happier to have gone back to the hotel. I know it but I strong armed her onto the bus.

And who should we see on the bus, but my youth. The bus was jammed with chatty and noisy Yosemite Institute kids. They no longer were staying in the cabins near Yosemite Lodge but were now ensconced in winter tents at Curry Village. I’m glad I went in the cabin era.

The whole time we were planning our trip, the Queen and I constantly checked the weather reports. They all said the same thing. It was going to rain on Wednesday. Wednesday was the day we were to snowshoe in the high country. When I asked the people in charge of the expedition what would they do it rained, I was informed that it would be snowing, not raining at their elevation.

The Weather reports kept upgrading the percentage chance for rain on Wednesday until finally on Sunday night it was listed as a 100 percent chance for on Wednesday. Yeah, but when have weather men been able to predict the weather?

The Queen and I could hear the rain drumming on the roof of our room all Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. I think we had resigned ourselves to hiking cross country seven miles in a blizzard. I had bought plastic covers to keep our cameras dry.

On the side of the container for the tire chains, it said try on chains at home before you need them. On the video I watched to learn how to put the chains on the tires, it repeatedly said to install the chains someplace dry to make sure they fit. I should have listened.

I knelt in the slush around the car as the rain fell for about an hour trying to get the final nub to fit in the final hole. It was so close. I think I got within a quarter of an inch. Cindi tried, too. She held while I pulled on the chains as hard as I could. We tried driving on the chains to loosen them. We tried various arrangements of hooking them. We begged some maintenance workers to help us, who were kind enough to go find some lost chains back at their compound. They were smaller than ones I had. As Agent Smart used to say, “Missed it by that much” Sigh. Although for my efforts, the back of my left hand looks like I lost a fight with a cheese grater.

For Wednesday, there would be no snowshoeing. We did drive around the valley. We took photos of a very wet El Capitan. We drove to Tunnel View. The marvelous unlimited vista of the day before had been replaced with about ten feet of visibility. You could almost see to the brick wall at the edge of the parking lot.

Since we weren’t going to be seeing anything from the rim, I decided we should make the short hike to Vernal Falls bridge so we could see Vernal Falls. On our last trip, we had made it up the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls. I remember almost dieing on that journey. The trip to the bridge would be plenty. Plus, it was a very short hike or so my misty memory informed me.

According to the sign, it was only .8 miles to the bridge. Yes, the trail was covered in ice and snow. Yes, it was a little steep. Okay, kinda steep. But it was only .8 of a mile away. The queen felt it was much further. Slipping backwards on the icy patches didn’t help matters. It also didn’t help that an old woman who got off the bus with us at Happy Isles had already been to the bridge and back by the time we were three quarters of the way there.

But we made it. The sun gods were kind enough to clear the clouds and have the sun peak through for just a second as we stood on the bridge. With the exception of the old woman and a couple from England, we were the only people on the bridge. And the English couple headed back after foregoing the trip further up the Mist Trail. Mist means solid ice in the winter time.

Back at Happy Isles, we got to wait for the bus with another group of Yosemite Institute kids. Their instructor wanted them to put a bunch of pictures in the proper order that showed the formation of the valley. I don’t think they could have been less interested.

On the bus, we picked up the old woman at the next stop. She had made it to Mirror lake and back while we had waited.

By this time, the rain had let up. The sun was starting to break through the clouds. After a delightful lunch at Degnan’s Deli, I decided the Queen and I should take a long walk back to the hotel through the meadows.

That was a fabulous walk. Wispy clouds drifted through the bare branched trees. Light rays created great shadows and sunny patches on the cliff faces. The only hold-out was Half Dome, who decided it would be best if she remained blocked by clouds the entire time we took pictures. But we did get some great shots as walked back to Yosemite Lodge via swinging bridge.

Our photo class wasn’t until the afternoon, so we headed up to Mirror Lake. The rain had come back in over night, so our walk to the misnamed lake was in the rain. I continued to bore the Queen with my stories of what I knew about the park and my past experiences at Yosemite. I think the last time I had been to Mirror Lake was with Peter Spencer and his father when we had driven there back in the early ‘80s. See, I can bore you too with reminisces.

The sun again graced our presence when we stood by the Lake. Although the main portion of the valley was still in the shadow of Half Dome. All I could think was this was going to be really great this afternoon. I think I said that about many things. It was like the first trip was the scout, but were going to have to come back for the real photo shoot.

Christine was our photo walk leader. She kind of wondered why the hell I was even on the trip when I told her I was a documentary film maker. Maybe I wasn’t a very good one?

The walk started at the Ansel Adams gallery in Yosemite Village. If it rained, Christine was going to hold us hostage in the classroom and actually teach us. I wanted no part of that. But the clouds left and it was going to be a glorious afternoon. Christine did manage to keep us in the room for a half hour while I fidgeted in my chair impatient to be outside.

She took us to some cool spots. She took us to one spot that was near where Ansel Adams took his photo of the moon over half dome. We took a lot of pictures of reflections, which I enjoyed. But the majority of the trek was Christine talking to one of the students who also worked at the Awahnee. We spent many minutes listening to Christine grill Jennifer about who she knew. We talked about parties the employees through at some of spots we at which we stopped. I think we learned too much about park staff and not enough about photography.

I kept watching the sun illuminate the valley where Mirror Lake lay and I wanted to be in the valley. But by the time our photo walk ended, I didn’t think we could make it up the trail to Mirror Lake before the sun set.

But we could make it up to Tunnel View before the sun set. So, we got in the car and headed up the hill.

It was freezing at Tunnel View. By the time we arrived, a half a dozen photographers had already staked out their spots. I figured there would be more. I figures there would be a line of cars heading to this spot. But I guess there aren’t a lot of people in the park on a Thursday night in March. We kept getting asked what we were all waiting for. We were all waiting for a dramatic light show, but it never occurred. I did take a lot of cool photos but it never exploded into any dramatic colors. At the end, it became a game of which photographer would give up first. I was too cold to play those games, so we left.

On getaway day Friday, we did one more loop to Yosemite Falls to catch it in some light. Up until this point, the lower falls had always been in shadow. I hoped the sun would be able to light up the lower falls for some nice shots.

We didn’t entirely succeed. The lower falls was still in shadow. But the spray from the plummeting water caught enough light to make a nice rainbow. I watched the light climb across the rocks hoping it would move fast enough to illuminate the lower falls, but it didn’t. If we could have waited another hour, I think it would been lit up very nicely. But we had dogs waiting at home and rush hour traffic to avoid.
That was the trip. We had a great time. Between the two of us, we took eight or nine hundred pictures. I think two or three hundred of Half Dome alone. I won’t show you all of them. Our next plan is to go a little later next year or next time but still not get their in the deadly summer months.

My next trip to Yosemite will be with GM Tu and company. I’ll have the big camera with me. I hope I don’t have to hike too far with it. I have a feeling that trip will be vastly different than this one.

[The Queen]

Can't add much to that, so here's what I learned on this trip:

☛ Yosemite is one of the very few places on earth where snow is entirely acceptable.
☛ Having a decent camera and the knowledge to use it can be a very, very good thing. I am really proud of some of the pictures I took!
☛ I really like rocks and trees and water and the smell of fresh, clean air.
☛ I especially like these things when the only person I have to share them with is Greg.
☛ There are few things better than a warm bed after a long walk in the snow.
☛ As amazing and wonderful as it was, I still missed my puppies something fierce.

It was a great trip and worth every headache I'm now having to catch up with everything I blew off due to the sudden vacation. When I get a little frustrated, all I have to do is flip to my photo album and smile.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

As we walked up the trails to Vernal Falls, and around the park, too, we heard avalanche after avalanche. It was usually too late to snap shots, but it was fun hearing them.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

There had to be a movie, didn't there?

[youtube]MbXbqPez8C4[/youtube]

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Here we are several weeks later and for the last two days it has been impossible to get into Yosemite Valley. Even the all weather Highway was closed due to Snow and falling trees.

I don't think I get the falling tree forecast.

[Drunk Monk]

We got up to Tuolumne on Sunday, staying in the backpacker's camp, then hit the trail to Vogelsang on Monday. Vogelsang is at 10K, which made for a 2K climb in about 5 miles in full pack. It totally kicked my ass. I'm so freakin out of shape. T was in amazing shape, which is what 15-20 hours a week of gymnastics will do - she was bounding up the trail like a billy goat in full pack. S was slow and steady like always, savoring every step, not at all like the whining dm (for the record, dm's shaolin heel bruise still hasn't healed - hard to heal heels - so he was favoring his right and more on this to come). We camped in a meadow that was hecka buggy - at one point I looked down on my pant leg and saw a dozen mosquitos trying to poke through my Carharts. The field was filled with pika, which is an adorable high altitude mini prairie dog that charmed T to the heart. They were pretty cute - endangered now like everything else, of course. The next two days of trail we made it down to Merced Lake. It was spectacular at every turn. Most people just see Yosemite's valley, but the backpacking country is so gorgeous, JAH's country. This year's weather left plenty of wildflowers in bloom, so we would move from stunning fields of wildflowers and butterflies, to sheer granite landscapes, always following the mighty Merced River, with its raging rapids and emerald pools. The water at Vogelsang is so pure, like what all the bottled water companies want to sell to you, and as we moved down the river towards the valley, we could all taste the change. The weather was perfect, clear blue skies with the occasional intricate cloud. I practiced my qigong on cliffs and beside lakes, hoping to suck up a little of nature's purest qi like a mosquito sucks blood. T and I are mosquito magnets and got bit up relentlessly on that first day. S is somehow immune. T inherited the wrong genes on that one. As I was whining about how sore I was getting, these elderly backpackers would pass by, coming up the trail! We took the descending route. It was steep. Some of those other backpackers had 10-20 years on me. They were beaming, just glowing, and all I could think was 'damn, I'm wimpy now' and 'I want to be like them in a decade'. There's an instant bonding between backpackers - you really look at each other - check in on the trail, exchange a few comments about the conditions, and share the moment as there's not much to be said about the grandeur of the surroundings. Don't know why my pack seemed so heavy - just a change of clothes, some gear and a bear canister of food - but it cut into my shoulders hard. Still, despite the hardship, it was so stunning - there's just nothing like Yosemite - a true temple of California, of the world, and I found myself spiritually awestruck and humbled. The trail makers built granite paths miles deep in the high country, and I'm so grateful for their sacrifice. How the heck do you move that much granite up there? About halfway in, my boot gave out, and that totally sucked. I've had these boots for maybe 20 years - they were once top-of-the-line zamberlans, all leather, which makes them look antique (never mind that S uses an ancient kelty external frame pack). My sole tore out and I almost face-planted on a granite cliff - with the pack that would have been really bad. I effected some quick repairs using athletic tape from my medikit, which barely held. That night, I redid it with moleskin, and that held for the rest of the journey. It was, of course, the right boot, so now I couldn't land hard on my heel and I had to be very careful with my toe. Coming down the mountain, my left shin and calf took it pretty hard as it had to be the lead foot all the way. We camped near Little Yosemite, behind Half Dome on our last night. We didn't have out rain tarp up, so we could see the stars - so many damn jets. Hilarious night bird sounds - at least I think they were birds. At one point, after a particularly weird call, T said from her sleep "A camel is crying. Oh well". As we came down Nevada and Vernal falls, my esteem was restored looking at all the wimpy day hikers whining about the short hike up to the falls. It was quite a culture shock going from backpackers to the day valley tourists. The tourists were self absorbed and inattentive. The valley was nuts - freakin Disneyland now, exacerbated by the California Experience mocking the architecture of the Yosemite lodge. I dropped like $90 in a few hours, just getting food and such (had to splurge on crappy pizza, root beer floats, etc after eating out of the bear can for so long) and of course, bus tickets back to Tuolumne. A fire broke out, closing one of the highways, so we left last night - we had planned to stay another day, but we decided to beat the traffic. Now I'm told that some one died on half dome during our trip. All told, it was 28 miles in 4 days. Now, back in the doldrums of suburbia, I'm trying my best to cling to those feelings, those sensations of Yosemite's back country. This morning, T said 'toilets are weird'. Fremont looks really weird. I'm glad to be home, to be showered and to rest, but like S said today 'I want some water from Vogelsang'

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I feel your pain. Just coming back from the dogwalk, the thought Yosemite would be nice about now popped into my head. It's like Synchronicity.

Where are the pics?

[Drunk Monk]

Maybe not. We'll see. It's so hard to really capture Yosemite. On one hand, it's nearly impossible to take a bad shot. Everything is so stunning. On the other hand, it's nearly impossible to catch a glimpse of the grandeur - that's like trying to catch an elephant with a bug net. My little digital camera was jamming occasionally; I think it was getting overloaded by the spectacle.

Gotta bow down to Ansel. He carried that freakin box camera and wooden tripod which must have weighed a ton, and didn't even use color and he totally caught it. I was whining about having to carry my backpack, which was fairly light, considering.

T just completed a two-week summer class on digital photography and she's already kicking my butt - she took some good shots. And I'm a pro (in the sense that I get paid to shoot assignments - one of my many hats as a reporter).

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I keep thinking the way to do the Yosemite High Country is to rent one of the tent camps and do that circle. That way I would have a tent read and they would make me food and I would only have to carry clothes and a thousand pounds of camera gear. I reject you totally on Yosemite and pictures. Although I haven't captured it quite yet, I'm still trying.

[Drunk Monk]

it's like $1500+ to go to those high camps. we work off those because they have backpacker's sections. but for that amount, we could go to another country.

i think you misread me on the photos. photographing yosemite is grand. i've got photos, for sure. our little digital is super light and dangled from my backpack strap. but i just gotta give props to ansel with his freaking wooden tripod and box camera.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Yes, Ansel is the man. We did a photowalk entitled 'In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams" when were there in March. It was very loosely in his footsteps. And by that I mean, we both took pictures in Yosemite Valley.

$1500? Where did you get that figure? Is that for the week?

[thatguy]

Ted Orland's "One and a Half Domes"



He was AA's assistant. I took a two week b/w class w/him in Maine.

This is our class (from a print in one of his books):

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com...970c-popup

I'm about the 7-8th one in from the front.

Found out after that he teaches at Cabrillo and lives about a mile from me.

--tg

[Drunk Monk]

Here are the rates for Yosemite's High Sierra Camps: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_HighSierraCamps_Rates.aspx">http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodati ... Rates.aspx</a><!-- m -->. It's cheaper if you just go one day, but you'd take at least half a day to hike up there anyway, so you'd want to stay, assuming you could even get in on the lottery. That figure above was based on the tours. It's pretty pricey considering what you get. While we were on the trail, we met one of the workers hiking gear from Merced Lake to Vogelsang (note: that's a pretty serious climb - we came down it, not up it). She said that backpackers can often get meals at the High Sierra camps too. I was like "Thanks but I've been carrying this damn bear can for two days and I'm gonna eat everything in it". Of course, I failed. Didn't finish the trail mix. You can never finish the trail mix.