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Yosemite is absolutely as stunning as they say. I've never been anywhere
so breathtakingly surrounded by cliffs thousands of feet high. The valley
was carved by glaciers, so the sides are steep and sheer. The "high
country" surrounding the valley has rivers which flow into the valley by
means of incredible waterfalls that are dwarfed into appearing like mere
trickles or "wisps of smoke" as John Muir described it. The first day,
Saturday, Mom and I stopped on our way into the park at Bridalveil Falls,
where we joined the crowds of people scrambling over the boulder
field/mountain stream to where the fall pooled. I love boulder hopping;
the first time I ever went was with Todd, Bryan and Leigh at a trip to the
Smoky Mountains one spring break. It took me a few minutes to get my feet
this time, but soon I was delightedly distracted by the mental and
physical
exercise involved in making one's way over rocks and boulders strewn by
Mother Nature. Briadalveil was easy compared to Yosemite Falls, which we
did later that afternoon after checking into the lodge. By the time I was
halfway up Yosemite I realized that I was very physically tired, and I had
to make myself stop and take a breather. I had been having so much fun
that I didn't want to stop, despite the physical exertion required.
Indeed, this trip made me angry with myself and my state of physical
fitness on more than one occasion - I wanted to be able to do it all, and
my body was just not up to it (evidenced by the crotchity-old-man walk I'm
sporting today, thanks to sore muscles and swollen joints). I was
encouraged by my desire to rock-hop, however, and when I mentioned this to
Corn Man earlier today, and said I wished I could find boulder-fields
around here, he happily replied that he knew where many were (local boy)
and would gladly assist me in finding them. And, since I have a car, this
might be a new way to get some exercise...at least occasionally. But I was talking about Yosemite. Let's see, we saw a bobcat with its dinner in its mouth cross our path not 5 feet in front of us on the way up to Yosemite Falls. On Sunday, we encountered a rattlesnake near the footbridge to Vernal Falls, complete with a scolding silver squirrel (scolding the rattlesnake or scolding the people getting too close and THROWING things at it like idiots, either one). We didn't see any bears, but we experienced the Bear Thrill of Yosemite in the crowded season when, on the way out of the park, someone way ahead of us stopped in the middle of the road and ran into the woods to take a picture of a bear. I almost got rear-ended by an SUV coming around the corner at a high speed behind me, because I was stuck in a line of traffic with people departing their cars in search of the bear. Yes. There are a lot of stupid, stupid people visiting Yosemite. Probably no higher percentage than anywhere else, but, well, it was crowded and the park is gorgeously seductive and dangerous if you're not careful. I'm not surprised there are deaths there every year; it would be very easy to die at Yosemite. Saturday night I tried to find a place on a dark patch of sidewalk near the lodge to lie on my back and watch the stars. I love the sprinkles of stars in a clear sky; it's something I miss living in the city. Anyhow, I didn't last long, as every rustle in the bushes was either a serial killer or a bear come to get me. Sigh. I finally lay down in the middle of the amphitheatre with my elbows trying to block out extra lights around me. Not perfect, but I wasn't as scared. | ||
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