Travelogue

Setting off down the riverAs of yesterday, we had left the sedimentary limestone sandstone of Marble Canyon behind and entered the Upper Granite Gorge of the Grand Canyon, an area of igneous and metamorphic rocks that had been twisted and thrust upwards during mountain building events over millions of years.

Along this section of the river, you can see exposed 1.7 billion year old Zoroaster Granite and Vishnu Schist.

Because the rock in the gorge does not easily erode, the river becomes swifter and the rapids grow larger, so today was going to be a very big rapids day - Hance (a 10), Sockdolager (an 8) and Grapevine (another 8), all within 5 miles, so sort of boom, boom, boom.

Big rapids day todayIt’s hard to capture the feeling of what it’s like going through a major rapid with a photo, so today Herb used his GoPro for the first time on the trip so that we could record what it actually felt like while running it.

The best way I can describe it is that it’s like sitting in a rocking chair while having a friend use all their might to knock you off of it, while another friend is simultaneously throwing buckets of water in your face.

Scouting Hance RapidBefore any really major rapid, the guides scout it out by hiking up to a point from which they can look down on it to see if it’s what they expect (the features in the rapid change a lot based on water levels) and to plan their “line” to run it.

Hance was the most concerning one of the day, so we pulled the rafts over on a small beach before it and hiked along a path to an overlook. I’m sure the guides didn’t need our input, but it was nice of them to invite us along, so that we could learn their plan and know what to expect.

Hance RapidThis particular rapid has lots of large rocks constricting the channel, forming powerful hydraulics (or “holes” as they are known. This causes the water on the surface to be pulled back towards the obstacle, creating a recirculating vortex-like zone, which can flip a boat or flip one of us out of the boat in what they refer to as an "unintentional swim."

I have to admit that my heart was pumping pretty fast as we got back in the rafts. We were in Robin (our trip leader’s) boat today, so I felt we were in good hands. She has run this river more than 40 times, and I am convinced she could run it with her eyes closed - she has every rapid and its features etched in her mind.

Running Hance RapidSince Robin is the trip leader, we were the first to go. She definitely didn’t sugar coat what running this rapid was going to be like. As we approached the start of it, she said “Ok, this is going to be violent,” which is a term I didn’t want to hear, and “get ready for a big hit!”

The kicker though (no pun intended) was when she said there is a potential “donkey kick,” which meant that people sitting in the back of the raft (which happened to be me and Herb) could potentially be catapulted up and over the raft. She laughingly said, “if it happens, try not to land on me.”

Between the rapidsShe then instructed us how to avoid that. We should stay down low behind the bags, spread our legs apart, and hold onto straps fairly far apart.

I probably assumed the “donkey kick” position much earlier than necessary, but better to err on the side of caution I always say.

Running Hance was actually very exciting (and perhaps a little terrifying), but Robin executed it perfectly.

Lunch stop at Clear CreekBeing in the lead boat allowed us to watch all the other rafts in our group come through - one at a time leaving lots of space in between. There was lots of whooping and hollering as our fellow boats safely made their way through Hance.

One down, two to go.

We had a brief breather before running Sockdolager Rapid (a Grand Canyon 8). The key to running this one was to start in the center and hit everything straight, because there are large holes and waves that flank the sides of the rapid, both on river right and left.

My shin colliding with some metamorphic schistThis rapid was actually named by John Wesley Powell’s crew on their second expedition down the river. Sockdolager is an old boxing term meaning a heavy, decisive blow that can knock someone down. Glad I didn’t know that before we ran it.

However, once again, Robin safely brought us through, running her line exactly as planned.

Last up for the day was Grapevine Rapid (another Grand Canyon 8), a bit less powerful than Sockdolager, but much rockier. The plan for this one was to enter it center-right, just to the left of the rocks on the right and avoiding the hole at the top, and then work our way back towards center, avoiding another hole at the bottom of the rapid at center-right.
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My river guide docNot to be redundant, but another perfect run by Robin

Okay, I was pretty ready to get to camp and get a river cocktail hour going, but we had one more stop to make before getting to camp - a hike up to Clear Creek Waterfall.

As I mentioned above, the geology had been changing as we drifted downriver, and we were now in the Upper Granite Gorge, an area of metamorphic schist and igneous granite, much harder and sharper than the limestone of Marble Canyon.

No kidding! I hadn’t gotten more than 100 feet into the hike to Clear Creek Waterfall before I had an encounter with a metamorphic schist and it won, cutting my shin down to the bone.

My Boo Boo during a sandstormI hardly felt it happen and was actually quite surprised when I looked down at my leg, which looked pretty bloody with skin flaps exposing stuff, that probably shouldn't be visible, underneath.

Leonard, one of our trusty river guides, was in charge of first aid, so he stayed behind with Herb and me and cleaned my wound, put some antibiotic cream on it, and bandaged it. It was really hot out, so he set up a beach umbrella for me so I could have some shade.

My river spouseUnfortunately, the wind picked up as it often does in the afternoon, practically blowing the umbrella down the river. I really needed the shade, so I held onto it for dear life, with sand blowing in my face, for the hour or so it took the gang to get back from their hike to Clear Creek Falls.

Ok, between Hance, Sockdolager, Grapevine rapids, and metamorphic schist, I think I had enough fun for today.

I was pretty ready for camp. I was dreaming of a nice river cocktail hour, and then I remembered Leonard told me not to get my wound wet. When we beached the boat, Van, a wonderful 17-year-old with us, offered to carry me ashore like a baby. Very sweet. I only wish I had a photo of that.

Afterwards, I did manage to have a nice warm beer at the edge of the river.

Travelogue

Arriving at the ConfluenceToday I finally mustered the courage to ask Leonard if today would be a good day (meaning mild rapids) for Herb and I to join his paddle boat crew. He assured me it was. Okay, at least we would get a little exercise in while going down the river.

The paddle boat consisted of 6 volunteer paddlers from our group and Leonard, our guide, who sat in the back sort of steering us and yelling out commands as to what we should to: “Right 2 forward,” meant the paddlers on the right side of the boat should take two strokes to move the boat forward. “Left 3 back,” meant the paddlers on the left side of the boat should take three strokes to move us in a backwards direction.

Transition from emerald green to cobalt blueThe important thing was for all paddlers is to stay in sync. The two paddlers in the front (on the left and right side) set the pace and we all tried to stay in sync with the person in front of us. This meant I was pretty much looking at the paddle in front of me rather than the terrific view going by.

I was shanghaied onto this slave ship under somewhat false pretenses as I did have to paddle through Kwagunt Rapid, which was a Grand Canyon 6. However, we did it in style, and I have to admit it was very fun and I was quite pleased with myself.

Lovely Little Colorado River6 miles further down the river, at Mile 61.5, we came to the confluence with the Little Colorado River, the highlight of any raft trip down this river.

Although the Navajo own the land along The Little Colorado River, the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers holds deep spiritual meaning for many of the Native American tribes that live in the Grand Canyon region.

The viewing standsFor the Hopi, life began near the confluence when their ancestors emerged from the underworld at the Sipapu, a landmark on the Little Colorado River.

The Hopi people also believe that their spirits live amongst the clouds above the Grand Canyon.You can easily see how a place so beautiful can take on spiritual qualities.

When not muddied with runoff, the waters of the Little Colorado River are a brilliant turquoise blue.

LCR Conga LineWe were in luck today, as there had been no recent runoffs from rain to muddy it up, which would have made the water as brown as chocolate milk.

At the confluence of the main Colorado River and the Little Colorado River, we could actually see the transition from an emerald green in the main river to bright cobalt blue in the Little Colorado. The temperature change is drastic as well as we moved from a chilly 50 degrees in the main Colorado River to the mid-70s in the Little Colorado.

So much fun!!The electric blue color of the river was amazing. It is a result of the magnesium and calcium in the water, combining with the carbon dioxide in the air, creating calcium carbonate. This combination of minerals reflect the sunlight, creating, arguably, the most beautiful water in the world. The only other time we had seen water this color was at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.

The calcium carbonate also creates a material called tufa, which forms a thin, spongy, white material coating the river bed.

Short cut back to the raftsA harder, chalky limestone material called travertine settles out of the water and coats the rocks and boulders in a white hue, adding to the river’s color palette.

From the confluence, we walked about a quarter mile up along the bank of the Little Colorado to a natural water slide where we would spend a good part of the day acting like kids at a waterpark.

Why walk when you can floatThere were even layers of limestone ledges alongside the river, which served as a great viewing platform to watch the action and get ready for another run down the slides.

We spent hours sliding down the soft, tufa-covered rocks through the warm cobalt blue rapids. Sometimes we slid down individually. Other times we formed conga lines and drifted down as a group.

I hope I don't go through the ConfluenceWhen it was time to walk back along the ledges alongside the LCR, some of us walked and others (including me) took the shortcut of just floating on our backs to the confluence.

What a treat after the freezing cold water of the main Colorado River.

Herb took the boring way back by foot. I guess he wanted to keep his camera equipment dry.

Herb took the boring way backOnce we got back to our boats and started heading further downriver, we left Marble Canyon behind us and entered the Grand Canyon for the first time on this trip.

John Wesley Powell first made the distinction between the two canyons after his expeditions down the river in 1869 and 1871. After this point, the main canyon quickly becomes much deeper and foreboding as it begins to bend west.

As the river starts to cut deeper into the Kaibab Plateau, the gradient (drop) becomes steep as the river flows over harder rock, such as granite and schist.

Slot canyon at Carbon CreekIt was a relatively short river day today (only 11.5 miles), since we had spent so much time joyfully playing in the Colorado River.

We stopped to camp at a lovely spot called Carbon Canyon. After setting up camp, we took a short hike (2.7 miles with a 614-foot elevation gain) up the canyon from the camping area up to a slot canyon with sculpted sandstone walls. There was a bit of rock scrambling to do as well.

Rock scrambling in Carbon CanyonBack at camp, we were treated to a delicious steak dinner. I really have no idea where the guides were able to hide all this food.

Oh, and that evening I got my first red fire ant bite, which definitely wasn’t pleasant. Several of us had gotten them already and described the numbness that moves up your leg. Great. I didn’t get that though. Maybe it was because Daniel, one of our river guides, gave me his secret antidote - a nicotine patch - not to chew but to place directly on the sting. I think it really helped because I didn’t experience the numbness others were describing.

What a day it had been!!

Travelogue

Some fun on the riverToday was going to be a pretty mellow day - no big rapids, just swimming in the river, watching the scenery go by, playing ultimate frisbee, and hiking up to an ancestral Puebloan architectural site..

Since we were encouraged to switch boats throughout the trip so that we could try each type of boat, as well as each guide, we shopped around for a boat to spend the day on.

Our fleet consisted of six boats in total: three oar boats, which were each rowed by a river guide and held 4 passengers, another oar raft which held much of the supplies needed for 14 days on the river, a paddle boat in which 6 of us could paddle each day, and a classic Colorado River dory, which could hold three passengers.

Frisbee between the boatsI was probably the biggest chicken on the trip in terms of fear of the boat flipping or being flung from a boat into a rapid, so I had avoided the paddle boat and dory up to now. I would try to eventually work my way up to having the courage to do so.

So until then, I would stick with an oar boat. Today we would ride with Robin, our trip leader, who was extremely experienced, having gone down the river over 40 times and could read the water in her sleep.

We were all in a pretty playful mood today, so during our short 12 miles on the river today, we jumped and did flips off the raft, we swam through mild rapids, and we even tossed a frisbee (amazingly successfully) between the boats.

Ultimate Frisbee on the RiverBy three days into the trip, the 20 of us were definitely coalescing into one big family, something I didn’t really expect when we first met in that orientation room back in Flagstaff, what seemed like a week, rather than just 3 days ago

The only rapid of any note today was President Harding Rapid at Mile 43.5 (a Grand Canyon 4). When we asked Robin if President Harding had run this rapid, she laughed and told us that it was actually named by the U.S. Geological Survey expedition in 1923, when they learned the news by radio that President Warren G. Harding had died.

Views along the hike up to the GranariesIf I knew today was going to be such an easy rapid day, I should have taken the opportunity to go in the paddle boat or dory. Oh well. I’m sure there will be more easy days (well, there weren't),

We got to the Nankoweap Canyon Camp (Mile 53) by 2:00 in the afternoon, probably the earliest we would ever arrive at a campsite.

Nankoweap GranariesWhen pulling onto the beach, the guides pointed out a fairly big beach a short walking distance from the beach we were camping on that might serve as a good place to play ultimate frisbee. The group of six ultimate frisbee players were very excited.

A bunch of us walked over to the nearby beach, and the guys began drawing boundary lines in the sand. Rules were explained and teams were then selected.

Nankoweap GranariesI was so tempted to join the game, but I was literally twice the age of anyone playing, so I volunteered to photograph the event instead. I didn't want to show them up - haha.

It was really fun to watch, even if I wasn’t exactly sure what the heck was going on. During one exciting play, Kayla, one of our river guides and first time player of ultimate frisbee, caught a beautiful pass behind her back and ran for a touchdown, or whatever it’s called in this game.

What goes up must come downWhen it cooled off a bit, one of the guides came over to tell us it was time to come back to camp and get ready for our hike up to the Nankoweap Granaries. We felt a little bit like kids being told recess was over.

The hike was to be short and sweet - 1.5 miles with a 617-foot elevation gain.

The trail began right from our camp and led us up a steep slope to an absolutely incredible view of the bends in the river below.

The Golden HourPulling ourselves away from the view, we continued up the trail to a series of ledges set against a limestone wall. Under an overhang there were what looked like a row of four square windows cut into the cliff wall.

These were the granaries, cut into this wall by Native Americans from the Ancestral Puebloan culture almost a thousand years ago. If we thought this hike was tough, just think of Ancestral Puelbloans hauling their grain, including pumpkin seeds and corn, from the river delta below to these “storage units.” The granary helped keep the food dry during floods and protected it against rodents and other hungry creatures.

Dinner back at campWe sat on the ledges for a while, contemplating the fact that a thousand years ago, people lived in this canyon that we were rafting through, and envisioning what their lives must have been like.

On the way down, the golden hour was approaching, so the view of the river bends were even more stunning than on our way up.

Back at camp, we were spoiled again with another delicious dinner cooked by our trusty river guides.

Travelogue

Morning CoffeeToday was the first day waking up on the river and all that it entailed. It was a process that we would repeat every morning for the next 12 days.

• 5:00 - Call for Coffee
• 5:15 - Race for the Groover (our primitive restroom)
• 5:30 - Call for Breakfast
• 6:00 - Eat breakfast and mingle
• 6:30 - Guides would call us together to inform us our the plan for the day (sometimes that included drawing a rapid we would face that day in the sand)
• 7:00 - Take down tent and pack everything into our river bags
• 7:30 - Join the fire line, passing all the bags down the line to be loaded on the boats
• 8:00 - Hit the river for a day of rapids, hikes, etc.

Drawing the plan for House Rock RapidIt was also our first day with some serious rapids, so before leaving camp, Robin gathered us all together, as she would on any day that would include a challenging rapid, to draw the features of the rapid in the sand and explain to us their plan for running it. Not that we able to offer any advice, but rather I think it was a way for her to assure us that they knew what they were doing.

Up until this point in my life, I pretty much thought all rapids were the same and that some just had bigger waves than others.

Through the rapidsApparently that’s not the case. Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Flow velocity, gradient, constriction, and obstacles are four factors that are needed for a rapid to be created.

These factors determine how difficult the rapid is to navigate through. The Grand Canyon has their own system of rating the difficulty of rapids, from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most challenging.

Arriving at Redwall CanyonAnother thing we learned is that there are a whole bunch of different types of “features” in a rapid, caused by the rocks that lay on the bottom. Some examples of these features are “holes” and “eddies.” Those were features we wanted to avoid.

An experienced guide knows how to read the river - what to avoid and what line to take through it.

It was a huge amphitheaterOur first test today would be House Rock, a 9 rapid on the Grand Canyon 1 to 10 scale. It would give us a sense of what was to come the rest of the trip. This particular rapid curves against the left canyon wall and crescendos into a large “hole” on the left at the bottom, necessitating a right turn.

Also known as an hydraulic, holes can form in rapids when water flows over an obstacle, such as a rock or ledge, into deeper water. This causes the water on the surface to be pulled back towards the obstacle, creating a recirculating vortex-like zone. The current at and below the surface of the hole will be recirculating upstream, which can be dangerous for boaters and watercraft who may become stuck in the water or worse yet, flip, or cause one of us to take what they call an "unintentional swim."

Tiny Herb in Redwall CavernFortunately, Kayla our river guide, executed it perfectly, which is great because “holes” can be pretty scary and dangerous.

That was not the end of our running rapids today. As we continued downriver, the river cut deeper into the canyon’s geologic strata, and redwall Limestone began to appear along both shorelines. This limestone represents an ancient deep-sea bed from 350 million years ago.

Due to the hardness of this limestone and its resistance to erosion, the rapids are larger and more frequent in this section, appropriately called the “Roaring Twenties,” a 10 mile stretch of river from Mile 20 to 30 with a fairly good-sized rapid every mile or so.

The Guides setting up lunchThe biggest rapid we ran in the “Roaring Twenties” was Georgie (rated an 8 on the Grand Canyon scale), one of only two rapids named after a woman.

Georgie was quite the adventurous woman. Besides being one of the first people to swim the rapids of the river, wearing only a bathing suit, life jacket, and tennis shoes, she also made history when in 1952 she became the first woman to row a boat through the Grand Canyon.

After that first ride, she realized this was what she wanted to do with her life, so she began configuring war surplus rubber pontoons into inflatable crafts to take paying passengers down the river. She eventually became the most famous commercial river runner of all time.

A little Frisbee playSoon after the “Roaring Twenties,” at Mile 33, we stopped at one of the most beautiful and interesting places along the river - Redwall Canyon, a huge amphitheater carved by high river flows into the canyon’s limestone walls.

It looked impressive from the river, but to really appreciate its grandiosity and enormity you have to walk into its expanse.

Such deep sandWhen John Wesley Powell camped here in 1869, he estimated that the cavern could hold more than 50,000 people, a bit of a hyperbole, but let’s just say that it is pretty impressive.

Upon beaching the rafts, the river guides began setting up the kitchen to make us lunch, while the rest of us ran into the cavern like a bunch of little kids let out at recess.

Not sure if I mentioned yet that eight of our fellow passengers were members of an ultimate frisbee team, so of course the frisbee had to come out to play.

Buck Farm CanyonThe sand was very deep within the cavern as a result of floods in the pre Glen Canyon Dam times, when the cavern would often become completely filled with silty river water. After the water receded, the sand stayed behind, building up with each flood. Since the dam was built, the cavern doesn’t get flooded anymore.

What a great place this would be to camp, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), because of its popularity, camping is not allowed.

From Redwall Canyon, we continued down the river, passing the proposed (but fortunately failed) Marble Canyon Dam Site at Mile 40.

Buck Farm CanyonThe country was pretty much going dam crazy in the 1950s, proposing dozens of dam sights on the rivers in the West. Fortunately, opposition from environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, as well as concerned citizens, got the Bureau of Reclamation to agree to halt dam construction at this site and others in the canyon.

Had a dam been built here, we would have been paddling so far on an artificial lake, starting all the way back at Lee’s Ferry.

A mile after that we stopped to camp at Buck Farm Canyon (Mile 41).

From camp, we hiked into Buck Farm Canyon. There was a bit of scrambling over rocks in the beginning for the first quarter mile. From there, we had the choice of either wading through the creek or walking above the creek on an exposed set of ledges. It was a rewarding 2-mile, out-and-back hike.

Then it was back to camp for warm beers, dinner, mingling and laughing, and then to bed.

Travelogue

All packed up and ready to goOur white water rafting adventure with AzRA (Arizona Raft Adventures) began at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, where we would gather with our group of fellow adventurers for a mandatory orientation meeting before departing for Lee’s Ferry the next day.

As we took a seat in the meeting room, I was somewhat surprised to see that half of the participants were easily half our age. For some reason I had expected an older demographic, as had been our experience on other group tours.

However, the trip was billed as quite physically demanding, so I guess that scared away some of our more mature peers from signing on. The recommended 8-week training program leading up to the trip could be quite intimidating for many people even much younger than us. Fortunately, Herb and I have kept in pretty good shape, so we figured we could hold our own.

As I glanced around the room at the others in the group, I thought OK, they look nice enough, so hopefully we would get along just fine for the next 14 days. Little did I know at the time that we would become like family before it all was over.

Once the meeting was over, we went back to our room and started packing our river bags: white one (boat bag) for stuff we wanted with us during the day, and the blue one (camp bag) for stuff we wanted when we arrived at camp each night.

As usual, I had packed way too much, thinking that I would require a new outfit each night when we got to camp. The reality would be that I would live in the same clothes for days at a time.

Once we finished stuffing our bags, it was right to bed for an early morning bus ride to Lee’s Ferry where we would start our river adventure..

Travelogue

And our journey beginsWe arose bright and early, as we would every morning for the next 14 days, to meet everyone by the bus which would take us to Lee’s Ferry and the start of our adventure.

Once our white and blue river bags were loaded on the bus, we found some seats near the front and tried to get a little more sleep during the 3-hour drive

When we got to Lee’s Ferry, our guides and their boats were there to greet us. Robyn, our trip leader, gave us some instruction on what to expect and how to best avoid unintentional swimming or the boat flipping during the rapids. We learned about gripping onto the straps (to not fall out), highsiding (leaning in towards the wave to prevent the boat from flipping), and how to breath in the trough of a wave if the above two prevention measures didn’t work.

Herb gets a chance at the oarsOur fleet consisted of six boats in total: three oar boats, which were each rowed by a river guide and held 4 passengers, another oar raft which held much of the supplies needed for the next 14 days on the river, a paddle boat in which 6 of us could paddle each day, and a classic Colorado River dory, which could hold three passengers.

I had already decided that an oar boat was my safest option, and least likely to expel me or flip. As I was contemplating my options, an oarswomen named Kayla came up to me to see if I needed help. Was I that obviously helpless already? - probably. I asked her if Herb and I could join her on her boat and she gladly accepted. We soon came to learn that despite her diminutive size, she was a very talented oarswoman and strong as an ox.

Wes in the DoryOnce everyone had figured out what boat they would be going on, we formed a fire line (the first of many on this trip), where we passed the blue (camp) river bags from person to person until it reached a boat to be loaded and strapped down on. Then we got our PDFs on and brought our white (boat) river bags onto the boat we were riding on and attached them to something on the inside of the boat (a strap or a ring) with a carabiner.

Then off we went on the start of our 14-day, 226-mile journey. Once we entered that canyon, I knew there would be no turning back, so I admit to feeling a little bit nervous.

The paddle boatUntil now, I didn’t realize that we wouldn’t be in the Grand Canyon until Mile 62. Instead, we would be spending our first 3 days rafting through beautiful Marble Canyon.

The rating system for rapid difficulty in the Grand Canyon is on a 1 to 10 scale, unlike most other sections of the country where the difficulty ratings range from I to VI.

To make it more confusing, each rapid in the Grand Canyon has four ratings based on the water level: very low, low, medium, and high. Some rapids are more difficult in low water because of exposed rocks, but others become more fierce with higher and faster river flows.

The Oar BoatsFor most of our trip through the Grand Canyon, we were rafting through low water (3,000 - 9,000 cubic feet per second).

Today would be a relatively moderate day in terms of rapids. The big ones that I had been fearing the whole year leading up to this trip would come later.

After passing under the Historic Navajo Bridge that we had stopped to walk across on our bus ride to Lee’s ferry, at Mile 8, we ran Badger Creek, our first significant rapid - rated 7 on the Grand Canyon scale.

Arriving at CampIt is described as having a large pour-over in the center right. Pour-overs are narrow holes that form when water falls over a rock and can be identified by a small bump in the water's surface. It often looks like a small, glassy waterfall.

Okay, not too bad and a good size rapid to get our feet wet, literally and figuratively.

Then at Mile 11.5, we smoothly navigated through Soap Creek Rapid, rated a 5 on the Grand Canyon scale.

Camp Life
Soap Creek Rapid is described as having a long wave train of medium and large waves. In August of 2015, a flash flood changed the rapid, constricting the entry and making the waves much steeper and more powerful.

It’s always interesting to read about how the various rapids got their names. Let’s take Badger and Soap Creek for example, because their naming stories actually go together.

Our humble homeBack in the 1880s, Jacob Hamblin, a Mormon missionary and accomplished outdoorsmen was traveling down the river when he saw and shot a badger in the side canyon right near a rapid. Hence the name Badger Creek.

He then gathered up the dead badger and continued downstream to the next large side canyon, where he proceeded to boil the Badger. During the process soap formed as the badger’s fat mixed with the alkalinity of the creek water. Hence the name Soap Creek.

The KitchenSince this was only a partial day, we stopped for the night at a Camp called Hot Na Na Wash at Mile 17.

Then we would begin the ritual which would repeat every afternoon when we reached camp - race everyone else to find a good campsite, form a fire line to unload the bags from the boat, bring our bags (3 each + a tent bag) to previously selected campsite, set up our tent and unload some of our stuff, go back to the boats, and get a well-needed beer from our burlap beverage bag.

The "Groover"Meanwhile the guides would be unloading and setting up the kitchen as well as two groover sites (our restrooms).

Eventually, the call would come for “DINNER,” and we would gather near the boats for what was always a delicious dinner. The supplies and food ingredients that came off those boats for 14 days was amazing.

After some mingling and music played by a fortunate collection of good musicians that were on the trip (both guides and passengers), it was early to bed, as we would get the call for "COFFEE" at 5 am.

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arrival and stroll to Mirror Lake

Trail to Mirror LakeWhenever we arrive in Yosemite, which is usually in the late afternoon after 5 ½ hours of driving, I feel compelled to practically jump out of the motorhome to immerse myself in its meadows and trees before our engine has even had time to cool down.

We have been here so many times that It feels like coming home.

Herb, on the other hand, has a different approach to celebrating our arrival, which involves sipping a gin and tonic while gazing out the large back windows of the motorhome at the granite cliffs. After all, he did drive the entire 5.5 hours here.

There wasn’t much daylight left, so I just took a quick walk from the campground and walked one mile on the Mirror Lake trail before turning back. I didn’t make it to the lake (which had no water in it anyway), but I did get to say hello to Half Dome, which as all aglow in the golden hour.

Day 2 - Valley Loop Bike Ride

Valley Loop Bike RideEarly the next morning we drove the motorhome over to the Church Bowl picnic area because it was one of the few spots in the Valley that gets early morning sun.

We weren’t the only ones with this idea, so we pretty much had to get there by 8:30 to nail a parking space. Most of the other occupants of the spot were twenty- or thirty-something climbers in white vans (like both of our sons) prepping for a big wall climb the following day. In fact, one out of five vehicles in the Valley were white Promaster vans.

Herb and El CapI was excited at the prospect of seeing their two vans in the campsite across from us tomorrow morning. I hope they both would fit.

From there, we set out on our bikes for a ride along the Valley Loop trail. We stopped first in Yosemite Village to visit the Ansel Adams Gallery and to walk through the old Yosemite Cemetery, where many of the men and women important to the early history of Yosemite are buried, like Galen Clark, its first caretaker and George Anderson, the first person to ascent to the summit of Half Dome.

Every Halloweeen, the Yosemite Conservancy offers a spooky tour through the cemetery at night to visit the graves of these people and meet their ghosts.

El Cap ReflectionsWhen it was time to hop back on our bikes, we discovered that I had a flat tire. Thank God that Herb is handy, so we were soon back on the bike bath again.

From there we continued on the north side of the Valley Loop trail to the El Cap Crossover road which brought us over to Southside Drive.

We stopped at Cathedral Beach, one of our favorites, where there are wonderful reflections of towering El Cap in the Merced River.

Then we continued back along the South Side Drive adding the Happy Isle Loop road on so that I could get our mileage up to a more respectable 15-mile bike ride.

Bikes are definitely my favorite way to get around the Valley.

Day 3 - Boys and wives arrive, bouldering, and Church Bowl sunset

The boys have arrived!I woke up the next morning and immediately peeked out the window to see if the kids had safely arrived. Sure enough, there were two white Promaster Vans across from us, squeezed so tightly into the campsite that the back bumpers of each were practically touching each other.

Eventually they wandered off to have bagels and coffee with us. Funny, how they just assume mom is going to have food to feed them.

The boys and their wives are very avid and accomplished rock climbers, so when they do get a chance to visit the Valley, that is pretty much what they do.

The Thriller Boulder in Camp 4So the plan was to do some bouldering in the morning, followed by bouldering in the afternoon.

We spent the morning in Camp 4, the famous rock climbers’ campground located near the base of Yosemite Falls. Some of the world’s most renowned climbers have used it as their base when climbing in Yosemite.

So important was this site to the climbing community, that when its removal was threatened in the late 1990s, a campaign was started to save it.

Diesel Power Boulder in Camp 4It worked, and today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for "its significant association with the growth and development of rock climbing in the Yosemite Valley during the 'golden years' of pioneer mountaineering.”

So here we were, on hallowed climbing ground. Even if you don’t climb, it’s fun to just walk through this camp and watch the bouldering that goes on here.

Herb and I also like to climb, but only sport climbing, not bouldering. So today we would just spectate.

Bouldering is quite different from trad and sport climbing, which is done with ropes and gear on a rock wall. Instead, it is done on freestanding boulders, where the routes are generally short.

Ahwahnee BouldersTo help cushion the inevitable fall, crash pads are placed on the ground and other climbers (and, in our case, sometimes even climbers’ mothers) spot the person bouldering by standing below with arms outstretched, ready to protect the climber’s head from hitting any rocks off the pad.

Also, bouldering has its own difficulty grading system. Rather than the 5.0 – 5.14 grades used for trad and sport climbing, boulder routes are graded from V0 to V14.

Boulder routes are referred to as boulder problems, because figuring them out and completing them is very much like solving a problem – finding just the right moves and holds and putting the sequence together.

Half Dome in Golden HourMany climbers will work on a difficult boulder problem for weeks or even years. It is often quite elegant and beautiful to watch, and a cause for celebration when achieved.

The boys had scouted out ahead of time a few boulder problems that they wanted to work on.

The first was a V9 called Thriller and the second was a V10 called Diesel Power. They both looked ridiculously hard.

In the afternoon, we moved our operation to Church Bowl, where the kids played around on a few of the Ahwahnee boulders before getting down to the business of cocktail hour and watching the sun set over Half Dome.

Day 4 - Hike to Glacier Point from Valley

Along Four Mile TrailEvery year all I ask for Christmas is that I can get a photo of the six of us together to send out on our family Christmas cards, and every year it’s the same griping and complaining about stopping whatever we are doing to pose.

It’s a rare event that I can get all six of us together in a spot worthy of a Christmas card, so I wasn’t above guilting them into it.

What I had in mind was a big family hike up Four Mile Trail from the Valley Floor to Glacier Point. It’s a big effort - over 11 miles with a 3,500 elevation gain.

One problem - Celeste, who would normally not have found this hard at all, had an ankle issue and wasn’t sure whether she would be able to go the whole distance.

Along Four Mile TrailAfter much debate, we decided to give it a try and just turn around if necessary.

There’s not much parking along Southside Drive for the Four Mile Trail, so we decided to park in Visitor Parking near the Yosemite Lodge on Northside Drive and hike across the meadow and over Swinging Bridge to get to the Four Mile Trailhead. This would add a half mile each way to an already very long hike.

Plus, the kids were leaving this afternoon after we got back from the hike, so they would be better positioned to make a quick exit without the normal Sunday traffic backlog, if they were positioned on Northside Road.

We set off on the inaccurately named Four Mile Trail (it’s actually 4.8 miles) and after a brief flat area wandering through some boulders, we began to climb. In fact, from that point on, all we did was climb, as we had a lot of vertical feet to gain.

Christmas Card - Take OneThe scenery started slowly, since we had to get above the Valley trees first, but once we did, all the icons of the Valley came into view - Yosemite Falls, Cathedral Rocks, El Cap, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome, and more. It was like a tour of Yosemite’s greatest hits.

We stopped to take a family photo here, just in case Celeste’s ankle would prevent us from making it all the way. But she was a real trooper and said we should continue on.

It wasn’t a bad photo, and probably would have been good enough for a Christmas card, but we forged on.

The tremendous views were a great distraction from the fact that we were climbing and climbing along a continuous series of switchbacks.

Maybe not this oneAt one point, Celeste and Andrew fell behind a bit and I saw them in deep discussion. Uh uh. Maybe Celeste’s ankle was bothering her too much to go on, but then they started moving again up towards us.

As we came around to the northeast side of the valley wall, Half Dome came into view. The switchbacks were now done and the trail became less steep. One more mile to go.

Once we came off the Four Mile Trail, we continued left down a paved trail to what is one of the best views in Yosemite, where we found the usual crowd of people, most of which took the easy way up by shuttle bus.

Gaidus Family Christmas CardHerb set up his tripod and we assumed our positions, with Half Dome as a backdrop.

I thanked them all for humoring me, especially Celeste, but it turned out to be a really good photo - probably our best Christmas card to date.

The way down is always harder than up, especially on the knees.

Although we were retracing our steps on the way down, the views were completely different in this direction - Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, those miles of switchbacks, and finally to my favorite view of all looking out over El Capitan and the western Yosemite Valley during Golden Hour.

Back at the cars, we hugged and said our goodbyes. They had added so much fun and laughter to our trip. I missed them before they even got out of the park.

Day 5 - Sentinel Beach, Valley Loop Bike Ride, Sunset in Meadow

Herb on the quiet Sentinel BeachAfter our busy weekend with the kids, today was more of a chill day, hanging out on a beach, taking a bike ride, enjoying sunset from a meadow - you know, old folks stuff.

Today we wanted to cover the western portion of the Valley Loop trail, so we parked along the Northside Drive where a bend in the Merced River came close to the road.

Valley ViewFrom there we walked down to Sentinel Beach, or more correctly the little beach on the other side of the Merced from Sentinel Beach. Not many people come here as opposed to the larger beach on the other side of the river, so it was much more quiet and peaceful. We spent most of the morning reading and taking photos.

Later that afternoon, we took our bikes off the back of the Subaru and headed along the Valley Floor trail towards Valley View. This section of the Valley Loop Trail is a bit dicier so there were times we chose to ride out on the road rather than deal with rocks and fallen trees.

Valley ViewOur next stop along the loop road was the very popular Valley View near the end of the Northside Drive, where El Capitan, on the left, and Cathedral Rocks, on the right, frame a magnificent valley view.

Two Golden Half DomesIt’s an iconic shot, so the challenge is to make your photograph different than the one everyone else takes. Normally, there is a tour bus with dozens of people vying for the same shot. Today we were fortunate enough to have it to ourselves.

From Valley View, we took the left back around onto Southside Drive and rode for a few miles before turning left onto the El Cap Crossover road to get back to Northside Drive along which our Subaru was parked.

It was a very nice ride and just under 9 miles. As I said many times, bikes are the best way to get around the Valley.

We spent that evening wandering around Cook’s Meadow, between Sentinel Bridge and Swinging Bridge, during the golden hour. Sometimes, but now always, Sentinel Rock and Half Dome take on a golden hue. Tonight we were lucky. We were even able to get two Half Domes thanks to the Merced River.

Later that evening we went over to Ahwahnee Grand Lounge with our kindles and a bottle of wine.

Day 6 - North Dome Hike

North Dome trailOur plan for the day was to drive up to the Tioga Pass and hike to North Dome, one of our favorite hikes in Yosemite.

There are four classic hikes above Yosemite Valley that provide expansive views of the Valley and the surrounding cliffs: Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point, which we had done earlier this week; the Half Dome Cable route, which we have done twice; the precarious Cloud Rest hike, which I had been afraid to do for years but lived through it, and today’s planned hike to North Dome, which we had done with the boys about 8 years ago. It was well overdue for a return visit.

Half Dome and Clouds Rest in distanceThe drive to the trailhead at Porcupine Creek was about 43 miles from our campground. This is usually a very popular hike, but today the parking lot was empty, so it was a good chance that we would have this hike to ourselves.

Unlike the other hikes we had done this week, the trail started down rather than up, which it continued to do for about a mile through a lovely, quiet pine forest. There was no one else around, so it was very, very peaceful.

Lots of downs to get to this summitAt about the mile and a half mark, we came to a trail junction – straight ahead to North Dome and a left to the Valley Floor via Tenaya Canyon. Now that would be an interesting hike, but would require a shuttle back up to Tioga Pass to get our car.

The last time we hiked this back in 2014, on the way back from North Dome, Herb and Andrew actually took the Tenaya Canyon hike back down to the Valley while Tommy and I went back to the trailhead and drove the car back.

This time we continued straight towards North Dome.

Down to the North Dome SummitAt 2.5 miles we came to another junction for the side trip to Indian Rock. We had done that last time, so we decided to skip that this time and continue on.

As the trail made its way up the ridge, we came to a big flat granite area that I at first thought was North Dome, but realized we hadn’t gone far enough yet. I knew that because whenever we hike I clutch a GPS that tells me how far we’ve gone, what our elevation is, etc. I use it for reinforcement that I am actually making progress. This false North Dome was just a treeless portion of Indian Ridge.

Our granite reclinerNow that we were out of the trees, the views were getting really good, and as we continued on, they just kept getting better and better. Eventually, we saw the real North Dome, a huge smooth granite plateau jutting out before us.

At 4.5 miles, we took the left spur for the hike down (that’s right, down) to the summit of North Dome. This is probably the first summit that I have ever descended to, but that’s because Tioga Road is so high.

As we made our way down to the summit, it seemed like the whole world lay before us – Clouds Rest and Tenaya Canyon to the northeast, Yosemite Valley below, and our old favorite Half Dome just across the canyon.

Golden HourThis was a totally different perspective of Half Dome than we had ever seen. It looked much wider than usual. We finally figured out that this time we were looking at it head on, and all our other views of it, like from the Valley or Glacier Point, were from an oblique angle that shortened it. It was kind of like getting used to an old friend that you hadn’t seen in awhile that had gained weight.

We spent most of our time on the summit trying to take a picture of the two of us sitting on a rock that looked a bit like a lady’s shoe, heel and all, with the wider version of Half Dome as a dramatic backdrop. We looked like Etruscans reclining on a couch.

Finally, we pried ourselves off our stone couch and began our ascent off the summit of the Dome, back across the other false granite dome, through the peaceful forest, and then back up to the car.

10.3 fabulously scenic miles, with a 1,924-foot elevation gain (mostly on the way back).

We got back to the Valley just in time to see a glorious sunset.

Day 7 - Mariposal Grove

The Grizzly GiantFor a very different perspective of Yosemite, we left the giant granite cliffs of the Valley behind today and drove 30 twisty miles south to Wawona and the Mariposa Grove to see the giant Sequoias.

It seems like everything about this Park is super-sized.

There are actually three sequoia groves in Yosemite, but by far the largest and most impressive is the Mariposa Grove where there are about 500 giant sequoias, many of which are more than 3,000 years old. They are considered to be the largest living things on earth – almost 300 feet tall, 50 feet in circumference, and about 2 million pounds.

It is one of the most highly-visited attractions in all of Yosemite.

The California Tunnel TreeIn 2015, the Grove underwent a massive 3-year restoration project, removing parking lots and roads, in an attempt to improve the habitat for the sequoias. They also eliminated the open-air trams that used to take visitors on a tour through the Upper Grove. Now you have to hike to it.

The last time we were here, we were able to drive in and park near the groves, but now visitors have to park at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Center and take the free shuttle bus to the Lower Grove. It runs approximately every 15 minutes.

However, we didn’t want to wait and get on a crowded shuttle bus, so we walked from the Welcome Center to the Lower Grove, adding about 0.6 miles (each way) onto our hike for the day.

There was a large crowd disembarking from a shuttle bus when we got there, and they were all headed the same direction - to the right to see the Grizzly Giant, by far the most spectacular tree in the Grove, and only 0.7 miles from the trailhead.

Mariposa Grove CabinWe hurried onto the trail so we could get there before the crowd.

Rising 209 feet in the air with a circumference of 96.5-foot, and weighing in at roughly 2 million pounds, it is the 2nd largest tree in Mariposa Grove and the 26th largest tree in the world. it is quite impressive.

It’s also the oldest tree in Mariposa Grove, with the best estimate of its age being 2,995 years old (plus or minus 250 years).

It was scary to think that just 3 months ago, the Washburn Fire threatened Grizzly Giant and other trees in Mariposa Grove, but firefighters saved the day by installing a ground-based sprinkler system in the grove to increase the humidity near the trees.

These trees are hugeAfter paying homage to the Grizzly Giant, we came to the California Tunnel Tree, which was cut in 1895 to allow horse-drawn stagecoaches to pass through.

Fun fact: There were once two trees in this grove that were tunneled to allow coaches through, but unfortunately the other one is now called the Fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree, because it fell during a winter storm in 1969, when it was just 2,100 years old. We would see that later on our hike.

So now, this one is now called the Surviving Tunnel Tree because it is not only standing, but still alive.

Wawona PointMost visitors turn left here to continue on the relatively easy 2-mile Grizzly Giant Loop through the Lower Grove, since the trail to the Upper Grove is fairly strenuous and steep.

As we continued on the Perimeter Trail to the Upper Grove, it became quieter and less touristy, and yes, much steeper. The trail narrowed and there were no more wooden railings separating us from the trees. It felt like we were experiencing this grove like the pioneers and early adventurous tourists were.

At about two miles into our hike, we took the left branch of the guardian loop, which soon brought us to a beautiful log cabin with benches on the front porch.

The Fallen MonarchGalen Clark built this cabin in 1858, a year after his discovery of the grove. Clark later on went on to become the first “Guardian” of Yosemite after the Yosemite Grant was signed by President Lincoln in 1864. It was Clark that persuaded Congress to protect the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as well as Yosemite Valley for future generations.

The cabin later served as the Mariposa Grove Museum up until the 2015 restoration project to remove all development in the grove. The cabin was boarded up and contents were moved to the bus stop near the parking area for the South Park entrance.

Closeup of the Fallen MonarchToo bad, because I really would have liked to peek inside there.

Galen chose his location well. There was a pretty little meadow in front of the cabin surrounded by an amphitheater of immense sequoia trees.

The benches on the front porch were the perfect place for our picnic lunch - so quiet and serene.

We continued hiking up the Guardian Loop before taking the one-mile (RT) side trip to Wawona Point, where there was a sweeping view of the pine-covered Wawona Valley and meadow.

The Clothespin TreeThis Valley was once a solid green carpet of pine trees, but now there were large brown patches of dead trees caused by a bark beetle infestation brought on by years of drought that killed about a third of the trees.

Those dead pine trees helped fuel the Washburn Fire of 2022 that came dangerously close to destroying the grove.

From Wawona Point we continued back to complete the Guardians Loop. This peaceful dirt trail used to be part of the paved loop road that the open-air tram took tourists on. I think it is much better this way with the only sounds being birds rather than a tour guide with a megaphone.

We soon came to the Fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree (also called the Fallen Monarch, which, as I mentioned earlier, fell during a winter storm in 1969. I was totally dwarfed by its root system, which on its side was as tall as a three-story building. The wood was beautiful.

Back in the Valley in time for sunsetThis was once the most photographed tree in the grove. It was tunneled in 1881 in order to bring tourists to the grove. For over 75 years, thousands of visitors on foot, horse-drawn stage, and eventually automobiles passed through the tree’s core. Weakened by the tunnel, in 1969 it fell under the weight of a heavy winter snow load.

Eventually we worked our way back to the main Mariposa Grove Trail passing some more interesting named Sequoias along the way, like the Clothespin Tree with its distinctive split base and the Faithful Couple,two Giant Sequoia trees growing so close that they merged over the years to form a single massive trunk.

Then it was back onto the Grizzly Giant Loop trail (the part we didn’t do yet) where we joined the crowds.

I am so glad we made the extra effort to explore the Upper Grove where we could experience this beautiful place more like the way Galen Clark did and were still make it back to the Valley in time to toast the sunset.

Day 8 - Cook’s Meadow and the Ahwahnee Patio

After two big days of hiking to North Dome and then the Mariposa Grove, we were ready for a slower-paced chill day in the Valley. Plus it was our last day.

In the morning, as we do most mornings while camping in the Valley, we moved the motorhome out of the campground, which because of the high surrounding cliffs, doesn’t see sun until almost 10:00, and moved it to Southside Drive, near the Yosemite Chapel.

We would use that as a base camp for strolls and other explorations for the day.

In the morning, we strolled through Cook’s Meadow between Sentinel and Swinging Bridge, where there were lovely reflections in the river of the surrounding granite cliffs.

Then we spent the afternoon in our beach chairs, just relaxing and enjoying the river flow by.

After putting the motorhome back in its campsite, we drove the Subaru over to the Church Bowl Picnic Area, where I loaded up my backpack with a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers, and we strolled over to the Ahwahnee Hotel.

We were fortunate to find an empty table on the outdoor patio along the lawn in the back of the Hotel.

That evening we brought some wine and cheese over to the Ahwahnee and sat at one of the outside tables on the patio. The tall pine trees blocked our view of Half Dome, so when it came time for sunset, we walked back to the Ahwahnee Meadow where there is an unobstructed view,

Half Dome did not disappoint.

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arrival and walk from the campground

Evening stroll from campgroundThe drive to the Valley from our home in Sonoma Valley takes about 5.5 hours via Highway 140 through the El Portal entrance.

We weren’t too far from our house before the motorhome started bucking and misfiring, a problem that Herb had sporadically noticed in the past. This time, it wasn’t sporadic but pretty consistent whenever we were going uphill or accelerating quickly.

Evening stroll from campgroundHerb pretty much knew that it was most likely the spark plugs and coils that needed to be changed. We even questioned whether we should continue on or go back home.

We decided to continue on, especially because Tommy and Erin would be joining us the following weekend, and it is always so much fun to spend time with them in Yosemite.

It was, however, a bit of a stressful drive for Herb as he wondered if we would be able to make it. We were towing our Subaru, which we use to get around the Valley when we are there, so we vowed to try to not think about the motorhome’s problems until it was time to go home.

Easier said than done though, as I saw it cast a bit of a cloud over Herb.

There was still about an hour of daylight when we arrived at the Upper Pines Campground, so I headed out for a walk just across the bridge to the North Pines Campground and then back to the meadow just beyond the Lower Pines Campground.

I always feel the need to greet the Valley upon my arrival.

Day 2 - Morning in El Cap Meadow and Valley Floor Bike Ride in the afternoon

Smoky El Cap MeadowOur favorite place to photograph in the morning is the El Cap Meadow. It has such lovely trees - California Black Oak, ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, white fir, aspen, and many more that I can’t identify.

And if you get there early enough, and conditions are right, there is usually mist in the meadow creating a very dreamy atmosphere just where the El Cap crossover road meets Southside Drive.

Although it did create an interesting effect, it made it difficult to breathe, especially for an asthmatic like Herb.

Smoky El Cap MeadowWe parked along the Northside Drive, near the base of El Cap, and then headed out into the meadows towards the trees along the river.

There is an especially pretty stand of aspen that was beginning to show its yellow fall colors. An interesting fact about aspens is that a stand of aspen trees is actually considered a singular organism with the main life force underground in the extensive root system.

Smoky El Cap MeadowBefore a single aspen trunk appears above the surface, the root system may lie dormant for many years until the conditions are just right.

There are also some lovely large ponderosa (or lodgepole?) pines along the river, which I gravitated to. They are so majestic and interesting to photograph.

Herb and I have different approaches when photographing an area. When Herb finds something he likes, he will spend hours in that one spot, photographing its details. I, however, like to survey an entire area so I don’t regret missing something later.

El Cap ReflectionsSo, we soon lost each other, and I crossed the crossover road and followed a path along the river, eventually getting to Cathedral Beach, where there are usually nice reflections of El Cap in the Merced River.

Herb and I eventually met up back by the aspen along the river. The mist was gone but the air was still quite smoky, so we called it a morning and headed back to the campground.

Later that afternoon, we moved the Subaru over to the Sentinel Bridge parking area to set up a base camp for the rest of the day.

Valley Loop bike rideWe set off on our bikes and headed towards Yosemite Village. From there we got on the Valley Loop trail and followed it as far as the beach before the El Cap Crossover Road.

Our intention was to take the El Cap Crossover Road to Southside Drive to do a complete loop, but the smoke was so bad that we had to turn around and go back.

When we got near Yosemite Lodge, we decided to go over Swinging Bridge and get on the Southside Drive.

From there we biked back on the bike path that paralleled the road, passing the cute little Yosemite Chapel along the way.

Because of the smoke, it was not exactly the ride we planned, but it was still a fun 8+ miles, so at least we got to get a little exercise in.

Day 3 - Tuolumne Meadows - Lembert Dome hike and Tuolumne Meadow stroll

Hiking up Lembert DomeSince the smoke was so bad in the Valley, we decided to go up to Tuolumne Meadows where the air would hopefully be better.

Sure enough, the air up here was clear and the skies were blue.

We have done most of the hikes in Tuolumne, but we hadn’t done the Lembert Dome hike since 2016, when our rock climbing sons and daughter-in-law did it the hard way, while we met them at the top.

Atop Lambert DomeIt is definitely a hike worth repeating. In the land of domes which Tuolumne is, Lembert Dome is the most iconic and the one you can see rising 800-feet above Tuolumne Meadows.

Like most domes, Lembert Dome has a steep face, which rock climbers like to play on, and a gentler, yet still steep, backside that hikers can scramble up. We were going for the gentler side, but even that wasn’t so gentle.

What goes up must come downAlthough a little bit intimidating, it was nothing compared to going up the backside of Half Dome. That it is so steep that they have installed cables to hold onto as you ascend. Still even on this dome, your heart does get pumping, and not just from the physical exertion.

From the summit there is a wonderful panoramic view - Cathedral Range to the South, the Sierra crest to the east, and Tuolumne Meadows to the west.
There were two fellow hikers on the summit - the only other people we had seen all day.

A little butt crab walkingAs with many steep climbs, going down is worse than up, and there was the occasional need to get down on my butt and do a bit of a crab walk.

All in all the hike was 2.4 miles with a 700-foot elevation gain.

While we were up in Tuolumne, we decided to stop at another one of our favorite spots - lovely Tuolumne Meadows.

Tuolumne MeadowsThere’s definitely a very different feel to Tuolumne than the Valley. Both have beautiful meadows with rivers running through them, but Tuolumne’s meadow is surrounded by dozens of glacially-carved granite domes rather than the steep, dramatic granite walls that enclose the Valley. It’s also a lot less crowded and, as a result, more peaceful and serene.

We started on the trail by the Visitor Center, and in about a 1/2 mile crossed a footbridge over the river, where we were treated to lovely views of Cathedral Peak, Unicorn Peak, the Cockscomb, and Echo Peaks to the south and Lembert Dome to the north.

Soda Spring CabinA short distance past the bridge, we turned right towards the Soda Spring Cabin, a small log cabin built by John Baptiste Lembert over a bubbling, naturally carbonated spring, surrounded by a cluster of mineral-crusted, rust-red puddles.

A surprising fact is that geologists have no idea how or why the springs formed.

It was here that I learned that Lembert was not just the name of a dome, but of the first white settler in the Tuolumne Meadows, who in 1885 filed a claim for 160 acres. He must have been pretty lonely living out here alone each summer tending his goats. In 1889 he built the structure over the spring to keep the animals out.

Mineral-crusted, rust-red puddlesBesides playing with his goat herd, Lembert gained fame as a guide and naturalist throughout the Tuolumne region, being the sole resident there in the summer and wintering in a small cabin near Cascade Creek in Yosemite Valley.

Tragically, he was murdered in this cabin in 1897, apparently for a small amount of money.

This hike had been so interesting. The only thing I love more than pristine, natural beauty is having some history thrown in.

It had been a great day in Tuolumne. I love it up here - such a different kind of beauty than in the valley.

Time to head back to the valley.

Day 4 - More Valley Wanderings

Near El Cap MeadowIt’s nice to have been to Yosemite Valley so many times, that we don’t feel compelled to run around frantically trying to see everything - because we already have.

Instead we like to leisurely wander around photographing from the various meadows.

We started our day with our morning commute to El Cap Meadow to enjoy the atmospherics of the morning mist (and smoke).

Along the Southside DriveThis time we spent less time in the meadow and more time strolling along the northern shore of the Merced River, where you can get some great reflections of El Cap.

We had some blue skies over El Cap today, so perhaps the smoke was getting better. I certainly hope so.

We decided to drive the whole Valley Loop this morning, stopping at the iconic Valley View pullout.

On the way back along the Southside Drive, we parked in a pullout near Bridalveil Falls and strolled along the river a bit to one of our favorite spots where there is a nice bend in the river with El Cap in the background.

Sentinel BeachWe’re kind of nostalgic about this spot, because Tommy and Erin (who would be arriving in a few days) had some wedding photos taken here.

After lunch back in the campground, we decided to take advantage of the little beach right near the campground, just over the bridge. Ready to settle in for the afternoon, we brought beach chairs, books, and a cooler.

An important thing to remember about Yosemite Valley in the winter, is that the sun drops below the tops of the mountains very early in the day - in this case, 2:09 pm, just 5 minutes after setting up our beach chairs.

Relaxing on Sentinel BeachHaving our hearts set on just relaxing with a book on a beach, we drove over to Sentinel Beach where we knew we could get 2 more hours of sun.

Herb wandered the beach with his camera while I settle myself in a chair with a book. We were both very happy with our situation.

Ahwahnee Grand LoungeThat evening, rather than spending it in the motorhome in the campground, we drove over to the Ahwahnee Lounge to hang out with our books and a bottle of wine. We settled into two comfy chairs right near the piano player

I love historic national park lodges, and in my opinion, the Ahwahnee, with its rustic wooden-beamed ceiling, giant fireplace, and plenty of cozy nooks to hide away in, is one of its finest. I have so many fond memories of spending time here in the evenings with the boys reading, playing cards, or just chatting. It’s my happy place.

Day 5 - Sentinel Dome / Taft Point Hike

Climbing up Sentinel DomeFor a change of pace, we decided to drive up to the Glacier Point Road to do the Sentinel Dome / Taft Point hike.

Of course, we couldn’t just drive right past El Cap Meadow for our “morning constitutional” stroll through the mist and smoke. Those beautiful trees were much too alluring to ignore.

We dragged ourselves away after about a half hour this time though and got as far as Tunnel View before stopping again. The parking is just before the tunnel to Wawona and it is pretty much always full, and it’s easy to understand why.

View of El Cap from atop Sentinel DomeFrom the low brick wall at the end of the parking lot is the iconic and breathtaking view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Valley in between. However, today the entire valley floor was covered with a layer of smoke, making it picturesque, as if it was a fine mist, but we knew what it was and knew we had made the right decision today to go up to Glacier Point Road to get above it.

The trailhead for the Sentinel Dome / Taft Point hike is 13.2 miles from the start of Glacier Point Road. The last time we were here, the parking lot was practically full, but today it was pretty quiet.

Us atop Sentinel DomeFrom the parking lot, we walked about 100 feet before coming to a split in the trail, left to Taft Point and right to Sentinel Dome. Unlike last time, this time we would go to Sentinel Dome first and then Taft Point afterwards.

Continuing right, we went down into a section of trees, crossed a small bridge, and then spent the next mile on a gradual uphill before getting our first glance of Sentinel Dome in the distance.

We continued through a section of trees again and found ourselves at the base of the dome.

Taft Point FissuresLike Lembert Dome, there was no real path, so we just continued up the smooth granite surface wherever it looked easiest.

After only about 100 yards we were at the summit and treated to a fantastic 360-degree view.

What a lot of bang for our buck, especially compared to Yosemite’s other hikes to Valley viewpoints.

Taft PointThe hike up the backside of Half Dome is about a 17-mile roundtrip, and the hike to the top of Yosemite Falls is a strenuous 7.4-mile one, but getting to the top of Sentinel Dome takes about 2 miles of level walking and just a brief scramble to the top.

And, the views are just as spectacular, if not even more so with El Cap and Yosemite Falls to the north (too bad it wasn’t flowing); Half Dome, Clouds Rest, and Nevada Fall to the east; and the most famous dead tree right there on top of the summit (the one Ansel Adams photographed when it looked a little livelier).

Herb and Sentinel RockHerb and I don’t take many photos of the two of us together when we travel, so I urged him to set up the tripod so we could get a shot of the two of us with this magnificent scenery as a backdrop. He enthusiastically obliged.

From the summit we simply walked back down the dome the way we came up, but when we got to its base, rather than turn right and take the same way back to the trailhead where we could do Taft Point as a separate hike, we turned left onto the Pohono Trail towards Taft Point making it a longer loop hike with some new scenery.

After about 2 miles of hiking along the Pohono Trail, we came to the Taft Point fissures, which are these immense vertical gashes in the granite that plunge hundreds of feet to the Valley—kind of like crevasses minus the snow. There were no guard rails around them, so we were free to get up close and gaze down and down. It still makes my palms sweat thinking about it.

Swinging BridgeA short distance ahead was Taft Point itself, where we stood at the edge of a cliff - kind of like the one atop Half Dome, but this one had a metal railing. From there we safely gazed down at all of Yosemite Valley.

From this vantage point, we were actually looking down on El Cap rather than craning our necks skyward to take in its immensity. The view would have been even more spectacular if Yosemite Falls wasn’t dry.

From Taft Point we returned to the car, completing our 6.2 mile with a 1,220-foot elevation gain loop hike.

On the drive back to the campground, we stopped to catch the sunset near Swinging Bridge. It had been a pretty full day.

Day 6 - Halloween in Yosemite

Horses by Swinging BridgeHalloween in Yosemite!! No trick or treaters so far. The big event for the day was going to be the Yosemite Cemetery tour given by interpretive guides from the Yosemite Conservancy. We had to meet at the cemetery at 8:00 tonight. Spooky!!

We made this a pretty chill day, parking the RV along the Southside Drive near Swinging Bridge and venturing out from there. The air seemed pretty clear of smoke, at least from here.

North Dome from Swinging BridgeWhile walking towards Swinging Bridge, I came upon two women on horseback. I had never seen that in the Valley before.

There was also a very nice reflection of North Dome in the Merced River.

Our Halloween event wasn't until 8:00 tonight, so we had plenty of time to hang around and watch a really nice sunset in the meadow.

Then we put the motorhome back in the campground and took the Subaru over to Yosemite Village for our Cemetery Tour.

At 8:00 pm a group of about 20 gathered at the cemetery. Right on time a tour guide in period costume holding a lantern appeared, explaining that tonight we would be visiting the grave sites of several people that had been important to the history of Yosemite.

Sunset in the ValleyHe told us that our task that evening was to find the guardian of Yosemite, the person or persons that would protect it for future generations.

He then proceeded to lead us through the cemetery which was lit by his lantern and candles along the way.

He would stop at a grave and its resident ghost would appear and talk to us about his or her experiences in and contributions to what is now Yosemite National Park.

Halloween Yosemite Cemetery TourThat evening we met four ghosts:

Florence Hutching - the first non-Ahwahnechee to be born in Yosemite Valley. She was an adventurous tomboy who defied the conventions of her time, riding bareback and dressing like a man. She tragically died when a large boulder loosed and hit her while guiding a party up to Glacier Point.

Her ghost looked like she was once a lot of fun and, as a tomboy myself, I would have loved to have spent time with her in Yosemite Valley

Ghost of George AndersonGalen Clark - the first Guardian of the Yosemite Grant, a position that he held for the next 35 years. During his tenure as Yosemite's guardian, Clark accompanied John Muir, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and other well-known scientists, writers, painters, and tourists on outings around the park.

I certainly wouldn't have minded being a fly on the canyon wall listening to him and Muir around a campfire

George Anderson - mountaineer known for making the first ascent to the summit of Half Dome in 1875. Without the benefit of modern climbing gear or techniques, he climbed barefoot and drilled holes to place eye bolts through which he could attach his rope for protection from falls. Those holes eventually came to house the cables of the popular cable route up Half Dome.

He was also very funny and said that John Muir would have been too distracted admiring the splendors of Yosemite to complete the climb.

Claire Marie Hodges - the first woman ranger in Yosemite and the person most responsible for developing the extensive trail system through the park

At the end, we learned that we are the "guardians" of Yosemite and must do our best to keep it as it is for future generations to enjoy.

Day 7 - Ahwahnee Meadow Wanderings, Valley Bike Ride, and Dinner at Yosemite Lodge

Ahwahnee MeadowIn winter, Yosemite Valley takes a while to wake up, as its high peaks block the rising run. The campground is often dark until 10 am.

So, we often drive over to the Church Bowl picnic area on Ahwahnee Drive, one of the few spots in the Valley that get early morning sun, so it was a good place to charge up our solar panels. We weren’t the only ones with this idea, so we pretty much had to get there by 8:30 to nail a parking space. Most of the other occupants of the spot were twenty- or thirty-something climbers in white vans (like both of our sons) prepping for a big wall climb the following day. In fact, one out of five vehicles in the Valley were white Promaster vans.

Hanging out along the MercedFrom there, Herb and I each wandered our own separate ways. There is a wonderful view of Half Dome from here, but we have so many photos of it that we now find ourselves more interested in photographing the beautiful trees in the meadow.

I also found some time to poke into the lovely Ahwahnee Hotel and sit for a bit by its cozy fireplace.

My skeletonized leavesLater that day, we moved the motorhome and parked it on Southside Drive near the Yosemite Chapel where we would use it as a base camp for the day.

We decided to go for a bike ride, and I suggested something different - riding the Valley Loop trail starting behind the Chapel.

At first the trail was flat, but it gradually became so steep and rocky that we turned around in about a mile and a half and then decided to ride over to Yosemite Village instead to visit the Ansel Adams Gallery. I usually like to pay a visit here each year to see anything new on display.

Herb's LeafThe gallery is run by his son Michael Adams, and there are many wonderful prints on exhibit—actually they are for sale, but I treat this place more like a museum—both by Ansel Adams himself, as well as several contemporary landscape photographers.

Every time I come here, I find myself gravitating to colorful, skeletonized leaves set in a frame. I have literally admired these for years. Herb said that if I had admired them for that long, it was time for me to bring them home, so we bought them. They are currently sitting in a prominent spot on my bookshelf and I am happily looking at them now.

Dinner at Yosemite LodgeWe spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting in our beach chairs along a stretch of the Merced River. Well, I sat, but Herb wandered up and down along the river's edge photographing leaves in the river. I thought it was silly at first, but then I saw his result. A simple yellow leaf floating on the iridescent purples and blues formed by the decaying oils.

When we got home, Herb made a print of his leaf and framed it. I think it's even more beautiful than the one I bought in the Answel Adams Gallery.

That evening we had dinner reservations at the Mountain Room in the Yosemite Valley Lodge, which has a very cozy dining room and very good food. In many ways, I think it is even better than the elegant Ahwahnee Dining room (especially in terms of price), but that wasn’t even a choice as it has been closed for months while it undergoes a seismic upgrade that would allow it to withstand earthquakes.

I had a delicious Rainbow Trout and Herb had the Kurobuta Pork Chop.

I highly recommend the Mountain Room for dinner, but be sure to make a reservation well in advance, as they were turning walk-ins away.

Day 8 - El Cap Meadow Wanderings, Hetch Hetchy, Lunch at Evergreen Lodge

Morning in El Cap MeadowEvery couple days or so, we figured we would mix it up and explore places outside the Valley. Today the plan was to drive up to Hetch Hetchy for a hike and then lunch at the Evergreen Lodge, where our son and daughter-in-law got married 2 years ago.

Lovely trees of El Cap MeadowBut, of course, we couldn’t get out of the Valley without stopping to see what was happening (with the light and smoke) in the El Cap Meadow.

Hmm…It looked too good to just pass by, so we stopped for an hour to photograph our favorite trees. Every day, depending on the lighting and the smoke, they looked different.
Then it was on to Hetch Hetchy.

Hetch Hetchy was the place that famed conservationist John Muir thought rivaled Yosemite Valley in grandeur and fought so hard to protect from the politically powerful men in San Francisco that wanted to dam the river and turn its valley into a reservoir. As we all know, Muir lost the good fight and many believe that the loss hastened his death in 1914, a year after a bill was signed to fund the dam project.

Trees of El Cap MeadowAnyone interested in learning more about this controversial battle should definitely attend one of the weekly performances of “Conversation with a Tramp: An Evening with John Muir” given every Wednesday night at the Yosemite Theater (behind the Visitor Center). It is such an unbelievably worthwhile experience. The actor, Lee Stetson, has been playing the role of John Muir since 1983, and trust me, he will keep you mesmerized and totally convinced that you are back in 1913 anxiously waiting with him in his study for the news of Hetch Hetchy’s fate.

Hetch Hetchy O’Shaughnessy DamIronically, this part of the park is so much less visited than the Valley that the feeling of solitude and remoteness that surrounds one here is probably much closer to the way John Muir had experienced Yosemite.

The 40-mile drive from the Valley takes about an hour and a half. We took the Big Oak Flat Road north, but rather than turn west onto 120, we continued on Evergreen Road through the Stanislaus National Forest.

We passed the Evergreen Lodge and Tavern (for now) where Tommy and Erin had their wedding. We would stop here for lunch on the way back.

View from O’Shaughnessy DamAt the end of Evergreen Road, we came to the Yosemite entrance station -- that’s right, you actually have to leave Yosemite and re-enter it again to get to Hetch Hetchy.

From the entrance gate, we drove another 8 miles along the twisty, narrow Hetch Hetchy Road to the Day Hikers parking area by the O’Shaughnessy Dam.

As we walked across the dam and gazed out across the reservoir (squinting a little to block out the water), we could definitely see how John Muir compared this place to Yosemite Valley. There was even a little El Cap, just to the left of Wapama Falls. Later, we even found a miniature Half Dome. I guess we shouldn’t have been so surprised, as the same forces that formed Yosemite Valley shaped and created this valley as well.

Hetch Hetchy TunnelAt the end of the dam, we walked through a 500-foot, dark tunnel, before turning right onto the trail towards Wapama and Rancheria Falls.

Since the falls would not be running now, we turned around after about a mile and headed back. We were very anxious to get back to Evergreen Lodge, where we had such wonderful memories of our son’s wedding there.

The Evergreen Lodge has strong ties to Hetch Hetchy in that it was originally built in the 1920s as housing for the workers building the O'Shaughnessy Dam.

Evergreen Lodge historical tavernIn the early years, the Evergreen was a post office, restaurant and general store. Lore has it that moonshine was brewed in the basement of the lodge during Prohibition.

It was fun sitting in the cozy wooden tavern, eating a delicious burger and fries, looking back on its history and all the moonshine that must have been drunk here - and that’s just during Tommy and Erin’s wedding!

On the way back through the Valley, we stopped at our secret spot near Sentinel Bridge to capture some reflections of Half Dome in the river.

Day 9 - Tenaya Creek HIke

Half Dome and Mt. WatkinsDuring our more than 20 visits to Yosemite Valley, we had pretty much hiked every trail there was to hike in the Valley, although there are still a few more we need to conquer in Tuolumne Meadows.

However, there was one that we hadn’t done completely, and that’s the Mirror Lake / Tenaya Creek Loop.

What most first-time visitors to the Valley don’t know is that Mirror Lake is not really a lake at all, but rather a large, shallow pool in Tenaya Creek. Each year as sand and gravel washes into it from Tenaya Creek, in a process called sedimentation, it shrinks a little more.

Happy Herb along Tenaya CreekWe have hiked to Mirror Lake many times but only saw it filled with water once, back on October of 2021 - the same year that the October “atmospheric rivers” of rain had brought the Firefall to life in October. It was amazing to be able to see a reflection of North Dome in what was now truly a lake. It was absolutely lovely.

We set out from the Upper Pine Campground, crossed the bridge over the Merced towards the North Pine Campground, and turned right onto the Mirror Lake Loop trail. For the next mile we traced the south side of Tenaya Creek, doing the loop in a counter-clockwise direction.

Reflections in Tenaya CreekIn about a mile we came to Mirror “Lake,” which, as expected, was not a lake today, but more of a meadow. Most visitors turn back here after asking “Where’s the Lake?” Too bad, because the best was yet to come.

However, those, like us, that continue on are treated to an uncrowded, quiet nature experience that’s hard to find in Yosemite these days.

All along the way we had spectacular views of Half Dome and Mt. Watkins looming over us to our right.

Herb finds another leafWe intentionally got off Mirror Lake Loop Trail a few times to get closer to the river, where we were able to see interesting reflections of the surrounding granite cliffs in the Creek. Herb became especially enamored with a floating leaf that he stalked for some time.

Eventually, we had to get back onto the Mirror Lake Loop trail, which required a bit of bushwhacking.

About 3 miles from the trailhead, we crossed over a footbridge to the other side of Tenaya Creek.

Mt. Watkins through the treesFrom there we continued on through a very pretty wooded section with colorful ground foliage and tall trees with glimpses of Mt. Watkins in between the trunks.

From there we traced the northern edge of the Creek, once again passing what would more appropriately be called Mirror “Meadow” in its current state.

In total, it was a 7-mile hike (starting and ending in Upper Pines Campground), with lots of great views and the type of peace and serenity you don’t expect in Yosemite any more.

Day 10 - A relaxing day of visiting many meadows

Meadow near our campgroundToday was our last day on our own in the Valley. Late tonight, well after we would be sound asleep, Tommy would arrive in the Valley and stay on a campsite with Dr. Peter, his best friend from college. We would not see him until tomorrow morning.

We had covered a lot of ground over the last 9 days, visiting some old favorite places, and even discovering one or two new ones.

Herb stalking a leafSo, today would be a day of just relaxing - sitting in our beach chairs along the river reading our kindles, strolling through various meadows, photographing, listening to the piano player in the Ahwahnee.

In the morning we just walked from our campsite, through the Lower Pines Campground, and out to a meadow that was already having early morning sunlight paint the trees in an orange glow.

Evening walk to the AhwahneeLater that afternoon moved the motorhome to a spot along Southside Drive near the Yosemite Chapel.

From there, we took our beach chairs down to the river where I read and Herb continued stalking leaves - his new supermodel.

Herb has always been mainly a landscape photographer, but we had been to Yosemite so many times and taken all the iconic shots, that he found it more interesting to focus on closeups of some of the more overlooked lovely details of the Valley.

That evening, we parked over at the Church Bowl Picnic area and walked to the Ahwahnee with a bottle of wine to listen to the piano player. It's so great that this elegant Grand Lounge is open to not just guests of the hotel, but the public. After all, this is a National Park.

We had been here so long that it was beginning to feel more like home than a vacation.

We were very much looking forward to Tommy and Erin's arrival. They definitely liven things up.

Day 11 - Tommy and Erin are here!!

Tommy bouldering in Camp 4The next morning, Tommy, Erin, Tommy’s college friend Peter, and his friend came over to our motorhome for bagels and coffee. No matter how old Tommy gets, I love feeding and spending time with his friends.

The agenda for today was, as it always is when we are with the kids in the Valley, rock climbing. They had several places in mind.

Our first stop was Camp 4, the famous rock climbers' camp located near the base of Lower Yosemite Falls, which some of the world’s most renowned climbers have used as their base when climbing in Yosemite.

It’s even listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its nationally significant role in the development of rock climbing as a sport.

Hanging out boulderingThere are three types of climbing: bouldering, sport climbing, and trad climbing. The kids (who are no longer kids) would be doing the first two. Erin would only be doing sport climbing on a rope because she is 4 months pregnant and Tommy won’t let her boulder any more for fear of her hurting herself and my grandchild.

Tommy, Peter, and Hooper spent some time “projecting” some boulders in Camp 4, before we move on to another bouldering location near the LeConte Memorial, now called the Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center, because apparently LeConte has said some racist things in his past.

Erin's turnOh, funny story. When we were at Camp 4 Herb, who has tendinitis issues, started talking about a YouTube channel he had found called “Hooper’s Beta,” in which a Physical Therapist addresses how to avoid and rehab injuries from rock climbing. Herb then proceeded to ask if they had heard of it and whether this guy was “legit?”

Peter kind of smiled and said yes, and he’s right over there, pointing at his friend, who I had given a bagel and coffee to earlier.

Well, that was awkward, or it could have been if Herb had said anything bad. But Herb loves Hooper Beta and watches it religiously.

Then it was Erin’s turn. We moved to a sport climbing area located on the cliff behind the Yosemite Chapel. It was 5.12a, which is a pretty difficult climb, even if you’re not pregnant.

Tommy led it and Erin and Peter did it afterwards. Not bad for 4-months pregnant.

We had a fun day hanging out with Tommy and Erin and their friends. Always makes me feel younger just being around them.

Day 12 - Drive Home

TIme to go homeI know it’s time to go home when I see Herb with the poop hose in his hand.

It had been a great trip but 11 days in the Valley is a long time, so we were ready to go home. We just hoped the motorhome’s spark plugs would cooperate.

Postscript.

A bit of sadness had hung over us the entire trip, because we thought our Lazy Daze might finally be ready to put to pasture because of the problems we had on the drive here.

But $3,000 later, it was back! It needed new spark plugs, coils, cables, and I don’t know what else. Yay!

Travelogue

Day 1 - Father Crowley Vista Point, Badwater Basin (Lake Manly), and Artist's Palette

View from Father Crowley Vista PointOn the drive into Death Valley along Highway 190, near the western boundary of the Park, we stopped at the Father Crowley Vista Point where there are stunning views over Rainbow Canyon, a colorfully striped canyon created by ancient volcanic activity.

Most visitors stop at the first parking lot, but we continued to drive the additional ¼ mile on a dirt road to Padre Point, overlooking the Panamint Valley and the twisty roads we would soon be driving on.

Ephemeral Pond near Panamint SpringsThere are many places in the Eastern Sierra named after the beloved Father Crowley, a catholic priest who in the 1930s was responsible for ministering to the people of the Inyo County Parish, traveling hundreds of miles to serve his parishioners.

He would often stop at this beautiful spot to admire the views on his way to or from visiting parishioners in Death Valley, and his home in Lone Pine, CA.

Badwater Basin (Lake Manly)Continuing along Highway 190 on our way to Furnace Creek, we came across a beautiful ephemeral pond created by the “atmospheric rivers” that had been hitting California. It was beautiful.

Now onto the main event and the major reason we just had to get over to Death Valley - seeing the once in a lifetime phenomenon of seeing Lake Manly covering the Badwater Basin.

As anyone who has visited Death Valley before, the Badwater Basin is normally a vast, surreal salt flat with beautiful crystalline patterns caused by salt crystals expanding and pushing through the surface. The salt formations stretch for nearly 200 square miles.

Badwater Basin (Lake Manly)But now, because of the recent crazy weather pattern in the West of “atmospheric river” after “atmospheric river,” after 10,000 years, Lake Manly was back! reminding us that Death Valley was not always the dry place we think of today.

In fact, later we would discover even more ephemeral lakes and ponds popping up on the normally bone dry valley floor. It was now one big oasis!

Badwater Basin (Lake Manly)Visitors to Badwater Basin have always strolled out onto the flats, and they weren’t going to let a little water stop them from doing that.

We just had to join them. While many chose to go barefoot, I charged in with my trail runners, which are now white rather than black from the residue of salt crystals in the water.

Herb smartly wore neoprene socks in anticipation of this activity.

Artist's PaletteJust north of Badwater, there is a turnoff for Artist's Drive, a 9 ½ mile scenic drive where when the lighting is right, the rock turns multi-colored. Hence the name palette. It is one of the most photographed spots in Death Valley.

However, we were disappointed to see that this was one of the many roads marked as closed due to flooding on the NPS website.

Fortunately, as we were driving past the Artist's Drive turnoff, I glanced over and saw that the entry gates were open. We quickly turned in before any rangers could change their minds.

Artist's Palette at sunsetAlthough there are many interesting geologic formations along Artist’s Drive, none of them are as dramatic as the vibrant multi-colored Artist’s Palette.

Unlike the more subdued golds and browns of the Golden Canyon we hiked through yesterday, these hills are painted in turquoise, purple, red, pink, yellow, and green.

The vibrant colors of the Artist’s Palette are caused by the oxidation of different metals in the rock. Iron oxides produce reds, pinks, and yellows, while manganese minerals create lavender and purple hues. The decomposition of mica adds green tones to the palette.

It is absolutely stunning.

Day 2 - Zabriskie Point Sunrise and Ridge Hike, Furnace Creek Ranch Pool, and back to Artist's Palette

Sunrise at Zabriskie PointThe next morning we got up early to get to Zabriskie Point in time for sunrise. It is definitely the most spectacular viewpoint in the park with its stunning panoramic view of Golden Canyon and the surrounding vibrantly colored badlands.

However, we were not the only ones with this idea. While most people stay on the concrete viewing platform, we like to hike down below for more unobstructed views.

That pointy rock formation is 7,196-foot-high Manly Peak, named after William Lewis Manly, an early pioneer who scouted this area in 1849, while searching for a viable wagon train route out of Death Valley.

Setting out on the Zabriskie Ridge TrailThis Manly guy must have been pretty important, because the flooded Badwater Basin is also called Lake Manly.

To the left of Manly Peak, there are some beautiful yellow, tan, and brown badlands. As we looked down, we could see tiny people hiking through the badlands.

We planned to do that later this week along our favorite trail in the Valley, through Golden Canyon from the Valley floor up Gower Gulch and through the Badlands and along the base of the other side of Manly Peak.

Zabriskie Ridge TrailAs we walked back towards the car, we noticed several people hiking up on the ridge just to the west of the parking lot. Gee, we had never thought of going up there before.

We discovered that we could walk along a somewhat precarious trail along the ridge to the right of the viewing platform.

It rose quite steeply at first requiring a little bit of scrambling over rocks. After a while the trail continued along a series of undulating with steep drop-offs on either side of the narrow trail.

Tiny me on the Zabriskie Ridge TrailPlus, the trail was covered with loose rocks (scree) causing us to slip and slide a bit, especially on the downhills.

The views, however, were breathtaking, except you don’t want to walk and look at the same time or you risk taking a pretty bad tumble.

Golden Canyon and Manly Peak were constantly before us and presented a different perspective than that at the viewing platform.

Herb taking a break on the Zabriskie Ridge TrailThe area below is where the Golden Canyon hike would take us in a few days, where we would actually get to hike along the base of the backside of Manly Peak.

This trail seemed to go on and on with no end in sight, but we decided to turn around after a little less than a mile, knowing that downhill would be harder than up because of the scree.

So glad we discovered this gem of a trail after so many years coming here, but better late than never.

Furnace Creek Ranch poolAfter our ambitious sunrise event, we headed back to the Furnace Creek Ranch where we were staying for a well-needed nap. Normally, we like to camp out in the remoter parts of Death Valley in our 4Runner, but not this time of year, when it gets dark by 6:00 pm.

The Furnace Creek Ranch is quite nice - comfortable rooms, very nice grounds, a large pool, two restaurants, an ice cream parlor, a general store, and even a Borax mining museum.

Rather than rushing right out again after our nape, we thought it would be a nice change to have a little down time and relax poolside on a lounge chair for a few hours.

Wandering through Artists PaletteOf course, we don’t do well with downtime, so Herb and I both decided to swim a mile (54 laps) in the pool. We must have been inspiring, because by the time we were done there were three more people that had joined us.

Our plan for the late afternoon / evening was to return to Artist’s Palette, but this time hike down from the parking area into the badlands to wander amongst the colorful rocks.

Before leaving the Furnace Creek Ranch, I suggested we stop in at the two restaurants to see what we might want to do for dinner tonight. We were suprised to find how pricey they were with somewhat limited options. All I wanted was a hamburger and a salad.

Wandering over Artists PaletteWhen I stopped in at the Last Kind Words Saloon, I was told that a reservation was required, but the first one available was for 8:00. Wow! So, I grabbed it. It was pretty pricey, with most of the steaks over $50, but they have a very captive audience here, so we were kind of stuck.

We then checked out the 1849 Buffet, but the pickings didn’t look very appetizing, especially for $34 per person, so I guess we would just stick with our reservation for the Saloon later.

On our drive to Artist’s Palette, we noticed that the exit for the one-way drive was blocked off by cones. Oh no! Did they close it again?

Wandering through Artists PaletteWe figured we would just continue on and go to Badwater Basin again. However, when we got to the entrance to Artist’s Drive, we saw that the gate was open, so we quickly drove in.

On our way to Artist’s Palette, we passed only two cars, and when we got to the parking lot, there was nobody there. This lot is usually packed, especially at this time of day.

Were we perhaps the only ones that got through the open gates?

We headed down into the canyon from the parking area and began wandering around and over the colorful hills. There really were no set trails, so we just went whichever way looked good.

Good place for cocktail hourSometimes that meant climbing up steep hills to see what was on the other side, which did often reap rewards. However, that also meant slipping and sliding, and even getting on my butt, to get down them again.

The whole time we were there, we only saw 4 more people - very different from the usual crowds. We began to think that they might have closed the entry gate to the road again.

We probably wandered around for about a mile before returning up the hill to the parking lot, where the view out across the expanse of the badlands was really the best.

Artists PaletteThere was no other car in the parking lot and it was sunset. Were we locked in? We weren’t too worried because while the entry was blocked by a locked gate, the exit just had a few construction cones indicating closure which we could easily move.

We figured we might as well enjoy having the place to ourselves, so we grabbed a bottle of wine and climbed up the steep hill just to the right of the parking lot.

From there we watched as the golden hour literally turned some rocks gold and others and amazing turquoise and purple. It seemed unreal.

Sunset at Artists PaletteBy the time we left it was already getting dark. As we got to the Artist’s Drive exit, sure enough there were construction cones blocking our way. So we had managed to squeeze a visit in during the short time it was open. How lucky for us.

We had dinner that night at 8:00 at the Last Kind Word Saloon. Someone had warned us to stay away from the $50 - $80 steaks and just get the more reasonable Flat iron steak, which we did. It was pretty good, but didn’t arrive until well after 8:30 because they were short staffed in the kitchen.

Boy did we miss Andrew and Celeste’s hospitality and great cooking. Tomorrow night we would resort to our stash of backpacking mails which we always have packed in our truck.

Day 3 - Zabriskie Point Sunrise again, Random Salt Flats, Badwater Basin (Lake Manly), and Golden Canyon Hike

Sunrise gang at Zabriskie PointThe next morning we arose at 6:00 again to get to Zabriskie Point in time to watch the sun rise. This time there was a whole gang of photographers down below the viewing platform, where most people stay, where we normally like to position ourselves.

Plenty of room for all of us though. Besides, Herb wanted to focus (no pun intended) on the area of badlands down below to the left.

Badlands below Zabriskie PointWe decided to not go back out on the Ridge today, because we already had a big hike planned for the day, the Gower Gulch / Golden Canyon hike, where we would be down in those views rather than above looking down on them.

The light in Golden Canyon is best in the late afternoon, so we had plenty of time to kill before going over there to hike.

Random salt flatsWe decided to check out Lake Manly again, hoping that morning light would provide us with more reflections than the other day.

On the way there, we stopped on the side of the road at some interesting salt flats that were not underwater, although Lake Manly did extend this far north.

Knowing there would be plenty of mud to get through on the way across the flats to the lake, I decided to put on my snow boots, which I had packed for our time in Bishop.

Lake ManlyGood thing I did, because it definitely did get quite muddy the closer we got to water.

It was extremely pretty and serene. No crowds here, and no kayakers out on the lake this far up.

When we got to the main Badwater Basin parking lot there was only one other car there. Morning was obviously the best time to be here.

Besides the lack of crowds, or maybe because of, the water was calm and flat as glass, making a perfect surface for reflections.

Lake Manly reflectionsI quickly ran down to the end of the ramp - funny, it’s actually not a ramp, but now that Badwater is a lake, that seemed like an appropriate term. I wanted to have this view to myself.

Herb wasted no time, except for making him take a photo of me on the ramp, getting out in the water to take photos of the Panamint Range reflected in the “lake.”

Lolo scrambling up Gower GulchThe purples of the early morning light were stunning.

What a full day it had already been, and it was only 9:30. We had earned the right to just sit by the pool all day, but that wasn't going to happen, as Golden Canyon in afternoon light was calling out to us.

We headed back to the Ranch for a quick lunch and a nap (we were up well before sunrise) before heading out for our main event of the day - the Golden Canyon hike, probably Death Valley’s most popular hike. We had done this hike numerous times before, but it was definitely worth a repeat.

Along the Badlands LoopIt gets dark by 5:30 this time of year, so we headed out around 1:00, which would give us plenty of time to cover the 7+ miles we had planned, plus time to just enjoy and photograph the magnificent scenery.

Since the Golden Canyon is the most spectacular section of the hike, we decided to do it in reverse, so we would hit it in the golden hour right before sunset.

This meant starting off along the trail that ran parallel to Badwater Road for about three-quarters of a mile before turning left into Gowers Gulch.

Approaching Manly PeakThere was a bit of scrambling and climbing up rocks in the beginning of the Gulch, but then we pretty much followed a wide, gravel-filled wash before coming to a choice at 2.3 miles.

We could go left on the Gower Gulch Cutoff, which would make the entire hike about 4.5 miles, or continue on to Zabriskie Point. We had done both in the past.

Even though we didn’t plan on going all the way to the viewing platform at Zabriskie Point, as we had been there several times already on this trip, including this morning, we went that direction anyway because we knew the views were better than along the Gulch Cutoff.

Intimidating Manly Peak3.1 miles into our hike, we came to another junction - right to the Zabriskie Point viewing platform or left onto the Badlands Loop, which would bring us across the badlands and eventually down to Golden Canyon.

"Badlands" seemed like such an inaccurate name for something so beautiful. I guess from a settler’s point of view, these were "bad" lands because of their inhospitable conditions: extreme temperatures, barrenness, lack of water, and exposed rugged terrain.

Traversing narrow trail at Manly Peak baseI prefer to think of them as “goodlands” because they are so restorative to the soul.

The section over to the top of the Golden Canyon Trail is probably the most dramatic, with its colorful rock formations - Red Cathedral, Manly Peak, and other ones that I didn’t know the names of.

There were several places where we got off the main trail to climb up a short spur trail to a better vantage point. Most of them were pretty short out-and-backs, but another one, which was a new one for us, was ½-mile out-and-back to a perspective of the badlands that we hadn’t seen before.

Not too dignified to crab crawl on buttWe were now getting into the area of badlands that we had looked down on from Zabriskie Point this morning, but now, rather than looking down on Manly Peak from afar, we were up quite close and personal to its backside, traversing its base on a rather precariously narrow trail. At 7,162 feet it's pretty impressive and intimidating.

It was hard to keep our eyes on the trail because the scenery was so beautiful, but we had to as there were parts of the way down that were a bit sketchy, with loose scree and steep drop-offs. I was not too proud to get down on my butt and crab walk when necessary.

Red CathedralAs we approached the Golden Canyon, we debated whether we had time before it got dark to take the Red Cathedral spur. The trailhead sign said it was only ½ mile, so we figured we could knock off the 1-mile, out-and-back in a half hour.

The first four tenths of a mile we moved at a pretty good clip, and I thought the hike was over because we stood at the base of the tall red-rock columns, which we assumed to be the Red Cathedral.

Promontory at end of Red Cathedral trailAt first I thought that the hike was over - after all, we were standing at the base of what was obviously the Red Cathedral. But then Herb discovered a small trail against the back wall.

Curious as to where it could possibly lead, we followed it, and spent the next tenth of a mile rock scrambling and clawing our way up a steep hill of loose rocks. I didn’t even want to think about how we would get down from here.

The last part involved us navigating our way to the end of a promontory along a narrow trail with steep drop-offs on either side. Assuming I make it safely back to the car, I would say that this spur trail definitely did not disappoint.

Barely making it out by sunsetIt took us a while to get back down to the base of the Red Cathedral, most of which was spent sliding on my butt, because it was so steep (probably more than 45 degrees) and covered in scree that I could not walk upright like the primate I was without risking breaking something.

Well, obviously we did make it back and just in time to see the sun dipping behind the mountains as we approached the end of Golden Canyon.

Wow! That was some hike - 7.7 miles with over 1,300 feet elevation gain and a very high Wows to miles ratio.

Now it was back to the Furnace Creek Ranch where Herb cooked me a delicious dinner of Mountain House Pad Thai.

Day 4 - More salt flats, Mosaic Canyon, and Mesquite Dunes

Salt FlatsFor our last day in Death Valley we were switching hotels and moving to Stovepipe Wells for a change of scenery and easy access to the Mesquite Dunes.

On the drive up, we stopped at another salt flat, one that was not covered with water as the Badwater Basin was.
So why is Death Valley so salty? After some googling, I learned the following:

Herb of the Salt FlatsDeath Valley was once covered by a 600-foot deep massive lake, called Lake Manly (which has temporarily come back to life in a smaller form).

As the water evaporated after the last Ice Age (10,000 to 15,000 years ago), salts and other minerals that had been deposited in the lake were concentrated and left as a thick layer of salt on the valley floor.

Heading into Mosaic CanyonThese salts continue to get replenished today as floods rush down the surrounding mountains bringing dissolved minerals along the way and depositing them in the enclosed Badwater Basin. Since this basin has no outlet to the sea, the salts remain there and form a dense salt layer on the ground.

While not dramatic like the Golden Canyon, these salt flats are beautiful in their own way, with interesting patterns created by the salt.

Mosaic CanyonSince it was too early to check in to our Stovepipe Wells Room, we continued past the hotel to the nearby trailhead for Mosaic Canyon, considered by many to be Death Valley’s best hike, or at least a close second to Golden Canyon.

Mosaic is more of a slot canyon compared to Golden with much narrower passageways and rocks to scramble over.

Mosaic CanyonThe trailhead is at the end of Mosaic Canyon Road, a 2-mile dirt road (navigable by most passenger cars) just across the street from the Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel.

After parking, we headed into the mouth of Lower Mosaic Canyon, a narrow slot that weaves its way between wavy white walls of water-polished white marble and blue-gray conglomerate rocks.

The reason the marble is so polished in this canyon, as opposed to other canyons in Death Valley, is that the ground is much more gravely. During flash floods, the fast moving water mixes with the gravel, scouring the sides of the canyon walls, or “polishing” it. As a result, this rock is very slippery, so we had to be careful when scrambling over it.

Mosaic CanyonThe conglomerate rocks get water polished as well, giving them the appearance of mosaic tiles grouted into the canyon wall, hence the name Mosaic Canyon.

The best examples of polished marble occur in the first quarter mile into the hike, so you could turn around here and still consider it a wonderful hike.

The real Stovepipe WellsAt about a half mile, the canyon opened up to an expansive gravel wash, marking the top of the lower canyon, and the place where many people turn around, making it a very rewarding, short 1-mile hike.

We decided to do the same, because we had a longer hike planned for this afternoon at Mesquite Dunes.

Ephemeral Pond by Mesequite DunesWe stopped back at the Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel where our room was not ready to make lunch before heading out again to hike the Mesquite Dunes, but from around the backside rather than from the parking lot just across the road.

The lighting on the dunes is dependent on the season. In the winter time, which we were now closest to, sunrise is best on the front side of the dunes (by the main parking lot), but sunset is best on the back side, reached via a longer walk from the Historic Stovepipe Well.

Dune Ho!So, since better lighting, and less crowds, is important to us, we headed out to the Old Stovepipe Wells site, where there is an historical marker and the actual “Stovepipe Well” which Stovepipe Wells is named for.

It was now obvious to us where the name “Stovepipe” came from, as there was an actual pipe extending up from the well. The story goes that early prospectors used a length of stovepipe to mark the location of the spring because it often got obscured by blowing sand.

Mysterious circlesThis particular waterhole stood at the junction of two Indian trails. During the bonanza days of Rhyolite and Skidoo it was the only known water source on the cross-valley road.

From here we started walking out towards the dunes, which were much smaller than the ones seen from the main parking lot.

Mesquite DunesThe Mesquite sand dunes stretch over 7 miles, so we knew we were not going to get to the main dune area and the tallest “Star Dune.”

In fact, it was close to a one mile walk just to get to the beginning of them. Walking was easy however, as much of the surface was hard
packed dirt rather than deep sand.

Lolo of the dunesHowever, unlike the last time we were here, we did have to cross the occasional pond or mud that had sprung up from the recent “atmospheric rivers” of rain.

The presence of water had also created some very interesting patterns in the sand that Herb became fascinated with photographing.

Eventually we came to the dunes, and began climbing up them, so much easier than the taller ones at Eureka or even at the main Mesquite Dunes section.

Patterns in the sandThese smaller dunes were beautiful in their own way - less dramatic, but more intimate and peaceful. There wasn’t another soul to be seen for miles. I think very few people explore this section of the dunes.

We were determined to find an interesting feature that we had stumbled upon last time, a rocky section at the base of several small dunes with two crater-like circles, about 8 feet in diameter. We had been so intrigued by them that Herb had actually sent a photo to the National Park Service a few years back to see if they could get an explanation as to what created them. They were unable to do so. It looked to us very much like small meteorites.

Ephemeral Lake near Mesquite DunesI think we had a better answer this time - water pooling on the surface. Or, it still could be aliens.

After almost two hours of hiking, we decided it was time to head back if we wanted to make it before it got dark. Hmm…which way did we come?

We really weren’t worried about finding out way back because we were using both Strava and Gaia to record our hike. Both of these apps provide tracks which allow you to follow the breadcrumbs back home.

Patterns in the sandWhen we were almost back, I noticed what looked like a pretty good-sized body of water off to our right. I called to Herb, but he was too busy photographing patterns in the sand to come with me to check it out.

It was pretty amazing. Hard to believe we were in Death Valley.

Back before sunsetGreat hike. We felt like we were the only people in the world, or at least our small part of it.

Back at Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel, we walked over to the Badwater Saloon, hoping for a better experience than the Last Kind Words Saloon in Furnace Creek. It was. At least they had hamburger options, which were very good.

Another great day. What an awesome trip it had been!