Travelogue

Arrival and an evening walk in the meadow

Tuolumne Meadows with Lembert DomeOn Thursday morning, as planned, we left the Valley and drove the highly scenic, one and a half hour drive along the Tioga Pass Road to our new Yosemite base camp in the Tuolumne Meadows Campground, where we fortunately had managed to get not just one, but two campsites.

Reserving a Yosemite campsite is a very stressful event, as they disappear within minutes of the start of the booking window on Recreation.gov. Herb and I literally train and practice on the website the night before. The National Park Service even devotes a page on their website to tips on how to increase your chances of booking a site:
http://www.recreation.gov/marketing.do?goto=acm/Explore_And_More/explore...

Tuolumne was where the boys really wanted to climb, since the Valley is just too hot in the summer – although they did manage to find some shady walls while they were there last weekend. Temperature decreases about 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet in elevation, so at an altitude of 8,600 feet, Tuolumne is about 15 degrees cooler. That’s also why its season is so short. The Tioga Pass Road usually closes due to snow as early as late October / early November and doesn’t reopen again until Memorial Day.

Lolo in Meadow with Cockscomb in distanceTuolumne also looks and feels a lot different 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.

Herb and I have been to Tuolumne several times, but for some reason we had never explored the meadow in any depth. For preservation reasons, you are not allowed to just wander aimlessly across the meadow, but must stay on the trail, which is accessible from either across the road from the Visitor Center or from the Lembert Dome parking lot.

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. There was even a fly fisherman wading in the river, making the scene even more idyllic.

Soda SpringsA short distance past the bridge, we turned left towards the Parsons Memorial Lodge, a rustic structure built entirely from local logs and granite by the Sierra Club in 1915. It was named for Edward Taylor Parsons, who was the club’s director for 10 years and heavily involved, along with John Muir, in the unsuccessful fight to save Hetch Hetchy. The Club used it as a meeting house and library.

Today the Lodge is used to hold the Tuolumne Meadows Summer Series of lectures by renowned photographers, writers, musicians, storytellers, and environmentalists. It’s nice to know that it is still being used to inspire visitors to appreciate these wonderful surroundings and to instill a need for stewardship to protect them.

Just above the Lodge stands the old wooden McCauley Cabin, built by John McCauley in 1912. Today it is used to house park personnel. An interesting tie-in between this cabin and the Parsons Lodge is that the founder of the Parsons Lodge Summer Series, Margaret Eissler, lived in the McCauley Cabin for several summers when her parents were caretakers. There is even a picture of her as a little girl standing in front of the cabin with her family.

Lolo playing pioneer near old McCauley CabinThere was another wooden structure behind the McCauley cabin for which I don’t know the history. However, I did have fun climbing the ladder up to its balcony.

We retraced our steps back to the junction for Parsons Lodge and Soda Springs, and continued a short distance to another historic structure - the Soda Springs Cabin, a small log cabin built by John Baptiste Lembert over a bubbling, naturally carbonated spring. 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.

Herb and I took turns bending down through the doorway of the cabin to touch the spring water, which was cooler than expected – each of us smacking our heads in the beam over the doorway on our way out. Perhaps Lembert was trying to keep tourists out as well.

Sunset in Tuolumne MeadowBesides 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. Add a good cocktailing venue along a river to that and you have the makings of a perfect evening.

Receiving our guests and redoing the meadow experience

Herb and I did something we do not normally do in Yosemite – just relaxed and read in our campsite. It’s nice that we have been here so often that we don’t feel compelled to run around like tourists every minute.

Cocktail hour in Tuolumne MeadowAlso, Andrew, Tommy, Celeste, and her parents were arriving later this afternoon, and we wanted to make sure we were there to greet them.

After they arrived and set up their campsites, we packed a cooler with hors d'oeuvres and wine and walked back to the meadow. Herb and I had had such a wonderful experience last night that we wanted to share this beautiful place with them.

Sitting along the river’s edge identifying Cathedral Peak, Unicorn Peak, the Cockscomb, and Lembert Dome was a great orientation to Tuolumne Meadows.

Hiking to Sunrise Lakes, Swimming in Tenaya Lake, Bouldering, and Celebrating Tommy’s Birthday

Normally, the agenda for the day would be climbing, but since Celeste’s parents were along, we decided to do something more inclusive, like a hike.

We chose the Sunrise Lakes hike because it was about the right length (8.5 miles), right level of difficulty (elevation gain of 1,700 feet), and right scenery (three alpine lakes and awesome views).

View along the Sunrise Lakes HikeThis trail also shares the first 3 miles with the trail to Clouds Rest, a truly classic and challenging 14-mile RT hike that is supposed to be one of Yosemite’s best. Today would be a good test to see if my poor blistered feet would be able to handle such a hike later in the week.

The hike begins near Tenaya Lake’s southwest shore. Since this was a Saturday and we were attempting a very popular hike from a very popular destination, the parking lot was already full and cars were parked for quite a distance along the side of Tioga Pass Road. Fortunately, we were able to get a spot not too far from the trailhead.

The trail started out easy, but at about 1.5 miles into the hike, we began to climb quite steeply through a series of switchbacks up a rocky slope, where we gained about 1,000 feet in one mile. Finally, we reached the top of the ridge and came to a trail junction – straight ahead 4.7 miles to Clouds Rest or left to Sunrise Lakes.

I could see that everyone was toying with the idea of forging on to Clouds Rest, but we really had started too late to do another steep 4.7 miles just to get to Clouds Rest and then another 7.2 back to the car. My feet were silently voting no. Everyone decided that we should continue with the original plan of hiking to the lakes.

Swimming in Upper Sunrise LakeBefore making the left, we took a short, unsigned trail to the right for a breathtaking view of Half Dome, Tenaya Canyon, and Yosemite Valley. Thankfully, somebody told us about this spur trail, because missing it would have been a shame. It was by far the best view along the trail.

Back on the main trail, we passed the first of the three lakes in about ½ mile and what we thought was the second in another ½ mile. It looked quite inviting, so we stopped for lunch and a swim.

The lake, which was surrounded by pine trees and granite outcropping was quite pretty, but not nearly as dramatic a setting as Cathedral Lake with Cathedral Peak as a backdrop, which we had hiked to last year.

That didn’t stop the kids from enjoying a refreshing swim out to a rock, submerged just enough under the surface to make it looked like they were walking on water.

On the way back, we found the third lake, which was really the second lake, about a hundred yards off the trail, hidden by trees.

Cairn sculptures in Tenaya LakeThis is an out-and-back trail, so we retraced our steps down the steep, rocky switchbacks back to Tenaya Lake, which with its glacial blue waters and surrounding granite domes, has to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the Sierras.

Our cars were parked just down the road, so we grabbed beach chairs and towels and spent the next two hours perched on a rocky ledge along the shore, where we could gracefully enter the water for a swim.

I don’t know if I would exactly call what we did swimming, because the water was too shallow, but we did wade out to a rocky shoal about 100 yards off the shore, where people had created quite an interesting display of cairns. Since we had brought along our own personal artists (Hilda and Paul were both graduates of the San Francisco Art Institute), we decided to have a go at creating our own. I felt that I could best contribute as a gatherer of rocks while they did the artsy stuff. I wish we had gotten a photo of our handiwork, but it blew down with a big wind before we got back to our cameras on the shore.

Tommy log rolling in Tenaya LakeMeanwhile, Tommy had commandeered a huge log floating across the lake and decided to try his hand at log rolling. In hindsight, one should not attempt this feat for the first time on a log with pointy broken branches sticking out of it. It’s kind of like using flaming torches the first time you try to juggle. When he returned to shore, we applied Neosporin and a bandage to the big scrape he got along the inside of his thigh.

Feeling refreshed and recharged, the kids headed out ahead of us to go bouldering on the Tenaya East Boulders, just a short drive to the eastern end of the lake. They gave us precise directions (including GPS coordinates) to find them later, which turned out to be unnecessary, since we could actually see them from the road.

Herb and I have watched them boulder many times, but I think this was one of the first times that Hilda and Paul saw their tenacious daughter in action. I think they were amazed and rightly proud.

Tenaya LakeWe didn’t stay too late because this was Tommy’s birthday, and we wanted to get back to the campsite early enough for Tommy’s birthday feast – the Ahwahnee Brunch last weekend was just practice. Paul and Hilda are great. Not only did they volunteer to bring the meat (as we had been away from grocery stores for a week), but they selected Tommy’s favorite meal – flank steak (or cow, which he used to call it when he was 4). Needless to say, it was – as are all meals that Paul and Hilda have a hand in -- delicious.

Hiking to the top of Lambert Dome while the kids climb it and meet us at the top

Lembert Dome is the most iconic of Tuolumne’s domes and the one we had been admiring from afar on our evening strolls through the meadow. Today we would pay it proper homage by reaching its summit, which loomed 800-feet above the meadow.

First pitch on Lembert DomeLike 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. Today, we would split up into two groups. Hilda, Paul, Herb, and I would hike to Dog Lake and then up the backside of the dome, while Andrew, Tommy, and Celeste would take the more vertical approach and rock climb to its summit, where we would meet up for lunch. Family picnics have certainly changed over the years.

Rather than deal with parking, we loaded up our gear for the day and hiked about a mile to the western, steeper side of Lembert Dome, where they would begin their climb up a classic 5.10c route called Direct Northwest Face. We all went up to the base of the climb to watch them get started, before continuing on our hike.

This was a “trad”, rather than a “sport” climb, which was a bit more involved in that rather than having permanently fixed bolts already placed in the rock to clip into, the “lead” climber has to put his own pieces of protection in as he (or she) ascends. That is rather a gross simplification of what is involved, but it’s the general idea.

We watched Tommy lead the first pitch, before setting off on our hike. They told us to take our time, as it would probably take them about 3 to 4 hours to reach the summit.

Back side of Lembert DomeAbout ½ mile after leaving the kids, we came to a trail junction – Dog Lake 0.4 miles straight ahead, backside of Lembert Dome 0.5 miles to the right. Since we had plenty of time to kill, we went towards Dog Lake, another one of the Sierra’s lovely alpine lakes.

Once at the lake, we continued on an obvious path along the western (left) shore, admiring the views of Mount Gibbs and Mount Dana in the distance to the east. The entire walk around the lake was just a little over a mile.

From the lake, we hiked back down to the trail junction we had passed earlier, took a left turn towards Lembert Dome, and after a half mile came to a sign pointing us to the right to ascend the backside of the dome. There is no official path to the top, so you have to figure out your own way up the steep granite slabs.

View from atop Lembert DomeAlthough a little bit intimidating, it was nothing compared to going up the backside of Half Dome. There 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.

When we got to the summit, it was pretty windy, so we found a sheltered area behind a rock and waited for the kids finish the climb. In the meantime, we just sat back and enjoyed the wonderful panoramic view - Cathedral Range to the South, the Sierra crest to the east, and Tuolumne Meadows to the west.

Awaiting our climbersWe soon realized that we weren’t really sure where along the dome their climb ended. The top of the dome is pretty expansive, so Herb and Paul took an exploratory walk along the side they would be coming up to see if they could see them. Not yet. It was still only about 2 ½ hours since they started and they said it would probably take 3 or 4.

Pretty much on time, we spotted Tommy’s blue helmet down below. Soon all three of them came into view. Paul and Hilda had not seen Celeste climb that often, so I think the sight of her climbing towards them, with the ground hundreds of feet below, was pretty exciting for them. It was pretty exciting for me and Herb as well. Although we have watched them climb dozens of times, we had never watched from this vantage point.

Reunited atop Lembert DomeAfter our family picnic, we walked down the steep backside of the dome and back to the campground. It was already late afternoon on Sunday, so the kids packed up and headed back to the city, while the retirees strolled out to the meadow once more to enjoy another incredible sunset.

The next morning, Paul and Hilda headed back home to Sonoma County, and Herb and I continued eastward to Mono Lake.

Travelogue

North DomeYosemite Valley in summer is not for the faint of heart. The crowds are unbearable and unless you’ve figured out a way to leave your car behind, you are destined to spend hours sitting in gridlock in the road that loops around the Valley. Although the views from your car window are incredibly awesome all along the way, there are much more rewarding and peaceful ways to experience all that this place has to offer. Use anything but your car – the free Valley Shuttle, a bike, a tube, your feet, or any combination of these.

As usual, Herb and I arrived in the Valley a day ahead of the boys so that we would have time to get settled and ready ourselves for the physically demanding days ahead.

Bike Riding the Valley Loop Trail

Yosemite FallsWe always bring our bikes when we come to Yosemite because it’s the best way to cover a lot of ground without stepping foot in a car, so today, as we often do on our first day in the Valley, we set off on our bikes to revisit some old favorite spots and find some new ones as well.

With backpacks loaded with cameras, lunch, and high spirits, we set off on the bike path with the intention of stopping first at the beautiful historic Ahwahnee Hotel, one of the most beautiful lodges in the National Park System. We have so many wonderful memories here that I always feel the need to pay it a visit early in our stay. As soon as I step into the Grand Lounge, with its rustic wooden-beamed ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Royal Arches, I immediately relax and the world outside Yosemite disappears – at least for a little while.

Unfortunately, this historic building has lost its right to call itself the Ahwahnee, due to a legal dispute between the Federal Government, which owns the property, and the outgoing concessionaire, Delaware North, which claimed the rights to the trademarked name. They also required the park to change the name Curry Village to Half Dome Village. I don’t care about any court ruling – this hotel is pretty damn majestic, but it will always be the Ahwahnee to me.

Ahwahnee Grand LoungeWhile in the lobby, I made reservations for Sunday Bruch. Tommy was turning 25 on Sunday, so I thought it would be a nice surprise. Having a birthday in July when we were often on the road, he has gotten used to having some pretty spectacular birthday meals, so I didn’t want to disappoint. Poor Andrew. His birthday is in May, so his remembrances of birthdays is usually of taking final exams.

The only time that was available was 8:30 am, but I figured that would allow us to have the whole rest of the day to climb before the kids had to head back to San Francisco.

Back on our bikes, we headed over to Yosemite Village, which is the main center for visitor services in the park. As a result, it is pretty crowded throughout the day. However, if you need something during your stay in Yosemite, you’re bound to find it here. There are restaurants, lodging, a grocery store, post office, and even a medical clinic. Our goal in the Village was the Ansel Adams Gallery, which is run by his son Michael Adams.

Yosemite ValleyFrom Yosemite Village, we continued on the bike path alongside Northside Drive towards El Capitan. For now, we decided to cruise right on past the Yosemite Falls Vista, as a mob scene had already gathered. This walk is always crowded, in that it requires very little effort for an awesome view from the base of the 2,425-feet Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America – actually it’s three waterfalls in one, with an upper, middle and lower section. Perhaps we would come back either early in the morning or later in the evening when it would be quieter.

Somewhere after Yosemite Lodge, we ran out of paved bike trail and rode on Northside Drive a bit before getting on a dirt path, which was fine for our mountain bikes, which we had, but might not so great for road bikes.

Soon we came across a lovely, fairly deserted sandy beach with great views of nearby El Cap. It was so hot that we decided to stop for lunch and a refreshing swim. We still find it pretty amazing that no matter how crowded the park is, with a little effort, you can still find pockets of solitude – you just have to get off the beaten path and be willing to walk/ride a mile or so.

Once we were ready to move on, we hung a left across El Capitan Bridge to get over to the Southside Road. Not taking this cutover and continuing on Northside Drive until the next chance to crossover would have added another 11 miles to our ride – not something I wanted to do in this heat.

Herb cooling off in the MercedThere are no bike paths along this part of Southside Drive, so we had to drive along the shoulder of the road for about 3 miles – not something I am particularly crazy about doing with tour buses and tons of cars whizzing by. Also, Herb left me in the dust, which only made it worse.

We found each other again near Swinging Bridge, where we were able to get back on a bike path the rest of the way back to the campground. All in all, the ride was 13 miles.

That evening Herb and I bushwhacked over to the river from our campsite with our tubes and a bottle of wine. While the water was too cold to go in, the wine temperature was just fine, so we enjoyed sitting in our tubes (on land) sipping wine and watching the river flow by.

Back at the campsite, we got to talking to our neighbor Ira, who along with his wife and son, were in Yosemite for the first time. He really had done his research well, because he had a good itinerary planned and some great hikes selected as well.

On Sunday they were going to do the 8.5-mile Panorama Trail from Glacier Point back down to the Valley via the Mist Trail past Nevada and Vernal Falls. Coincidentally, this was exactly the hike we had chosen to do next week after the boys left, as it was the only highly rated one that we had not as yet done in the Valley.

However, Ira was an even better trip planner than me, because he had been smart enough to reserve seats on the Glacier Point tour bus, which was now fully booked for the following week. One-way tickets are $25. I probably would have paid $50, because without one we would have to get to Glacier Point via the poorly named Four Mile Trail, which was a grueling 5 (not 4) miles and 3,220 feet of elevation gain, just to get to the start of the Panorama Trail.

Valley Bike LoopDuring the conversation, Ira happened to mention that they were not really “hikers,” which gave us pause, because an 8.5-mile hike in Yosemite, even if it is mostly downhill, is pretty significant. People tend to get in trouble because they think, “Oh I can walk 8.5 miles, but when those miles have serious gains and losses over rocky trails, it can feel like three times the distance. Hopefully, they would not be getting in over their heads.

Hopefully we wouldn’t either by having to add the Four Mile Trail just to get to the starting line. We had a few days though to think about whether we wanted to do that. In the meantime, I was hoping for a cancellation on the shuttle.

Later than night, Andrew, Tommy, and Celeste arrived for the weekend, and as always, it was a happy reunion.

Climbing (Almost), Bouldering, and Tubing on the Merced

Trying to find Sentinel Creek Climbing WallThe boys and Celeste had arrived late last night and the plan for the day – as is the plan every day on vacation with them – was to rock climb, especially when in Yosemite.

Tommy had diligently studied his Yosemite climbing guides, as well as the Mountain Project website, to select an area to climb in for the day that would be in the shade. Summer is not great for climbing in the Valley because the rock just gets too hot. Rock that has been in the sun for hours can actually burn your hands.

We decided to try a newly developed climbing area in the Sentinel Creek area on the south side of the valley where the north facing wall gets shade most of the day. Finding climbing routes is challenging even on established routes, but as we learned today, new ones are even harder to find. I don’t know why the guide books don’t just put the GPS coordinates for the base of climbs in the directions.

Needless to say, we got pretty lost and never found it, and during the process, had to do quite a bit of rock scrambling. However, on the bright side, during our search we came across the Presidential Boulder, a classic in Yosemite that the boys recognized from photos in the guidebook.

Lolo attempting to boulderI am not as big a fan of bouldering as of climbing on a top rope. Bouldering is not done on a rock wall, but rather on freestanding boulders. Since the routes are short, rather than use ropes, crash pads are placed on the ground to protect the climber’s fall. Also, other climbers (and sometimes climber’s mothers) spot the person bouldering by standing below with arms outstretched and ready to protect the climber’s head from hitting any rocks off the pad. It’s the thought of falling through free space with no rope to catch me, even if that space is short, that makes me a bit fearful of bouldering.

We were all a bit frustrated about not finding the Sentinel Creek climbing area, so I suggested salvaging the day with a refreshing tubing session in the river. Who wouldn’t be cheered up floating in the Merced while gazing up at El Cap?

Fortuitously, we had parked the car at Sentinel Beach, so it was easy enough to throw the climbing gear in the car, blow up the tubes, and hit the beach. Not to gloat (but I will), I think we all very much enjoyed floating around and refreshing ourselves in the river.

Tubing the MercedThe boys are driven though and hadn’t forgotten about bouldering, so after about an hour of relaxing, we deflated the tubes, grabbed the crash pads and climbing shoes, and headed a short distance up Four Mile Trail to the Sentinel Boulders, where we spent the next few hours (even me!) trying routes of various difficulties. The same way routes climbed with ropes up rock walls is graded by level of difficulty from 5.4 up through 5.14, boulder routes are graded from V0 to V16. Needless to say, V0 was more than enough of a challenge for me.

After a little slow start, it turned out to be a great day.

Breakfast Brunching at the Ahwahnee and Climbing on Chapel Wall

Sunday brunch in the Ahwahnee grand dining room is something that every visitor to Yosemite should experience once – and probably twice and thrice as well. With a setting this beautiful, the food doesn’t even have to be good to make it a memorable experience, but it is.

Ahwahnee HotelMaking a reservation a few days ahead is strongly recommended as the time slots do fill up quickly. I was only able to get an 8:30 am spot, but actually this worked out best for us in that it allowed us to have a full day of activity afterwards before the boys had to head back to San Francisco and real life.

Knowing how bad traffic in the Valley was going to get later, we moved the RV to a parking spot along Southside Drive near the Yosemite Chapel, where we planned to climb later on, and drove the car over to the Ahwahnee.

Breakfast was wonderful as always. As usual, the waiter tried to push the buffet, which at $48 a person is very pricey for breakfast, but instead we asked for the ala carte menu and ordered from there – a much more reasonable, but yet very tasty and ample option. I highly recommend the French Toast.

Although Tommy’s birthday was a week away, we chose to declare this his official birthday meal. As I have mentioned several times in the past, Tommy’s birthday celebrations often occur during one of our road trips, so he is used to having some pretty awesome birthday meals, and this was about as awesome as you could get.

After breakfast, we did our traditional stroll around the Ahwahnee backyard, and then headed back to the RV to get ready for climbing.

Tommy on Chapel WallChapel Wall, our climbing destination for the day, was to my delight much more accessible than yesterday’s attempts at finding the Sentinel Creek Wall. Plus, it was just a short walk from behind the Yosemite Chapel, which I happen to think is the most adorable church I have ever seen.

The climbing in Yosemite is usually too difficult for my abilities, but there were plenty of routes on Chapel Wall for them to enjoy. I love just sitting back in my Crazy Creek chair watching them climb and taking pictures.

Meanwhile, out in the Valley, Southside Drive looked like a parking lot, as an endless stream of cars inched its way along the road. It made absolutely no sense for the boys to head home now, as it would take them well over an hour just to get out of the Valley.

Rather than going through that aggravation, we took beach chairs and towels and walked down to the river right from the motorhome to relax and wait out the traffic. It wasn’t until almost 7:00 that they decided it was time to go.

We said our goodbyes, which weren’t too tearful considering they were meeting us in Tuolumne Meadows the following weekend.

Back at our campsite, we saw that our neighbor Ira was back from his hike down the Panorama Trail. When we asked him how it went, he was a little less than enthusiastic. As we feared, he and his family had found the 8.5 miles a lot tougher than they thought. Hopefully, his wife was still speaking to him.

Tubing down the Merced

Herb trying to relax on his tubeSince yesterday had pretty much been a spectating day for me, we started our day with a trail run from the campground out to and along the Valley Loop Trail, this time stopping at Lower Yosemite Falls to take our obligatory photo – no one comes to Yosemite Valley and doesn’t take their picture in front of the falls.

From there we crossed over to the south side via Swinging Bridge, ran past the cute little Chapel, and on back past Curry Village to the campground. We did 7.5 miles in all, which earned us the right to just relax for the rest of the day, especially since tomorrow we were doing the 15.5-mile Four Mile Trail + Panorama Trail hike.

We decided to spend the rest of the day literally on our butts, floating in our tubes down the Merced, perhaps with a beer or two tucked in the cup holders.

Herb is always cold, so he was a bit concerned about spending that much time with his butt wet, so he invented a method of elevating his bottom off the tube’s bottom – filling a waterproof river bag with towels and other soft stuff and then slightly inflating it before sealing it closed. I scoffed at first, but was later very glad that he was kind enough to make me one.

Herb sets Lolo looseSince the Upper Pines Campground is right near the river, we just grabbed our tubes and Herb’s new butt elevation devices (otherwise known as river bags) and just carried them through the campground to the bridge near the entrance.

After placing our river bags over the netting in the center, we made the plunge, and much to our delight, we actually stayed a few inches above the water. Unlike a kayak, there is little to no control in a tube, so I made Herb tie mine to his, so that we were truly in this together.

We went through the first set of ripples together, but it soon became obvious that whatever tiny maneuverability we had was practically eliminated when tethered together. Without my consent, Herb set me free.

Okay, so it was every man for himself. I didn’t mind going it alone through the ripples because the current was swift enough to move me along without too much effort, but the calm sections were tough as my arms were too short for my hands to really get deep enough to paddle effectively. I looked like Sponge Bob.

Deer pooping in MercedMeanwhile, Herb was casually paddling away, getting further and further ahead of me. He must have sensed my evil thoughts about him, because he stopped to wait for me. I made him tie us back together, and just to punish him a little, I let him do the paddling while I rested my tiny arms.

Whenever we could, we just sat back and looked at the incredible scenery passing by – Royal Arches, Half Dome, North Dome, and Sentinel Dome, to name a few. Plus a beautiful buck with a huge rack crossed the river right in front of us. It was pretty awesome.

After about 2 hours we came to Swinging Bridge and decided to take out there. The sun was just starting to dip behind the granite walls and we knew that once that happened the temperature would drop swiftly. All in all we had gone 3.8 miles through some of the best scenery in the world. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Herb showing how tubing should be doneWe didn’t totally think out how we were going to get back to the campground once we were done. The thought was that we would take the Valley Shuttle back, but unfortunately it doesn’t run this far west in the Valley after 5:00 pm.

Instead we had to walk the 2.5 miles back. Fortunately, when we deflated the tubes, we were able to fit them inside the “magical” river bags, which not only kept us dry, but carried our gear as well.

Another satisfying day in the Valley.

Hiking Four Mile, Panorama, and Mist Trails

We had been to Yosemite Valley so many times that we pretty much had hiked all its trails. However, there was one classic left – the Panorama Trail from Glacier Point down to Yosemite Valley via the Mist Trail – 8.5 miles one way with an elevation loss of 3,200 feet.

Yosemite Falls from Four Mile TrailSince the hike begins at Glacier Point, you have to get there first. The preferred method is riding up on the Glacier Point tour bus, but as I mentioned earlier, we had been too slow in making a reservation. As a result, we had to get there on our own via the Four Mile Trail, which is a strenuous event on its own, gaining 3,220 feet in its 4.8 miles of switchbacks.

I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about whether this day was going to be too much for me. Plus, I was having a lot of trouble with my feet. Despite having a very good pair of Asola hiking boots, I kept getting a blister on my right heel. For weeks before this trip, I tried to break them in by walking up and down hills in my neighborhood. As an extra precaution, I bought 2 pairs of hiking socks from REI, which were double layered and guaranteed blister-free.

Before heading out on the hike, I covered the area where I had been getting a blister in the past with moleskin. What I should have done – hindsight is always great – is put moleskin in the same place on the other foot, but I didn’t.

Approaching Glacier PointI thought about just hiking in my Solomon trail runners, which never give me blisters, but I am a bit clumsy on rocky trails, so I thought the ankle support of the higher-topped Asolos would help me avoid an ankle twist. However, I did throw my trail runners in my backpack, just in case I needed to change along the way.

By 7:30 am, we were at the Four Mile Trailhead. Spirits were high. We hiked past the area where we had bouldered with the boys a few days ago and continued on for about a mile before we climbed above the tree line and the views of Yosemite Falls and much of the Valley began. From there it just got better and better, almost (just almost) making me forget that I was steadily and relentlessly climbing, as a continuous parade of the Valley’s classics came into view – Cathedral Rocks, El Cap, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome, and Royal Arches.

Somewhere short of Glacier Point, I began to feel a warm spot on my left heel, so we stopped to put some moleskin on – probably a little too late. I should have stopped as soon as I felt anything.

During the entire time on the Four Mile Trail, we had seen only four people. It felt like we had the Valley all too ourselves. Not so once we reached the top where dozens (perhaps hundreds?) of tourists are delivered by the Glacier Point tour bus three times a day.

We set up our tripod and patiently awaited our turn to stand on the rock ledge that had the best view of Half Dome and the Valley (site of our 2007 family Christmas shot). Once we got that done, we found the trailhead for the Panorama Trail and quickly left the crowds behind.

Glacier PointAs we began our descent along the well-maintained dirt trail, we were immediately confronted with expansive views of Half Dome, Basket Dome, North Dome, Liberty Cap, and Vernal and Nevada Falls in the distance.

In about a mile, Illilouette Falls came into view – a Yosemite waterfall we had never seen before. However, the best view of it was yet to come. At about 2.5 miles from Glacier Point, we stopped at a perch high above the canyon where we had a direct view of the falls cascading 370 feet into a side canyon below.

After about 3 miles, and an elevation drop of 1,300 feet, we came to Illilouette Creek, just above the waterfall. There were several people lounging in the sun on the rocks along the creek, but we forged on, crossing a footbridge and starting up the trail’s only ascent, which was a pretty significant one, rising 750 feet in about a mile.

By this point, my left heel was really starting to hurt, but having already put moleskin on, there was not much else I could do. I had totally forgotten that I had my more comfortable, but less supportive, trail runners in my pack.

View of Vernal and Nevada Falls from Panorama TrailBefore we even got to the first switchback in the ascent, I heard a wheezing sound ahead, so loud that I thought it could be a bear. However, as we came around the corner, I saw that it was a man, a lot younger than us, sitting on the side of the trail. As we passed, he muttered, “I wish I was in better shape.” Oh boy. I really worried about him making it. There was still about 7 miles to go before the Valley. It made me wonder just how many people get in over their heads and have to be rescued by park rangers. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be one of them.

Fortunately, the views were keeping me somewhat distracted from thinking about my sore feet. Eventually, at about 3.5 miles from Illilouette Creek, we came to a T-junction with the John Muir Trail, which is one of the options for getting back down to the Valley. The Muir Trail, to the left, is a little longer, but less steep and scenic in that it doesn’t go to the top of Nevada Falls. We chose to continue straight towards the falls and the Mist Trail.

When we came to the footbridge over the falls and saw people lounging on the rocks upstream, my aching feet mutinied and cried out for a break and a dunking in the Merced. I ripped my hiking boots and “not so magic blister-free” socks off -- pulling the moleskin off with it -- and plunged my feet in the chilly water. It stung at first, but eventually felt quite soothing and numbing. I wanted to throw my hiking boots over the falls. I was none too happy about putting my boots back on, but onward we must go.

Lolo dealing with her blistersFrom the far side of the footbridge there is a detour to the left down to an overlook where we watched Nevada Falls plunge 600 feet into the canyon below. We continued on about ¼ mile to the junction where we turned left onto the Mist Trail. Straight ahead was the trail to the Half Dome cable route.

12 miles down, 3 to go.

The fact that it was all downhill – it drops 1,900 on its way down to the Valley – should have perked me up, but I often find hiking down a steep trail much harder than hiking up, especially on the knees. Much of the Mist Trail is a series of steep stone steps that can become quite slippery when covered by the mist from the falls – hence the trail name.

In about a mile we crossed another footbridge over the Merced just above the Emerald Pool and a short distance from the top of Vernal Falls. Emerald Pool looked so inviting, full of happy people ignoring the Danger No Swimming signs. I confess to having done so myself on our way back from the Half Dome cable route in 2007. I think the real danger is in the springtime when the water flows so swiftly that there is a real chance of being swept downstream over the falls, but in mid-summer the current just isn’t strong enough.

Vernal FallsWe hadn’t had the foresight to pack bathing suits this time, so we continued on to the fenced-in overlook at the top of the falls. From there we descended the long series of stone steps down to the base of the falls.

The last mile down to the Valley was thankfully paved. I felt like kissing the ground when we got to the Happy Isle shuttle stop. We took the shuttle to Yosemite Lodge and then walked across Swinging Bridge to the Four Mile Trailhead where we had parked our car about a month ago (or at least it felt like that long ago).

The final tally: 15.5 miles with a 4,756 foot elevation gain – and therefore a 4,756 foot elevation loss since we started and ended in the Valley. Not bad for two sexagenerians – I just love using that word.

Chilling on our final day in the Valley

I fully expected to not even be able to walk this morning after yesterday’s hike, but I felt surprisingly chipper when I woke up. Just to see if I could, I bandaged my blistered feet and did a 5-mile run from the campground to Mirror Lake and then around the Happy Isle Road loop.

Afterwards we packed lunch, kindles, and Crazy Creeks on our bikes and rode to a beach on the river near the back of the Ahwahnee, where we spent the majority of the day reading and relaxing. There are lots of quiet places along the river if you just look hard enough.

Tomorrow, it was up to Tuolumne Meadows for the second half of our Yosemite vacation.

Travelogue

Packing for YosemiteAlthough we were pretty much packed beforehand, the final loading of the car on Christmas morning did not go smoothly. Each of us had two pairs of skis and ski boots (downhill and cross country), plus all our other stuff. When we laid everything out on the sidewalk in front of Andrew’s apartment, it was a spectacle.

I thought we were going to have to take two cars, but everyone immediately objected to that and gave me negative Fezziwig points for even suggesting it.

Since Tommy’s Subaru Imprezza had roof racks that would accommodate two Thule car-top boxes, we moved everything from our car to his, took the Thule box from Andrew’s car and put it up next to Tommy’s, loaded all 8 pairs of skis and poles in the two boxes, and then squeezed in. Andrew and I sat in the back practically buried in luggage. It was very cozy.

Despite the cramped conditions, spirits were high and much caroling was taking place. Then, when we were about an hour away from Yosemite, Andrew blurted out, “I am such an idiot!” I looked at him over the pile of luggage between us, and saw that his face had gone completely white. He looked like he was having a heart attack.

Arriving in Snow-Covered Yosemite Valley“I forgot the key to my Thule box,” he confessed.

Despite us all thinking to ourselves, “Yes, you are truly an idiot,” we didn’t have the heart to make him feel any worse than he obviously did already – especially on Christmas. So instead, we pretty much all said, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure something out. Maybe we can break into it, or if not, rent skis.” We all tried to forget about it for the time being.

Other than Andrew’s outburst, the drive had gone very smoothly and we were making great time, or at least until we got to within 5 miles of the El Portal entrance to the park, where traffic came to a complete halt. We spent the next hour inching our way along, not having any idea what the problem could possibly be. When we finally got to the entrance gate, we learned that rangers were only letting cars with chains or all-wheel drive through, since the park roads were covered in snow. All others had to either turn back or pull over into a lot where they could rent chains and have them installed. Having both all-wheel drive and chains in the trunk, we were waved on through and finally able to drive at a speed faster than 3 mph.

They weren’t kidding about the roads being treacherous. As we drove through the Valley along Southside Drive, we passed several vehicles that had slid off the road that were in the process of being towed out. Fortunately, Tommy’s car handled great in the snow and we had no problem.

Christmas Evening Walk to Swinging BridgeBefore going to Yosemite Lodge, we stopped at the Yosemite Village Garage, where they do auto repairs and towing, to see if they could help us break into our locked Thule box. With all the chaos going on with cars driving off the roads in the Valley, we felt a little silly bothering them with an issue that was far less serious than most they were dealing with. However, they were very nice about it and suggested that we come back tomorrow morning around 7 am, when Jason, a tow truck driver that doubles as their locksmith, would be in. That sounded promising, so we were all somewhat hopeful that we would be able to get at our skis.

We checked in at the Yosemite Lodge and were very pleased with the coziness of our rustic little cabin. There were two double beds, a small table by the window to play cards at, and a large counter top area outside the bathroom, where we set up Andrew’s camping stove.

While Herb and Andrew unpacked, Tommy and I went for a walk to see what our dining options for the evening might be. There were two: the Mountain Room, where we had eaten our Thanksgiving dinner, which at $55 a head, was not what we were looking for this evening; and the Food Court, which was cafeteria style and closed at 8 pm. Not thrilled with either, we came up with a third option – reheating the leftover kale Christmas Eve dinner in our room later on and playing cards.

Leftovers in Yosemite Valley Lodge RoomNow that we didn’t have to get to dinner by 8:00, we all grabbed our cameras and headlamps and went out for an evening walk in the snow. From the back of Yosemite Lodge, we walked along the Merced River towards Swinging Bridge. It was so very pristine. The only sound we heard was the crunching of our boots in the snow.

At least that was until we got to the Bridge and heard a buzzing sound, which turned out to be a family on the beach below flying a toy drone. Technically drones are banned in national parks, but this one, obviously from Santa, did not seem much of a threat to national security.

There was going to be a full moon tonight, just like Thanksgiving, but since it would be quite late before it made its way above Half Dome, we turned on our headlamps and made our way back to our cozy little cabin, for an evening of leftovers and playing Hearts.

Breaking into the Thule Box and Cross Country Skiing to Glacier Point

The Epic BeginsWhile Tommy and I slept in, Herb and Andrew were off to the Yosemite Valley Garage by 6:45 to meet with Jason, the lock man and our best, in fact only, hope for getting at our skis.

About a half hour later, I received a text message, which read, “Jason is a hero!!” Woo Hoo! Looked like we were going skiing!

Not only was he able to get into the Thule box, but he did so without breaking the lock – and at no charge! We unanimously chose Jason as the winner of the 2015 Gaidus Fezziwig contest!

Although there was enough snow in the Valley to play around on our cross country skis, there really aren’t many trails, and definitely no groomed ones. The real world-class cross country skiing is up above the Valley along Glacier Point Road.

From about late May to early November, the Glacier Point Road is open, providing easy access to Glacier Point, an overlook with incredible views of Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and the high country. It is so stunning a location that we honored it as the photo on one of our annual Christmas cards.

However, from November through May, the road is closed from the Badger Ski area on. That’s the bad news. The good news is that all 11 miles from Badger Pass to Glacier Point are groomed for cross country skiing. Since that is a very long distance to ski (the average skier takes 4 to 5 hours), there is a Ski Hut at Glacier Point that provides overnight accommodations, plus meals. It fills up quickly, so reservations well in advance are recommended. At $138 per person per night, it is pretty pricey. I did a quick calculation in my head – that would cost the four of us $552. If we wanted a guide to accompany us, it would be $350 per person - $1,400 in total. Wow!

Andrew Leaving Mom BehindBesides skiing along Glacier Point Road, there are several side trails branching off from it, allowing for several options for loop trips of varying distance and difficulty levels. The following is a link to the map we used: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/badger-winter.pdf. From that we figured we would pick out a good 8 to 10-mile loop trip.

The drive from Yosemite Valley to the Badger Pass Ski Area is a twisting, car-sick provoking 20 miles. We parked in the Ski Area lot, bought a trail map in the Nordic shop, and set off on Glacier Point Road, thinking we would either do the 8-mile out and back to Dewey Point, or if we were feeling really ambitious, the 11.5-mile Ghost Forest Loop.

Conditions were excellent thanks to the Christmas Eve snow storm. As usual, I was the slowest, but I didn’t mind. Every so often they would stop and wait for me to catch up, and then we would continue – which basically meant, that I got no rest while they did.

As we came to various trailheads for the loop trails off Glacier Point Road, we realized that they had not been groomed and were pretty impassable. That meant that we would have to stay on the main road. Too bad. We would have much preferred a loop to an out-and-back.

With an out-and-back, you still need some destination to be your turnaround point. We pulled out the map and agreed that the Clark Range Viewpoint at the 5.7 mile point would be it. That would make it a very respectable 11.4-mile trek.

Lolo with Clark Range in BackgroundHowever, when we reached it, although the view was nice, we felt a bit of a let-down as to our trek haven been anything truly special. Most of our journey so far had just been along a road with forest on either side – we could have been anywhere, but we weren’t just anywhere. We were in Yosemite.

That’s when we unanimously, and probably somewhat foolishly, decided to go the whole distance to Glacier Point. That would mean a total of 22 miles (both ways) – further than any of us had ever cross country skied before. My main worry – and believe me there were plenty more -- was the sun setting before we got back, but Herb and the boys assured me that the trail would be lit from the almost full moon plus the headlamps they had smartly packed.

We trudged on. For the next 4 miles, the road began to climb and just kept on climbing. Psychologically, I didn’t mind though. This meant that the way back, which I was more worried about, would be mostly downhill. However, when we got close to mile 10, the trail started to descend steeply along switchbacks through a forest. I was not happy about this. Every tenth of a mile I flew down now meant some serious uphill later. However, when Half Dome came into view, it was so incredibly awesome that I forgot to worry, at least for the time being.

Finally, the downhills finished and we arrived at the Ski Hut, a beautiful stone and log building with views of Half Dome – it looked so welcoming and cozy. We peeked inside and the caretaker asked us if we were staying the night. When we told him that we were doing this as a daytrip, I think he was quite impressed. Possibly, he thought we were crazy. He said he had extra room that night in case we changed our minds, as it was already 2:00 in the afternoon. Not being prepared for an overnighter, nor willing to shell out $552, we graciously declined.

Lolo Finally Sees Half DomeAlthough I was very anxious to get started on our return, we quickly ate our lunch sitting on a rock outside the Hut. All we had eaten along the way was a Cliff Bar. We hadn’t brought nearly enough food along, as we hadn’t planned to go this far.

Also, we still hadn’t gotten to the iconic viewpoint of Half Dome. We hadn’t come all this way to not get a family photo to memorialize our insanity, so we continued on up the steep, narrow path to the overlook. Thinking walking would be easier, I took off my skis, but the snow was so deep that I immediately postholed up to my thighs – back on went the skis.

When I caught up to the rest of them, Herb had already set up his portable tripod, and they were waiting for me to ski into my proper position in the family photo. We lined ourselves up with a perfect view of Half Dome in the background.

Tommy was in charge of pressing the shutter, which had been set on a timer, and then quickly skiing back into his assigned place. When I glanced over at Andrew, who was on the end closest to the edge, I noticed that beyond the snow-covered stone wall that came up to just below his knees, there was a 3,000 foot dropoff. I held onto his backpack strap for dear life. When I looked at the photo later, I saw that Herb had a death grip on his shoulder strap as well.

By the time our photo shoot was over, it was already 3:00. There was no way we were going to get back in daylight – and I didn’t even have a headlamp. They reassured me that they would not ski ahead of me this time and that their headlamps would suffice.

When we were skiing up the steep switchbacks through the forest at the beginning of our return, it was pretty dark, which freaked me out a bit, but when we got back up to the ridge, it was more open and seemed like there was at least a few hours of daylight left. Even when it did get dark, we were not in any danger of losing our way, as we were on a road with very well defined tracks groomed in the snow.

Almost a Self-Timed Family ShotA definite family role reversal took place on that epic journey back. As usual, I was the slow one, but this time, Andrew stayed by my side to keep an eye on me and to keep morale from sinking. Herb went up ahead with Tommy. They would wait periodically for us to catch up. Then they switched and Andrew went with Herb, and Tommy got stuck with me.

One time when we were just catching up, I saw a dark blob lying in the middle of the trail ahead, which turned out to be my exhausted husband taking a little rest. This was not an encouraging sign and for the first time, I became seriously concerned about us making it back. Fortunately, a Cliff Bar and some candy perked him up enough to continue. From that point on, I was more worried about him than me, which distracted me from how tired I was.

We all had our Strava apps running, which tracked our distance and time, so we knew exactly how many miles we had left to go all along the way. I kept looking at mine every 15 minutes or so to see how much progress we had made, but became discouraged at the result. Finally, Tommy told me to stop doing that and just enjoy the moment.

Darkness fell when we had about 5 miles to go, which at our current pace meant about 1 ½ more hours. Tommy and Andrew each had a walkie talkie, so they could provide each other updates on the status of their respective parent.

Tommy was great, and I am sure Andrew was the same with Herb. I just kept moving one ski in front of the other, over and over again, while he cheerily chatted away, trying to distract me. It was pretty eerie skiing in the dark, and I started thinking about bears and other creatures in the woods alongside the road. It’s very easy to start imagining things behind the trees when it is dark, completely silent, and you are near delirium with exhaustion.

Herb Resting Along the Trail“Oh look, Tommy, doesn’t that look like a nativity scene,” I said, pointing towards the wood to the left. “Oh boy,” he said and continued moving me along.

Finally, Tommy got the walkie talkie call I had been waiting for. Andrew announced that they had made it back at the car. That meant that we couldn’t be too far behind. About 10 minutes later we caught up. I was never so happy to see the car.

By the time we drove back to the Valley, it was too late to shower and go out to eat, so we stopped at the Village Market to pick up some stuff to cook in our room. When we tried to get out of the car at the market, our legs were so tired that we could barely walk – and that just wasn’t the old ones, but Andrew and Tommy’s as well. I’m sure we looked ridiculous hobbling through the aisles.

The room seemed cozier than ever. I had been longing to see it again for many hours on the trail. In hindsight, now that I knew everything turned out okay, I would have to say that I was very, very proud of our achievement. I don’t think many people, even half our age, do an out-and-back ski to Glacier Point. The boys were pretty amazed with us as well.

Downhill Skiing at Badger Pass and back to San Francisco

Lolo Passed Out (with Beer) After Epic SkiNone of us knew how we were going to feel getting out of bed after our epic yesterday, so I think we were pleasantly surprised that we could walk without too much pain – maybe downhill skiing would be possible.

Also, I hate giving up a freebie, so I wanted to use my two free lift tickets to Badger Pass even if meant sending me down the slope in a wheelchair. Fortunately, that was not necessary.

Badger Pass is noted for being a rather tame beginner mountain, so I was hoping that the boys wouldn’t be too bored, but they were sweet and said it would be fun to ski as a family. Plus, the lift tickets were a very reasonable $49, which meant that with our two free passes the entire family skied for only $98.

It was a beautiful day and conditions were great. We stayed together the first couple of runs, but then Herb and the boys went off to do a few black diamonds, while I stuck to my blue squares. The mountain was small enough to easily find each other at the bottom, so we could ride back up on the lift together.

We still had to drive back to San Francisco that night, so after about 10 very nice runs, we called it quits and headed back to the city.

Travelogue

Herb in RV with XMAS LightsHome Sweet Home - or at least for awhile. Since we sold our home in New Jersey, this was pretty much it for awhile. Oh Boy!

How was I going to decorate for Christmas? Where would the tree go? I had been on such an incredible Christmas high in Yosemite when it snowed, but almost totally lost it with the palm trees in San Diego. I had to rally.

I ran out to CVS and bought a strand of colored lights for $3.99, and Herb put on Christmas music and hung them up in the back living room/bedroom area of the motorhome. What a difference it made!! Thank you Herb, Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole.

Travelogue

I couldn't believe how devoid of services I5 was once we got north of Bakersfield. I thought I would have my pick of places to stay -- Walmart Supercenters, Flying J Travel Plazas, etc., but there was nothing but ranches, farms, and wide open spaces. So much for a freeby night of camping. In fact, I hoped we would just find something.

Thanks to the Internet - I don't know how people ever survived without it -- I found a KOA in Los Banos that was just 3 miles off I5. I have come to trust that KOAs will provide a nice place to hookup for the night.

Travelogue

Bicycling around Mission BayAfter freezing our butts off in Yosemite for the last 5 days, we were very much looking forward to the warmth and the sun of San Diego. We had been to San Diego two Decembers ago, but it had rained practically the whole time. This time the forecast for the next week looked perfect.

We returned to Campland on the Bay, a premier RV resort right on beautiful Mission Bay, which we had discovered in 2013. The campground is huge – over 550 campsites, two pools and Jacuzzis, and a fitness room with top-notch exercise equipment. Plus, they have their own sandy beach on Mission Bay and a marina that rents powerboats, jet skis, and kayaks.

It was late afternoon when we arrived, but still early enough to hop on our bikes and set off counterclockwise on the 14-mile bike path that goes along the shores of Mission Bay. The bike path, which passes through several public parks and wildlife reserves, is an easy, flat ride with things to look at all along the way. My favorite part of the ride was looking at the beautiful beach houses along the bayside on Riviera Drive near Mission Beach.

Torrey Pines State Park – Black’s Beach

Herb over Black's BeachOur purpose for coming to San Diego was for Herb to soak up the sun he so craved, so we set off to spend the day at Black’s Beach, on the southern end of Torrey Pines State Park. While the beaches on the northern end of the park are accessible by car, this one required walking down a very steep and somewhat precarious trail that switchbacks its way down from the Glider Port parking lot to a beautiful 2.5-mile long sandy beach. The trail is only 1,000 feet long, but its 320 foot descent in that short distance, makes it feel much longer. However, the trail is well maintained and there are steps and handrails in the steeper sections.

There are basically two types that frequent this difficult-to-get-to-beach: surfers looking to enjoy the huge winter swells, and nudists looking to enjoy some privacy. The nudists tend to hang out north of the Glider Port, while the surfers head to the south. And then there is a third type – me, who doesn’t mind a hike to get to a spectacular beach at the base of a cliff.

Black's Beach at Torrey PinesThe beach was lovely and not at all crowded, perhaps because it was a Wednesday. The sand, especially along the water' edge, was packed hard enough to run on, so while Herb relaxed and read, I put on my sneakers and set off on a run, going first as far north as I could before being blocked by rocks extending into the water, and then south as far as the pier. It was a perfect 5-mile run.

Having lived our entire lives on the East Coast, Herb and I couldn’t get over the fact that we were sitting comfortably on a beach in December. What made it even more amazing was that we had been playing in the snow just 3 days ago. That’s the way snow should be – a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there. I think West Coast life was going to suit us just fine.

Balboa Park

Museum of ManIt was Herb’s 60th birthday! Wow, I couldn’t believe I was hanging out with a 60-year-old man. We decided to celebrate it visiting the museums in Balboa Park.

I think that one of the qualifications for being a great city is having a great park -- one that serves as an extended backyard for its residents and yet can still attract visitors from around the world. San Diego’s Balboa Park is such a park, right up there with Central Park in New York City and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Everyone knows about the famous San Diego Zoo, but the park also has more than a dozen art, cultural, and science museums, as well as a replica of the Old Globe Theater where Shakespeare plays are performed.

The park was bustling with park staff and vendors busily setting up for December Nights, San Diego’s two-night holiday festival and Christmas Tree lighting, which started tomorrow night. The event attracts more than 350,000 visitors, so it was good that we got here a day earlier to have the park a little more to ourselves.

San Diego Museum of ArtThere is so much to see and do that we weren’t sure where to start, so we wisely made our first stop the Visitor Center on El Prado, the main avenue through the park, to get their advice on a plan of attack. We wound up buying the Multi-Day Explorer Zoo Combo for $92 each, which gave us admission to the Zoo plus 17 museums. This would keep us occupied for a few days.

One thing I will mention ahead of time that we didn’t think about when we bought the pass is that, you know all those big banners on the facades of museums announcing their Special Exhibits? – well they are not included in the Combo Pass, and each of them costs an additional $20 or more per person. However, we still felt that our passes were a very good value.

Ironically, after paying for our combo tickets, we started our tour at the “admission free” Timken Museum of Art, which housed a wonderful collection of paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, El Greco, Cezanne, Pissarro, Bierstadt, and more.

Botanical GardenRight next to the Timken is the San Diego Museum of Art, the oldest and largest art museum in San Diego. We strolled through its galleries, admiring its collection of European old masters and 19th and 20th century American art. I was so glad that they charged admission, so that I could start amortizing my Combo Pass.

From there, we walked to the Botanical Garden, which were unfortunately closed for the day. However, the building itself, with its redwood lath-covered central dome and two wings was a worthy destination in itself. Built for the Panama-California Exposition of 1915-16, this building, with the Lily Pond and Lagoon in the foreground, is one of the most photographed scenes in the park.

Herb's Birthday lunch at the PradoWe were getting hungry, but decided to squeeze in just one more museum before lunch. I was going to get my money’s worth out of this Combo Pass, even if we had to starve in the process. Having been lucky enough to have visited the New York City Museum of Natural History on several occasions, we are a bit spoiled, but this is a very nice natural history museum with enough fossils, dinosaur bones, and taxidermied animals to keep any natural history fan happy.

I wanted Herb’s 60th birthday to be special, so we got a table on the Outdoor Terrace of The Prado Restaurant, overlooking the Japanese Friendship Garden, and had a delicious lunch. We were so tired already from our busy, museum-filled morning that we took our time lingering over our glasses of wine. I certainly was enjoying myself, and I am pretty sure Herb was as well.

Rejuvenated from our lunch, we charged on to two more museums. Our first stop was the Museum of Photographic Arts, which has a collection of more than 7,000 images, representing the entire history of photography, with a particular focus on photojournalism.

Herb Flying at the Fleet Science CenterThe last museum of the day, and probably my favorite, was the Reuben H Fleet Space Theater & Science Center. It was fun because it had so many interactive exhibits to play with. At one exhibit, Herb donned a pair of condor wings and tried to see how fast he could flap. Let’s just say that he did not exactly soar. In another room we made paper airplanes and tried to fly them through hoops placed at various distances, which turned out to be a lot harder than we thought. Then there was an exhibit dedicated to illustrating and explaining the process of aging – I’m sure a real hoot for a man who had just turned 60. Based on the smile on his face, I don’t think Herb realized that I took his picture under an exhibit with the word “Aging” in large lettering above his head.

We were getting tired, and since we did have a multi-day pass, we decided to call it quits for the day and finish visiting the rest of the museums another day. As we walked back to the car, we passed the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, where park staff were busily running around, setting up for December Nights and the tree lighting ceremony scheduled for tomorrow night.

I absolutely love Christmas and was having a little trouble getting in the spirit when surrounded by palm trees and people in shorts. I think I might have peaked too early in snowy Yosemite last week. Herb agreed to come back tomorrow night for the tree lighting to help me kick start my holiday mood again.

Balboa Park – San Diego Zoo, more Museums, and December Nights

MandrillFrom everything we heard, December Nights, the two-night holiday celebration in the park, was going to be extremely crowded and parking would be next to impossible.

Since the holiday events didn’t start until evening, we decided to go to the Zoo in the morning, when there should be plenty of free parking, and then spend the entire day exploring the Zoo, some more museums, and watching the tree lighting that night.

We got to the Zoo just after it opened, and following the advice of the ranger in the Visitor Center yesterday, we immediately jumped on the line for the double-decker bus tour, which I was happy to see was included in our admission price. The 35-minute tour, narrated by a very informative and amusing guide, took us on a loop throughout the entire zoo, giving us a great overview of the various habitats and helping us determine where we wanted to focus our attention when we got off. I wanted to do it all, not a trivial goal, considering that the Zoo is home to more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals, representing more than 800 species.

Second piece of advice from the Visitor Center ranger – after you get off the double-decker bus, take the Skyfari aerial tram (also included in admission price) to get to the far side of the Zoo early, and then spend the day working your way back on foot. Also, it was fun peering down at the animals below from the tram.

Meerkats on GuardWe saw so many beautiful and majestic animals -- tigers, polar bears, elephants, giraffes, pandas, koala beers, baboons, gorillas, and more, but the three that left the biggest impression on me were the meerkats, one particular hippo, and the orangutans.

The meerkats were probably the most sociable and gregarious of the animals we saw today – and also the cutest. We saw a whole group of them, many of which were nursing their young, while others stood up as high as they could on their hind leg tippy toes (if they have tippy toes), alertly gazing in all directions, keeping guard over the others. It was such a busy little community.

In stark contrast to the meerkats was the mighty hippo that I spent a good 20 minutes staring at through the glass of a water tank. I had no idea that hippos spent so much time underwater, which I later learned they do during the day to keep cool. The only movement I saw over the whole time I watched him was a slight upward tilt of his massive head to expose his tiny little nostrils above water to breath. I would hate to have been an unsuspecting passerby above.

OrangutanAnd then there were the orangutans effortlessly using their long arms to swing from limb to limb through the trees. While males tend to be loners, the females are much more nurturing and stay with their young for as long as six or seven years. We watched one mother and its adorable toddler in action. The little one clutched onto its mother’s long hair while she went about her business of eating bananas, climbing trees, etc. All the while the mother clutched a piece of burlap with her toes. When we asked a park employee why she was doing that, she said they all do – it’s kind of like a security blanket. That was sad. Why should such a majestic beast need a security blanket if it felt secure in its home? This is not something they do in the wild, and that is not just due to a lack of burlap. It made me question whether it is really fair to keep large, wild animals like these in zoos, but I guess that in many cases that is the only way they can survive.

After the Zoo, we headed over to El Prado, where the December Nights activities were already under full swing. The streets were crowded with holiday revelers and vendors hawking their wares. What a difference from yesterday.

We walked over to the Museum of Man, where a large banner read, “Instruments of Torture.” That sounded like fun, but when I found out they wanted to charge another $20 on top of my Combo Pass, I said forget it. Instead we wandered around and enjoyed their free exhibits. In fact, pretty much everything was extra, except for a really cool exhibit called BEERology, where we learned how beer was pretty much the basis for civilization – well not quite, but almost. Apparently, craft brewing has been going on for millenniums, with such notable brewers as the Ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Chinese, and even Amazon headhunters (which gives all new meaning to the concept of a head on your beer). It seems everyone enjoys a good beer.

December Nights PromenadeIt was beginning to get dark, but still too early for the tree lighting, so we walked through the Panama International Plaza where an entire carnival, complete with rides and vendors selling such delicacies as bacon wrapped hot dogs, had been set up. We avoided the temptation of both and entered the Air and Space Museum, which for tonight was free for everyone. In fact, all the museums were free for both nights of December nights.

I can see why this is one of the most popular museums in the park. It has some very cool historic aircraft and spacecraft from all over the world, including a working flying replica of Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, the actual Apollo 9 Command Module spacecraft, and artifacts from the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and other aviation and space pioneers.

It was still about an hour before tree lighting, but we walked back to the Spreckel’s Pavilion anyway to see if we had to grab seats yet. There were still plenty, so we went to the indoor fountain area right outside The Prado Restaurant, where they had set up a bar, bought two glasses of wine, and sat on a nearby bench watching the crowds go by.

December Nights Tree LightingAbout 15 minutes before the scheduled tree lighting, we went back to Spreckel’s and managed to find two seats in the back. I was really anxious to get back into the holiday spirit and thought this ceremony would be just the thing.

However, I am sorry to report that it just didn’t do it for me – maybe because I grew up watching the NYC Rockefeller Center Tree lighting.

I was hoping for some uplifting speeches and stirring Christmas carols, but instead it began with mundane speeches from the mayor and a councilman, followed by the tree lighting, and concluded with four people on stage singing jingle bells without any accompaniment. I had heard so much about the magnificent 4,725 pipe organ that was literally about 20 feet from the Christmas tree, but it made no appearance for this supposedly huge holiday event.

What finally put me over the top was the announcement that they hoped everyone would enjoy this beautiful tree, which would be up for another week. Why would they possibly take down the tree down before Christmas? It wasn’t as if this was a real tree cut in the pristine forests of northern Oregon that wouldn’t last through the New Year. I knew, because I walked around the side of the Pavilion and saw that the emperor had no clothes.

Plaza by The PradoBut who am I to use my East Coast Christmas traditions and expectations to judge others? My apologies to the city of San Diego for not understanding your holiday customs.

It was dinner time, and although there were numerous tempting food vendors, we wanted to rest our feet and sit down somewhere, so we went to Panama 66, a restaurant that occupies the open-air setting of the San Diego Museum of Art’s Sculpture Garden. Although it was bustling, Herb managed to grab a table, while I got on line to order our food and some locally crafted beers.

The night should have been over – we were exhausted -- but we actually visited three more museums before going back to our car, which was parked in the Zoo parking lot. Visiting the Zoo seemed like days ago – hard to believe it was just this morning.

Right near Panama 66 was the Mingei International Museum, which is dedicated to contemporary folk art and crafts from all eras and cultures around the world. A bit closer to home, they had a special exhibit when we were there called “Craft Icons of the 50 States,” which celebrated the variety of craft found throughout America. Each state had a representative piece of art, which expressed its unique contribution to the richness of the American experience.

Mingei International MuseumWe walked back through Panama International Plaza to the Automotive Museum, where we saw more than 80 historic autos and motorcycles. I thought the most interesting exhibit was the one which traced the evolution of motorcycles from the motorized bicycles made by Indian Motorcycle Company and Harley Davidson in the early 1900s to the present day.

Our final stop on the way back to the car was the Model Railroad Museum, the largest operating model railroad museum in the world. I have fond memories of the model train set we had in our basement when I was a kid. I still remember putting a little white tablet in the chimney of the engine to make smoke come out as it circled the track. I thought that was so cool. The museum’s setup was a bit more impressive. They had four working models of actual Southern California railroads, which traveled through cute little towns and villages, both historical and contemporary.

Let’s just say that it had been a very fun and full day.

Back to Black’s Beach at Torrey Pines State Park

Climb up from Black's BeachIt was another beautiful day in San Diego, as we headed once more down the steep steps to Black’s Beach. As I mentioned in my write-up from a few days ago, this beach is frequented by basically two types – surfers to the left and naturists to the right. Today I had some memorable contacts with both.

I was a bit slow going down the steps, so whenever I heard footsteps behind me, I would step aside to let faster people go by. Herb was way ahead of me, and practically at the beach already, when I stepped aside to let a young guy carrying a surfboard go by. He looked like he had just walked out of a model shoot for a surfing magazine. – the surfer that is, not Herb. “Thank you,” he said in an accent that sounded vaguely familiar from my past.

When I asked where he was from, he said Finland, but he was currently studying at UCSD, which is right nearby. “I’m part Finnish too” I piped up, which was technically true in that my grandparents came from a Swedish settlement in Finland. “Do you speak any?” he inquired. I tried to pull out something I remembered from my childhood and said, “Jag alskar dig.” Soon as the words left my mouth, I realized that I had just told a young beefcake that I loved him. Herb was going to love this story. That’s what he gets for leaving me behind.

House on South End of Black's BeachOnce at the bottom of the steps, we headed north along the beach towards the clothing optional end, which leads me to my second story.

I had had such a nice run on this hard sandy beach the other day that I decided to go for another one. As I was running along, peacefully minding my own business, I saw something that boosted my Christmas spirit to new heights – five young, jacked college guys posing for what was obviously their Christmas photo, wearing nothing but Santa hats. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo to post that memorable experience.

I was having quite a day!

Back to Balboa Park and Indoor Rock Climbing at Mesa Rim

Despite having already spent two full days in the Park, we still hadn’t seen two of the major attractions – the Japanese Friendship Garden and the Botanical Garden. Also, every Sunday afternoon at 2 pm there is a free organ concert at the Spreckel’s Pavilion, so there was good reason to return to Balboa Park once more.

Japanese Friendship GardenI had read that the Park has lots of hiking trails, some of which are quite wild and lead down into canyons. Well, on our walk through the park, we saw the trailhead for one and took it. It was amazing. It felt like we out in the wild rather than smack in the middle of an urban park.

We re-emerged from the wilds in time to take our seats at the Spreckel’s Pavilion Christmas concert. I was really excited about finally hearing this organ play and getting into the holiday spirit with some rousing carols. What I learned is that a 4,725-pipe organ is impressive, but not very conducive to singing along with. Plus the organist’s improvisational approach to the classics and rather interesting tempo made it difficult at times to even recognize what she was playing. Here I go again, passing judgment – the concert probably wasn’t meant for us to sing along to. However, it really did make me miss Andrew and Tommy and their Bluetooth speakers, blasting Bing Crosby and us singing along out of tune.

After three or four songs we politely got up and walked over to the nearby Japanese Friendship Garden, which was originally designed as a teahouse for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition, as were so many other attractions in the Park. I love Japanese gardens. Just wandering along its winding paths was so very peaceful and serene – a very nice break from the somewhat frenetic schedule we had set for ourselves.

Koi in Japanese Friendship GardenThe Japanese Friendship Garden is just one out of more than a dozen gardens in the Park, each reflecting a different horticultural style and environment. We could easily have spent the entire day just going from garden to garden, which is something I definitely like to do on a future trip to San Diego.

However, today we decided to do just one more – the fabulous Botanical Gardens, which, like the Japanese Friendship Garden, were also designed and built for the Panama-California Exposition.

When we were here the other day, it had been closed to prepare for December Nights, but today it was open for all to enjoy its marvelous collection of 2,100 tropical plans and palms. The beautiful redwood laths that cover the building and make it so aesthetically pleasing also serve the very important function of allowing natural light to filter into the building. I only wish I knew more about plants so that I could better appreciate what I was seeing.

Mesa Rim Rock Climbing GymThis was our last full day in San Diego before heading back up north to our temporary home in the Petaluma KOA. Since the next two days would just be sitting in a car, we decided to get some physical activity in at the Mesa Rim Indoor Climbing Gym. I really love visiting new climbing gyms. Each of them has its own personality. I think was actually our 8th!

That pretty much wraps up our action-packed visit to beautiful San Diego.

Travelogue

Walmart in ChinoOn long driving days, I hate having to pay for a campsite just to sleep, and since Walmart Supercenters and Flying J Truck Stops allow RVs to park overnight, they are a good choice to just bed down for the night.

Herb wanted to stop at the Lazy Daze factory in Montclair on the way down to San Diego to pick up a new vent cover to stop a leak, so we wanted to position ourselves somewhere near, so we could stop there first thing in the morning.

The Walmart Supercenter in Chino was perfect - 10 minutes from Lazy Daze and in a very nice, safe neighborhood.

Travelogue

Veiled Half DomeThanksgiving in Yosemite was definitely becoming somewhat of a family tradition. It began in 2013 when the boys moved West, and we wanted to save them the trouble and expense of flying home for Thanksgiving.

We had had so much fun in 2013 that that we returned in 2014, upping our game to Thanksgiving dinner in the elegant and quite-expensive Ahwahnee Dining Room.

Now that Herb and I were living on the West Coast, we decided to drive our home on wheels back to Yosemite for our third annual Gaidus Thanksgiving. You can never have too much Yosemite, so the boys were more than happy with the plan.

Last Day in YosemiteBeing a veteran of the stress of reserving a Yosemite campsite, I made sure I nabbed an Upper Pines site as soon as the November booking window became available. Upper Pines is the only campground open all year round, so although there are less people visiting the park in November, there are also less campsites. I booked it for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through Sunday night, which would give me and Herb a little extra time on either end of the boys stay with us.

I also made Thanksgiving dinner reservations well in advance. We decided to return to the Yosemite Lodge Mountain Room, where we had eaten in 2013. The Ahwahnee was so awesome, but quite extravagant, so we decided that we would alternate years between the two venues.

Herb and I drove out on Tuesday and tucked ourselves into our campsite just in time before the snow began to fall. Hopefully, it would stop before the boys joined us tomorrow evening.

Valley Loop Photography, Boys Arrival, and Ice Skating

El Cap in ProfileThe next morning we looked out the window and saw that about 3 inches of snow had fallen. Already there were kids – some still in their pajamas – running around the campground, throwing snowballs, building snowman, and just plain old having fun. It was a winter wonderland – our first time seeing Yosemite under a blanket of snow!!

We decided to spend the day driving the Valley Loop, stopping to take photos along the way. Fortunately, we had an all-wheel drive Subaru Forester, because the roads were snow-covered and quite slippery. Although we have driven around this valley dozens of times, with the snow, it was like seeing it for the very first time.

Our first stop was the beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel, which never ceases to awe me. We walked through the lobby and out the back door into the yard where there were dozens of boisterous families, dressed in colorful hats and scarves, making snow angels and building snowmen. It was like we had stumbled into a Currier and Ives Christmas card. Usually I take my time easing into the holiday spirit, but this festive scene thrust me there in one fell swoop.

Ahwahnee Fun in the SnowHerb had to drag me away to continue our tour. Since the roads around the Valley are one way, we started off along Northside Drive, stopping first to walk to and photograph Lower Yosemite Falls. This walk is always crowded, in that it requires very little effort for an awesome view from the base of the 2,425-feet Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America. It is actually three waterfalls in one, with an upper, middle and lower section.

Continuing west, we passed Yosemite Lodge where we would be having Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and then Camp 4, which the most renowned climbers in the world have used as their base camp for the last 50 years. Not many were camping there now, probably because of the snow.

By El Capitan Bridge, you can either turn left, to circle back east through the Valley, or continue on out towards the Park Exit. We continued on, stopping first at El Capitan Meadow, where there is a terrific view of this amazing 3,000-foot high granite monolith, the largest single piece of exposed granite in the world. . During certain times of the year you can see tiny little climbers clinging to its granite face – however, none today, as far as we could see.

Rock and IceWe continued on to one of our favorite viewpoints at Valley View, where El Capitan, on the left, and Cathedral Rocks, on the right, frame a magnificent valley view.

From there, rather than exiting the park, we turned left, parked in the Bridalveil Falls parking lot, and took the short hike up to see the 620-foot falls, which flows down from a hanging valley. It was still snowing, and the trail was very slippery, so we pretty much had the trail to ourselves, which was quite nice.

Continuing east on the Southside Drive, we stopped at Sentinel Beach for Herb to take his classic shot of El Capitan reflected in the river – except this time with a snow-covered foreground.

Our last stop before heading back to await the boys’ arrival was Swinging Bridge, another picnic area and beach. As we walked across the bridge into a lovely meadow, I looked down instead of up for a change and noticed a lone snowman in the meadow, his only companion being a small gray fox stalking its prey in the snow. There is beauty to be found at every scale in this incredible Valley.

Lonely Snowman in the MeadowCompleting our loop, we returned to the motorhome and began preparing dinner so that it would be ready when the boys arrived. That way we could get to Curry Village in time to ice skate that evening.

I love the fact that these Yosemite Thanksgivings have brought ice skating back into my life after a 10 year hiatus. Plus, I admit that I love surprising the boys with some level of physical competency. I was actually pretty good in my day, and can still skate backwards while doing crossovers and even spin around a little. They were shocked the first time they saw me do this.

So, now it has become expected that I will be the crazy lady spinning around out in the middle of the ice. We weren’t there 10 minutes before I went into one of my spins, which Andrew said was quite impressive, or at least, that is, until I flew on my back and hit my head on the ice. Fortunately, I didn’t hit it too hard, but hard enough to make me think twice about doing that again.

Why the heck don’t people wear helmets while ice skating? It’s a really hard surface to hit. Or maybe the more relevant question is why do ladies pushing 60, who think they are Peggy Fleming, not wear helmets while skating?

Moonlit Half DomeNot quite ready to get back on the horse again so soon, I contented myself with gliding counterclockwise around the rink with everyone else, making sure I kept both skates firmly on the ground.

I give Herb credit for being a good sport about the skating, as he definitely wanted to be photographing the full moon rising over Half Dome instead. He did leave the session a little earlier than the rest of us to set up his tripod in the parking lot, but the moon had already risen too high in the sky to capture it in the same frame as Half Dome. Still, the moon's indirect presence was very much felt.

When we finished skating, Herb volunteered to drive us back to the motorhome and then come back out by himself to photograph, but we told him that “we were in this together” -- our family mantra for good times and bad.

Curry Village by Moon LightWe moved our operation out to the road, and set up the two tripods we had. It was truly magical. The moon and the stars were illuminating the Valley, and it was so eerily quiet and still, in the way that only happens after a snowfall.

The boys, who were taking turns with one of the tripods, noticed that Herb was aiming his camera not at Half Dome, but back towards the lights of Curry Village. When we got back to the motorhome and looked at the photos we had taken, we saw that they each had taken the identical awesome photo of Glacier Point Apron with the lights of the Curry Village skating rink in the foreground. What a coincidence! Herb cried “copyright infringement” when Andrew posted his version on Facebook first, almost immediately getting 100 Likes for his incredible photo. In the world of Social Media, he who posts first wins.

What a great first day in the Valley it had been, and to think we had four more!

Valley Loop Photo Tour again, Cross Country Skiing in El Cap Meadow, Thanksgiving Dinner in Mountain Room, and the Ahwahnee Great Lounge

Over the River and thru the Woods...Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t until 4:00, so we had plenty of time to explore before then. This was the first time the boys had seen the Valley covered in snow as well, so we pretty much did a repeat of yesterday’s photo tour, adding a few extras in as well.

Our hope was to find a place to cross country ski along the way, so we had to take two cars to fit the four of us plus all the ski equipment.

We parked at Yosemite Lodge, and walked to the Swan Slab climbing wall, where we had climbed so many times before and probably would again later this weekend. From there, we took the slippery, snow-covered trail to Lower Yosemite Falls and got our first and only family shot of the trip.

Family with Yosemite FallsBack in the car, we continued west along Northside Drive, stopping next at El Cap Meadow where there were a few snow-covered walking trails crisscrossing the meadow. Looked like as good a place as any to try out our XC skis – at least the boys and I thought so. Herb was a bit more skeptical. Besides he was like a kid in a candy shop with all the photo opportunities of a snow-covered Valley to tempt him. That’s when we decided to split up for now and meet up further along the Valley Loop.

The conditions were not ideal, and we did have to scramble over the occasional log or two, but the views of El Cap were awesome and playing with the boys in the snow is always a blast. After about 2 miles of looping around the meadow, we packed the skis back in the car and headed off in search of Herb.

He mentioned wanting to go to the Wawona Tunnel Viewpoint, where there is an incredible view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Valley in between, so we went there, but no Herb. There was, however, the usual bus tour crowd of about 100 people jockeying for position to take a selfie with this iconic backdrop.

We continued back into the Valley along the Southside Drive where we eventually caught up with Herb at Sentinel Beach, once again taking his favorite reflection shot of El Cap in the Merced River.

It had been a pretty full day already, and we hadn’t even gotten to the main event – Thanksgiving Dinner in the Mountain Room at Yosemite Lodge. Although not as elegant as the Ahwahnee, the dining room is very cozy and warm and has wonderful views out its floor-to-ceiling windows.

Thanksgiving DinnerThey seated us at our table at 4:00 on the dot, and within 5 minutes there was bread and water on the table and the waiter took our order. Before another 5 minutes passed, our soup and salad had arrived. Now, normally I like quick service, but this was Thanksgiving and I was beginning to feel like I was on an assembly line with courses passing in front of me before I could finish the last. It wasn’t like this when we dined here two Thanksgivings ago. They must be trying to make the seatings shorter so they could push more people through.

What a difference from the calm elegance of the Ahwahnee dining experience. We would seriously have to consider switching back next year. It was definitely worth the extra dollars to be able to linger over what is supposed to be the most celebrated meal of the year. By 4:45 we were out of there and the next group was being seated.

To regain our serenity, after dinner we went for a walk by the Ahwahnee Meadow and then settled into the Ahwahnee Great Lounge with our kindles and a deck of cards. Although the Great Lounge is huge, there are so many nooks and crannies and side rooms that we were able to find our own private cozy spot on the second floor looking down over the lounge. What could be better than sharing this magical place with the people I love most? Then Tommy pulled out a small Bluetooth speaker from his backpack and began softly playing Christmas music while we played hearts. I was so content I never wanted this moment to end.

On the drive back to the campground, Tommy cranked up the volume and we sang Christmas carols the whole way.

Yosemite Falls Hike and Ahwahnee Great Lounge

Yosemite Falls TrailUsually during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend we rock climb, but this time it was much colder and the rock was still wet from the snow storm. Hopefully, it would dry out enough for tomorrow.

The snow was already beginning to melt in the Valley, drying out the trails, so we decided that a robust hike to the top of Yosemite Falls would be a great way to spend the day. Herb and I had already done this hike twice – once when we were about 29 years old and then again in 2012. I remember it being one of the most exhausting hikes I have ever done, but also one of the most rewarding.

Approaching the FallsJust looking up at the top of the falls, and thinking about getting there on foot from the Valley Floor, is pretty daunting. It’s 3.6 miles each way, and over that distance it climbs over 2,700 feet – that’s over a half a mile of vertical gain.

But, the boys had never done this hike, so I was not about to be the pooper holding us all back. So, I put on a cheery face and a skip in my step, and we set off on the trail, which begins next to Sunnyside Campground (Camp 4), the rock climbers’ campground behind Yosemite Lodge.

This hike doesn’t fool around. In the first half mile, it climbs steeply along a series of over three dozen switchbacks. At least the snow had melted, so the trail wasn’t slippery. By the time we reached one mile, we had already gained 1,000 feet in elevation.

A thousand or two feet really makes a difference in temperature. Soon we were hiking across a few patches of snow and had to stop to put our jackets and gloves on. At about the halfway point, the trail became almost completely covered with snow and a lot slipperier. We stopped to have lunch and to discuss whether we should turn back or press on. I knew the boys really wanted to get to the top, but they were worried about me falling. I suggested that I could turn back while they went on, but they repeated our family vacation refrain, used in both good times and bad, “Oh no, we’re in this together.”

The Trail Gets SlipperyThat’s when Tommy realized he had a pair of Yaktrax in his backpack that would probably fit over my hiking shoes. The little cleats on the bottom keep you from slipping and sliding on the snow and ice. Soon, to the annoyance of the rest of them, I was practically dancing up the trail. These things were great!

The last quarter mile before reaching the top is a series of torturous, seemingly endless switchbacks, even under the best of conditions. Without the Yaktrax I would be lying face down in the snow by now.

Finally, we reached the top, but it wasn’t time to celebrate yet. The Overlook was actually below us, down a short, but intimidating, series of steps cut into the rockface. Thankfully, there was a guard rail to hang onto for dear life. I tried not to look out over the steep drop below. From the overlook we looked down from above at the falls cascading over the edge.

By the time we got back up the steep, slippery steps, it was snowing very hard. It was a winter wonderland. For a brief moment, I was so lost in the sublimity of the scene that I forgot to worry about how I was going to make it back down to the Valley.

I guess it was just going to have to be one slippery step at a time. At least I had the Yaktrax to give me some traction. I don’t know how they did it without them. I made a mental note to get Yaktrax for the entire family for Christmas.

Precarious Descent to the OverlookI was so grateful when we reached dry trail again, and even more so when we got back to Camp 4. For some reason that I will never understand, I was less exhausted this time than when I did this hike in better conditions when I was three years younger. I think the boys’ confidence that I can do challenging things, and the distraction from all the laughter when we are together, make life in general a little easier, and a whole lot more fun.

I did have enough sense, however, to reject their suggestion of ice skating at Curry Village that evening, and persuaded them instead to return to the warmth of the Ahwahnee Great Lounge for more reading and cards, and, of course, the caroling on the way home. I have never been in such high Christmas spirits this early in the season. I hoped I wasn’t going to peak too soon.

Rock Climbing at Swan Slab and Sunnyside Bench and the Ahwahnee Great Lounge

Tommy on Swan SlabToday was Saturday, our last full day together, and the snow had melted enough to make climbing somewhat viable, if not exactly ideal.

Over the last few years, we had gotten much more familiar with climbing areas in the Valley. One of our favorites is Swan Slab, a very popular climbing area on the north (sunny) side of the Valley, between Camp 4 and Yosemite Falls. I personally like it, mainly because it has some climbs at an easy enough grade for me to try, but also because it is a great spectating spot – the approach is short, the base is sunny, and there is even a bench to sit on.

They selected a 5.11b “aid” climb, appropriately named Aid Route, which eventually led to a nice 5.8 crack. An aid climb kind of looks like cheating, but it’s not. Rather, it’s a method of getting past the “unclimbable” (at least for most climbers) parts of a route. It was the method used for the first ascents of El Cap, and is still used in ascending many “big wall” routes today.

Lolo getting a Little BoostTommy volunteered to lead it. Unlike the elegant moves I usually see him do, this wasn’t pretty. It involved him placing a piece of gear as high as he could, clipping a quickdraw to it, and then hauling himself up on the draw to reach better holds. When that didn’t work, he clipped a full-length sling to the piece, put his foot in the loop of the sling, and then stood up on it. This act was repeated over and over until he reached the point where he could “free” climb. At the top, he set up a top rope, so that Andrew and Herb could climb it without having to place protective gear.

“Okay, you’re up next Mom,” he said after being lowered back down. At first I thought he was kidding, but then I realized that he was dead serious. I didn’t know whether to make a run for it, or be proud that he actually through I could make some upward progress on this wall. I went with pride and began putting on my harness, helmet, and shoes.

Andrew on Sunnyside Bench WallIt was ridiculous and so tiring. To even get started, Tommy had to make a cup with his hands for me to step up into and reach the first supposed hold. From there, I did a combination of hauling myself up on the rope, whimpering, pulling on quickdraws, begging for mercy to be let down, stepping into slings that tried to swing away from me, sobbing, etc., until I finally reached the 5.8 crack.

By this time, my heart was pounding so hard and my arms were so pumped that I didn’t know how I could go on. Then I looked down at their smiling, proud faces and the small crowd of people that had gathered to watch this spectacle, and decided that I had no choice but to surge on. Working on pure adrenaline, to my utter amazement, I actually completed the rest of the climb.

Herb and Andrew took turns on it as well, and agreed that it was probably my biggest outdoor climbing accomplishment to date. I was ready to retire on the top of my game..

I thought we were done climbing for the day, but I was wrong. We moved our operation to another climbing area called Sunnyside Bench, just a little ways to the right of Lower Yosemite Falls. Our “solo” climbing friend Charlie, who we met last Thanksgiving by Swan Slab, had shown us this area, and in particular, a classic 5.9 climb called Jamcrack.

Tommy's First Crack Climb Wearing MittensUnlike Charlie, Andrew used ropes and led the first pitch of the climb, a noteworthy event in that it was his first lead in Yosemite Valley. He set up a top rope so that Herb and Tommy could do this climb, as well as Lazy Bum, the 5.10d next to it.

There was one other first I would like to mention regarding Andrew’s climb. We believe it was the first ascent of Jamcrack accompanied by “Der Bingle” singing Christmas carols. That’s right. Tommy had brought along his Blue Tooth speaker for this very reason. Need I say that Christmas spirits were incredibly high.

Actually, I think there might have been another first. It was getting so cold that Tommy didn’t bother to take off his puffy down parka and mittens to climb. I don’t think anyone has ever documented completing a crack climb while wearing mittens. He looked more like an astronaut about to walk on the moon, than a climber about to ascend a crack.

It was dark by the time we finished and hiked back to the car in the Yosemite Lodge parking lot.

Ahwahnee Brunch and more Valley Photography

Ahwahnee BrunchIt has become something of a Gaidus Family tradition to wrap up every visit to the Valley with Sunday Brunch in the Ahwahnee Dining Room.

As usual, we requested the “Queen’s Table” in the alcove at the back of the dining room, where Queen Elizabeth sat during one of her visits here. We have made this request probably a half a dozen times over the years, but someone has always beaten us to it. Well, this year we finally nabbed it. Although the Gaidus men always treat me like a queen, this was really special.

The Ahwahnee Dining Room, with its 34-foot-high beamed ceilings, granite pillars, chandeliers, and floor-to-ceiling windows, is the perfect venue for a memorable dining experience and the perfect way to end a wonderful holiday weekend.

The Young AnselIt was time for the boys to head back to real life in San Francisco. After they left, Herb and I spent the day wandering around the valley, taking more photos, and discussing where to go next.

After years of winter backpacking and ice climbing, somehow Herb has developed a distaste for the cold. So, after his supposed “suffering” in beautiful, snow-covered Yosemite for the past few days, he decided that he should reward himself with a trip down to sunny San Diego.

Sounded good to me!

Travelogue

The next morning we drove the remaining 150 miles to the Petaluma KOA, where we had our motorhome stored for the past 2 years. We took it out of storage and prepped it for being our new “home” until we found one that wasn’t on wheels.