12th April: Yosemite

From Wd

Gavin's diary—4.20pm 12th April 2007, Curry Village, Yosemite NP

It was raining when we arrived at the campsite last night, so we erected a marquee over the cooking tables. James took to his sleeping bag almost right away, missing dinner and then breakfast. The others realised he was down, and some tried to raise his mood. He said he wanted to go home, but I think it dawned on him how difficult that would be. Fortunately he got in the bus with us to Yosemite Valley.

We started our sojourn in the Ahwahnee, which only yesterday I had assumed I was unlikely ever to visit again. We had a couple of their pricey hot chocolates and James thawed a little. We walked to lunch at the Yosemite Village Grill for a burger and fries, and James thawed a little more. When I suggested we visit the Ansel Adams gallery, he said he'd rather walk than look at art.

We walked through beautiful and largely flat country to Mirror Lake, then round to Curry Village, where we had pre-arranged to meet the others over a pizza. I bought a couple of cheap sleeping mats to make the nights a little more comfortable for the two of us.

Jinny's Blog

The next day I woke up to the sound of rain on my tent and my phone alarm. It was easy for me to wake at 5 or 6 since I was really on east coast time. (I still needed a loud alarm to shock me out of my sleep though, never said I was disciplined, did I?) Today was going to be 'Yosemite Falls at 2700 ft elevation. I started the hike with the super five on a beautiful and sunny day. It was steady incline. Was left behind very early, ran into Collette and Tim, left them behind (for a change) and met up with a couple of other couples on the way to the top. I stayed with one couple from the SFO area and we made it to the top together. They offered me cocomela, a coco leaf candy. At first I heard “cacao”, until they explained what it really was! It is supposed to counter the effects of heights.

The views were very nice on the hike. Made it to the top in three hours of hiking over 3.5 miles (from 10.00am to 1.00pm). Took a half hour break for lunch and photos and was cold by the end of it. I then had a very leisurely stroll back down (lasting 2.5 hours) and enjoyed watching the huffing and puffing climbers who had started late. They all wanted to know how much further to the top. And I would generously assure them it was only another hour to a cardiac arrest and oh the view is lovely! Definitely worth it.

It was only at the end of this hike that I truly learnt how to wear the backpack correctly even though Jeff had demonstrated how to more than once. I now knew all the cords that had to be pulled in the right places to have it sit on my lower back just right with the least stress on my shoulders. Slowly but surely, I was on my way to being a halfway decent hiker. I saw hikers of all kinds on this hike, with tank tops, fashion outfits, the flimsiest walking shoes, people with babies and strollers. It was a regular garden party. People do it; how they do it, I don’t know.

While it had rained in Indian Flats, it had snowed in the valley, I guess it could have been worse for us if he had camped there. We made a fire that night and toasted marshmallows. Jenny had never had them before and quite liked them. Next day was particularly cold, I woke up, peeked out of my sleeping bag (I would sleep with most of my head inside the bag) and went right back in. It had been 36 °F previous night. A huge church group has moved in next door, they biked 150 miles in two days to get here. I gathered this information over the communal brushing of teeth in the ladies room from one of the group. Gavin had already guessed they were a church group, he said he somehow just knew.

Definitely need a thinner rain jacket, this ski thing is way too bulky. Bevan walked around in half-pants (torn a little and then rolled up to his knees) and wet hair this morning. Yesterday, he emerged from his tent in nothing but a towel around him looking for something (clothes maybe?). 'To hell with protocol' must be his motto! That kid has something new every day. Jenny informed us that her boyfriend Gary had slept in his new hat and socks. We all had a good laugh. My group is surely getting interesting and we are warming up to each other quite nicely. Gary was best man at Jenny’s first wedding. I thought that was oh so romantic… in a weird way.

Dodgy Video Footage

• Trek, Day Three, still in Yosemite (Duration 2:37)