Days 6 and 7 August 7^th and 8^th

Yosemite 

Getting to Yosemite did not mean taking a nice comfortable bus.  No, it meant hiring a car and driving there ourselves.  And where was the car-hire place?  On Union Square, right smack bang in the middle of everything busy.  Cars, cable cars, trolley buses, cyclists – right at morning rush hour. And who had to drive?  Of course, she who had experience previously driving on the wrong side of the road and sitting on the wrong side of the car.  Started badly when a cyclist, who crept up on my right while I was studying the rear view mirror on my left, almost came to grief.  After that psychological blooding, things improved.   

Four hours driving and we were in  the most spectacular place!  Yosemite, I have just looked up, refers to the Indian tribe who originally lived in the Valley, and means  “Those who kill”.  Tough critters apparently.  Today all is wonderfully friendly, except perhaps for the bears.  But every step is taken to keep them and the people safe from each other.  

Curry Village for accommodation – on-site tents which are basic, but the village has all the facilities one needs. Including metal bear-safes in which all food and any scented items which a bear might think is food must be placed – including tooth-paste and cosmetics.  There is one of these safes outside each tent.  Fines for leaving stuff un-safed are high;  nothing may be left in cars even. 

And also including bikes!  So off we were again, cycling around the Valley floor, locating trail heads and visiting lakes and streams.  It is pretty dry this year, the usual popular rafting activities closed because there is not enough water running.  Even the Yosemite Falls are not falling.

Though the Vernal and Nevada Falls are. Just to be sure, we had to hike/climb to the top of the Vernal Falls to see whether the gigantic rock cliffs and valleys looked any different from up there.  They did.  Also a privilege to be amongst were the other hikers on the trail.  Polyglot people were climbing and panting and encouraging each other to keep going.  Two all-American motivators told me “Keep going, it’s worth it”, and later on “You’re doing real good”.  Must be the grey hair. 

Some Yosemite friends

No bears were seen, but lots of advice.

Sophie came across this practice of building a cairn in Jordan.  Lots of them here in one spot in the Yosemite Valley.

Coming back into San Francisco, the SF fog sits on the hills.