Yosemite. The salient, majestic, awesome etc etc etc
My dad loves Yosemite and took us all on a six day backpacking trip from the valley floor to Tuolumne meadows. It is about a 35 mile hike, the days weren't strenuous, but I had my doubts coming in. This would be the first back packing adventure I've ever been on. And it being just me, my brothers and dad, it wasn't hard to figure out who the 'weakest member' would be. But, gung ho! We must do what we must do! So, come with me to Yosemite; hike the trails, feel the pain, experience the beauty, join in the victory..stay tuned. All this, and more, coming up!First day, Saturday.
We just came into yosemite. Tonight we sleep in the tents at the camp. So excited!! =D We're waiting in line for Pizza at Camp Curry. Oh, it smells good! Early start tomorrow...distention: Half Dome. I have decided, no matter how hard it is, I will not be the cause for the others to have to slow down, or, oh horrors, go back. I just pray for strength. Oh Lord, You know I will need it!!
Second day, Sunday.
Ahh! It's the beginning!! The hardest day, in terms of heaviest packs and steepest climb, but spirits are high! I can't tell you how many times I've prayed for protection along this path. So far, not lagging behind. Actually, *smug smile* I came in right behind dad today. We wake up around 6 get everything ready and set and hit the John Muir trail up nevada falls by 9. It is just a beautiful hike! We reach the top by noon, set up camp and now for the dreaded, the awesome, Half Dome! I have heard so many horror stories about this place. Looking back, I think to myself, 'Oh, it wasn't so bad!' but I have a little theory that your brain blocks out the most miserable times of your life, leaving with a warm, triumphant feeling when I look back on that afternoon. but I am sure i remember myself panting 'Oh please, kill me now!' as we ascended the sub dome. Dad says 'the cables are easy.' Let me tell you now; they're not. But we make it to the top, and I am so glad I did. Got to stand and the renowned surf board and join the rest of the people that can now proudly say 'I made it to the top!' by the time we get back down to camp, it's hitting 6 o'clock and we start on dinner before it get's dark. Hotdogs. Nothing like good ol' hotdogs grilled over a fire! Afterwards we jump in the ice- er- river and then shiver our way back. Wherein I try to make pudding and spill the pot so that 3/4 of it lands on Benaiah's clean set of clothes for the week. We give up. Hot chocolate anyone??Third day, Monday
After getting a late start, hiking forty minutes up a certain trail, realizing we were on the wrong one, walking thirty minuets back, we finally were on the right trail. 'We have our heading!' I think what made this day hard, was the fact that we were expecting it to be easy. remember what i said earlier about forgetting about all the hard parts? Yeah, I think that's what happened to my dad. About halfway through the hike we found a glorious cascade and charged into the water. Oh boy, was it refreshing! We had lunch along the way, crossed a few bridges (the campsite is right after a bridge...is it this one?!) and then reached my dad's hidden camp ground. It was the perfect place! It was right by a cascade pool and hidden by rocks so we were quite tucked away. We had a group discussion and decided that we would stay here and enjoy the peaceful surroundings for the next day, which was so nice! The sunset was goregous that night. We sat around our fire, singing praises to the awesome Creator!Fourth day, Tuesday
Relax day! Pretty much this day was awesome. Just hanging out at the river, my dad taught us some knots, singing and reading the Bible together, learning how to make fires. And, we totally roasted Bagels on sticks. After dinner, sitting around the campfire, feeling the slight chill, knowing that we're miles and miles away from any civilization we told, can you guess it? Yes, scare stories. I started off with one I made up along the trail. It was a really great way to keep my mind occupied on other things instead of my slowly and tortuously dying body. Anyways, the story was about a little boy named E.E Kampton. You wanna hear the rest of it? Ask me. Then my dad told a creepy haunting story with a shocking ending that left me screaming bloody murder and the boys cracking up. You wanna know the rest of it? Ask me. It was a really great day...Even if the sloppy joe manwhiches we got for dinner didn't really have meat in it after all!Fifth day, Wednesday
Wednesday was a pretty easy day. It wasn't a long hike, but we did climb about 1200 feet or so. And we got to see Merced lake. So stunning! We set up camp, some little area for off in the woods, and washed our clothes in the river. Brrrr, this water is freezing! For dinner we had the best mac n cheese ever! Meanwhile, we developed this game. We each had whistles so we would take turns trying to blow a beat and have the others guess. It was fun coming up with songs to beep out to the others but a sense of dread filled you when you heard the words, 'My turn!' Whereupon loud, monotonic, beats would scream out in the air, as the 'musician' gestured widly with his arms, baffled by the fact that we could not clearly perceive this masterpiece he was performing before us. Needless to say, it kept us entertained. As the sun was setting we took jump-in-the-air-while-trying-to-look-cool' pictures. One word: Epic.Sixth day, Thursday
We made it to camp Curry! From here it's all downhill. but to get there we had to hike through this gorgeous snowy pass. I think this was the most beautiful hike we had taken. The view was spectacular! And when we set up camp, we all washed up in the river again, and today I got the nerve to do more then just dunk twice, but actually swam around. It was so fun! That night we sang and finished up a lot of the food in our bear canisters. The packs were pretty light by then. A along the trail I kept singing You Bring Time of Refreshing. How great is our God, to bring us those times of refreshing. No matter how hard the fight, the reward is so much better!Seventh day, Friday
We made it!! We're here!! We get to Tuolumne meadows and have to wait two hours for the bus to come and carry us back to the valley floor. Man, it feels good to back. 'Yo, see might?' I'm feeling victorious. I'm feeling strong. I'm feeling exhausted. I'm feeling thankful. Most of all thankful to God for giving us these opportunities to catch a glimpse of His beauty. This is what life is all about. My dad, bless his heart, get's a burger and fries at the Grill. When we get on the bus, we all try to get comfy, but it doesn;t matter because we're pretty much a sleep before the engine even starts. not that I don't like sleeping bags...they're just not very conducive to, uh, sleep. Dad buys us ice-cream on the way. When we get to the valley floor we drop off the canisters, pick up the rest of our stuff, load it in the car and hit the road!Looking back that week is full of memories and fun. I'm so glad I got to go! Maybe there is a little outdoorsy woman inside me after all! I keep thinking of the famous quote; One small step for mankind..one giant leap for Gracie Woodrow.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed the trip with me! And I hope it brings you to glorify God, the Master Artist and Protector. Because, in the end, all glory goes to Him. But, that's for my next post..Keep checking, it should be there soon.
