Finding America

Since I was still feeling a bit sick we decided to just do an exploratory day at of Yosemite. Kam picked up some smoothies for breakfast and I did a bit of work before we headed out for the park. We grabbed a hot drink from Starbucks and we were off heading north.

The road was really curvy and I was grateful to not be pulling Kodi along. It was seriously foggy and there was quite a bit of fresh snowfall along the roadside. The fog lent an eerie atmosphere to the place.

As we pulled through a tunnel into Yosemite valley proper we were introduced to a new world. The clouds were scattering and we were given full length vistas of the valley. El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls were our first sites. Towering over the valley El Capital stood like a sentinel guarding the gorge. We stopped for some pictures at a pull out and then made a quick stop at Bridal Veil Falls before continuing on to the visitor’s center.

Yosemite is like nothing we have seen on this trip to date. It is similar in it’s scale to Zion National Park in Utah, but the grayscale of the granite and the lushness of the surrounding forest give it a special uniqueness. Yosemite, even from the roadside, embodies such grandeur. Everything is on a massive scale: its falls are the highest, its cliffs the loftiest and it’s Red Wood Groves the most ancient.

We drove with jaws agape to the center of the Yosemite Village and parked. We found a nice deli and ordered some lunch. We sat outside to enjoy our meal and to soak up the first sun we had seen in a while. Perusing the map we came up with a game plan for the afternoon and we were off.

We re-parked the Fox and then walked to the Visitor’s center, where we picked up a trail map and some hiking suggestions from the ranger. We also attended a movie in the attached theatre about Yosemite and walked through the history museum. It was neat to see how much folks like John Muir fought to preserve Yosemite. Only by making people aware of Yosemite’s value could the champions of the park hope to stave off the hungry lumber operations in the area. Thankfully Yosemite was made an official park and had been preserved all these years so that we can enjoy her beauty first hand.

A short hike from the visitor’s center brought us to Yosemite Falls, the highest measured falls in North America. Let me tell you it is a sight to be seen. Surrounded at it’s base by mammoth red wood trees and flanked by sheer granite walls this fall is unlike anything on the planet. It is stunning and we stopped at several vantage points to take it in. We stopped longest near the foot of the falls and just tried to wrap our head around this natural phenomenon. In this place, with God’s glorious creation staring you in the face it really humbles the ego and helps to clear the human clutter rattling around in your brain.

After a long session of contemplating my meager existence when faced by something so profound, Kam and I hiked out of the little valley and to the Lodge to pick up the shuttle back to the Fox.

Our drive back to Oakhurst was foggy again once we cleared the tunnel. We found a great story about how a non-profit org was working with the children of Israel and Palestine to find solutions to the current struggle and to come up with pathways towards peace. It was an inspiring story and the time passed quickly.

When we returned we prepared some home made chili and kicked up Kodi’s furnace to get it good and toasty. We thankfully had a cable tv connection and were able to watch our favorite show Planet Earth on Discovery. If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure to check your local listing and be awestruck by our amazing planet and its animal inhabitants.