I thought I left behind something so spectacularly special, to only reach Yosemite National Park! We left Sequoia and enjoyed the little towns. All the little towns were touched by the rush to find gold many years ago. And here we were, on our way to find our gold! We entered the Park at Wawona entrance. All around us were Sequioa trees, but not us big as the ones we saw in the Sequoia National Park.
We popped into the Badger Pass Ski Resort, and the boys were disappointed not being able to ski again.
We slowly went down into the valley, and even that was done very carefully. I am sure Johan was happy to get rid of us for a while, to take a couple of deep breaths, and dropped us at some trails. We loved the Bridalveil Falls on our way down to the Yosemite village, and I told them about the Indian belief that the fall is haunted, because it caused the death of a young girl. I told them about the two rock climbers who recently climbed the fall, only to experience the mysterious forces of the water changing direction swirling over them and nearly drowning one of them!
We enjoyed the meadows, and the trail to the 5th highest waterfall in the world, the Yosemite Fall, and stood amazed to witness the glacial erosion of many many, years ago.
Marco, always on the look out for sticks and stones found his stick in the meadow, playing in the grass. I foud a little lodge hidden against the granite rocks, the Sierra Club leConte Memorial Lodge, and I promised myself to return to share this beauty again with Johan in this quaint grey lodge.
Johan was a concerned man! He saw the white puffy clouds high up the mountains, as if he is still sailing and watching the weather! But alas! His concerns wasn`t unnessesary, the Visitor Centre informed him that they were expecting rain and snow tonight with wind and more snow the next day! What do we know about driving a RV on a snowy icy road? All of a sudden we saw signs of snow chains on wheels, and started worrying. When we reached the camp site Joe went over to a couple that looked like locals in a tent. If they can be here with a tent...Around our camp fire Alfred and Irma assured us that even if it snows the roads are ploughed clean within a day or two, so we need not worry. Joe and I went to look for a Ranger for a double check, and found Jim, who also assured us, that we will be ok if the roads are scraped.
So we heated a bottle of wine and enjoyed the moment of looking forward to our first snow falling from the sky! Marco was extatic!
That is when I found out about the Bears! On the Rangers little office wall I saw photos taken of the Black Bear ripping open cooler boxes, a Black Bear inside a truck trying to get to the smell of food! During 2011,
112 incidents were reported of seeing or contacting bears, and 17 were hit by traffic, luckily none was killed.
The boys enjoyed it when the two French girls came over, worried about the bears, having an excuse to go over to comfort them and to play cards!
We fell asleep with the flip flop of snow coming down on us, and louder flops when they became too heavy for the branches of the trees. We woke up in white!
For the first time we didn`t have to threaten Joe and Marco out of their warm beds! They were outside playing, throwing, tasting, smelling and Marco examined the snow flakes under his microscope, his gift from Richard and Jennifer in NZ.
We were in a paradise of white! We walked around with our feet sinking in the snow, making little crunching noises, and when the Ranger, Jim saw us, he just smiled. "We ordered just enough snow last night for you guys" he said, while looking at my bare hands, and in his office he found two pairs of gloves for Johan and me!
One last stop, just to look at another waterfall (Cascades). Marco stayed in the RV, and Johan and I only climbed over the rocks for a little while to get a good view. Joe had to get closer for a good photo! He left us behind, slowly making our way back for a hot cup of coffee. I asked him if I could share this with you...
He climbed over the rocks and close to the foot of the fall, a big rock too high to climb was right in front of him. He positioned his camera, because he knew he wouldn`t be able to go any further. While taking a video he saw the faint shadowy figure of a women, but as soon as he peeked over the camera lens, there was nothing. He could see the figure moving slowly towards him, but when it started to rain he knew that it was time to go back. Check out the video when he publish it soon. When we did afterwards, we could actually see three figures moving slowly...
We popped into the Badger Pass Ski Resort, and the boys were disappointed not being able to ski again.
We slowly went down into the valley, and even that was done very carefully. I am sure Johan was happy to get rid of us for a while, to take a couple of deep breaths, and dropped us at some trails. We loved the Bridalveil Falls on our way down to the Yosemite village, and I told them about the Indian belief that the fall is haunted, because it caused the death of a young girl. I told them about the two rock climbers who recently climbed the fall, only to experience the mysterious forces of the water changing direction swirling over them and nearly drowning one of them!
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| Yosemite Valley with the Bridalveil Falls to the right |
We enjoyed the meadows, and the trail to the 5th highest waterfall in the world, the Yosemite Fall, and stood amazed to witness the glacial erosion of many many, years ago.
Marco, always on the look out for sticks and stones found his stick in the meadow, playing in the grass. I foud a little lodge hidden against the granite rocks, the Sierra Club leConte Memorial Lodge, and I promised myself to return to share this beauty again with Johan in this quaint grey lodge.
 |
| Walking Trial to Yosemite Falls |
Johan was a concerned man! He saw the white puffy clouds high up the mountains, as if he is still sailing and watching the weather! But alas! His concerns wasn`t unnessesary, the Visitor Centre informed him that they were expecting rain and snow tonight with wind and more snow the next day! What do we know about driving a RV on a snowy icy road? All of a sudden we saw signs of snow chains on wheels, and started worrying. When we reached the camp site Joe went over to a couple that looked like locals in a tent. If they can be here with a tent...Around our camp fire Alfred and Irma assured us that even if it snows the roads are ploughed clean within a day or two, so we need not worry. Joe and I went to look for a Ranger for a double check, and found Jim, who also assured us, that we will be ok if the roads are scraped.
That is when I found out about the Bears! On the Rangers little office wall I saw photos taken of the Black Bear ripping open cooler boxes, a Black Bear inside a truck trying to get to the smell of food! During 2011,
112 incidents were reported of seeing or contacting bears, and 17 were hit by traffic, luckily none was killed.
 |
| Marco was proud bringing his daddy a little ice cube for his whiskey! |
For the first time we didn`t have to threaten Joe and Marco out of their warm beds! They were outside playing, throwing, tasting, smelling and Marco examined the snow flakes under his microscope, his gift from Richard and Jennifer in NZ.
 |
| Alfred and Irma, the morning after |
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| Jim and the boys |
The Visitor Centre was showing a movie about Yosemite, and how it was formed, and we sat in the theatre with goose flesh, watching the glacial miracle taking place.
Outside we walked around the Indian Village, and saw the sweat room where they saunaed before a hunt to strengthen them, we saw the round building for special ceremonies, and relived a little bit of their lives in their tents.
The white clouds were thick and heavy above and every now and then the snow came down. We left our snow man at the foot of the Yosemite Falls, and knew it was time to go!
He climbed over the rocks and close to the foot of the fall, a big rock too high to climb was right in front of him. He positioned his camera, because he knew he wouldn`t be able to go any further. While taking a video he saw the faint shadowy figure of a women, but as soon as he peeked over the camera lens, there was nothing. He could see the figure moving slowly towards him, but when it started to rain he knew that it was time to go back. Check out the video when he publish it soon. When we did afterwards, we could actually see three figures moving slowly...
4 comments:
Oh wow! Now you are up by my home town. I grew up in Mariposa California. And if you are going through there, you should stop at their little museum, where they will actually let you handle many of the old artifacts.
Are you heading to Oregon at all? We'd love to meet you - we've really enjoyed reading your adventures!
Taunya
Spectacular !!!!!
Spectacular
Marlene,
It was truly a pleasure meeting you, Johan and your two sons at the campground in Simi Valley. You referred to the camp as "Ventura Campground". The proper name is "Oak Park". It's administed by the Ventura County Parks Department. Sounds like you folks are having a trip of a lifetime!!! Thank you for including me in it.
-- Ranger Drew
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