The Bear Necessities Part One

 

I spent two weeks at home letting my foot heal and then hit the road again last Saturday. I headed north on US 395 and spent the night at Rock Creek Lakes Resort where my friend Glenn works. You probably remember him from the Florida trip last year. Sunday morning I headed for Tuolumne Meadows campground in Yosemite National Park.

I passed two lakes on the way there. The first photo is Crowley Lake, the second one is Mono Lake.

I arrived at the eastern entrance to the park at 11:30am. Me and thousands of other visitors.

I finally reached Tuolumne Meadows and set up camp.

Glenn showed up around 5:00pm to stay with me for two nights. We had a Taco Feast followed by a campfire and then bed.

Monday we walked the campground. It was clearing out as Tuesday is the last night it will be open this year. Here is the scoop about the campsites.

Half are reservable but are not site specific. The Ranger will assign you a spot. If you know what spots you like best you can ask to see which ones are available. Loop A is the best as the sites are right near the river. Actually sites 43 and up. I also chose what I think are the best of the other six loops and that info will be posted on our website soon. If you don’t have a reservation, plan on getting here very early. Campers start lining up at the reservation building before dawn.

Tuesday we explored the river and the meadow. A few steps from my campsite is the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River.

That is Lembert Dome in the background but more on that later. In the center of the photo you can barely see a big rock standing upright on the granite. Here is a closer view.

Which of course attracted Glenn…

Here are a few more photos from that area.

The water is from snow melt so it is still very cold but there were people enjoying a dip. With the water level receding there were several holes in the granite that held water. I tried to get Glenn to swim in this one.

He ran away and it took me a while to track him down.

After lunch we explored the amenities in the area and hiked in the meadow. Near the campground is a small store, the Wilderness Center where you can pick up backcountry permits, and the Visitor Center.

We hiked out to Soda Springs and the Parsons Memorial Lodge in the meadow. Below is another view of Lembert Dome and Tuolumne Meadows. A very popular hike is to climb to the top of the dome. It’s almost 3 miles round trip with an elevation gain of only 900 feet. No, you don’t go up the cliff, you approach from the back.

We arrived first at Soda Springs, a naturally carbonated spring. We didn’t taste it but others have. It doesn’t look too appealing but it made interesting sounds.

Next up was the lodge and several outbuildings. These use to be owned by the Sierra Club and were donated to the park.

The hike back took us along the bank of the Tuolumne River. The air is crystal clear when are over 9000 feet up.

Here is a nice spot for a picnic.

Another view of Lembert Dome on the way back.

The water is so clear that you can see the small native trout.

We got back to camp and Glenn left to go to Rock Creek. I was heading out the next morning so I walked down to the river near my campsite for a few more photos as the sun started sinking.

Wednesday was busy as there were five campgrounds I wanted to visit on my way to Bridgeport, about 45 miles away. The first four are located just outside the east entrance to the park. They can be very useful if you arrive in the evening to find that Tuolumne is full. Heading east, the first one is Tioga Lake.

All the sites are nice here and are a very short walk to the lake.

Junction is next.

There is little creek that flows through it.

Two miles up Saddlebag Lake Road finds you at Saddlebag Lake campground, the highest drive-to lake and campground in California at 10,087 feet.

The views are great, especially from site 18.

On the lakeshore is a café and boat rentals. This place has pretty much everything you need. Hikers can access Yosemite from here as well.

On the way back down the views are beautiful.

The leaves were starting to change colors as well.

Next up is Ellery Lake.

Not quite sure what is going on with the wording there.

This is a sweet little campground that also has a creek flowing through it.

At this point I am going to stop this post. I have been on the computer for seven hours and my eyes hurt. Plus it’s long enough already. You will have to wait and find out what the “Bear Necessities” are next time. I am heading to Yosemite Valley on Sunday for five nights. Should be fun.

Regards,

Greg

A Break in the Action

 

And thankfully it was not my foot which ended up suffering just a sprain, albeit a very aggravated one due to the constant use I put it through on my way to Yosemite.

I laid up for two days at Yosemite Lakes, another Thousand Trails campground, until I was able to head back to my current home base in SoCal. I used the cruise control instead of the gas pedal to navigate my way south on US 395 and then onto Interstate 15, etc.

First, however, I had to drive the 120 through Yosemite National Park. I was very surprised at how crowded it was after Labor Day. There is a pullout that offers views of Half Dome down in the valley. I was not the only one who thought it was nice.

There was 50 cars and at least 150 people checking it out.

Let me zoom in a little bit.

That’s what glaciers can do to granite. if you are so inclined you can go to the top. I would probably fall off and really hurt my foot. I stopped twice to take photos from outside the car until it became too painful.

Next I passed through Tuolumne Meadows. Very crowded.

I still cannot get over the amount of people here at this time of the year. I think it is great. Every day you spend spend camping is not subtracted from your lifespan. I am 117 years old and don’t look a day over 50…

Before you exit the park heading east you pass by Tenaya Lake. I hobbled out of the car to take this photo.

Photography-wise I don’t like clear blue skies. They are boring. I like the drama, tension, and foreboding that a broken sky brings. (Broken sky is a term that photographers use to describe clouds. We are silly that way)

The foreboding part became reality as I travelled down the 395.

One last chance for mother nature to show who is in charge.

I got the last laugh because I wasn’t pitching my tent that night.

I don’t quit, however. After giving my foot two weeks to heal I am heading back to Yosemite. I want to do it right. I will be staying in Tuolumne Meadows until it closes on 9/26, arriving on 9/23. Then I will sleep in dumpsters (bear-proof thankfully) until my other reservations kick in at Upper Pines in the valley from 10/1 until 10/4. I snagged the last campsite available for those dates. Seriously, the valley campgrounds are fully booked for the best time to visit in my opinion.

I am going to take tons of photos while I’m in the area for two weeks. We will be adding an HD slideshow to our Yosemite National Park page showcasing the photos I will take of all the wonders that are here.

So bear with me while I heal. You won’t be disappointed. I promise.

Regards,

Greg

Dancing With Myself

 

That’s what a couple of campers told me it looked like I was doing Monday morning as I tried desperately to keep my balance while exiting the shower house at Ponderosa.

I am always thinking about safety while camping. When I walk the campgrounds I wear a good pair of hiking shoes. On trails a sturdy pair of hiking boots adorn my feet.

I do wear flip-flops around the campsite sometimes and always in the shower. They are only a few years old and still in good condition but the straps have stretched a bit. That probably contributed to what happened next.

I walked away from the shower house on a slightly down-sloping asphalt path. There must have been a bit of sand there because my right foot started to slide. I did the aforementioned dance but my wet foot slid laterally across my wet sandal and over the edge. The net result was my foot twisting in a way that it was not meant to be bent. I went down.

I waved off the other campers who came over to help and walked gingerly back to my campsite. I kept my foot elevated for the rest of the day and slept fine Monday night.

There were some campgrounds I wanted to visit in the Crystal Basin area and since my foot felt about 80% I gave it a go on Tuesday.

From Coloma/Lotus I drove north-east on Marshall road and then east on Wentworth Springs road. First stop was at Stumpy Meadows.

It has 40 campsites and a lake with a boat ramp.

The host told me that it was packed over the long weekend. A 5 mph speed limit makes it very popular for canoeing and kayaking. My foot was down to 70% but I kept going.

15 miles further east brings us to the big lake in the basin called Union Valley. First, a brief aside. I know that they are called reservoirs, not lakes, because they have dams. But I can write lake twice instead of reservoir and still have a letter left over. It also sounds nicer. Plus, let me ask you this. Have you heard of Powell, Mead, or Havasu reservoirs? I thought not. Put the word lake in front and I bet it rings a bell.

The first two campgrounds I stopped at were closed, Yellow Jacket and Wolf Creek.

Normally I would just go around the gate and walk it. I bring a trash bag with me to closed campgrounds in case any left over trash is laying around. I did not do that in this case for two reasons. First, the road that loops around the lake is about a mile or two from the lakeside campgrounds, leading to quite a bit of walking. Secondly, the past hour of driving and using my right foot constantly for the brake and gas pedals has gotten it down to 60%.

I caught a break with the two big campgrounds. The main gates were open. 2 of 3 loops were closed at each one but I was able to park within walking distance to check them out.

Being a pirate born 200 years too late I love the name of this campground. Wench Creek’s 100 campsites are located on the north shore of the lake. It’s a pretty spot with many of the campsites having water views.

Walking is starting to hurt. I am down to 45% in my right foot.

About four miles away is Sunset campground.

That is site 98, the best there.

This campground is aptly named (unlike Crater Lake which should be called Caldera Lake). A two mile long peninsula juts out from the east side of the lake. Several of it’s 131 sites are on or near the tip and campers enjoy marvelous sunsets. There is also a boat ramp nearby and after launching you can tie it up along the shoreline. Bring the water toys because this lake is not speed restricted like Stumpy.

Public showers are available at Fashoda, a walk-in tent campground adjacent to it. Go figure.

I almost didn’t finish the last 30 campsite photos there. I was limping badly and my right foot was throbbing. Then I thought, WWLaCD. (What Would Lewis and Clark Do). They would gut it out and I did the same. I hobbled back to my car with about 15% left on my right lower paw.

Now comes the easy part I thought. Just a four hour drive through the mountains to the Yosemite area. Boy was I wrong.

Anyone with half a brain would have realized that I needed to take a break and elevate my foot for a while. Since I have a full brain and I'm Canadian to boot I ventured onward. The issue was time.

I left Ponderosa at 9:00am. Started taking photos at Stumpy at 10:00am and finished up Sunset at 2:00pm. I did not want to arrive at my destination in the dark. The first part was easy. Coasted down Ice House road to US 50 and then west to Placerville. The pain started to get serious when I turned left on CA 49 and headed south.

100 miles of twisting roads and my right foot was in agony from using the pedals. Gas Brake Gas Brake. Then I got on the 120 east and the first sign I saw was “curvy roads next 8 miles”. Dante had nothing on this inferno. I had to keep going. I had no where else to go. I finally arrived at Yosemite Lakes with a tear stained face that I was going to claim was simply sweat. The red eyes were from allergies.

I did not want to step out of the car so I honked my horn at the registration booth. I was shown a map where the tent areas were and found a decent campsite. Turning off the ignition I realized that I was not done yet. I still had to set up my tent.

Let me say at this point that a twisted/broken foot should not hurt like this. I have had both previously. I also know many people have experienced much greater pain than I was currently enjoying. But what followed was the most ongoing physical pain I have ever experienced.

I set up my campsite. Pitched my tent so that my feet would be elevated. What would normally take 10-15 minutes took one hour. I just kept walking back and forth and by 7:30pm with the sun already set I was done.

I peeled off my hiking shoes and was surprised to see not much swelling.

I should be a foot model.

Maybe not.

The ankle was a bit puffy but most of the pain was coming from the top of my foot.

I downed a couple of Advil. Never slept.

Dawn arrived without Ginger. I guess that’s mixing screen names with real names. I always liked Mary Ann the best. She looked like a camper.

At this point I cannot walk or drive. I’ll spend a couple of days here to heal and see what happens.

Regards,

Greg