Monday, October 1, 2007

Yosemite...us and the bears


After living it large in San Fran with such luxuries as a comfortable bed and hot, running water available at the turn of a knob, we set sail for more rustic adventure via Subina (our trusty Subaru) and our new Black Diamond tent. The goal for road trip #2 was to blend a few hot spots that are locked in our memories forever (Moab and Zion) with new destinations to mix it up a bit(Yosemite, St. George and Escalante). Yosemite was first on the docket. We lucked out by snagging up one of the last camp sites available in both the valley and toulamee meadows, although in hindsight I wonder why. Yes, Yosemite has majestic peaks and astounding waterfalls, but they also have bears. We were diligently warned that all food items (including wrappers, dirty cups and sunscreen) must be taken out of the car and into a bear bin provided in each campsite. Otherwise, an uninvited guest would be stopping by to rip off your car door and devour the left over goodies you so foolishly left behind. The good news is, we were left alone by the roaming bears (although, we did take part in banging pots and pans together to scare the hungry creatures off as they attempted to join us for dinner). The bad news is, Nick and I didn't look at each other once in the eye during our 2 night stay; rather we stayed committed to watching each other's backs so no fuzzy friends could join us. After that and nearly freezing temperatures at night, I was ready for the heat and to get on my bike...St. George/Zion here we come!



The view during our one and only hike in Yosemite...HUGE waterfall...this is only the base.

Get 'a steppin'...of this 7.5 mile hike, we only had to go up/down 1,300 steps.







Lounging at the top...always the best place for lunch and a nap.



That's right folks...get it while it's hot...the last campsite in the valley, fully equipped with it's own bear locker!








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