Lyell Canyon

First and foremost... I have internet in my apartment!!  I'm thrilled beyond words at the moment.  My service was set-up/turned on over two weeks ago and no amount of fiddling could get it to work.  After multiple calls to my provider, they finally sent a technician out this morning, and he found the problem and corrected it and life is good.  It was something I would not have been able to fix on my own which reestablishes a bit of my confidence in my limited computer abilities.

Now, Lyell Canyon.  I had a second backpacking trip for work this past week.  It was short, two days/one night, but in one of my most favorite places in the park.  I have spent time during my two previous summers in Lyell Canyon, but haven't taken a single photo.  I remedied that this past week.

The Tuolumne River runs through Lyell.  It is a stunning place.  My pictures simply can't capture its grandeur.

There has been quite a bit of trail work the last few summers in Lyell, moving the trail away from the river.  When I came upon Ireland Creek rushing across the trail, I worried I'd taken a wrong turn on one of the trail reroutes.  I'll only say my first crossing was terrifying and left me shaking uncontrollably for awhile afterwards.  That water is deep and moving fast. 

Below is a view from the opposite side, just to prove I did cross this raging creek.  The second crossing was much more smooth and I didn't think I was going to seriously injure myself like I did the first time I crossed. 

Views looking north up the canyon. 

Canyon walls, the river flowing through the middle, trees, sunlight, granite outcrops... I love, love, love this part of the park.  I love the high country! 

Come visit me and I'll take you to Lyell to see its beauty for yourself.

First Work Excursion of the Season

I had my first major work hike of the season this past week.  I'd had little day hikes to two of the sequoia groves, but nothing quite like this.

This was my first solo backpacking trip and I was very excited and a little nervous.  We monitor trail use in wilderness locations along the Merced River and it was my responsibility to get the trail counters up.  The farthest counter was about 16 miles from where I got dropped off.  

I was supposed to put up three counters but when my supervisor hefted my pack, she said no way.  It was too heavy and had me drop down to the absolute bare minimum of what I needed to take with me.  If I hadn't had to haul a bear canister... (that thing weighs almost 5 lbs empty!!)  I ended up with two counters and my pack was still brutally heavy.  I may have a few bruises.

Regardless, I set out early in the morning of the first day.  I've said it before and I'm going to say it again, the amount of water flowing through the park is spectacular!  Here is Nevada Fall.  Gushing!  Raging! Love it!

 Another view of Nevada

 I hiked about 11 miles the first day to a place called Echo Valley.  I hiked through an area that burned almost two years ago.  It's amazing to see how plants are already starting to come back.  Nature is amazing.  There are also tons of little waterfalls everywhere.  I especially like the one below.

 The mighty Merced!

 The second day I hiked up to Merced Lake, elevation 7250. 

Beautiful Merced Lake.

 Another picture of the mighty Merced.  There wasn't really a river channel here and it looked like if there was any more water it would simply flow onto the trail.  One things these pictures can't show is how LOUD all that raging water is.

 For my second night and breakfast my third day, I had a granite counter top!  Ha ha!

 The beautiful Sierra found inside Yosemite National Park.

By the end, I had hiked about 35 miles in three days.  It was wonderful.  I am thankful for a warm sleeping bag; I'm thankful for waterproof boots; I am thankful for the simply pleasures of fresh, clean socks to put into those boots; and I'm thankful for a SteriPen, my new favorite piece of gear!

Fellow adventures always welcome!

Bishop, CA

This weekend I explored the "East Side".  In the Yosemite employee colloquial, the East Side refers to going over the pass and spending time on the Eastern side of the Sierra.  I've always thought this was funny.  Why don't you say you're going to Mono Lake or Lee Vining or Mammoth or Bishop, etc.?  Nope, East Side.  Perhaps it's like all carbonated beverages in Texas are referred to as Coke.

I drove over the Sierra and Gil drove through Death Valley and we met in Bishop.  We camped.  It was rainy.  It was cold.  Good company made it not too bad.

See, there is still snow on the ground.

 We drove out to South Lake.  It was very low but still quite lovely.

Then we drove to Sabrina Lake.  This is a very popular place for fishing.  As one fisherman said, "The fish are hungry."

 Both South and Sabrina Lakes are technically reservoirs.  We hiked out on the dam at Sabrina and enjoyed the view.  It was raining and might have had a little bit of frozen stuff mixed in with it.  Did I mention it was cold?

 Sabrina Lake!

 There was a very enticing island in the lake.  Neither of us felt like swimming out to it though.

 This past week has had some very high temperatures and snow is melting fast and waterfalls are going crazy.  This one was particularly lovely and quite tall.  I also loved, loved, loved all the aspen trees where we were. So green.  I want to get back out there and explore and hike again when it's not so soggy.

 I was very worried about getting home over Tioga Pass with the cold temps and the rain.  I made it just fine.  And I picked up some very wet and very cold and very tired and very forlorn PCT hikers.  They were from Quebec with not too much English so it was a quiet ride.  It was a grand weekend.

Still rockin' the dress

June 3rd, 2001.  It was exactly fifteen years ago Friday.  On that day, fifteen years ago, I graduated from high school.  Wow!  Fifteen years is a long time.  

I've been quite reflective this past week, thinking about all that I've done and seen, the places I've been and the people I've met in the last fifteen years.  My conclusion, I have been very, very, abundantly, blessed.  More than I deserve.

I write letters to myself on my birthday to be opened on another specific birthday yet to come.  Somewhere along the line I started setting goals for myself in these letters.  I never remember these goals until I open the letter one or five or ten years later.  I remember the first few I got really disappointed me because my life after high school wasn't progressing the way I had hoped it would.  And then I started to look at the things I had accomplished that I hadn't thought of, hadn't even dreamed of, to include in a letter to myself.  As I said, abundantly blessed.

Here I am after graduation with my friend Belinda.  Belinda and I met in kindergarten.  She is still a dear friend today.

In honor of fifteen years, I wore the same dress I wore to graduation to my church meetings today.  Oh yeah, still rockin' the dress.

Hidden Talents

Many years ago, a friend (who has asked I keep his or her identity confidential) taught me the general technique for picking locks.  This friend then presented me with a very simple lock-pick set.  I practice every now and then.  I've opened locked cabinets at work in both Death Valley and Yosemite... and perhaps broken into the primary closet at church.  

When this came in the mail, I was thrilled!  The lock casing is clear so I can see what is going on inside the lock.  Mr. B included two bobby-pins.  How thoughtful.  How fun.

Y'all have hidden talents you'd like to share?

A Few California Observations

I meant to post these awhile ago.  Posts should be a bit more frequent shortly... I'm getting internet at my house!!  Oh my goodness, what is that!?

I stopped in Death Valley on my drive out to Yosemite.  When I got to the Visitor Center at Furnace Creek, this was the temp my car said it was outside.  This was mid/late April.  One of my friends who still works out there said it hit 120 yesterday.  Gotta love Death Valley.  (Oh, and I think I'll roll over 200,000 miles this year.  Easy.  Way to go Little Car!)

 This is the gas station about three miles down the road from my apartment in Yosemite.  It's much cheaper 30 miles down the road in town.  But how often am I going that direction?