Because of the size of the Busse Bus, we often have to stay outside of the National Parks as they were mostly built in the 30’s when 43 foot traveling homes weren’t anticipated. We stayed at Yosemite Ridge RV Park west of Yosemite on Highway 120. Interesting drive in through a curving road – lots of switchbacks and slow going. It’s an older RV park with permanent trailers off to one side. A new owner is starting the transformation into a premier park and he is going to triple the size over the next few years. Good bones – it would be interesting to come back and visit to see the changes. A fire swept through the area a few years back and a resort down the street had been completely rebuilt. We went to check out Rush Creek for dinner. Wonderful place!
We heard about a local place for hiking where you can take your four-legged companions, so we packed up Bear (sorry Sydney – too strenuous for you) and headed to Carlon Falls. Great first day hike up along the creek to see the falls.
Bear loved it! He got to ford the creek, play in the water, balance on a log, and climb through a tree. Talk about a happy pup!
The next evening we had a chance to drive into the park and check out the sights. It’s nice being able to drive in for a few hours and not have to pay for each visit because Ari bought us an annual pass for all the national parks – what a great gift! We got to see bridal falls, El Capitan, and the half dome:
It was great fun staring at El Capitan finding colorful specks on the side of the cliff and realizing they were mountain climbers. We searched the cliff for about an hour spotting different ones and watched their progression. We heard that the average is three days so they each have to carry enough supplies up to make it and also sleep in hammocks on the side of the cliff. Not for me!
Note to self: If you want to see the falls in their full splendor, come in the springtime! Yosemite Falls was completely dry so all we saw was a water stained cliff.
The legend of Tissasack: Long ago, before the creator finished the valley of Ahwahnee an old Indian woman and her husband visited. As tradition during that time, the woman carried the heavy basket and the husband carted his walking stick. Tissasack made it to the mountain lake first and drank so deeply that the lake dried up. Her husband, upon arriving, did not get a chance to drink and raised his walking stick to strike her. She ran and tears stained her face. As they faced each other, the woman throw her basket at her husband and just then the Great Spirit transformed them into huge stone structures because of their wickedness. Now they forever remain apart. We know them today as Half Dome and Washington Column. I don’t know about the folklore, but I can certainly see her stained tears:
A little uncanny to say the least.
We ventured over to the Majestic Yosemite Hotel for appetizers and drinks. I wanted to see the “parkitecture” – lodges built during the Great Depression (thank you President Roosevelt for the WPA (Works Progress Administration)) with local materials like timber and stone. Beautiful place – the grand room had a huge fireplace – note Kat sitting inside it (the other lady apparently just photobombed):
The next morning Kat was taking the dogs for a walk and ran into a cattle drive. 400 head meandering down route 120. Cowboys on horses and herding dogs to boot. RVs and traffic at a stand still.
Didn’t see that in Colorado, Wyoming or Montana.
Later we decided to take on a big hike up to the top of Nevada Falls passed Vernal Falls. Round trip: 9.2 miles, gained 2100 feet, 4.5 hours, and 600+ granite steps. Well worth the time and exertion!
Vernal Falls viewed from the base and the top.
Nevada Falls as viewed from the base and the crest.
Other photos from the hike. A tree growing on the side of a cliff and a warning that bears apparently like to ride in vehicles.
We were exhausted and headed home. We just wanted to eat, let the dogs out, relax, and hit the hay. Bear had other plans. He got off his leash and headed straight into the shrubbery where he picked up a ton of burrs.
So, instead of relaxing we spent the next 1.5 hours de-burring the dog. Ain’t owning pets grand?
Our final day in the Yosemite area brought us to see the mighty sequoia trees. Now, redwood trees are big, but I think that the sequoias are even bigger. We got to hike down a trail and walk amongst these giants.
Hard to tell the actual size in those photos, here are some other ones of a fallen tree:
Bear and I actually crawled through the tree!
In order to draw people to Yosemite, in the 1880’s the National Park Service cut a path through one of them so that horse and carriage could ride through:
How’s that for ginormous? I doubt that the Park Service would be able to do that today!
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