Monday, July 7, 2008

Hiking in Yosemite 7.7.08



We had our 1st day in Yosemite today! We drove in via Highway 120, better known as Tioga Pass out of Lee Vining. We made it to the Toulemne Meadows Visitor Center and chatted with the Ranger there on hikes in the area and decided to do the Lyell Canyon hike. It's an 8 mile hike, but is fairly level as you hike along the Toulemne River. We took off into meadows green with grass, trees everywhere, & crazy boulders that were slowly growing skyward.
It's the only subalpine meadow in the area and was spectacular. There were beautiful white rocks, trees, plants, flowers, animals, & streams...everything was perfect. We started on the John Muir trail and were supposed to turn right at the Lyell Canyon fork...make a right, but instead made a left (I can't read a map to save my life!) and continued along the John Muir trail. We walked for a total of 5 hours and we estimate the hike at 9 miles or so. The views were spectacular - mountain ranges encasing us & beautiful green meadows. We saw lots of wildlife - ground squirrels, marmots,
& deer that didn't seem to mind us being there one bit. the streams were crystal clear & we spotted some fish trying to swim upstream. The water was very brisk but on our next hike we're bringing our swimming suits!! It was very warm and the water would be very cold...but only for a little bit!! The streams were very fast moving, tumbling over rocks. Michael called them 'mystifying'...we loved them & could have spent all day watching & listening.
The day was perfect - in the 80's & mostly sunny. There were lots of people around but once we were about a mile out, everyone seemed to disappear.



Michael finished his 3RD book this morning & has already started on his 4th! Shamefully, I'm still on my first one...haha. His knee is doing OK - it started to bother him on the hike today and we'll see how it feels tomorrow. But he's getting around fine. My poison oak is still healing - I've lost the 1st set of scabs and continue to put vitamin E on it. It's starting to become less obvious & less ugly. Hopefully it'll heal without a scar!

More to follow...
Rene

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