Taking off on a tour of the South West

We took off late this morning from the ranch after three nights spent in family. Hoping that the roads would now be empty, with all the summer vacationers gone home. Our drive was pretty smooth. We drove from Templeton through the farm lands of Central Valley through Fresno. Didn't come upon anything particular, but spotted some dust devils on the flatness. We then started gaining altitude as we approached the Sierras. We stopped in Oakhurst for provisions, then drove into Yosemite National Park. C. hadn't come there for years now and was quite excited, I believe, to find himself in Yosemite Valley again, for the 117th time or whatever it was ...



Entering the park we slowed down quite a bit, stopped at every viewpoint and gazed at the jaw dropping granite walls that now started to surrender us. Slowly we made our way down into the valley. C. was very decided where to stay in the valley and took us straight to Camp 4, the traditional "Climbers' campground", a 'first come first served' tentsite with no reservations. We were lucky, there were about 4 sites left when we arrived, ten minutes later they would all have been taken. We put up our tent and looked around a bit. For my part, I found the campground a little crowded. Overcrowded, in fact, considering what I'm used to. But in a place that receives four million visitors per year, what is there to expect.



By the time we had put up camp, it was already late in the day, and the valley is so narrow and deep that we could feel the sun would soon be gone. So, we quickly packed a little picnic-aperitif to take to the meadows in the middle of the valley and enjoy while we would watch the cliffs go golden and take the place in. C. told me how the granite walls were named: El Capitan and the Nose, Half Dome, Washington Column, Leaning Tower ... We sat in our loungers on the meadows, drank wine, ate salami and baguette and talked about climbing until the sun went down behind the cliffs. We then returned to our campsite and grilled a couple of trouts for dinner.



After it went dark a ranger came to us and warned us of the bears and other wildlife. We had put our food into bear proof lockers, but he warned us from even turning our back on our plates while we were eating, and to store away even toothpaste, deodorants and soap, and certainly not to leave anything in the car because the bears easily tear them up. C. hadn't realized the bears had gotten so agressive since the last time he was there. Two bear agression incidents had occurred within that hour on a nearby campground. Those things were not to be taken lightly! I went to sleep thinking about waking up to a bear hovering over me ...