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California!
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Yosemite
| Silverado and Holy Jim Canyons, Cleveland National Forest |
September 20 and 21, 2006 - After a late morning with too much coffee, I dayhiked from Carol Ann's house in Silverado Canyon to see what Cleveland National Forest and the Santa Ana Mountains was all about. I took the Wildcat Trail up to the Forest Road and mainly just poked around fiddling with my new and first digital camera. Yeah, I'm a Granny when it comes to things, but that's a good thing... So the next day, I get going earlier and take Carol Ann's car to Holy Jim Canyon and Falls. I found this suggestion on the internet and never heard of Holy Jim before. Let me tell you...the dirt road to get back there was very interesting. Once I found the Holy Jim Trailhead, I set off on totally new terrain! I passed a string of cabins and began wondering if I should have driven my car further? Swatting gnats, I caught a glimpse of the real Holy Jim Trailhead and wandered if I was looking at a street sign before? Either way, I made my way back to Holy Jim Falls. I was so enamored with the moving water. I can't explain, but it is so dry out there and moving water made me feel so much better - just watching it and knowing it was there. I hiked up to where I was right below Santiago Peak and crossed the bed of Holy Jim Canyon. Looking at my empty Nalgene, I headed back down to drink some of Holy Jim and finish my dayhike. |
 Silverado Canyon |
 Holy Jim Falls |
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Yosemite Valley to Tuollomne Meadows, Yosemite National Park |
September 22-26, 2006 - Carol Ann and I started from the Valley Floor about 4:00 on Wednesday. Passing throngs of people, we could not contain our grins. Earlier, when we were stuffing our gear into our packs, I was hopping from foot to foot and giggling like an idiot every time we started to discuss something. Before we got our wilderness permit, we came around the corner on the road to the valley and saw it. Those of you that have seen Yosemite Valley, you know what I am talking about. We both screamed until the tunnel stifled us. Wow! God is unbelievable and awesome! After climbing step after step on the Mist Trail, I could see why it was so crowded. Vernal and Nevada Falls with the Emerald Pool and Silver Apron, all delights of the Merced River, made our grins wider. My face was getting tired. When we arrived in Little Yosemite Valley campsite, the grove was drenched in dusky pink. Thursday morning in Little Yosemite Valley was a hub-bub. We packed up and hiked up to the junction of John Muir Trail and Half Dome Trail. Stashing our packs in the woods, we prepared for a sidetrek to the summit of Half Dome. I figured it was an incredible view on the summit. Someone at the campfire mentioned something about cables. I figured maybe some precarious spots on the trail would be ahead. When we got to the steps after coming out of the forest, I hunched down low making sure I had my center of gravity forward. No big deal. But when I got to the top of this hump and walked over it, I saw the cables people were talking about. I must live in a cave! Isn't this the most famous hike in Yosemite?! Yet, all this time... I had no idea! I followed Carol Ann. Half way up, I deemed the whole thing very stupid and assinine and what was I doing here hanging on the side of a 400 foot rock face with drop-offs galore and tiny people below me at the base of the cables? Hiking, yes. Climbing, no. "I know you want to see the top, Tina!" Carol Ann pumped me up and I told myself that little kids were doing it and I was no chicken. 8,800 feet was going to be my glory. And going down was a piece of cake... We retrieved our packs back at the junction after filling up at the spring along Half Dome Trail. Our trek up Cloud's Rest was ahead. We hiked each step slowly. Water would not be available until the other side so we were loaded down. It seemed like the base of the cables at Half Dome were level to us on the trail. We kept going. And going. It was .6 to the summit. The steps up to the summit with my heavy pack made me want to crawl a bit. Over 9,900 feet, the highest I have ever hiked. We pumped our arms into the air and took in the dramatic views. A French man pointed out the trail that continued over this spiny backbone part of the peak. Carol Ann and I headed back down the way we came and took the lower trail that bypasses the summit. The day ran out on us so we camped where we could. We had 16 ounces of water left. Coffee and breakfast would be a mile downhill in the morning. After passing the pond, then lower and middle Sunrise Lakes, we took a long, luxurious break and bath at upper Sunrise Lake. It was at 9,200 feet. After toiling, we pushed on to Sunrise High Sierra Camp, which luckily for us, was closed for the season so we had our pick out of many campsites overlooking Long Meadow and Mathes Crest. We had a fire that night. Saturday morning, we continued in the high sierra to Cathedral Peak and its surrounding lakes. After taking another lunch at a lake, we bushwhacked up past a Bear Lure to the dome above and followed our sense of direction to the John Muir Trail. It wasn't long before we found ourselves in Tuollomne Meadows at the end of our trip. I didn't want it to end, but that was all the time I had to take. I'll be back though. I am interested in the Grand Canyon of the Tuollomne River and hiking more in the high sierra. |
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