Yosemite

7/30



El Capitan, Yosemite



Finn illegally interacting with the local wildlife

Dad and Silas getting a glimpse of Half Dome

Silas and Finn relaxing in the creek

Silas and Paul enjoying the Vernal Falls

Where's Waldo?

Paul giving a thumbs up to Half Dome

Silas at his GQ shoot

                After waking up at Crane Flats campground in Yosemite and having an uneventful morning we reached the Yosemite visitor center without much trouble.   We parked in a satellite parking area and took a shuttle to the Visitor’s Center.  It was a new process, maneuvering our way through the unfamiliar shuttle system in a National Park.  It was different but much easier traveling than in San Francisco.  Leaving the visitor’s center for our first hike is when all hell broke loose.  My mom, Paul and I strode off for the trail because my mom assumed dad, who had gone to grab Finn, knew where we were going.  My group made it to the Yosemite Lower Falls trail and decided to sit and wait as we expected my dad and Finn to already have caught up.  Time started passing and my mom and I began to wonder and discuss possible scenarios of what was keeping them.  I had made the suggestion earlier that we stop and wait for them and now I was debating sending one of us back to check on them when 45 minutes later we caught sight of my dad’s familiar bright orange T-Shirt.  Almost instantly my parents were accusing the other of being in the wrong.  We had wasted almost an hour at Yosemite and no one was in a good mood.  My dad and Finn apparently had been confused as to where the rest of us had gone because, although the original plan was to hike to the Lower Falls, my dad did not know if the plan had changed.  The whole time we were sitting by the falls, they were sitting at the Visitor Center.  The next fifteen minutes were tense, to say the least, but both parents ceded eventually and bygones soon became bygones.  The hike was pleasant but the falls, the tallest in North America had dwindled to a slow trickle.  The middle of June to the middle of July is the best time to view the falls, or so we were told but just missed it.  We would make up for it with our next hike.  It was a steep, long hike to the Vernal Falls that led us through woods and along cliff faces.  The sights were beautiful but the falls were slightly disappointing to me.  I enjoyed the challenge of the climb though and the terrain and the views it provided.  Lunch was held at the base of the hike along a creek in a quiet out of the way spot rare for the bustling park.  After finishing our bread and eating large amounts of leftover cheese and crackers it was time to lounge in the hot sun.  Finn, Paul and I loved climbing and walking through the creek soaking up the sun.  After our lunch and the Vernal Falls hike, we headed out of the park but had one more stop.  At an astounding 9000 feet elevation we got our beach stuff and walked off the turnout down a short walk to Lake Tanaya.  Boldly Paul, my dad and I ventured into the water.  It was actually warmer than the air, at least it felt that way.  I could never resist swimming in the national parks we had visited and I wasn’t about to stop now.  I was the first to take the plunge and the others followed suit.   After playing some football and trying to stay moving, I headed to the beach shortly after Paul and Finn, who had attempted to swim but was deterred by the water temperature, and tried to warm up.  Shortly after leaving the water my ears and head started to throb and hurt.  My dad began to feel the same sensation and we came to the conclusion it must have been how cold the water was.  We had a long drive ahead of us and no reservations for the night, but we made a short stop at mono lake, the second oldest lake in North America.  It had cool calcium deposits that rose from the surprisingly putrid looking and smelling water.  It was a very cool experience though and I had a very different opinion than my cousins, who had visited the lake earlier and not particularly enjoyed it.  Dinner was KFC and Taco bell, much to my brothers and my delight.  We had been waiting for this moment for a long time and both restaurants had been requested long in advance.  Sadly, I only wanted taco bell for the dollar loaded grillers which were apparently only served from 2 to 5pm.  Though I was disappointed, I still enjoyed dinner and the campground we eventually stayed at.  We arrived at the Boulder Creek RV Park jsut west of the door to Death Valley at approximately 9pm.  My dad very generously let the kids swim in the not particularly well kept pool and hot tub while he set up the tents.  The rest of the night went by quickly and I was looking forward to Las Vegas tomorrow.

Yosemite