DAY TEN: Yosemite National Park

DAY TEN: Yosemite National Park


It was a cold night in the camper for me! But I slept relatively well, dreaming nice things. This entire trip I have not had one single solitary work-related dream. This is HUGE for me! : )

Once we got the RV a bit more organized, I stepped outside into the snow in just a T-shirt and sweatpants. The cold gripped me instantly, but somehow it was a bit refreshing to be in the clean cold air. Looking around I suddenly realized we were completely surrounded by mountains. I hope the pictures I take capture in even a tiny way the beauty of what’s around me. And this is just the beginning!

After getting dressed I walked to the small ranger area for the Upper Pines Campground. It must be the rebel in me that cannot resist making footprints in a fresh blanket of snow. : ) The kind old man talked to me about the free shuttle that stops at all the sites in the park. He also warned me about the bears. I prefer to think they’re all sleeping. Please don’t tell me any different! : )

We got all bundled up and walked to the bus stop. The signs all said the busses ran every 10-20 minutes depending on season. We waited 30 minutes for a bus and decided we would drive around in the RV instead. I never said we had a plethora of patience.

The first stop on the driving tour was the Yosemite Village. We walked to the deli under the watchful eye of the Upper Yosemite Falls. It is so hard to come up with the right adjectives to describe all we are seeing. “Beautiful” and “amazing” just don’t seem enough. It honestly seems unreal. The dusting of snow and ice on everything makes it seem almost magical.

We headed down to view the magnificent El Capitan. It is hard to imagine climbers scaling its sheer face in warmer weather. We looped back and saw the 3 Brothers Mountains, the Cathedral Mountain, Bridal Vail Falls, and Half Dome. It was a wintery paradise and some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen in my life.

When we stopped at the Visitor’s Center I was able to talk with the park ranger about the road conditions heading eastward. Most every east-bound road between us and south to Bakersfield is closed. We would seriously have to backtrack to Las Vegas. North the first few eastbound roads are closed. But there are a couple of options between us and the dreaded Donner Pass. Plus the snow is not due in until the evening, and we should hopefully be inside Utah before that hits.

I am enjoying the beauty of the snow and cold much more than I thought I would. I realize though that I really would like to have better gloves than the ones I have, were I to ever venture into the great white north again. Also, the fact my touch screen phone doesn’t work through my gloves is a bit angering. My picture taking hand is soooooo cold!! : )

As we looped around on the only road deemed passable this time of year, John was shocked when he saw what appeared to be a stray dog running loose on the side of the road. As he slowed down and it loped closer, we could see it was a wolf! John stopped and we all scrambled for our cameras and camera phones. The wolf stopped next to the RV to pose for the pictures. He was beautiful.

We went back to the campground for a bit so John could figure out how to attach the snow chains (apparently some of the highways we are taking tomorrow have a mandatory chain condition set) and I played with the GPS to find a safe, time effective, and OPEN route to Arches National Park. Tomorrow will be a marathon of driving, plus we have the time change working against us. We may just stop when the mood hits, and wake up early to hit the park. Only time will tell.

For dinner we drove to the Yosemite Lodge and passed some beautiful sunset scenery. The sun disappears behind rock so early here, that the sky is both light and dark at the same time. And when it dances off of the sheer rock faces, it is nothing short of breathtaking. Tonight some low clouds or fog decided to participate with the many children in one of the designated “snow play” meadows. It created a gorgeous gauzy hem at the base of the mountains.

I had hoped to make a snowman with Ava at some point, but the opportunity never materialized. Throughout the park, though, it was apparent that many other parents had the same idea. Snowmen dotted the landscape everywhere we drove.

I predict an early bed time for me tonight. A nice cup of hot chocolate has been made and consumed. Even though I am a bit cold, I am grateful for this camper and my jammies and sleeping bag. Mostly, I am grateful that I am not the people in the site across from ours who are sleeping in a tent! My sense of adventure only goes so far, afterall!