California Dreams: Wild Wild West

I went to Yosemite last Sunday. I went with 2 guys who like me are foreigners here in the US. We thought that we had nothing better to do so we might as well go, do some hiking, see some sights and then go back to our hotel. We had Google Maps and a GPS system so we should be OK. Or so we thought...

First of all Yosemite is like 4-5 hours away. Second, it is too big to see in one day. Third, it can get really dark at night so a flashlight is a good idea. We realized almost all these (except for the 4-5 hour drive - that we knew to begin with) after we were already there. Still, it was an amazing place and despite the fact that we were horribly unprepared, we had a blast.

On entry to the park, you will be driving through woods with light rays of sunshine peaking through the branches and foliage. In certain areas, the foliage will break to give you a view of an amazingly clear blue sky, tall mountains, colossal rock formations and a view of the valley below. It was a piece of heaven.

The first place you have to find once you are in the park is parking. Go to the All Day parking area and then get on the shuttle to go to the Visitor's Center. Once there, it is advisable to ask someone about the things to do and places to see. This is because Yosemite's attractions are affected by the season. For example, the Yosemite Falls did not have water when we went there. The lakes are also dry. This is particularly important if you are not familiar at all with the place and/or if you have a limited time. The people there are very firendly and helpful. You just have to ask. When we inquired, we were given a map and then advised to go to the only waterfall with running water. So off we went.

To get around Yosemite, you can ride the hybrid shuttles that go around all day to drop of people at trails heads, camping areas, dining areas, etc. The shuttle itself is an experience. The driver will be talking a bit of what kind of programs they have to preserve Yosemite. You will also get a tour of the valley.

The shuttle dropped us off on a small bridge with a stream running underneath. Some people were lounging around on the rocks with their feet dipped on what I assume is cold, refreshing water.

We start our hike on gently sloping ground. Not a big deal even though we are used to just sitting around in the office. However, after a few meters, we found the slope getting steeper, our breaths getting shorter and our hearts pounding harder. My mouth was getting dry from panting (and from dust getting to it since I had my mouth open to pant). We had to rest every few minutes but it was OK since every stop became a photo opportunity. There were other hikers as well and they would smile or say hi when they pass by.

Midway, we had to stop and take a detour. A bear was in the trail and surprised a group of hikers just ahead of us. The bear did not seem like it would attack any of us. It was moving very placidly very likely just looking for food (and not a fight). (An important note, bears - at least the brown bear in Yosemite - do not eat humans. They prefer nuts, honey, etc. But it does not mean they cannot attack if they feel threatened.) But, we were still scared. Some of us had some food (Stupid I know but nobody tols us not to bring and I don't have much experience with the wilderness!). So, when the bear started liesurely going down the path towards us, we left it on the rocks and then moved back. The bear went directly for my food (which I had left on top of a flat rock almost like an offering). I hope it enjoyed my caramel popcorn and ham sandwich. I also hope it did not eat any of the plastic. We are not supposed to feed the bear but we did not know what else to do but leave the packages. Since we were not sure if it would continue going down the path towards us, we decided that while it was busy going through my lunch, we had better climb the side of the mountain and get past it. That was what we did and then after a few more minutes of just watching the bear find and eat the food packages left by the other hikers, we went on our way to the waterfalls.

Our legs and feet hurt after such a long hike (long for us) but the opportunity to see a bear in the wild, the friendly hikers along the way and our destination was worth it. When never got to the top of the falls because we started too late in the day but we got close enough. We went off the main trail and used a smaller one to get closer. From our vantage point, you could feel the power of the falls and the water was spraying all over. It was fantastic.

Yosemite is a sight to see. My only regret is that we did not have enough time there. It would have been amazing to be able to stay a while - to take a number of leisurely hikes, sleep in a camp and then wake up with a fantastic view of the sunrise, the mountains and the clear blue sky.