My Amazing Journey 2012: YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA

“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable” ~ Mary Oliver

Sept. 25^th: Next stop was Columbia, California. I chose this particular route for its scenic beauty. It is advisable not to become so wrapped up in the scenery that you miss a crucial turn in the road. Molly must have been napping because I zigged when I should have zagged and ended up on a road that did not exactly accommodate trailers. This road was more treacherous, considering the size of my rig, than any road so far. Most cars don’t go on this road and here I was! There was no turning back, no turning around, no pulling over and no civilization in sight. It was indeed beautiful but who had time to enjoy it. The steep hair pin turns were frightening. At one point I lost an important, but not crucial, piece of equipment on the weight distribution bars that tumbled down a canyon and was lost forever. My poor car would only go 10 mph in the lowest gear and we had about 50 miles to go. I worried about the brakes going down the mountain but my car was absolutely amazing and did its thing like this was an everyday occasion. I immediately thought of the long ago movie, The Long Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. Donna’s color returned and was breathing easier by the time we reached Columbia. I totally admire her for not freaking out and only had words of encouragement. I was calm on the outside but not so much on the inside. Molly finally woke from her nap. Hey, what’s going on? Did I miss something? This road isn’t on our itinerary, what gives? You two don’t look so good! I bit my tongue.

Sept 26^th- 28^th: The heat was again rising into the 90’s. After settling Molly with the park doggie sitter for a few days, we continued without the trailer (and Molly) to Yosemite and stayed at the Tenaya Lodge, an elegant yet rustic luxury resort nestled in the evergreen forest of the High Sierras. The dining area was quite elegant with seating outside around a fire with heaters in the ceiling that blew warm air outside. The daytime temperatures were quite high, but evenings were cool. Loved it!

In Yosemite Valley’s crowded mall, families stroll by eating ice cream, and dodging bicycles. People pile in and out of buses, shoppers hunt for souvenirs, kids hang around a pizza place and rock climbers, coils of rope slung over their shoulders, swap stories over beer on the patio. In one day, the village sees 14,000 people. Most of the tourists go to the Yosemite Valley which is only seven miles long and one mile wide. Walled by massive domes and soaring pinnacles, the valley is ripe for traffic jams and air pollution. I missed the crowds and the pollution due to our off season visit. I found it more useful to follow one of the marked trails and take, in my case, an easy jaunt in the High Sierra wilderness. Not every trail is made for a grueling test of endurance.

Yosemite is a valley burrowed deep into Sierra granite. Waterfalls that usually gush over shear rock cliffs are quiet now because it is so late in the season. The coming snow falls will restore the many water falls to the glory of spring time. Yosemite is a park of extremes from the giant sequoias and towering granite cliffs to diminutive wildflowers creating a lush carpet in the meadows. An abundance of wildlife seeks shelter and protection from extinction such as the peregrine falcon, pika (relative of the rabbit), golden eagle and bighorn sheep. Many famous people helped create and protect Yosemite from presidents Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt to activist John Muir and photographer Ansell Adams.

Standing at a nearby observation point, I am drawn to an ethereal feeling of inspiration, changing moods, sounds and smells. It was easy to forget the other hubbub of tourists and submit to a unique world of solitude and peace.