The Adventure:

On July 16 – 22, 2007, Bill and I went on a 7-day, 60-mile Sierra Nevada backpacking trek on the High Sierra Camp Loop trail.

We started at the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and made our way through five camps spaced about 6-10 miles apart:

Glen Aulin (est. 1927) May Lake (est. 1938) Sunrise (est. 1961) Merced Lake (est. 1916) Vogelsang (est. 1924)

The camps were a wonderful haven after a tough day of hiking. They had canvas cabins (with beds), dining halls, restrooms and most have showers. Best yet, they serve huge, delicious dinners and breakfasts and make big sack lunches for you to take on the trail.

Our Guide:

We went on a Ranger-lead hike with Adrianna Hirtler as our leader. She loved Yosemite and was eager to share her knowledge and passion with us. She bounded over boulders like a gazelle, filtered our water, nursed our blisters, brewed tea from native plants for us to drink and taught us so much about the place. She knew everything – the history, plants, animals, stars, geology, and she even knew about the fungi beneath the soil. We were very lucky to have Ranger Adrianna guide our way.

Dispenses knowledge
Pigtails in a ranger hat
Shares her world with us

NOTE: The above passage is a Haiku poem I wrote on the trip. I have several others interspersed from the collection called “Hiking Haiku.”

For this adventure I decided to leave my heavy camera at home. It was too bulky to manage and I wanted to see the amazing panoramic vistas rather than spending time framing pictures and seeing images through a small viewfinder. (Most of the photos are Bill’s with a few contributions from Fred and Norma from the group.) It was a great gift to be free of the camera for a week. Instead of obsessing about getting the perfect picture, I studied nature taking only mental notes and then writing haiku versus at the end of the day.

Left my camera home
Only have my eyes’ lenses
To record nature

Our Group:

• Norma – A lovely lady with a million dollar smile who was always taking care of us; a tough grandma and loving wife to Pete.
• Pete – Charming, knows no stranger, fun to be around and adores his wonderful mate, Norma.
• Fred – Tough hiker, friendly good guy, retired engineer, added lots of good facts.
• Ron – Wise, quiet lawyer with a gift of storytelling and a great sense of humor.
• Steve – Our buddy from San Diego – a real team player and a joy to share any adventure with – We’d been on several trips with Steve.
• Bill – Tough and wiry -- great guy to have along – I love him because we’ve been married for over 40 years and he still helped me put my backpack on.
• Nancy (that’s me) – loved the adventure, loved my fellow trekkers and loved learning all about the place from Adrianna.

Some of the S.D. hikers – Norma, Bill, Fred, me and Steve

Nancy – outside the first tent camp at Tuolumne Meadows – ready to start the trek

The Weiner Gang (by the way, they never whined)

• Karin Weiner – lives in L.A. Young lawyer bubbling with smarts and personality She was on the trek with her father.
• Mike Weiner, also from L.A. – Karin’s Dad, quiet, liked to fish and loved to be with his beautiful daughter, Karin.
• Walt Davie – the character of the group – 75, the original “Wild Man” with a mind filled with obscure songs that made us laugh. Mike and Walt are friends.
• Scott (from St. Paul) – Walt’s son, witty and tough and very proud of his Dad. A week before the trek, Scott was run over by a truck while on a bike ride. In spite of his injuries (oozing, open wounds), he bounded over the mountains with ease.

Karin and Mike

Walt

Scott

• Anne (from Sacramento) – Art teacher, quiet and gentle, and tough. Got the flu on the second day, went back to Tuolumne Meadows (with her friend Grace) to recover and then re-joined the group.
• Grace (from Yuba City) – Veterinarian and Anne’s friend, lovely person, stayed with her friend during her illness and then re-joined the group.

Anne and Grace - The Girls

NOTE: On the first day of the trek, we were missing three hikers from the San Diego group. Dick, the one who won the lottery and the right to be on the trek, tripped and fell on a trail the day before and broke his leg. Pete and Ron decided to help get him from the Mammoth Hospital back to San Diego. On the first day of hiking, they chose to drive Dick to Ridgecrest to hook up with someone else coming from San Diego to exchange the body, then returned to the trek, joining us later that evening.

Dick, standing, shortly before he broke his leg (Ron is sitting)

Ron taking a break (oops – bad choice of words)

Day 1

Monday, July 16, 2007
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge (8700 feet ) to Glen Aulin Camp (7900 feet)
6.7 miles / 800 feet elevation loss

At 9:00 am, we met Adrianna and our group at the lodge in Tuolumne Meadows. After adjusting our backpacks, we hit the trail at 9:30. Even though it was an easy day, losing 800 feet in elevation, those of us who live at sea level were still acclimating to the high altitude and trudging along rather slowly.

Adrianna kept the group together, stopping and pointing out several interesting things along the way.

Our first bit of excitement was a very mellow yellow-bellied marmot relaxing on a rock. They are rodents commonly seen along trails. This one didn’t even flinch when we walked by. They’re pretty gutsy - peeing and pooping right on the rocks where they lay, not a bit worried that their predators will follow the smell and find them.

Yellow-Bellied Marmot

Adrianna showed us one of the several Yosemite weather stations with a “snow pillow” used to measure the snowfall. This year Yosemite only got 30% of its average snow pack – not good.

Adrianna and the snow pillow

We stopped at Lembert Dome – a huge rock structure and a good example of “Roche Moutonnee” (French for sheep rock). These asymmetrical outcroppings of rock resemble sheep feeding in a meadow. The gentle, sloping ridge follows the direction from which the glacier came as it rode up and over the rock.

Lembert Dome

Some smooth rounded holes were carved into the rock on the granite base of Lembert Dome. These were the first food processors that Indians used for processing black oak acorns, pine nuts, corn and other things. (I’ve heard them called “grinding holes,” but Adrianna said they used a stone to “pound” the nutmeats, not “grind” them. Grinding adds some chipped stone to the mill, not a good thing for one’s teeth.)

A Little History American Indians inhabited this region as long as 4,000 years ago. When the “white man” came to Yosemite in the mid-19th century, they entered the homes of the Southern Sierra Miwok. The Miwok called their valley "Ahwahnee" - valley that looks like a gaping mouth and called themselves Ahwahneechee, dwellers of that valley. They harvested black oak acorns, hunted and fished and traded these and other items with the Mono Lake Paiute people for rabbit skins, pine nuts, insect foods and obsidian (sharp black rock used to make arrow heads and operating instruments). The tribes would meet once a year to smoke a peace pipe and trade their goods. Before 1851, few non-Indians knew about Yosemite Valley. In 1848, James Marshall discovered gold in the Sierra foothills and triggered the gold-rush that changed the future of California’s Indians forever. Thousands of gold seekers rushed into the territory. They stole the Indian land and murdered the native people. The territory became a state, cities sprang up, roads were built, and rivers dammed. NOTE: Bennettville, just outside Yosemite National Park, was established as a sliver mining town from the late 1870’s to 1883. It was financed by money back east with dreams of accommodating 50,000 people. Part of the “urban development” plan was to link a road from Lundy to Bennettville but it was never finished due to the harsh winter that hit during the construction. (Chinese workers provided a large part of the labor.) Now Bennettville is a ghost town with a few cabins and a bunkhouse left as reminders of a time gone by. Once the white invaders discovered gold in the mountains, life was forever changed for the native people. Conflicts arose between the Indians and the miners. Finally, the Indians were fed up and started the “Mariposa Indian War.” They attacked the white residents of Mariposa, a mining town southwest of Yosemite. There were other raids on villages where white settlers were murdered. The white man retaliated with attacks on the tribes. They burned the native Indian’s acorn granaries and other food storage areas as well. On March 27, 1851, to end “this problem with the Indians,” the Mariposa Battalion entered Yosemite Valley (under the authority of California Governor McDougal). The Battalion became the first group of non-Indians to record their entry into the Valley. The Battalion followed the Indians into the mountains and then into the Valley, where the Miwoks and their chief, Tenaya, were captured and relocated in the Fresno River Reservation. A couple of years later, some of the Miwoks, including Chief Tenaya, were allowed to return to their Valley. Chief Tenaya was a legend in his own time. He refused to sign any white man’s treaties. He was brave and managed to escape the white man’s clutches several times. He lost his desire to keep up the chase after the White man killed his son. Finally, Chief Tenaya was killed in 1853 and the Miwoks scattered throughout the Sierra, never again unified as a tribe. His death ended the hope for native people in the area to ever have their land back and live in harmony with nature. In spite of his troubles, Chief Tenaya was respected by both the White man and the Indian people. The name of “The Lake of the Shining Rocks” was changed to “Lake Tenaya” to honor him, even though Tenaya didn’t believe lakes or mountains should be named after people. Indian woman (Yosemite area) The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley Paul, for years known as the best Indian guide in the Yosemite Valley High Sierras - Boysen Photo The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley Clovis - Bill Wilson, Sept. 19, 1915 The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley Indian mother and baby (Yosemite area) The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley After the “problem with the Indians” was taken care of, the first tourists arrived in 1855. The San Francisco newspaper reported on Yosemite's wonders. Within a few decades after the gold rush, tourists came pouring into Yosemite Valley. Roads were built, supply routes established, and hotels developed. White establishments were constructed on or near native villages, which meant the native people had to live in more marginal locations. Indians starved to death as their traditional food supply was cut off. Domestic livestock ate the acorn supply. Forests were decimated. Miners and ranchers diverted river channels that once contained foodstuffs, medicines, and building materials for the Indians. Welcome to civilization. Camping in Yosemite Valley, 1906 San Joaquin Valley Library System

Adrianna pointed out that the valley was a rich homeland to the Indians for hundreds of years. Nature provided them with a full supermarket of goods. Miners came with their eyes focused only on gold. Instead of abundance, the miners saw scruffy bushes and boulders and other annoyances.

Miners’ barrier
Indians’ fruitful homeland
Hikers’ get away

We stopped by Soda Springs and tasted the bubbly mineral water. For thousands of years animals and people have come to these springs. Deer and birds get their minerals here. The small, carbonated mineral springs are a mystery – no one can explain why they exist here.

Soda Springs	Bill at Soda Springs
Adrianna scooping up mineral water for us	Soda Springs

A wacko French guy named Jean Baptiste Lembert came to the Soda Springs area in 1872 to homestead. He raised Angora goats in this beautiful valley and called himself the “King of Tuolumne Meadows.” He fell in love with a gal in town named Nellie. He called her the “Queen of Tuolumne Meadows.” She had no interest in him, so he just stalked her until his weird mind decided he wasn’t in love anymore. He saw a rock structure that looked like a chicken and named it after her because he thought she hen pecked him. (Poor Nellie – may you rest in peace.)

Past Soda Springs, we hiked on a flat trail close to the Tuolumne River with views of the Cathedral Range. Adrianna also pointed out Unicorn Peak and Fair View Dome. She quizzed us on these mountain ranges several times. She really wanted us to learn something on our trek.

View of Cathedral Peak	View of Unicorn Peak
View of Fair View Dome on right	Tuolumne River

Adrianna found a lovely place to lunch down by the Tuolumne River.

Adrianna	Nancy
Steve	The Weiner Group

A little farther down the trail we found ourselves in “granite world” -- a huge slab of polished granite at the bottom of a dome near the river. I felt like we were standing in a giant bowl. The glaciers polished the shiny, flat surface of these rocks centuries ago. I have to admit I’m not a rock person – but it was comforting to be surrounded by so much hard stuff.

“Granite World”

Resting on the way to Glen Aulin

Bill and the Gang

We relaxed on the warm rocks while Adrianna introduced us to the geology of the park -- metamorphic and sedimentary rocks versus igneous rocks. I was overwhelmed by her knowledge -- granite, glaciers moving and carving rocks. There were old rocks (red with iron) piled up on Dana Mountain 200 million years ago verses granite, the new guy on the block, some 20 million years ago. We looked up into the mountain ranges and saw the birthplace of a glacier. I asked Adrianna if she studied geology in school. She answered, “No, I just like to learn about it ” and then she added, “Sometimes academia takes the passion out of things.” Sounded like John Muir and his quest for learning in a “university without walls.”

A glacier is born
Ice built up and moving out
Deep cavernous womb

Batter down the bowl
Lava, molten rock, granite
The Devil’s swirl cake

Farther down on the trail, we entered a canyon and then climbed along the edge of the cliff. Soon the trail descended along a cascading river with some really nice views. We stopped to rest by some lovely cascades along the final stretch toward Glen Aulin. It was a glorious afternoon. I laid on the warm rocks and dangled my feet in the water.

Laying belly down
On a warm sun-washed boulder
I am a lizard

Cascading currents
Running swiftly on my feet
Nature’s healing Spa

Soft warm gentle breeze
Embraces, caresses, and
Whispers in my ear

Clouds over the sun
The Earth quiets, dims and chills
God, open the drapes

Falls on Tuolumne River	Is Nancy in Trouble?
Cascades on Tuolumne River	Nancy enjoying a rest

We put our boots back on and picked up our backpacks and then continued our descent down the trail. About 5:30 pm, we crossed a bridge and there we were -- at Tuolumne Falls right next to our camp -- Glen Aulin.

The friendly guy at the check-in desk offered us lemonade and leftover goodies (cakes and French toast). They assigned the four gals, Norma, Anne, Grace and me, to a cabin and the guys to another cabin. Anne is having some trouble with her back – mattresses are lousy and the backpack isn’t helping.

I unpacked all the little zip lock bags in my backpack. It was very confusing at first trying to figure out what you need and what goes into the bear box. After getting organized, I went down to the waterfall and pool, just a stone’s throw from our tent. The water was cold. I didn’t want to go in, but I had to because there were no showers in the camp. I made myself plunge under the water to wash off the day’s sweat and dirt. It was refreshing, but what a sad, pitiful sight to see me hopping around those rocks in that cold water.

Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp

Tuolumne Falls

Nice dip after a long hike

Norma

After my dip, I went back to the cabin to add more layers of clothing for warmth. I heard the 6 o’clock call for coffee or tea and then at 6:30, we all went into the dining hall for dinner. We sat with Adrianna, Norma, and Steve and consumed massive amounts of bean soup, cornbread, Southwestern chicken, rice, squash, and chocolate cake with cherry sauce. The food was to die for. Afterwards, the staff (cooks, servers, etc.) introduced themselves (a clever ploy for tips). We loved their cute, laid back personalities. My favorite was Katie from Kansas.

Glen Aulin Dining Hall

Dinner at Glen Aulin--Adrianna, Norma, Bill, Nancy and Steve

After dinner, we watched the sunset (8:19 p.m.) overlooking the “Grand Canyon of Tuolumne” and Mt. Conness (12,590 feet). Mt. Conness was named after California Senator Conness who convinced President Lincoln in 1864 to sign the Yosemite Grant and establish the country’s first public preserve. This land grant set a new precedent for other national and state parks that were later established. The grant deeded only Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to the state of California.

NOTE: Because the idea of preserving parkland started here, the Sequoia pinecone is displayed on all National Park Service Ranger hats and belts. Yellowstone was actually the first official national park.

Hon. John Conness, Cal., 1864. Silas Selleck, photographer. The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley

Mt. Conness

Sunset Over the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne

Bellowing white clouds
Trapped behind the mountain ridge
Towers of whipped cream

Sunset on a ridge
Mountain ranges all ablaze
Darkness ends the show

After our amazing sunset, Pete and Ron came running up the trail into camp. THEY MADE IT! They had delivered Dick with the broken leg half way to San Diego and then returned to race down the trail in a record three hours to join us. They hiked like crazy to get to the camp before sunset. They were our returning heroes and we were all thrilled, especially Norma, to see them.

At 9:00 pm, Adrianna conducted the first of many informative campfire talks. First we sang Clementine (including every verse ever written or imagined). Adrianna likes to sing. Then she poured out fact after fact on the subject of “Water and Fire.” By the way, our campfire kept going out. I don’t think we did anything to upset Vulcan, the god of fire.

Following are some miscellaneous notes from the campfire.

• Water has social properties making it cling together.
• The world is 65% water; man is also 65% water, but the brain is 95% water.
• We sweat. Sweat evaporates and feeds the trees. (We are all connected – all “hitched” together like John Muir says.)
• A Giant Sequoia consumes 4,000 gallons of water a day.
• Hetch Hetchy was once a beautiful valley, maybe even more beautiful than Yosemite Valley. That all changed when Congress (with the approval of President Woodrow Wilson) passed the Raker Act in 1913 to build O’Shaughnessy Dam and flood the valley so that the citizens of San Francisco could have the water. (The earthquake of 1906 contributed to this sad decision.)
• The Owens Valley (in the Owens Water Basin) on the east side of the Sierras was a lush farmland. Years ago, when L.A. was just a small town, the mayor of L.A. was on a trip to Yosemite and noticed all the water in the Owens Valley. He wanted growth for his fine city and needed lots of water to make that happen. He returned to L.A. and, with the help of William Mulholland, the Director of the L.A. Department of Water and Power, started the project to build a 250-mile pipeline to L.A. and taking (or was it stealing?) the water. (The movie, “Chinatown” is about the corruption and deal making that fed “desert-like” L.A. the water required for its tremendous growth.)

Adrianna always ended with a John Muir quote or passage. Tonight she read “Snow melts into music” from Muir’s journal.

We went back to our tents. I stayed up late writing my observations in Haiku verse. I decided to call my little gems “Hiking Haiku.” I’m inspired and addicted to making up these little blips, tapping out 5 / 7 / 5 line syllables.

Day 2

Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Glen Aulin to May Lake
8 miles / 1,500 feet elevation gain

Up at 6:30 to gather our bear box items and pack up our backpacks. What a pain organizing and stuffing everything back into my maroon backpack.

The call for coffee and tea was right on time at 7:00 am, followed by breakfast at 7:30. And what a breakfast it was -- oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, bacon, scrambled eggs with mushrooms and cheese, and blueberry pancakes. Thought we could never stuff it all down, but at the end of the trip, we came to expect such massive quantities of food.

At 8:45, we gathered to sing a good-bye song to the Gen Aulin staff. Walt, who has a gift for music – bizarre music, became our designated composer and song leader for the trip.

Walt, song leader

Bill, ready for another day of hiking

Fred wants to get on the trail

Yesterday was the easiest hike, but today is a full day of hard hiking with a taste of the mountains. Adrianna bounded over the hills and then stopped to share her knowledge of this amazing place.

We stopped in a pine forest. Adrianna showed us how to identify the Lodgepole and whitebark pines found at the higher elevations. Lodgepole pines, the most widely distributed pine in North America, have yellow-orange bark and small cones and needles in bundles of two, attached to the branch in a brush like fashion. Whitebark pines five needles bunched together. We saw so many Lodgepole Pines that day in the meadows, on the slopes and ridges. (Adarianna gave us the brain teaser “Why are Lodgepole pines twisted? There’s really no answer, but the question made us all crazy for a couple of days.)

Young Lodgepole Pine trees
Fight for the sun’s attention
Some survive, some don’t

We broke off some pine needles and did some “pine tasting.” We agreed that the Western White Pine has more body than the Lodgepole Pine (which is rather fruity). Actually, being a picky eater, I didn’t enjoy the taste of either of the needles – but I did enjoy the experience of munching on nature.

I was rather attached to the Hemlock tree with its droopy head (all the mountain Hemlock trees have droopy heads) and small, paper-thin, pinecones. I always like the underdogs and wrote a special Haiku to honor the Mountain Hemlock.

Hemlock’s head hangs down
Embarrassed by your pinecones?
Thin and small is good

Nancy: Tree Hugger

Adriana checking out this tree – Are those from bear claws?

We moved on and after a short climb, the trail flattened for a bit and then we enjoyed some fine views. (Heck, the whole place is loaded with fine views.)

We stopped by the edges of McGee Lake to observe the insects. Adrianna told us that insects are like creatures from outer space and pointed out some their strange ways:

• A certain larva that lives below the water builds its house out of any materials it can find – making each larva home a unique architectural design.
• Some insects change forms ten times or more, creating separate niches, increasing the changes of survival for the species.
• Dragonfly Damsels develop as a larva and then bore a hole in their back and emerge with wings, ready to fly within 24 hours. (Adrianna pulled out a dried up Dragonfly Damsel carcass from her little black bag to show us where the critter broke out of its body and emerged as a dragonfly.)

Grow wings and escape
Exit useless skeleton
Damsel Dragonfly

Slimy river pond
Teaming with life, if you look
Welcome to my hood

Adrianna told us that the frog is fast disappearing. Once the yellow-bellied frog was so plentiful that hikers couldn’t avoid stepping on them. Now the numbers are dwindling. Perhaps because the trout introduced into the streams are eating the tadpoles (which take three years to develop into a frog) or perhaps it is the pesticides from Owens valley that have drifted into the waters or maybe the culprit is the Chytrid fungus. Whatever the cause, losing our friend the frog (or having more deformed frogs) is of huge concern – what does that mean for the rest of us?

Six trout in a stream
Immigrated from below
Mess up nature’s plan

Tadpoles change to frogs
Rivers change to green meadows
Fungi changes all

Adrianna tells us about life in the pond

Stream on the way to May Lake

Nancy

Adrianna talked a lot about “change” as a natural process of nature. She said that rivers and lakes change to meadows. Trees with roots in the soft mud that line the edge fall into the water, trapping sediments. Eventually the lake fills in and becomes a meadow. This is happening at Mirror Lake. Left on its own, Mirror Lake would become a meadow. The dilemma -- intervene and clear out the trees and sediment to preserve this famous lake or let nature have its way and turn Mirror Lake into a meadow. It appears that the “natural process” advocates are winning – and that sounds like a good approach.

Adrianna showed us where a flood occurred in January of 1997. Water and gravity are powerful forces that continue to shape the landscape.

1997 Flood
Once tall trees lined the river
Fallen dead soldiers

We stopped by an outcropping of rocks for an excellent photo op.

Bill and Nancy on the rocks

Fred meditating

The flowers were endless:

• Coneflowers with the spiral three leaf arrangement
• Yarrow - wide cluster of tall white flowers with a pungent aroma, used by Native Americans as a healing herb, and a drink to cure indigestion and fevers.
• Meadow goldenrod appears in late summer and fall and grows in long stalks and topped by a shock of yellow that resembles a feather, used by American Indians to cure all sorts of ailments.
• Members of the carrot family
• Wild chives – Adrianna picked a few everyday to add flavor to her sandwich.
• Sagebrush – Fred called it “cowboy’s bath”
• Lupine everywhere in all sizes and shapes – They’re like the lone wolf (Lupus) who grow alone . . . but come to find out, they grow where other’s can’t grow and replenish the soil by adding nitrogen back into the depleted dirt
• Mariposa lily – blooms beneath pines in Yosemite and is named for the Spanish word for butterfly
• Other assorted members of the Astor family – wild daisies

Lupine along the trail

Three wild daisies
Gossiping as we go by
Giddy with laughter

A sea of sagebrush
Cowboy’s Saturday night bath
Ladies are waiting

Solid wall of rock
Tiny mariposa lily
Finds a place to grow

Purple hats, green skirts
Lupine Whirling Dervishes
Dancing in the breeze

We stopped to check out a burning tree struck by a lightning bolt about a week ago. In my ignorance, I asked if we should put out the fire. Adrianna replied, “No.” The park policy is to let it burn as part of nature’s process.

• A little fire here and there clears out the underbrush before it builds making a huge kindling for a full-on forest fire.
• The fire replenishes the soil.
• Some seeds don’t do their job unless they’re in a fire. For example, the Giant Sequoias are a fire-adapted species. Their bark is fire resistant and fire helps open the Sequoia's cone and scatter the tiny seeds.
• The remains of a dead tree here and there aren’t so bad because it supports an amazing amount of life.

Lightning-caused fire

Where there's smoke there's fire

Insects and fungi
A dead tree supports more life
Than a living one

We ate lunch with a panoramic view of Mt. Conness and Tenaya Peak. It can’t get any better than this!

After lunch we passed by Raisin Lake, a good swimming hole. Some of our group stopped for a dip, but Bill, Steve and I continued on. We knew we faced some fairly steep stretches about a mile from our destination, May Lake camp.

Lunch with a view of Mt. Conness

Raisin Lake

Long day of hiking
One brutal switchback to camp
God’s in the shower

We checked in with the usual welcoming lemonade. We have six assigned to our tent.

The May Lake camp is in a very pleasant setting. The tent cabins are nestled in the woods and the dining hall is near a beautiful lake under the shadow of Mt. Hoffmann. (May Lake is named after May, the wife of Senator Conness.)

We went to our tent to unpack and sort things out – bear box items, toiletries, dirty clothes, etc. We took a shower and washed our clothes. The sunlight quickly faded by our tent cabin so I moved our wet laundry down by May Lake on a rock to dry.

A group of about ten hikers from Massachusetts are on our same itinerary so we’ve gotten to know them. Pete has several bets going with them about who will win the World Series -- Padres or Red Socks. I stopped to do a little stretching and yoga with a new friend from Massachusetts before dinner. The downward dog felt great to us yoga practitioners. The call for dinner at May Lake blasted from a large conch, not the normal ringing of the “triangle” used in the other camps.

May Lake High Sierra Camp	May Lake HSC Dining Hall
May Lake	Mt. Hoffman early in the morning

Blow your heart out

Nancy and Yoga Buddy do the downward dog

We are now experienced High Sierra hikers and know what to expect. Call for hot drinks at 6 and dinner at 6:30. We grabbed a table with Steve, Walter, Ron, Norma and Pete and consumed another delicious dinner – ravioli with meat or portabella mushrooms with tomato or pesto sauce with a quadruple chocolate cake (chocolate cake with chocolate chips, chocolate icing, and cocoa powder on top). They must have contests to see how much chocolate they can pack into a single dessert.

After dinner the May Lake staff introduced themselves. Jeff ran the place and his cousin is the cook. Cute guys with lots of personality.

Sad news for our group – Anne caught a bug and doesn’t know if she can continue the hike. She looks pretty bad.

A family from Bulgaria is visiting Yosemite. They have 3 sweet kids ages 7 – 10 who speak better English than any American children I know!

I was fooling around folding clothes and missed the first part of the Sunset talk. Pete, Norma and I couldn’t find the group – but finally we climbed up on a rock and there they were with a view of surrounding mountains overlooking Tenaya Lake. Adrianna gave her talk about some of the early settlers -- a couple of them had mountains named for them.

Adrianna pointed out Mt. Clark (11,000 feet) and told us the story about Grayson (Galen) Clark.

Grayson (Galen) Clark 1814-1910 Grayson Clark was a failure at business on the east coast. In the summer of 1854, when he was about 40, he came to Mariposa County. In the spring of 1856 his lungs hemorrhaged. The doctor diagnosed his illness as consumption and did not give Clark long to live. In spite of this, the next year, Clark (being an outstanding mountaineer) explored the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. He wanted to live out the rest of his life among the Sequoias so he moved up to the mountains and settled at what is now Wawona. His ranch, known as Clark’s Station, became a way station for travelers coming into the valley. Clark for a time drove the first wheeled vehicle in Yosemite Valley, a wagon that was taken apart into mule loads, and then reassembled in the valley. To prepare for his death, he made himself a coffin, carved his head stone, dug himself a grave and planted six Sequoias near the grave in Pioneer Cemetery in Yosemite Valley. Five of the Giant Sequois are still standing. He didn’t die until some 50 years later at age 96. (His two nephews carved the final date of death into his head stone.) Galen Clark Galen Clark's Cabin View of Galen Clark's cabin by the 85 Feet in Circumference Sequoia in Mariposa Grove By Wm. H. Seward The Bancroft Library

Then Adrianna shifted our focus to a taller mountain, Mt. Florence (12,000 feet) and told us the story of the wild, obscene teenager, Florence.

Florence Hutchings (1864 – 1881) Florence Hutchings was popular and vivacious. She rode her horse astride at full speed – very unlady-like. Dressed like a boy, she would ride out to greet new visitors and then shock them when she removed her hat and revealed her long hair. The visitors, trying to teach her a lesson, would jump on their horses and chase her. She cleverly led them to her father’s hotel where they would check in for the night. She died at 17 climbing rocks in the area. Her funeral was held in the Big Tree Room of “The Hutchings House” (later called the Barnard Hotel). Florence Hutchings

Each day Adrianna told us more and more about the real hero of this place, John Muir. She also read passages from his journal of the first summer he spent in Yosemite. Tonight her passage talked about how everything in nature is connected and “how we’re all hitched together.”

John Muir (1838 – 1914) John Muir was an inventor, naturalist, and conservationist. . He migrated with his family from Scotland to the U.S. The family bought a farm in Wisconsin in 1849 at Fountain Lake, near Montello. Muir worked on the family farm and found he had a talent for inventing things. He thought about a career in mechanical arts, but studied botany and geology on and off at the Univ. of Wisconsin from 1860 to 1863. To supplement his income he taught science in the local schools, but his real passion was to be alone with nature. He took extensive trips through the wilderness areas of the state. In 1863 he left Wisconsin permanently, hiking through the surrounding states and Canada. In 1867 he moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, and found a job in a carriage-wheel factory, but that career ended when he injured his eye. In 1867 he set out on a walking trek through the southern states and kept a journal (later published posthumously as A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf –1916. He walked to the Gulf of Mexico, but became sick and ended up in San Francisco in 1868. It is said that when he arrived in San Francisco, he asked for directions to "anywhere that's wild." Somebody pointed him toward the Sierra Nevada. Legend has it that he shouted with joy when he first saw Yosemite. Over the next few years he found odd jobs in order to live in the valley. He was a mill worker, a shepherd and a hotel clerk. In his journals, he wrote, "As long as I live, I will ever after hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near to the heart of the world as I can." He really got to know Yosemite Valley when he was a sheepherder. Actually his job was to watch Billy Bob, the head sheepherder, making sure Billy didn’t steal any of the sheep. Muir observed and learned everything he could in the valley and was the first to explain the glacial origin of the valley at Yosemite. Muir was also a guide and devoted many years of studying and exploring this area. He loved to risk life and limb in the wilderness in order to feel the force of nature. He climbed dangerously high over Yosemite Falls “giddy” with excitement. He strapped himself to a tree during a fierce lighting storm. Some people thought he was a nut, but he proved them wrong and was eventually recognized as one of the leading naturalists in the nation. One summer, with his trusty mule Brownie, he traveled extensively in the Sierra Nevada to study the threatened territory. He was sad to see Yosemite invaded by cattlemen, shepherds and land speculators and concerned that the area would not survive into the 20th century. One argument for preserving the area was its value as a watershed for the water-dependent San Joaquin Valley agricultural industry. Muir worked to keep Yosemite intact and in its original state. Much of the credit for the establishment of Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park is given to Muir, In 1889, John Muir and Robert Underwood Johnson, the influential editor of Century magazine, found the high country overrun with flocks of domestic sheep. Muir wrote of the devastation that these “hoofed locusts” brought upon the land. “They not only voraciously consumed meadows and wildflowers but also destroyed the soul of the land.” John Muir and Robert Underwood camped together in Tuolumne Meadows – not far from Soda Springs, the place where we hiked during our first morning. On that fateful campout, Muir urged Johnson to do something about preserving this place. And Johnson did. He used his influence on key citizens and politicians back East to help preserve the region. Together Johnson and Muir planned a campaign to make the high country surrounding Yosemite Valley into a national park. While Johnson lobbied for the park, Muir spoke and wrote of the need for legislation to designate the land as a national park, as was done when Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. In just one year, Muir and Johnson were successful and on October 1, 1890, the U.S. Congress set aside more than 1,500 square miles of “reserved forest lands” soon to be known as Yosemite National Park. It included the area surrounding Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. However, it took a meeting between President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir in 1903, and the effective lobbying of railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman, to have Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove ceded from the state of California's control and included with Yosemite National Park in 1906. NOTE: The first Yosemite Rangers were the Calvary and their primary job was to control the sheep and cattle population in the valley. As a conservationist and leader in the forest preserve movement, John Muir advocated preserving the wilderness in its natural state. He later traveled in South America, Africa, and in Alaska, where Muir Glacier is named in his honor. One of the leading conservationists in the U.S., Muir, as much as any man in his day, showed the need for preserving our country's natural resources. Muir was a charter member and the first president of the Sierra Club, formed in 1892 to secure federal protection for the Yosemite region. He died in California on December 24, 1914, at the age of 76. John Muir, 1907 Fultz, Francis M. , San Joaquin Valley Library System Roosevelt and Muir at Glacier Point May 1903 San Joaquin Valley Library System John Muir and friend in Yosemite, his last trip, 1912 Pictures by Mr. L. P. Bagnand, friend of John Muir, Pasadena, California The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley.

John Muir, Sheepherder
Visionary, Scientist
Where is he today?

After the sunset talk, Adrianna dashed down to the fire ring to start the evening camp fire. After she got the blaze going, she conducted a campfire talk on geology.

Having established how much time the world has had to develop and change (before man even showed up), she was better able to relate the time it took for some basic geological concepts.

Using a couple of paper plates, she showed how the earth’s plates (slab or earth’s crust) move up and under or against each other causing different formations. She told us how this area was formed.

• 500-200 million years ago – The Yosemite was beneath a sea. Sediments accumulated on the ocean floor and grew to thousands of feet thick, compressing the layers into sedimentary rock
• 200-80 million years ago – Slab or earth’s crust (called a plate) slid under the North American continent causing tremendous heat and pressure. The down going plate melted into magma. The magma rose toward the surface and erupted to form a mountain chain of volcanoes. Much of the magma cooled and became granite.
• 60-10 million years ago – The earth’s plate movement stopped, but the erosions stripped away the volcanic rocks exposing the granite. There were low mountains with shallow river-cut canyons and lots of hardwood forests.
• 10 million years ago – Sierra Nevada’s “backbone” rose. The Sierra block uplifted and titled westward. The Merced River began to carve a narrow canyon and lots of Redwood forests.
• 3 million years ago – The Merced River carved the canyon deeper while its tributaries cut the land more slowly. Forests thinned as the Ice Age approached.
• 1-2 million years ago – Glaciers flowed from the crest of the mountain range into the river canyons. They filled the “V” shaped Yosemite Valley and then carved it into a “U” shape, forming hanging valleys with cascading waterfalls.
• 15,000 years ago – Ice age over as temperatures warmed and the laciers retreated from the valley. The rock debris dammed Yosemite Valley, creating a shallow lake. Sediment filled the lake flattening the floor of the valley as we see today.

The same process of sedimentation continues at Mirror Lake (and other lakes) as sediment fills in and they become meadows. Water and gravity shape the landscape like the Middle Brother rock fall of 1987 and the flood of January 1997.

After the campfire talk, I notice the new moon shining brightly over Mt. Hoffmann and reflecting in May Lake. I thought of my very good friend, Arlene, who died a few years ago. She loved the tiny sliver of a new moon and I loved her, so I went to my tent and composed another haiku to honor my wonderful friend.

New moon on May lake
On earth, she loved the new moon
Arlene is with me

Arlene’s Moon

My five other bunkmates were tucked into their beds, (some were gently snoring) when I turned off my headlight.

Six beds in a tent
Filled with six snoozing hikers
Rejuvenating

Day 3

Wednesday, July 18, 2007
May Lake to Sunrise
8.4 miles / 130 feet elevation gain

We woke up and went into our regular routine – retrieving items from the bear box, organizing our backpacks, coffee and tea at 7 followed by another massive breakfast at 7:30. After breakfast, we were ready to go. Our last act before hitting the trail was singing Walt’s farewell song to the staff at May Lake.

The bug got Anne big time leaving her with chills and a fever. She needed to rest and recover. She bravely gutted out the hike for a couple of miles down to Tioga Road where she (and her friend Grace) caught the shuttle back to Tuolumne Meadows Lodge. We said our good-byes to the girls and wished them well. We were sad to see them go.

We started our ascent to Sunrise Lakes on some serious switchbacks with a lot of rock stairs. In spite of the tough hike, we stopped and waited for the others at trail junctions and other points along the way. Adrianna always had fascinating facts for us. She also quizzed us to see if we were paying attention.

Rock stairs switchbacks to Sunrise Lakes	Trail to Sunrise
Adrianna sharing her world	Packs off, resting in the shade

Backpack slows me down
Twenty pounds of stuff strapped on
Weight lifted, spirit soars

Today we stopped for lunch near the Clouds Rest trail junction, a most magnificent spot with a clear view of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley. We sat quietly on some boulders munching on our huge lunch, not believing the place was real. Later, the Massachusetts gang caught up with us and joined us with their lunches. One Massachusetts woman irritated me. While I was trying “to be in the moment” with all this beauty, she grabbed a cell phone to call her office back East. It was obvious she wanted to impress her colleges back home, locked in their cubicles. Looking for a crisis she said, “Is there anything I need to know about?” I was glad when she settled on a rock out of my view.

Lunch on a high cliff
View of Cloud’s Rest and Half Dome
Image in my brain

Siesta Time

We stopped for a while to enjoy Sunrise Lake and then continued up the steep switchbacks.

Lower Sunrise Lake

Lower Sunrise Lake

Lower Sunrise Lake

My hiking poles helped me up the switchbacks and the music in my ears pumped up my spirit for those mighty big hills.

Ipod in my ears
Beats of African music
Sets my joyful pace

I have four legs
Two poles to tap out rhythm
Keeping feet on track

Once we passed the last Sunrise Lake, we climbed a little more until we reached the pass. From there it was about a one-mile descent to the Sunrise Meadow High Sierra Camp.

Bill and I were the first to check in – we were assigned to cabin #3 with Pete and Norma. I took off to the showers. The hot, steamy shower room was the promise of a luxury to come. However, the hot water was gone and I had to settle for a cold shower . . . and the toilets were the smelliest in the valley (the fan is broken). Oh well.

Our tent at Sunrise Camp	Nancy and Norma
Our tent nestled by a big rock in the woods	Sunrise showers and smelly bathrooms
Bill on his bed	Nancy in her bed

Dining Tent at Sunrise HSC

Over the rocks and directly behind our tent cabin was a view of Long Meadow. It was gorgeous, but storm clouds were gathering and we all expected rain throughout the day.

Long Meadow behind our tent cabin

Adrianna studying her notes on the rocks overlooking the meadow

The “Weiner father and daughter team”, Mike and Karin, invited our group to a cocktail party featuring vodka and lemonade “on the rocks” overlooking the meadow. (Earlier in the day, Karin passed out official funky little invitations to make the party even more special.)

At 5:30, “the party on the rocks” was glorious and gave us a chance to really bond. We especially adored Walt and his wonderfully strange songs and comments. These parties became a regular part of our day. Bless those guys who lugged those “spirits” all over the mountain – The vodka and lemonade were a real hit. Right after our party, the looming clouds blew away, never to return for the rest of our trip. Now that’s magic.

Cocktail hour on the rocks

Cheers!

Our dinner that night was very special – curried halibut with veggies cooked in rice paper – plus the usual dinner rolls, salad, soup and dessert. Love eating like a pig and not gaining any weight. We sat with Scott, Ron, Steve, and Karin – and got to know them even more.

Adrianna gave a sunset talk on the rocks overlooking the meadow and immediately after, we went to the fire ring where she lit the campfire and gave a campfire talk on animals. How does she do it?

Long Meadow

Right before sunset overlooking Long Meadow

Adrianna at the Campfire

Loud, crackling embers
Ragged flames cut the night sky
Warm glows, choking smoke

The topic at campfire that night was bears. There are no grisly bears in California – They only exist on the Californian state flag. The last grisly bear was killed one year before the park opened. However, Yosemite is famous for its black bears, whose color actually varies from blond to cinnamon to brown to black. They got their name “black bear” from the species on the east coast.

About 300 to 500 American black bears live in Yosemite. At one time the rangers actually fed the bears to entertain visitors. That was a mistake because the bears formed bad habits and came to depend on human food and cause all kinds of trouble.

The babies are born weighing a whooping 8 ounces. The typical adult male weighs 300–350 pounds while the female weighs in at 200-250. In the 1970’s, a 600-pound black bear was spotted in the park. (And Wild and Crazy Ranger Dave claimed that 600-pounder was the very one who stalked him and his buddies on one fateful night – more on that tale later.)

Black bears have a powerful sense of smell, are very intelligent and are excellent learners. Bear boxes, normal equipment at the park, have squelched some of the bears' efforts at stealing food, but that doesn’t keep them from breaking and entering into other places, such as cars. One bear was named the “Camero Bear” because he only broke into Camero cars. Some bears have leaned to throw the bear barrels off high places to break them open.

Black bear (“borrowed” from the Internet)

Adrianna also told us about the squirrels at the park. She hopes they never get to be human size because they are very aggressive. She told us about the Belding ground squirrel which is like a prairie dog. They are matriarchal. The females live together in a tight communal group while the males hang out at the periphery. The males and females meet one day a year, (say from 10 to 3), for the sole purpose of mating. The whole area becomes a Belding squirrel orgy. One year, a ranger was walking his dog on mating day. The dog disturbed the squirrels’ activity so that the next year, there was a big drop in the baby squirrel population.

The squirrels have a distinct warning signal. A lookout squirrel stands up and whistles one screech for predators spotted overheard and whistles three screeches for predators approaching on the ground. (Interesting enough, Steller's jays and other birds in the area are wise to these signals and will pass them along to their feathered pals in “bird language”.)

Tree squirrel’s warning
“Hikers on the trail,” he yells
Jay passes the word

Belding Ground Squirrel

Steller's Jay

Adrianna could make the sound of the gray owl’s call. (One day on the trail, we heard the Olive sided flycatcher call in the trees above. She taught us the phrase – “Quick, 3 beers” to remember his call.

Listen to the birds
Fly catcher calls, “Quick, 3 beers”
I’ll pick up the tab

Finally, Adrianna told us about the little fur ball called a Pika. The Pika is a small mammal related to rabbits and hares and is found in Sierra Nevada. The little character is multiplying like crazy and migrating to higher elevations in Yosemite, possibly due to global warming. One study showed that today in Yosemite, there are more animals present (like the Pika), but less diversity of animals. Ravens are an example of birds who have come and multiplied and are nosing the others out.

Pika (“borrowed” from the Internet)

After the campfire program, we went to bed. Our cabins were cold with temperatures dipping down to 38 degrees. Most of us had trouble keeping warm that night.

Day 4

Thursday, July 19, 2007
Sunrise to Merced
10 miles / 2,250 feet elevation gain

We knew the routine well – breakfast at 7:30 . . . packing . . . farewell song to the Sunrise Camp staff . . . backpacks on and off we go.

Filtered morning light
Good rest, full tummy, strong legs
Day full of promise

In our 4th day of hiking, we descended over 2000 feet in 10 miles on our way to Merced Lake. The trail was generally southward with some steep parts along the way.

Trail to Merced Lake

Along the Trail

Pine smell in my nose
Warm sun on my head and chest
Dust clouds on my boots

I think it was today that Adrianna introduced us to the private world of fungus.

Adrianna's Lesson on Fungus Fungus is our friend, yet we think of it as only an annoyance (like in athlete’s foot). However, without fungus, there’d be no trees or plants. Land plants and fungus evolved together and both are dependent on each other. Mycorrhizal is the big daddy of all fungi. It’s found on the roots of most plants in their natural habitats. When we see a big tree, we think of the tree's strength and independence. However, the roots of that tree cannot exist without life-giving fungus. (That goes for all the flora we see in nature. Cultivated plants have a different root system.) Fungus is everywhere, tucked underground with its string-like connections. It is truly a “world-wide web.” (The mushroom is the flower of a fungus.) A few years ago, Adrianna was working in Oregon with the task of bringing a forest that had been dead for over five years back to life. No matter how much clearing and cultivating she and her team did, it really didn’t matter because the fungus, the life-giver of all, was dead. We spoke in reverence toward Mycorrhizal after that story. Sometimes fungi make plants do some strange things. Andrianna pointed out a “witches broom” – a branch growing out of the side of a pine tree and down towards the ground. A particular fungus can cause a weird aberration to the plant, but according to Adrianna, most are not harmful. Mycorrhizal Fungus

Fungus is my friend
Small, powerful, life giving
Not an annoyance

Supplies life to all
Great Mycorrhizal fungus
God’s beneath the soil

Adrianna told Bill, Steve, Fred and I that we could go ahead of the group and then stop at the second bridge for lunch. It was another beautiful lunch spot. We crawled down to the edge of the stream and dangled our feet in the cold water. We watched a couple of trout and just relaxed.

The rest of the gang came along later and we enjoyed our wonderful lunches together. The troops were all happy in spite of some ailments. Norma and Karin were nursing their collar bone wounds caused by their backpacks. Scott was treating his open abdomen wound from his bike accident. A lot of the gang was suffering from blisters. Adrianna performed surgery on Norma’s big toe. I was glad I didn’t have any wounds to lick and quietly thanked my trusty hiking boots. However, I noticed the soles are wearing thin and some of the stitching is coming a part. Sad to say this could be our last trip together.

Love my hiking boots
Carried me around the world
Time to say “Goodbye”

Bridge over troubled water – Wound licking time	Lunch stop
Ron’s blishers	Adrianna, our fearless leader

Scott enjoying the cool water

After lunch, we packed up, squeezed our rested feet back into our boots and headed down the trail. Somewhere along the way Karin spotted a bear in the meadow. I was hiking with Pete when he said, “bear to the left.” I interpreted that to mean: “Go to the left.” While trying to figure out what to do, I missed a very close up and personal view of the bear. The bear ambled off into the meadow occasionally turning his head to peer over the tall grass to check on us. His fur looked like honey in the bright afternoon sun and his pointy ears swiveled around trying to pick up our sounds. After a few minutes, he nonchalantly just walked away.

Bear in the meadow
Five intruders stop to stare
The bear could care less

Next, Ardianna took us off trail to a flat granite area rich in archeology. She asked us to look for something interesting. “Eagle eyed” Fred finally spotted about five or six Indian grinding (or rather, pounding) holes and a few pieces of obsidian scattered by a nearby rock. We imagined a Native American sitting on the rock chipping away at the obsidian, making arrowheads, knives or other Indian things. The view was wonderful – probably a great place to meet with your tribe (and other tribes), gossip a while, pound acorns and do whatever else Native Americans did years ago in their magnificent homeland.

View from the Archeology Site

View from the Archeology Site

Scott picked up three pinecones and went into a juggling act. He’s a multi-talented guy. Smart, too, so I’m sure he was using pinecones from the Jeffrey Pine tree.

NOTE: Two common pines at the lower elevations are the Ponderosa pine and Jeffrey pine (both known as "yellow pines"). Ponderosa pines have yellow-orange bark scales that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and needles grouped in threes. The Jeffrey pine is similar to the ponderosa but tends to live at higher elevations. Jeffrey pines smell like butterscotch and their pinecones, unlike the Ponderosa, have no prickly edges. As Adrianna said, "gentle Jeffrey, prickly Ponderosa."

Scott juggling three pinecones

Gentle Jeffrey Pine
Pinecones easy to caress
Smells of butterscotch

Gentle Jeffrey Pine
Ouch, Prickly Ponderosa
Careful what you touch

Our next stop was at Fern Grotto, a peaceful little swimming hole surrounded on one side by cascading falls. I laid on a rock and dangled my feet in the water. Mike and Walt went in for a swim.

Fern Grotto	Fern Grotto
Scott sawing logs	Nancy sawing logs
Cascading Falls	Karin by the waterfall

The day was wearing on. We had lots of stop and go. Bill, Fred, Steve and I wanted to forge ahead. Adrianna released us to go on to Merced Camp and we took off with new energy. Some of the trail was over large flat boulders, but was fairly well marked, so we didn’t have any trouble navigating.

We came to an open meadow thick with Lupine and mountain ranges as the backdrop. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Fred was blown away too. I found him kneeing in beds of Lupine trying to capture the perfect picture. It was glorious. (Later, Adrianna said she had never seen so many flowers in that place before.)

Trail of Lupine

Meadow of Lupine

Fred’s Field of Lupine

We eased on down the trail through some switchbacks to Echo Valley. When we reached the junction, there it was, the mighty rushing Merced River. We were all overwhelmed by the sight and sound so we stopped for several photo ops.

Merced River	Merced River
Merced River	Fred checking out the sign
Bill and Nancy Next to the Merced River	Bill and Nancy

We put our cameras away and continued on. The trail hugs the river on the right then flattens again as it arrives at Merced Lake—another amazing sight!

View of river from the trail

Merced River

Merced Lake

We continued along a fairly narrow area between the mountain and the lake. This trail is full of Aspen and the world's largest Sugar Pine (although I was so anxious to get to camp that I missed the giant pine). Merced Lake High Sierra Camp was at the far side of the lake.

The camp at Merced Lake is the oldest of the High Sierra Camps, established in 1916. The tent cabins were arranged in military barracks fashion – 3 straight rows of eight tents all facing inward toward the fire ring.

Merced Lake the High Sierra Camp	Army barracks – tents all lined up
Home Sweet Home - Tent #8	Merced Lake Campfire Ring

Bill and I were assigned to Cabin #6 with Pete and Norma. Luckily, there were extra tent cabins so Bill and I were able to switch to Cabin #8 and have our own private place. I know Pete and Norma liked their private tent as well.

We organized our stuff, took a wonderful shower and then joined the rest of our group for “cocktail” hour. Several of the Massachusetts gang was hanging outside their tents nursing some pretty brutal-looking blisters. Wonder what the pioneers did without the latest in boot wear?

Cocktail Time!

We heard the dinner triangle's loud clanks calling us for hot drinks and then for dinner at 6:30. Dinner that night was a pork roast and, of course, some killer chocolate concoction. Really loving this life style. As usual we met the staff after dinner. The cook was from Alabama and set a land speed record to from Alabama to Oakland. He said he just couldn’t wait to get out of Alabama and into California. There was a darling brother and sister team on the staff. The sister was very friendly and “out-there.” During off-season she’s a fire thrower. Her quiet brother is a musician. I admired their affection for each other – wish I could be like that with my brothers! Another member of the staff was from Nashville. They all seemed to have such fun together.

Merced Lake Mess Hall

Dinner Triangle

Homely little camp

After dinner we had a campfire talk. Adrianna did an interesting thing. She took a seed (the size of an oatmeal flake) out of her little black pouch and asked us to be very careful not to loose it as we passed it around the circle. With such tender lovingness, the tiny seed completed the circle of 25 people and made it safely back to Adrianna’s little black pouch. Then Adrianna announced that the tiny seed was the seed for a giant Sequoia. All the information for building that gigantic tree was contained in the tiniest of packages.

One Sequoia seed
The size of an oatmeal flake
Makes the largest tree

NOTE: I was amazed at the treasures Adrianna stored in her little black pouch – notes for her campfire talks, photocopies of John Muir’s journal, seeds, carcasses of fallen larva, miniature copies of artists’ work (Ansel Adams, Chiura Obata), samples of leaves and on and on. The black pouch was like her briefcase of visual aids for her office in the mountains– only the items contained within were small, precious and carefully selected. During her talks, she was a magician pulling out of her black bag some magic to share with all of us.

After the campfire, Norma hatched a trick. Because the “couples” tents surrounded the guys’ tent -- Bill and I on one side; Norman and Pete on the other -- Norma wanted to stage a “love-in” for the single guys’ entertainment. At the precise same moment, she and Pete and Bill and I were to scream in ecstasy – like we were teens again. Bill thought it was rather strange, but I went along, jumping on the squeaky bed and making throaty noises followed by giggles. Norma and Peter in their tent did likewise – but our giggles drowned out any authenticity of the dramatization.

We finally settled down and went to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night with a very full bladder. I didn’t want to put on my layers to brave the outside, so I just found a few extra Dixie cups – hope this isn’t too much information!

Got to pee so bad
Warm and cozy in my bed
Struggle, then relief

Day 5

Friday, July 20, 2007
Merced (free day – Washburn Lake
6 miles round trip

Day 5 was a free, layover day at Merced Lake. After breakfast, Bill washed the clothes. (He does a much better job than I!)

For our free day, Bill and I decided to hike to Washburn Lake (a roundtrip distance of about 6 miles) with Adrianna and Fred. Stevie and Norma stayed back at camp to read and relax. Mike, Karin and Pete went fishing at the far end of Lake Washburn. Scott and Walt did a killer off trail hike and some heavy father-son bonding because of the several near death experiences they shared.

Steve reading at Merced Camp

Adrianna, Fred, Bill and I started out at 10 o’clock on the trail at the back of the Merced Lake Camp.

Merced River (beyond the camp)

Rapids - Merced River

The trail was easy (and flat for the first few miles). It was especially easy without our heavy backpacks. When we reached the junction to Vogelsang we continued straight towards the Ranger Station rather than turning up towards Vogelsang. After about a mile we were alongside the Merced River. Once at the river, we began to climb slightly, eventually getting a bit steeper, but at a fairly slight incline.

Ranger Station

Nancy, Fred and Adrianna

Bill and Nancy

Washburn Lake

I was happy Adrianna was along because I learned even more about the flora in these parts.