Yosemite

Yosemite is as beautiful as I had imagined, a gorgeous as all the pictures you see of it. The Valley itself isn't very large, so you are always in pretty close proximity to all the famous views. There is a paved bike/pedestrian path that loops all around the valley, bout 12 or 13 miles worth. You can get to all the trailheads, campgrounds, and visitors center by bike. We rode our bikes all over one morning, and then took the dogs on a long walk another. Late September is a great time to see the park, as far as I'm concerned. Although a couple of the waterfalls and seasonal lakes are dried up, I didn't miss them. I also didn't miss the hoards of visitors that overrun the park during the summer months. We hiked lower part of the Mist Trail--the one that goes to Vernal and Nevada Falls, and ultimately to the top of Half Dome. You don't have to be a mountain climber to summit Half Dome. There is a hiking trail that goes up the back side, with a set of parallel cables, sort of like a ski tow without the pulley, to help you get up the last bit. Even going up the "easy" way is a 4000 foot elevation change. They call it a day hike, but at 10 to 12 hours, it would be a long day. I got Steve to snap a pic of the restroom at the Vernal Falls footbridge because it was the most scenic spot for a restroom that I'd ever seen.















We stayed two nights at the Crane Flat campground, about 16 miles from Yosemite Valley, and one night in the valley itself when a spot opened up. The campgrounds in the valley are by reservation only, go on sale five months in advance,and they fill up within minutes.

Bear are everywhere in the park. Each campsite has a locker for food and toiletries, and your food is never to be left out or more than an arm's length away from you. If you store your food in your vehicle, it must be out of sight; bears know what coolers look like, and will break into your car to get at them if they're in sight. I actually got to see a bear! I was walking along a trail between two loops of the campground, and about 50 yards ahead of me, a bear came out of the woods, stopped, took a good look at me, and headed up the trail in the same direction I had been going. Very cool! And yes, I did turn around and go back the way I had come.