Losing my breath in Yosemite..

figuratively... and literally.

I finally got the chance to visit Yosemite this past week, and .. yes, it was as breathtaking, majestic and gorgeous and beautiful as everybody else said. But the words that came out of my mouth the most were, "I can't believe I was up there!" and "I can't believe I just saw a f___n bear!!"

What do they refer to?  To my ultimate Yosemite camping experience (of course!) as described below.


1. Lovin' Camp 4

We didn't know about this until we did some research online. Camp 4, located in Yosemite Valley,  is a walk-in campground that only charges $5/person per night. Apparently it is also well-known as a hangout spot for rock climbers, with boulders scattered here and there around the campground.

Since it is a first-come, first-serve campground, we thought we should get there early to make sure we have a spot. So came the idea of leaving Bakersfield at 3AM to get there around 7-7.30 AM. When we got there, there were plenty of spots open and really we didn't have to come that early. I guess the busy season hasn't started (it started the week after we were there. What perfect timing!).
So we walked around, found a spot we liked, paid our fees at the ranger's kiosk and set up our tent. Nice and simple like that.

At Camp 4, you share each campsite with 5 other people. You also share the bear-proof food storage with these people. There is only one parking lot, so you have to bring all your camping gear to your actual campsite. But the walk from the parking lot to the campground is not far at all, so this should not be a problem. Camp 4 is also located next to the Yosemite Falls trailhead, and the view of Upper and Lower Yosemite falls is practically your backyard view when you camp there. This then leads us to point number two.

2. Hiking Upper Yosemite Falls with only 2 hours of sleep

Yes. It is always a good idea to do a strenuous hike when you only sleep for two hours and had to drive four hours to get to camp. That is why we did it. Well, not really. We did it because our original plan to do another hike that day didn't really work out and the park ranger recommended we did this one instead.
So there we were (armed with 2 hours of sleep, beef jerky, sandwiches, teddy grahams, clif bars and water), ready to hike what was described as "the mother of all stairmaster workouts." 

This is a 7.2 miles round-trip hike, so about 3.5 miles one-way..which sounds easy, except for the fact that it covers 2,700 feet elevation gain in those long and painful 3.5 miles. It is the equivalent of climbing the stairs all the way to the top of Empire State building..twice. 

Needless to say, this was where I literally lost my breath in Yosemite. At some point, I was pretty much panting, sweating and crawling on all fours climbing the rocky path up the trail because I couldn't lift my legs anymore. But the moment you got to the top, it was all worth it. It is something you have to see for yourself; no words can really describe the awesomeness of being up there.

 
By the time we finished the hike (about seven hours later since I am that out of shape), I never felt a bigger sense of accomplishment in my life and a stronger desire to crawl inside my sleeping bag. But it was all worth it, and I will definitely do it again.

 "I can't believe I was up there!!"

3. Flat ground, please

After point number two above, there is no way I could make another uphill hike. My legs move very awkwardly every time I step up or down the stairs, and they hurt! So we decided to go easy and stick to the flat trails around the valley, or drive up to capture the beauty of Yosemite. We walked around the Sentinel and Cook's Meadows, drove up to Glacier Point and to the infamous Tunnel View, of course.

Not many words can describe this point, so here are some pictures instead:

panoramic view of yosemite falls and half dome

Mirror Lake

one of the meadows

Tunnel View

Glacier Point

Bridalveil Fall

4. Up-close glimpses of Yosemite wildlife

is another highlight of the trip. Squirrels were practically everywhere. We got to see lots of deer munching on grass, and got really close to them. They don't seem to care that much about people and totally ignore us bunch of humans taking countless pictures of them eating.

On our drive down from Glacier Point, we saw a lonesome coyote hanging out in the middle of the road. Of course neither of us had the camera ready, so we had to turn around and head back. Luckily it hasn't wandered off yet. In fact, it was just standing there on the side of the road, waiting for cars to come by. As it approached our car it just stopped and stared at us, giving plenty of opportunities for Kodak moments. With a sad look on its face, it seemed lonely and to be wanting something (like food).
Later, Jerrad over-heard the rangers talking about that lonesome coyote and how it had become dependent on humans feeding it that it has stopped hunting. The coyote now just relied on begging for food from humans, and the only solution was to kill it. Lesson learned, folks: leave the wildlife alone. If you want to feed an animal, consider getting a pet and adopting from your local shelter. Do not feed the wildlife, that poor coyote now doesn't have another choice.

But the highlight of wildlife sightings in Yosemite Valley is obviously getting a glimpse of one of the numerous black bears residing there. I felt our odds of seeing one were nil at best but lo and behold, on our last day and hours of being there, we heard somebody said some rangers were keeping an eye on a bear. We turned to this beaten path, found the rangers just chillin' and sitting on a fence watching the three-year-old male bear named Blue #72 napping.
After what seemed like forever, he started making the move. Walking around, munching on grass, hiding so much behind trees so it's hard to take a good shot at him.
We finally got a good look at him when he crossed the bike path to the other side of the meadow. He was walking around the trees, ripping the barks off to find bugs, and eating grass. We just stood there for at least half an hour, watching in awe, of Blue #72 doing regular bear stuff.

 

"I can't believe I saw a f_____n bear!!!"

Four other words to describe Yosemite: best camping trip ever. 

~josie