Yosemite

This post happens moths ago, I am already at home, but having half of my blog on line and the other in paper I feel I need to finish it and pass all my notes into this blog, so don't think that I am still walking around Yosemite :) , I mean I Wish..... 

It takes 3 shuttles to leave Mammoth lakes. The first stop  was the devils pile. It is a geological rock formation quite popular but nothing special.

I walk during the evening along a river , easy hike. It was 7.00. I was at the bottom of the mountain. I was doubting  between continue and try to find a place to camp up there or not risk and camp in a parking lot.  It is a common fight in my head : risk adventure or conservative. Today I went for conservative. I camped in a car parking . it is not the most  beautiful campsite but is flat, has toilet and a bear box...That is good when you are in Yosemite area and you can not fit all your food in a bear canister.

To choose the campsite for the night I normally use to mobile applications.  If doesn't show up any  I can check the printed maps and look for flat areas or just risk always there are spots. I like to find new spots , always some adventure. Some nights you will regret after a poor sleep.

The next stop is a highlight of the PCT : the 1000 island lake. I did the easy island pass and after the Danoui . The last mile of this was quite hard and more when it was at the end of the day. This was my entrance to Yosemite! I descended 1 mile down to the second lake. I did not want to camp below the tree line with all the bad reputation that have the Yosemite bears.

I woke up at 5.00. I had to be in the post office before 12.00 and I have to do 12 miles. I did not want to risk. the first mile was complicated but ones you reach the meadow it is a highway. I took a little shortcut. Luckily I had my two packets . I got my headlamp replacement and I bounce some clothes to south lake Tahoe. Special mention  to the guy that works in that post office. He was really helpful.

Toulumne  meadows is very tourist . It has a road so there is people all around. Yosemite is very different from Kings Canyon. Lower altitude. meadows and granite mountains with a lot of cascades.

I met Blue Butterfly. She did the PCT in sections and I asked her if it was already too late to finish, time to throw the towel??

         - no , no still to early. First you have to finish California, when you be there maybe you decide to do Oregon, there you will pick up the miles. This area is to rugged. It would be softer and your average will increase .

It gave me a burst of moral . I took my backpack and I put the 20 miles in Yosemite.

The next 2 days were cloudy so no maps as my package was lost in Mammoth lakes and not GPS as I run out of solar power. During the morning I reached a river crossing. I went up to find a better cross. Just after a trail show up. I thought umm maybe the trail split just after cross the river. I was to lazy to walk down those 200 foots to double check . After 2 hours I took a break , a little bit of sun show up, enough to get the power into the GPS to know where I was. Great I am 3 miles out of the trail. 

Yosemite is being challenging .It is not a pass a day but it is like 3 small passes a day. Slow hike, rugged. It has much more vegetation and huge trees in the valleys. The last night before leave Yosemite I got caught in a summer rain storm trying to find a place to camp. yep I risked . It was super humid, mosquitos all over and finally find a kind of spot. I tried to cook but it was impossible, too much mosquitos . I just did some quick tortilla sandwiches inside the tent but I got the opportunity to see a double rainbow over Yosemite. Still struggling with the mileage .

The last day in Yosemite was easier , I fell into a shallow river in front of a Asian  crow, no pictures please, nothing serious.....I stop for lunch with Red Bandit in the last lake of Yosemite and time for a bath, water quite surprisingly warm, doing in the evening the exit of the park, cross the 1000 miles mark! and going the approach to Sonora pass. In camp we did a fire and we me, Red Bandit and an Asian couple( Kaza and 2 Litres ) we were talking about our Bear experience in Yosemite and how a bear smell the hear of a lady while she was sleeping....... Kaza show me the pictures of a Bear trying to break a bear canister .....

1000 miles mark

The last day I have a few hours to do the last pass of the Sierras, Sonora pass, because It was semi finals of the World Cup Argentina vs Netherlands so early start , this pass I hear from many people that is quite amazing, it is very different from any other , there is no vegetation and very exposed, you can see how you walk by the ridges of the mountain.  I tried to rush down in the way to the road as I was getting late to see the match I would need a lucky quick hitch hike , reach the road , first car show up and stop, BINGO !

Sonora pass

In the town of Bridgeport a saw a sport bar. Place to go, there was a few hikers, Match ready to start . It surprise that quite a lot of people follow the matches. They don't know any player but they enjoy watching. Argentina won, I was happy, at this point Red Bandit tell me, the final is on Sunday around 12.00, We are 76 miles away from the next town. If we do 3  twenty plus a 16 in the morning we could watch the final in Lake Tahoe. I am in, I was thinking to stop the night but not. We went to get rid off  the bear canister, no need it any more. I sent back to Kennedy Meadows . Thanks again to all the people involve in the bear canister loan program!!!! Did my resupply and back into the wilderness, World cup Final is waiting! 

Camp after sonora pass