Yosemite National Park - the second (smoky) day

 

The classic view of Yosemite - almost 

Thanks to climate change, it seems every time I'm back in the western U.S. some massive brushfire somewhere manages to obscure the views of wherever it is I'm traveling. This time has been no exception, as the Washburn Fire sent a thick pall of smoke that blanketed Yosemite Valley on the second day we drove there from our bed and breakfast in Mariposa. The day began clearly enough as we watched the deer being fed while eating our own breakfast in the common dining room:

Nevertheless, the haze grew ever more dense the closer we got to Yosemite National Park:

This is what the classic vista looked like from Tunnel View in the late morning hours:

Our plan for the second day had been to rent bicycles and ride through the valley. However, bike rentals had been suspended for the day due to the smoke in the air. So instead we parked in the village, and walked towards Yosemite Falls:

My daughter trying not to acknowledge that we are related:

After lunch we decided to take a second walk, this time to Mirror Lake. On the way we passed through some campgrounds that had secured cabinets for storing food. On one of the few occasions I've been camping, as a teenager somewhere in the northern California mountains, I woke up in the middle of the night to urinate, and encountered a bear in front of me going looking through some garbage cans for something to eat:

Passing along some fatherly wisdom:

The girls make their way through the woods:

The view was only slightly better once we reached Mirror Lake:

My daughter the butterfly whisperer:

The water was icy, but at the same time soothing to tired feet:

Somewhere through the haze and smoke the outline of Half Dome could be made out:

By the late afternoon the smoke had alleviated somewhat, and the valley views had noticeably improved:

In a time when the west is in the midst of a historic drought, it's hard to believe there could've been that much water:

Things looked much better the second time around at Tunnel View:

Bridalveil Fall:

It was around 1900 hours by the time we returned to Mariposa, where we had dinner at the town's lone Chinese eatery, China Station. Or should that be at the "Maple Forest Restaurant" 楓林餐廳?:

While it would've been preferable to see Yosemite Valley on a clear, pristine day, getting around on foot gave us a different perspective compared to our travels by car the previous day. And all that smoke had the added benefit of keeping the crowd numbers down compared to Saturday, as we had little trouble finding parking spots. Despite the air quality, it was a still a special experience visiting Yosemite National Park, one I hope Amber and Shu-E will always remember.