Dour, 電通-controlled, family-centric Belgian Neocolonialism, enthusiastically jaded observations, support for state-owned neoliberalist media and occasional rants from the twisted mind of a privileged middle-class expatriate atheist Crypto Jew and とてもくだらないひと projecting some leftist ideals with my ridicule of Tucker Carlson, all while taking America's blood money and cashing out that pension and TSP (from The Blogs Formerly Known As Sponge Bear and Kaminoge 物語)
*see disclaimer below
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.
Today wasn't the first time for me to see the wonders of the Yosemite Valley. Way back when I was a youngster, the family made a summer vacation road trip to Yosemite National Park, and I can still recall many of the sights we saw. How old was I at the time? Old enough to remember that Looking Glass' "Brandy" was constantly being played on the car's AM radio that summer, to the point that I've always associated the song with the dramatic valley.
For my wife and daughter, however, today was their first time. Our morning began at the B&B where we're staying in Mariposa, greeted with the sight of a deer timidly feeding on the offerings left by the owner, a daily ritual:
Despite waiting up to 90 minutes in a long procession of cars to get into the park (those vehicles without reservations were being turned away at the gate), we drove into Yosemite Valley at around 1030 hours and proceeded to have our jaws dropped by the astounding scenery:
El Capitan, at 7569 feet (2307 meters), one of the park's most iconic sights:
Bridalveil Falls. Unfortunately, the trail leading to the base of the waterfall was closed for maintenance:
Despite the smoky haze (the result of the Washburn Fire, which has closed some areas of the park), the views were still awe-inspiring:
Side view of El Capitan, showing just how massive a rock formation it actually is:
Shu-E took countless shots of the views, though what she does with all those photos she takes on our many trips still remains a mystery to me:
Our first look at Yellowstone Falls, the highest in North America at 2425 feet (739 feet), falling in three tiers:
An art gallery in Yosemite Village was presenting an exhibition on Ansel Adams' famed black-and-white shots of Yosemite. The family had to talk me out of buying a large book of Adams' work (something to do about moving, luggage weight allowances blah blah blah):
Resting deer at the village:
More glimpses of Yosemite Falls from the village:
We finally caught sight of Half Dome (8842 feet/2695 meters) late in the afternoon:
On our way out of the park we stopped at Valley View for some amazing views on either side of the meadow:
On our way back to the B&B we passed by a group of wild turkeys:
At the Grand Canyon you peer down into the abyss. In Yosemite Valley, you look up from the bottom of the abyss...
