Yosemite Diary

Yosemite Valley view from meadow at dusk

12th November 2021:

Started for Yosemite at 10.30am. Slick also accompanied us. Smooth drive with light traffic. There was a haze layer as soon as we exit LA down the Tejon pass.

Taco Bell chalupa and potatoes for lunch near Fresno. Noticed a Curry Pizza place nearby and made a note to try it on the way back.

Stopped at Starbucks for coffee a little later. Shonu had berry and hibiscus tea but they were out of berries. I tasted it and it was nice even without berries. I split a cappuccino with Kamini. It was very milky.

Reached the park at around 5.15 pm. The entry booth was closed but the gate was open. It was getting dark. Noticed a waterfall streaming down from a height in the dusk. El Capitan towered above on the left. The park looks much more imposing and scary at dusk.

It was chilly in the park at 46 degrees. The air was clear. Got keys from visitor center. Parked car outside our building named Elderberry. Room number 4229 on 2nd floor.

Very large and grand room with sloping roof and tastefully decorated. They had thoughtfully turned on the lights and heated up the room for us. A small circular wooden table and wooden chairs with a hanging light above. A cosy easy chair. Soothing lighting. King bed. Small fridge and coffee maker. Slick was cozy in the sock that Shonu put him in.

Had dinner at Base Camp Eatery which was a 5 minute walk away. Vegan chili, delicious fries, black bean burger. Felt good for our hunger.

Got ice cream biscuit and chocolate from nearby gift shop. Ice cream biscuit was quite delicious.

13th November 2021:

Woke up at 7:36 am to sight of pine tree and chirping birds from large theater like window in room. Slept well though woke up at 4.30 am due to feeling too warm. Shonu had kicked off all the sheets. Turned down the heater to 50 degrees and then slept well.

Had breakfast of oatmeal, apple and room coffee. The coffee wasn’t great. Shonu had oatmeal and chocolate milk.

Walked to Lower Yosemite Falls trail which starts just outside the lodge.

Both lower and upper falls were visible and audible. It was very soothing to just listen to the waterfall gushing down from thousands of feet far in the distance. The air was clear and crisp with a light chill.

A 10 minute walk brought us to the base of the falls. The power of the water was evident here. Spray hit our face as we walked over a bridge beneath which crystal clear water rushed past rocks and branches.

We took the fork towards Mirror Lake and walked uphill for a good 10-15 minutes. The trail continued to ascend and it was getting warm. We stopped to have a Kind bar. Decided that we didn’t want to go all the way to the lake - it was a 2-3 mile climb uphill.

Came back down and went towards shuttle stop. On the way stopped by a stream for some time. It felt cool and refreshing.

Did 2022 planning here. Shonu also wrote down projects she wanted to do. Among them - read 100 books a month! The most important items on the plan were deciding on Shonu’s school for next year around which other things hinged.

Walked back to the trail head where there some benches with a view of the falls. Had sandwiches for lunch which were very welcome. Topped off by Doritos and bakharwadi! Kamini noticed a desi family, a couple of couples on a nearby bench making chai on a portable stove. After we finished our lunch, she bravely went and asked them about the stove and where they got it from, using her trademark disarming laughter to good effect. They looked like they were from Bangladesh, since one of the women was wearing a hijab. Of course it was just a hunch. They could just as well have been from India or Pakistan. They also laughed and said they had bought the stove from Amazon and the gas tank from Walmart. Kamini has the ability to connect with random people.

Went back to lodge briefly for restroom break. Then walked towards meadow but lost our way looking for spot near bridge where we had stopped years ago, when visiting with Pavan family and Tatha patis.

Finally found it. The trail was right opposite the shuttle stop. Lead to the Berg bridge on Merced river. The view from the bridge was all-encompassing and spectacular. Crossed over and sat on the far bank. It was so relaxing. Continued doing planning here. Heard some choppers hovering over the falls. Perhaps an accident or missing person?

It got cold around 3pm so we headed back to the lodge area. Wandered into Base camp eatery for coffee at 3.45. Waited for 15 minutes for place to open. Shonu and Kamini had hot chocolate and I had coffee. Coffee was strong and well brewed although the cream made it a little colder than I wanted. Some chiwda Kamini had brought was the perfect complement to the drinks.

Got vegan chili from eatery to make tacos.

On way back to room, caught a wondrous glimpse of setting sun on the rocks and dashed back to the meadow to get a better view. By the time we got there though, the sun had set, which was disappointing. But the gibbous moon was clear and bright and the sun’s warm afterglow and later the moonlight continued to paint Half Dome and surrounding rocks in delicate colors.

Someone told us there were deer - 6-7 of them - in the meadow and we walked towards them. Spotted them far in the distance in the failing light.

Took some photos and headed back to the room. It was quite chilly on the way back. Shonu made a hat from a handkerchief for Slick in addition to the sock.

Had tacos with chili, yesterday’s veggies from the eatery which we hadn’t used, and cheese from home. Tacos were delicious and filling. Also had one black bean burger from yesterday that we split amongst us. For drinks, we had Apple cider that we had brought from home.

A satisfying and refreshing day. Time well spent. Living at the lodge meant we didn’t have to drive and could stay out later than if we had stayed outside the park. Also avoided parking and driving stress which can be quite taxing in the park.

Capped off taco dinner with It’s-It chocolate vanilla biscuit topped by Endangered Species chocolate bar. A great way to end the day.

14th November 2021

Woke up at 7am. Had coffee and showered. Had sandwich and apple for breakfast. Finished packing and checked out from Yosemite Valley Lodge at 9.45am.

Headed to Tunnel View off Highway 41. Took in the spectacular, though cliched, ad nauseam view of Yosemite Valley for the umpteenth time with the mandatory postcard photos.

Headed on through the mile long tunnel towards Wavona. The tunnel reminded us of the tunnels through the Misty Mountains in The Hobbit and we wondered if we would run into any orcs. Thankfully, none manifested and we made it safely to the other side of the mountain.

Exited the park at Wavona. There was nobody at the exit booth just as there had been nobody at the entrance booth.

The drive on highway 41 was full of spectacular views, though very winding and up and down.

We encountered a dense fog that lasted for miles. It was strange because the fog lasted till 2-3 pm.

Had lunch in Visalia from Curry Pizza Company. Ordered butter paneer masala pizza. Didn’t realize family size would be humongous. It was delicious but too rich and buttery to eat more than one slice. Me and Shonu managed to eat two slices with great difficulty. Kamini smartly had only one. As if the pizza wasn’t enough, we had received complementary bread sticks, equally rich.

Got coffee from adjoining Starbucks. Shonu got Very Berry Hibiscus iced tea lemonade and Kamini got Chai Tea Latte. This particular Starbucks was a dump. They didn’t even have sugar, milk, stirrers. Had to ask. The coffee was alright though the barista added too much milk. The chai tea was milky. The iced tea was delicious according to Shonu.

Kamini made Shonu reluctantly attend Tamil school from her phone. This was the price paid for curry pizza. She ultimately had great fun during class and was having laughter fits towards the end.

Around 4pm, we dropped in on Arvind at Frazier Park. Chatted for some time and then headed to Red Dot Kitchen for chai, pakoda and masala fries. Not exactly the health food we needed after curry pizza. But the chai was pretty good and the fries were tasty. The pakodas were ok. They had slathered on a sweet Thai sauce that was jostling for attention with the pakodas.

Drove back and reached home at around 7.30pm. Did laundry and unpacking. Called Tatha Paatis and spoke for a while to cap off a refreshing weekend.