I already feel the pressure as I have been elected the point
person for the blog until Alysa returns from South Carolina on Saturday. I find it hard to fill her shoes.
We awoke one more day to a beautiful cloudless sky with
temperatures in the 50’s. The day had an
early start as our mini tour bus arrived at 8:00am. We made several hotel stops along the way to
pick up more riders and then headed into the south entrance of the park.
Our first stop was at the Mariposa Grove which the giant
sequoias dwarfed even the largest pine and fir trees that live among them. The trees we saw today were over 1,200 years
old. I thought the “Grizzly Giant “ was
of interest as it was the first one we have seen with large extended branches.
Our tour guard stressed, as we have heard so often, the
importance of controlled burns to continue the existence of the sequoias. Of particular importance is the heat which
help to open the intensely hard cones and the ash enhances the germination. The next time you hear of a fire as a result
of lightening, it is nature’s way of preserving the groves and forests. Below are new saplings as an indication of
the park’s success.
Another day of driving in hairpin turns. It was well worth it as we drove to Glacier
Point giving us our first glimpse of Half Dome and Vernal Falls. The Yosemite rocks are glacier polished,
making them beautiful to look at with the sheen from the sun. Unfortunately, it
causes the surface to be extremely difficult to climb, as they are so
slippery. Last year, an individual
scaled Half Dome with only his bare hands and feet. It is just unimaginable to me.
We experienced the beautiful site of El Capitan.
It has been a long day as we drove Alysa to the Fresno
airport and got back to the camper around 8:30pm. Tomorrow Chuck and I are off to Napa Valley.
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