Half Dome

Since our last trip to Yosemite in April Kevin and I have been wanting to hike to the top of Half Dome. Due to overcrowding and safety concerns there is now a permit system in place designed to limit the number of people allowed to ascend the cables on a daily basis. There are 400 permits given out a day and a majority of these are available several months in advance but are difficult to obtain. 

An alternative method to obtaining a permit is to show up in person for a wilderness permit the day before you want to start your trip. Kevin and I left early Saturday morning and arrived at the wilderness center at 8am to get in line for the permits that would be available starting at 11am. Our waiting paid off and we were able to get the wilderness permits to stay in Little Yosemite Valley which comes with a permit to the top of Half Dome!

After getting our permits we went to the backpacker's campground in the valley and set up camp for the night. 

Tenaya Creek next to our campsite

We were up late the previous night getting all of our stuff together and ready for a nap after lunch. It was too hot to sleep for long but it was enough to give us the energy to take a short hike near our campsite.

Less than a mile later we arrived at Mirror Lake which provided us with a fantastic view of Half Dome.

Mirror Lake is interesting in the fact that it is disappearing through sedimentation and will eventually become a meadow. You have to love how the geography is constantly changing!

Our first and only bear sighting was that night near the backpacker's campground. Every now and then he would turn and look right at you and it was clear he was aware of us. The ranger's chased him off and reminded us to keep all food and toiletries locked in our bear lockers.

We brought our own wood since you aren't allowed to collect dead and downed wood in the valley but we didn't have a lot of kindling so it took a little while to really get the fire going. 

Our intention was to leave early but we were pretty exhausted and ended up sleeping in a little later. It took awhile to pack up our backpacks with everything we would need for that day and the next but we were finally ready to start our hike by 10am. We started at the Happy Isles trailhead to begin our 5 mile hike for the day. Previously we had taken the Mist Trail to the top of Nevada Fall, but opted for the John Muir Trail for this trip. It is a little longer hike, but a little safer for backpacker's since the Mist Trail is narrow and can be quite slippery from the falls. 

We did get a fantastic view of Yosemite Falls. 

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

The John Muir Trail provided another view of Half Dome.

"Oh No!...Scary!"

I have a similar picture of this last time but I love it because there are so many landmarks. Half Dome, Mount Broderick, Liberty Cap, and Nevada Fall. 

Taking a last break before reaching Little Yosemite Valley.

After setting up camp and eating lunch we were ready to wander around. We took a flat hike into Lost Valley. There was a fire at some point and you can see the area still recovering from it. It gave the valley a sort of creepy feel.

After about 2 miles we found what we were looking for. The Bunnell Cascade. We had seen pictures of people swimming and hanging out in the water but there was no way we were getting in. The water was very strong and it would have been dangerous to get in. Besides, the water was freezing cold from all the melting snow.

Bunnell Cascade

We did find a little spot where we were able to sit and stick our feet in the water.

The hike back to our campsite provided a completely different perspective of Half Dome. We started getting very excited!

Exhausted from our day of hiking we went to bed very early. We woke up a little after 5am and by 6am we were ready to start the 3.5 mile hike to Half Dome. It was great leaving early and we didn't even see anyone else on the trail for a really long time. We also were able to beat the heat.

Amazing view from the Half Dome Trail

Just before reaching the Sub Dome we had yet another view of Half Dome.

Starting to get excited!

Here was our first view of the cables leading to the summit. 

From the cables it is only 400 feet to the top but you have to be very careful. (Slipping and falling is likely fatal). We took every precaution by getting there early before the crowds, going when there was no chance for lightening or rain, and not rushing ourselves to the top. I thought it would be terrifying but it really wasn't that bad. There were few people on the cables at 8am so we made it up in only about 15 minutes!

Top of Half Dome! We made it!

The cool rock formation to the left is 'Cloud's Rest'. It is on our list of hikes we would like to do at some point.

A zoomed in picture from 'The Visor'.

On The Visor atop Half Dome

This picture was taken by Kevin from The Visor and that is actually me from where the previous picture was taken. 

We spent some time wandering around the top. Many people got there, took a pictures, then headed back down. We figured since we went to the trouble of getting up there we should enjoy it.

Heading back down was a little more intimidating at first (at least for me) but soon I felt more comfortable and we were down pretty quickly.

Kevin at the Cables

Posing for a shot.

Hiking to the top was incredible and we were so happy that we finally made the trip happen. We have so many other hikes we want to go on in Yosemite now after seeing some of the landmarks from the top.

We hiked back down to our campsite and ate lunch before packing up all of our gear for the return hike to the Valley. It was definitely faster going down but we were pretty happy to get to our car and get our hiking boots off. We were definitely sore the next couple of days but well worth it.

Lake Sonoma

For the 4th of July this year we thought it would be a great idea to take a canoe camping trip up at Lake Sonoma about two hours north of us near wine country. Kevin and I were eager to test out some of the new gear bought over the the last couple months. It took a little bit to get our stuff arranged into our canoes but by late morning we were ready to start the 2 mile paddle to our campsite.

Spirits were high as we began the trip and remained so despite the heat of the blazing sun. We continued paddling...and hoped that Brian's map reading skills were good enough to help us reach our destination. 

There were a few scary moments out there on the the rough waters of that lake, but with Moria's skills in watercraft steering we soon learned to navigate our vessels effortlessly through the water.  Eventually we spotted a campsite and it was determined that it must be ours.

Upon first arriving at Quicksilver Camp dread quickly spread amongst the group. Trash lay strewn across the ground near the trash can and a sleeping pad and sleeping bag were found draped across the fire pit and picnic table. Further investigation revealed that the sleeping pad and bag were abandoned and that the squatters had likely skipped town. Luckily, Kevin had gloves and began the daunting task of picking up all of the trash left by those scoundrels. The rest of us picked up remaining litter such as cigarette butts and bottle caps and we began to feel more at ease with the place we would be camping at for two nights.

After setting up camp we were in desperate need of a swim and some shade. We once again took to our canoes in search of a small cove protected from both the sun and motorized boats. Not far from our campsite we found the perfect place to relax and swim.

Kevin and Moria enjoying an ice cold beer

Lovely repose overcame us and we enjoyed the serene sound of waves lapping onto shore and the laughter that echoed through our nestled retreat.

That splendid Saturday just so happened to be one of California's two free fishing days. Since we could fish freely, paying no heed to permits or rangers, we took to the poles aspiring for better luck than our last fishing escapade. Kevin cast his line and moments later he felt a tug that could only mean one thing. A fish had been caught. He reeled in his catch and we gaped and grinned in amazement. Could it really be that easy?

Kevin with his catch

Flabbergasted by Kevin's success, the rest of our group enthusiastically took turns casting our lines awaiting similar success. Kevin, however, remained the sole victor that afternoon.  

Just enough meat for us all to try some!

Ready for some supper!

Matches? Who needs matches? Not us. Not when our fellow traveler Brian has a magnesium fire starter and cotton balls covered in Vaseline. 

Brian and Kevin at work on the fire

A thief in the night made off with several of our bagels. We were lucky that is all he got and we had plenty of food to make it through the rest of the weekend.

Evidence from the crime scene

We made a new friend during our travels. His name is Moon Dog and he provided companionship during tough times.

Unsure if our water supply would last us through the rest of the weekend, Kevin and I headed back to the general store the next morning hoping to be back while it was still cool. As we departed the low spirits of our comrades were unwittingly conveyed to us when we heard Brian turn to Moria and whisper "they were very good friends..." We paddled hard through treacherous waters and finally the marina was in sight. We refilled our water bottles and stocked up on ice to last us the remainder of our trip.

With a full day still ahead of us we met back up with with our jubilant companions for more swimming on yet another scorching hot day. 

View from 'the island'

From the island we were able to see a secret area that we started for next. It was a quiet, peaceful cove that would have been perfect for fishing the day before. 

Brian and Moria leading the way through the sparkling waters

Back at the campsite we did our best to avoid the sun which was not always easy since our site was very exposed. 

Our location did make for an incredible sunset.

Sunset at Lake Sonoma

The next morning was quiet and tranquil and we were able to see a little wildlife.

The weekend passed much too quickly and before we knew it we were returning our canoes to the marina. We replenished supplies at Russian River Valley while making the long trip back to our homestead.

Group shot from Lake Sonoma

Goodbyes

The end of June meant more than just the end of a month. It meant saying goodbye to Sarah and Jonathan. After a little time visiting their families they are going to be settling into a very different climate in Boston. We tried to make the most of their last week in town.

It was impossible to get a 'normal' picture of these guys so I took the least goofy one. They are pretty much like big kids.

Sarah is really bad about taking pictures and for years we've been saying that Sarah and would get the pictures a little later. With time running out we finally arranged a day to get together and do a photo swap. It was fun looking at pictures and remembering all of our fun times over the years.

On their last night we all went out to dinner. Who knows when we will all be together again :( Before heading to an Italian place nearby Sarah and Jonathan had a little parting gift for us.

Giant beer glasses. It is sort of an inside joke and we got a kick out of the gift.

It turned out a little blurry...but we had to get one last girls picture.

Can't forget about the guys.

This one is from the week before but it is the last shot of all 6 of us. 

We are really going to miss them but we are very excited for the next chapter in their lives. I definitely see a trip to Boston in our future!

A few more days

[Due to photo problems this is an attempt to add the pictures...if it doesn't work I'll have to troubleshoot a little more]

I've had these pictures loaded for awhile now so let's see if I can finish this post up. After Kevin's departure we still had a lot of fun the next few days. We went and watched 'Mr Popper's Penguins' which was a cute movie. It was a slightly tamed down version of Jim Carrey which I actually prefer and the kids love penguins (I must agree they are awfully cute).

There was a lot of just hanging out and enjoying each other's company. It is just nice being around everyone.

I did make a road trip to Emporia to visit my good friend Kara. Kara was only 4 days from her due date when I visited and it was wonderful to be able to see her and catch up. Abby Sue finally arrived a week after that on July 1st and now I can't wait to meet her! 

We took a few pictures in the baby's room. Ryan and Kara did a fantastic job painting and decorating the room. The three of us went to lunch and it was nice to hear about how they have been doing with the pregnancy and the excitement of waiting for their first baby. 

I was really glad that I went to Emporia during the day because that night there was some weather that I wouldn't have necessarily wanted to be driving in. We don't have thunderstorms in the Bay Area and you don't realize how much you miss the lightening storms until you see it again. 

The lightening was far enough away that we were able to sit inside to watch everything. It has to have been at least 3 years since I've seen fantastic lightening and it was brilliant! Getting a normal face on both kids at the same time was impossible so I just picked my favorite.

Here we are at Taco Bell. Mom used to take me and Cheryl here when we were younger and we always had a really fun time. Hailie and Seth really loved it too...they kept talking about going back to Taco Bell. 

The time flew as expected and it was already time to head back to the airport. Hailie was set on coming with me. She even packed a suitcase. Contents included: swimsuit, wii remote, sweater, pajamas, sunglasses, underwear, and Sophie (her puffalump). I really want to get both the kids out here sometime. I have so much I would love to show them. If we end up staying out here a little longer we may have that chance!

Family photo shoot before heading to Kansas City.

We headed to K.C. a little early so we girls would have a chance to check out this store called Charming Charlie's that Mom had heard about. Hailie had a blast trying on all the different hats so I felt it called for a collage. The crown headband was a fan favorite and Seth thought it was comical as well.

The kids are growing up so fast it is hard for me to wrap my head around. I just love them so much!