Day 12

Day 12 The weather was with us today. We got up early and made a pancake breakfast and fished a bit more. We caught another half dozen trout and then headed into the park. It is quite a bit more crowded today, but it is nice not having to deal with people driving crazy in the rain. We caught a shuttle bus to the trail head and began our hike which lasted in total about 5 miles. It was a trail with some easy grades that winds through the Northeast portion of Yosemite Valley and gave some very nice views of the surrounds granite cliffs and scenery. The kids did well on the hike and Harris actually walked about 2 miles himself. The views and the sounds of running water were very relaxing. It was a bit cool but felt good, once you got going. On the way back, like an idiot, I actually made a wrong turn and started down the wrong trail. Grant luckily recognized an interesting rock along the correct path and alerted us before we had gone too far. We finished the hike tired, but in a good way. We went to the one of the campground cafes and the kids and others had ice cream and I had a cup of coffee. My Dad got lost when we headed back to the bus stop and there was actually cell phone service in this spot. I had my phone off for the past few days. When I turned the phone on to call my Dad, the flood of texts and emails that reminded me of the world I temporarily left behind made me instantly regret turning it on. We finally found him and enjoyed a relaxing drive back to the Mariposa grove, which is a stand of ancient giant Sequoia trees. As you drive amongst them, the sheer enormity of the trees make you feel as if you are a character from a children’s fantasy book in a forest setting. The kids were exhausted at this point and we made a quick dinner and got everyone to bed. Tomorrow begins the long journey home.