Tuolumne Meadows 

 Part 2 – Excursion notes

A sample of notes written during odd moments during our two weeks in upper Yosemite high country

Judy on the trail to Conness

Sitting by the evening campfire it begins casually enough as I examine a topographic map, 

Ah! That lake looks about about right...

Good high elevation, no formal trail, manageable distance

It should work fine to just traverse the elevation line... with a bit of climbing

Next day we are off early...

We walk together until lunch, then I leave my wife Judy with a good book (as she likes to do) on the high alpine shores of Conness Lake.

Glaciers can be differentiated from snow packs by the crack which forms in the summer at the top of the ice - this indicated how much movement has taken place since the last snowfall 

This is what I enjoy most!

Making my way across unmarked terraine...

Dealing with situations as they arise

Cliffs and rock walls to climb or travel around

Scrambling over large talus blocks  (rock fragments at the foot of a cliff) and smaller scree (Loose rock debris on a slope.)

I am now well above 11,000 – so I must adjust for breathing if I am to reach my goal.
After hours of rock scrambling - There it is!  
A fine glaciated bowl located in a white granite cirque (A 3 sided bowl- that forms at the head of a mountain glacier), 

What a pristine alpine lake!, punctuated with glacerial erratic rocks 

A waterfall is coming off the glacier

And the lake appears slightly cloudy due to glaceriel erosion sediment

Great cumulus clouds drift by –

Alternating chill breeze and roasting susn

I am sitting here, now, opposite the water fall on a great granitic slab

Like a giant marmot – looking over my world

Lake has translucent quality due to ground glacial rock that has been carried into the lake

Massive North Peak is looming to my right, the glaciers of Mt. Conness to my left.

It is a huge empty space, full of minute details

It is silent except for the chirps and whistles of marmots and pika,
the wind in the rocks, sounds of falling water,

an occasional bird call, and the sound of my own breathing

Marmot - seen at near Tioga Pass

Pika - seen near Helen Lake - note rounded ears, long wiskers, short stubby tail

2, Today we set our sights on Shamrock lake over 11k feet

Our bodies are now becoming adapting to the elevation – so oxygen is less a problem

The basin of Shamrock is ice carved to leave behind large islands and peninsulas extending into the lake
Geologically interesting - this is the original rock of the Sierras - older darker colored metamorphic rock - with many signs of folding and quartz intrusions.
We can see quite a sharp demarkation where the newer younger granite was thrust up through this mass...

I suspect that is is the most beautiful meeting of water, stone, and ice that I have ever seen!

The lake margin is rugged with steep rock walls.  it is a challenge to work around them if I want to walk the lakes  perimeter

In the summer it seems that there is falling water everywhere - although this year was dryer than most

After lunch - Judy reads – I explore with only my whims to guide me

A few patches of white bark pine – seldom over 15 feet high are interspersed with small flowery meadows

But mostly it is rock – rock bearing the signs of its glaceral past

By early afternoon great white cumulus clouds drift overhead

There is a gentle cool breeze today

The trail that I followed on my way around Shamrock Lake

But what’s this?

In the midst of my revere I hear a loud jet engine

No- its not a plane – its thunder

A dense dark cloud on the horizon is expanding rapidly

There!– that’s lightening

And its moving rapidly toward me

Shamrock lake is amazing with the glacially gouged basin and high alpine conditions

Quick – what do I remember about High Sierra summer lightning storms

“If you feel the fibers of your body stand on end – you are becoming charged with static electricity – quick lie on the ground to discharge”  -
OK that didnt happen to me today.
I recall: "Summer storms are often brief."

Now sure how Judy was responding to the lightning I hurried back to where she was reading

We decided that it made sense to go to a lower elevation and wait.

Rain starts to fall – light at first – then heavier

We spot a thick grove of White Bark Pines – with a comfortable space inside.

Here we get temporary protection

Susprise! - I have never seen a cloud expand so quickly and move so quickly!!

Now the thunder is directly overhead

Blasts in rapid succession

After an hour the rain diminshed – 

More dark clouds coming – so we move on

Then 1/3 inch flat pieces of hail begin to pelt us

We trudge on through rocky country with no protection – hands become numb with cold

Then just as suddenly -the sun comes out and we feel like whimps for turning back

You never know about mountain storms.  They are notoriously unpredictable – and can turn deadly

Last November 150-200 MPH winds ripped up hundreds of the largest trees!  

Outflow from Conness into Steelhead lake

3.  From the lower lip of the summer snow field

clear melt water emerges

Flowing and gurgling its way over rocks and pebbles

More ice melts in other locations to combine into a flowing stream

The water music is fine!

On its way down from the highlands, more water joins in

water sounds become more intense in our ears

Trail ( to right ) around waterfall on our way to the Conness Basin

Mossy patches rife with summer flowers grow along the margins 

(even now late in the season)

Reds, yellows, purple... not large flowers but intense colors - attract pollinators

The stream emerges into a vast marshy meadow at the higher end of the lake

Here water finds peace – it becomes tranquil – 

I miss the sound

The only bear that we encountered on this trip...

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Tuolumne High

Judy and I have just returned from two weeks tent camping, making our base camp in Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite (Almost 10000 ft.), making daily hikes into the higher country around...

Here are 3 notes I wrote at different times during the week

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1.  I wake early each morning warm in my sleeping bag.

Sunlight images of pine branches form on our tent wall about 6:20

Its time to get up.

In the coolness of the morning I make coffee.

The scene outside our "front door"

As a youthful mountaineer I scorned propane stoves – they seemed 'unnecessary'... But now I enjoy an instant hot flame – and coffee within minutes

Judy prepares ham and eggs wrapped in a tortilla- its quick and easy and so good!

Off we go for our adventure of the day

Tuolumne – so many peaks and lakes, new trails to explore, wonders to discover.

Our blood and our lungs are still attuned to the low lands – More breathing is required here to get the oxygen we require.  But day by day we build more red cells in our blood and are soon comfortable at high elevations.

Glacial ice freezes onto chunks of rock, and as the rocks and ice move forward, they carved away this basin.

Lunch, after hiking 3-4 miles; we rest tired muscles by a stream or lake.

Trail lunch: Fruit, Avocado, Goat cheese, Trail Rusks, Crackers, Water

This old dog can learn a new trick

I have discovered the pleasure of reaching a beautiful location and taking time to “be with it”.   To just sit in the presence of the place

After a stiff morning we take a little time to sit and read or write or just observe sometimes talking, sometimes in silence.

Judy contemplating the beauty of it all

Back to camp by late afternoon

If we planned ahead there are cold beers waiting in the cooler
Then we cook together and eat our main meal of the day

(Judy planned incredible meals.)

Late evening shadows

An evening fire when the chill of evening comes on us

The yellow flame is hypnotic

This firewood has trapped within it the sunlight energy of many mountain days and years.

As the wood burns, that same energy is released into the blackness of space.

The stars that are hidden from us in the city are brilliant here in the night sky

The sound of the river is close to our campsite and sounds in my ears all during the night.

We sleep long and well.

2.  Today our trail requires us to rise a thousand feet.

our bodies  must take deep slow breaths to reach the high peaks

The land shaped by ice

We are walking over loose uneven shale that shifts with each step. 

I can hear the voice of my Uncle John telling me to always step from high point to high point through a field of larger rocks.  He was correct.

Frozen at least 10 months a year -there is almost no visible plant growth - over 11000ft.

Our laboring muscles require oxygen – and there is not enough

Finally we reach the heights – the pocket meadows of August, it is as if the glaciers left yesterday – leaving scattered erratic rocks – some as large as a bus, all sizes

In this land, some rocks bear the fresh markings of glacerial shaping, 

Some rocks have been polished by ice and sand; some have been scoured and sculpted.

But there are spaces for summer grass and a multitude of flowers

Walt Whitman said that on such a day he liked to “lean and loaf and observe a blade of summer grass”.

I have a special attraction for there high lands - the vast spaces - the unbroken vistas - it is a place of fascinating plants, geological events, and surprises.

I understand

Here I must consider the multitude of wonders before me

Here I can linger and become one with this land of rock and ice, of flowing water and tender growth

This land is frozen under ice for 10 months or more each year

In this brief time of summer it becomes a gentle wilderness

It inspires awe.

Late afternoon clouds

High mountain weather in August usually begins with  a clear blue sky in the morning

As we get out on the trail, white cumulus clouds come in by mid morning and grow in intensity, usually evaporating back to clear skies by evening.

Tonight was different

The clouds had grown into great thick dark masses by night.

We were snuggled in our warm sleeping bags when we heard distant thunder – which grew rapidly closer.

In walls of our yellow tent blazed with each lightning blast – first distant then it appeared that they came from all directions – even overhead.

Our yellow tent...

The blasts came more frequently...

We were camped close to Lambert Dome – which appeared to attract many of the lightning bolts – with no time passing between the flash and the bang!

Then rain beat against out rent, and then hail... but only briefly

I had visions of rivers of water flooding into our tent from higher lands above us

In the morning – the sun had once more returned

The storm forgotten

And out tent kept us high and dry

(to be continued next week)

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San Francisco 

Thank goodness for summer visitors – I don’t think I would see my own area if I didn’t have occasional guests. My cousin (second cousin once removed) came from the Topeka/Kansas City area with his friend.  So here is my itinerary for a good two-day exploration

Sailboat under the GG Bridge

1.     My guests arrived late morning – Oakland airport – drove across the Oakland Bay bridge and through the financial district – Embarcadero – up the steep hills of Hyde Street and down Lombard St. (the curvy part)- Left on Leavenworth to Geary – then turned left to the inner Richmond district.

The items made with rice are Sushi, the raw fish is sashimi

2.     Since they had expressed an interest in good San Francisco sushi, I checked with my resources and selected Ichiraku on Geary St.  We were the only Haole customers (Caucasian) – which is generally a good sign… the Sushi was fresh, well prepared and presented.  The ambiance of the restaurant itself is simple; the staff was very pleasant.

Parking is always available under the bridge - then walk the path to the bridge

On the GG Bridge

3.     After lunch we walked out to the first tower of the Golden gate bridge – a great vantage point for seeing the layout of the area – then we drove out to the Pacific Headlands  - a nature reserve on the north side of the bridge – where the surf was great and surfers were doing their stuff close to shore.

On Haight St.

4.     Back across the bridge to a small brew pub near the corner of Haight and Ashbury …a good chance for a late afternoon beer and an exploration of the neighborhood.  I had not been in the Haight for quite some time and was impressed to see the life and atmosphere of the area.  Great fun!  I will return!

5.     Home to Fremont – and to further their multicultural education we took them for an evening meal at our favorite Afghani restaurant – Salang Pass.

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Up and off late the next morning,

On the Ferry en route to Sausalito - Coit tower

1.     We took BART (our Bay Area subway/elevated train) under the bay to Embarcadero station - 

2.     Walking to the Ferry Building we caught the boat to Sausalito.  We left the ferry and explored the town and choose a great place for lunch (Scoma’s). More exploration, a little shopping – then we caught the return ferry.

Approaching Sausalito

3.     Explored the shops in the Ferry building – wonderful products  but a bit pricey – great Gelato!

Heart of Chinatown

4.     Walked up Washington St. past the Ma Jong players in Portsmouth Square, and captured a bit of the flavor of Chinatown – turned left onto Waverly St.  (A narrow side street)  about half way up the block, right side. Is a doorway indicating a temple – 

Side street in ChinaTown

Burning incense

      We climbed 3 floors and entered one of the oldest temples in Chinatown with a variety of deities represented, incense smoke rose in clouds, offerings of fruit were placed before some of the figures.  By offering a little money we were permitted to take photos.

Figure in temple

Figure in Temple

5.     We continued up Grant, then turned left one block up to Kearney (if Grant is for the tourists, Kearney if the street where the Chinese people do their shipping) We entered one dry fish/herb store what was amazing for its every type of dried fish, fish mows, shark fins, as well as great piles of Ginseng and other healing herbs.

Shark fins - ready for sale

6.     Continuing N on Kearney we entered the North Beach Italian neighborhood – and just managed to get inside the church of Peter and Paul before closing time.  It is grand!

Church of Peter and Paul - North Beach

7.     Then walking on up Kearney, and back to Grant to make our way to Coit tower…this is a bit steep with a gazillion steps to climb – but the view makes it worthwhile.  Inside we viewed the fabulous WPA murals from the 1930’s showing the working people of California… It’s a wonderful portrayal of everyday life in another era.

Mural detail - Coit tower

8.     By now the fatigue was beginning to show – so we opted for the easy way down – If you walk to the right after leaving Coit tower you will find a staircase that goes down to the Embarcadero – the piers… It’s quick and easy and passes through beautiful gardens and elegant homes.

Mural - Coit tower

9.     Once on Embarcadero it’s a quick walk to the right back to the Ferry Building and the entrance into BART.  On the way we passed a grand interactive water sculpture designed to the climbed, walked through, with a series of islands to jump between… all with vast amounts of water falling safely around you… It is a great place to bring out my inner child.

10.  Back home my dear wife had a wonderful meal waiting for us, and cold beers all around… Aside from a few sore feet it was a grand day.

Mural detail - Coit tower

When I show guests around in the summertime my number one goal is to avoid the standard tourist haunts that are crawling with masses of humanity… Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 are the worst and are to be avoided at all costs…

I hope my guests had as much fun as I did!


Recommended link of the week:  http://neverseconds.blogspot.com
This blog was started by an 11 year old girl in N. England to show a photograph of her daily school lunch and to comment.  During the summer ( when no school ) she is inviting guests from around the world to share their lunches... The site has become very popular - and if you look you will see why... The girl also supports a food project in Africa.  Daily updates...

Summer, Glorious summer!

Summer is offers one taste surprise after another!
Tomatoes, Green beans, Zucchini, Egg Plants, Strawberries, Basil, lettuce, Swiss Chard

Apricots, Santa Rosa Plums, Valencia Oranges, Lemons...

Picked Apricots - ready for jam making

Our good friend the Pacific Ocean gives us summer on shore breezes that make nice  temperate conditions - Days into the low 80s and nights that drop to 65F.

Santa Rose Plums

In our town of Niles, we have a community "internet group send" - it is moderated to control content, it is generally not a site for selling things, for for trading information, to give things away, and to ask community based questions.

Sugar, Pectin, Jars, Lids for Jam making

 This year our Apricot crop was not great ( the funny weather this year ) and she inquired if anyone had more apricots than they could use.   Our wonderful Niles neighbors suggested a tree that was not being picked - and it was loaded...

A pot of cooking plums in preparation for canning

Canned Jars of Plums ready for winter 

Apricot and Plum jam

Adventures come in all flavors

Images this week are from various East European art galleries.
*****Note:  <blogger.com> is not print font size correctly- sorry...

Being teachers, Judy and I have had time for incredible summer holidays!  Some years I signed up for courses or workshops, but other summers we had time for travel adventures.  To finance our travels we saved our money, and drove old cars.   Still, we found that we could travel most anywhere.  I want to tell you in this blog about a few memorable summer travel experiences...

Lada

The first rule to travel on a budget is advance planning.  We depended on the 'Lonely Planet' book and the 'Harvard Student Guide' for information on the countries that we visited.  Once we reached our destination, we attempted to adapt to local standards as much as possible.  By visiting the less expensive Eastern European countries, we could also stretch our budget.  We often stayed with “Zimmer Frei” (“Available room” ) families.   When we saw a sign displayed in a window facing the street, we knocked at the door of the house and tried our best using local languages and sign language to negotiate a room.   Renting a bedroom in their homes is much more personal than staying in a hotel room, and it is an established  tradition in many parts of Europe.  An excellent breakfast of hot chocolate or coffee, crusty buns, cheese, eggs, sliced cold meat, and marmalade are almost always included.  Most of our Zimmer Frei experiences were marvelous. 

Austrian

We stayed a few days in a farm in the Porto wine country of northern Portugal, where we slept in “Grandmothers room” with classic dark antique wooden furniture.  This estate had been in the same family since 1780.    Before dinner the owner gathered his guests into the patio to sample his wine served in wide shallow white porcelain cups,  served with tidbits of tasty  food.  It was like staying in a museum!  Here we were traveling with a rental car  so during the day we could explore the villages and natural beauty of the area.  It was the summer "fest" season with parades and special music in various villages.

Czech

In the far south of Greece in a small community of the Mani people... our room was off a courtyard with chickens scratching in the dirt  and dogs lolling in the sun.  We were in a beautiful location, our hosts were charming, the room was fine... until we went to bed and discovered that the bed was “U” shaped, with a deep valley in the middle of the bed. I finally got up and found cushions to make a bed on the floor.  Other than that, the town and its people were pure Mediterranean charm. The Mani people have a proud history of resisting invaders - they were occupied by neither the Turks nor by the Germans.

Austria

College language majors often spend a year or half a year abroad living and working in their new  language.  Our son took this opportunity to live with a family deep in the Tyrollean Alps of Austria.  This was too good an opportunity to miss, so Judy and I went to visit with his family and stayed in a fine traditional home in an Alpine mountain valleys.  It was a grand place to hike and climb mountains – but also to observe a traditional way of life, based on cattle, farming, on forests, and mountains... and to see the beauty of this life with nature.  One highlight for me was a full moon night-time climb to the top of a mountain -  it was tough hand over hand rock scrambling to get to the top, and we reached the top just as the sun was breaking through... it was glorious!  We broke out bread, sausage, cheese, chocolate, and schnapps! What a grand breakfast sitting on the mountain top.

Lada

 We visited our son another time when he was spending  two years in the Peace Corp in Kyrgystan in Central Asia...  There we stayed for several days with a Russian farm family who lived in a village on the shores of Lake Issyk Kul.  The life of the people here was basic.  Livestock in the farmyard came up to the open kitchen windows.  The family used and preserved much of the food they produced....since the opportunity to work for wages was limited.   Uncle Petro fished from the lake and preserved what he caught with salt.  He also made wicked home-made Vodka. We felt warmly received.

On another trip we were determined to reach the World Heritage Site of Hattusas Turkey, the original home of the ancient Hittite people.  It was a little surprising to be let out of the bus “ in the middle of nowhere” and the driver pointed us down a long dusty road. We soon found that there was no connecting bus or taxi available.  As so often happens, one of the locals heard our plight and said” I’m going that way – I can take you” We found ourselves in a charming very small town, with one simple hotel.  Our room was basic, but clean... and the hotel restaurant had outstanding local cuisine...plus it was a great place to connect with other visitors.    We hiked and saw the ancient ruins of the Hittite people who were the first to master the making of iron. They built a high civilization on this site.  Now it is also a site for the weaving of carpets.  We stayed three nights and in the evening we sat on the porch of the hotel with other guests, drinking good Turkish wine, and watched the geese parading  up the street and tractors coming in from the fields with their loads of garbanzo beans. 

Alphons Mucha - art nouveau example

When we arrived in the town of Kecskemet in Central Hungary every room was filled.  Someone advised us that if we went to a certain address they were sure to have a room.  In was situated behind a working tire repair shop... It smelled of rubber tires, and was a bit noisy during work hours.  But at least we had a room to ourselves.  The town was build all in an art nouveau style http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau, and  was the home of Zoltán Kodály famous for his innovative vocal and choral compositions, also famous for his statement that "it will be music that saves mankind from dehumanization during the technical age of machines."  Extraordinary town for art, music, and hot red paprika peppers.

Hungarian

While the communists were still in power, we visited Moscow, and stayed in a Soviet era hotel – and we were sure that there were microphones in each room and our every word was being recorded.  Also every floor had “watch-women” who noted the comings and goings of each person... Spooky!  There are however incredible sights to be seen in the grounds of the Kremlin and throughout the city.

Communist era art

When we were recently in Swaziland we visited one of my ex students who was in the Peace Corps living on a rural community.  The host family honored us by letting us stay in the “ancestors hut” – a round traditional hut with thatch roof and a bed that had seen better days – there were protruding springs – which we quickly learned to avoid... but the experience was grand and the people were wonderfully friendly.  When we walked anywhere, my student had to stop and greet, chat a bit, with each person we passed... it was expected.  

Austrian

We joined a work project in the mountains above Oaxaca to lay a pipeline from a springs into a village some distance away.   There we slept on the floor of the local church ( after chasing out the scorpion first).  Each morning we would be joined by the local indians of the village and together we went to the construction site to dig ditches and lay pipe.  Come break time we shared our energy bars with the Indians and they shared their fresh tortillas and local cheese with us.  They are such friendly people!  I have never seem a culture where hugs were so sustained.

Mucha: http://en -.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slav_Epic

Here in the US, the concept of the Zimmer Frei has been brought to the Internet with the airbnb system: https://www.airbnb.com/. You enter the name of a city and up pops all the available airbnb locations in that city.  Try it!  Rates are good! You stay in a persons home while they are at home – but you get a room to yourself, are generally welcomed into the living area and kitchen, and a good breakfast is provided.  We have used it a few times in America with very good results...and met wonderful outgoing people.  After you select a possible place, you can phone the owner to learn more before you commit.  Prices and the quality of rooms vary considerably.  

Beware of key descriptive words.  We stayed in one place that advertised a 4 posted bed - sounded good – but we got there and found the 4 posts were rough 4 x 4”s that went to the ceiling, and the bed was way high in the air so that we had to use a step ladder to climb into the bed.   I bumped my head on the ceiling every time I sat up in bed.  The area underneath the bed  was used for a desk.  Really nice people though.

Good travel adventures come partly from careful planning, but also  it is essential to be open to chance opportunities as they emerge.  They often come about by blind luck and the kindness of individuals.  Planning a trip around organized tours and pre scheduled stays in American style hotels, from my experience, just  eliminates  the possibility of adapting to what you find when you get to an interesting location.  It can be a little scary to go someplace with minimal advance planning - but then you are free to make the most of what you find.      Going this way requires a certain amount of risk taking, and a willingness to accept some lumps but it also leads to the greatest rewards.

Josef Lada

One tour that was an exception... we went to Tanzania with Heifer Project http://www.heifer.org  to see the work they are doing with local farms to raise the standard of living by preparing and then giving livestock to poor farmers. This tour was well planned and extraordinary for the chance to see and talk with local rural Tanzanians (with an interpreter).  After the official tour we stayed on for another 4 weeks to see and do more around Northern Tanzania - we stayed in a hotel frequented by scientists working on the Oldevai gorge and some working on NGO projects in Tanzania.  The level of ambiance was far lower than the Heifer tour hotel - but we enjoyed the people that we met there far more.


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