We went over the Memorial Day weekend to Yosemite. We left on Friday returned on Monday. It’s a long drive about 6 hours with kids. We arrived in the late evening. Upon arrival we settled into our tent cabin at Curry village. I find these cabins too fun!! the first night patrick camped with us as the rest of his scout troop was expected to arrive on Saturday. Once we got all done unloading. We discovered that the eateries had closed for the evening. :( Patrick decided the vending machine was just right for him! @@ We get him happy that’s important, right?! We leave him at the tent cabin. John and I decided to eat a freeze-dried meal. At the tent cabins your not allowed to eat there. So off to the bear bins we go! This seems to be the place to prepare your own meals while staying in curry village. By this time we are using the headlamps .
There we set up the stove that john has it boils water very quickly and is very small its designed for backpacking where pack space is very important. We prepare the meal. We’re having chicken and rice. We discovered that john's new mess kit is too small for the amount of water required. (Mental note to fix that) so we boil water 2x. No matter how short a time it takes to boil water one still has to wait for it to do so!!
While waiting for the last of the water to boil. I hear some men approaching talking about how "its" running loose. Being the dog person I am and knowing what a *pita* it is to try and grab a running dog. I turn to try and grab it. It was a bit out of my reach and moving towards john’s side of the bear bin as it clicks in my mind, that isn’t a dog! "Oh my god john, its a bear!" he hollers at it to "gIt". I was proud he had the presence of mind to tell it to move on!! My brain was still stuck on that not a dog!!! Our first Yosemite bear encounter!! Woo-Hoo!! One of the weekends highlights!
We quickly finish mixing up dinner and head back to the cabin for the night. We decide not to tell Patrick of our encounter as the last time we stayed at curry village he has some anxiety issues with the tent cabins and the bears!! @@ Silly kid! It took me a while to figure it out. <@@ At self> the bears go "grocery" shopping in the late evening starting around 9-9:30. Guess that’s why all the eateries close at 9 to accommodate the bear schedule! They might have told me!!
People are up early in Curry Village 5am; people are banging bear bins, talking and moving around for the day!! Its cold!!! It’s really cold!! I decide that sleep is a good thing!! Back to shivering and sleep I go. I rise about 7am. A shower without Shannon would be very nice. I quietly leave the cabin. It’s warmer outside of the tent then inside. <grr> I quickly shower. These are communal type showers. So quick is good. I then head over to the coffee corner. Tea for me, cocoa for Patrick and coffee for john. I drop off their beverages. I love to sit out and look while at curry village there are few bad views. Besides its still warmer outside then in. john soon awakens, then Shannon. Patrick had to be pried from bed, oh the sleep of a teenager!!
I want some! As Tioga road is open. It’s early for this time of year for it to be open not as much snow in the higher elevations, my guess. We decide to drive up to Tuolumne meadows. The drive is beautiful!! Tuolumne is a different kind of noise. The valley of Yosemite shouts its grandeur, Tuolumne is quieter yet communicates its message that equals that of the Yosemite Valley. John and I look at the campground there. We think sometime we'll camp up there. Patrick is anxious to return to the valley. He is to meet up with the other members of this troop who are arriving today in preparation for the hikes tomorrow. Back to the valley we go! I am glad that we did not do a lot of driving once there. I dislike the driving around when I reach a place I want to be.
Once back at curry village shopping kills time while awaiting the organization of cabin assignments. Patrick will move over and join a few other members of this troop. In a their own tent cabin for the next 2 nights. Once the tents are assigned. Cars are to clear out of all foodstuffs. Bears can be very determined in their "grocery" shopping. Foods and things that have a scent must be put in the bear bins. To avoid the destruction of a car. This done its time to eat. We all eat at the curry pavilion its a buffet of all you can eat, something Patrick is good at. That done final directions are given as to when, where they will gather for the beginning of the hikes in the morning.
John organizes his pack, makes final food preps, etc. I hang out with him while he is doing this. Shannon is sleeping. All is quiet lovely! There is some noise, outside the tent cabin about someone leaving their dinner outside of their cabin. Big deal right?! :O) They lost a ham sandwich to a bear that had lunch on a rock close to our cabin!! woo-hoo the nightly entertainment has started to pick up!! The guy in the tent above ours pops out. As I am heading off to the restrooms, seems his buddy is concerned about the food and beverages they have in their tent cabins.@@ little did I know a bear had been seen pretty close to these cabins. I go back to the tent cabin grab the camera. This is the best!! After john has all his stuff done he joins me. There are a few people out watching for the bear. John walks around a few of the tents cabin following the bear. He ends up scaring a lady by pointing out that the bear wasn't where she thought it was rather that is was much closer to her than she thought it was great!! Her story got a bit bigger every time she told it that was almost as funny as john calmly scaring the pants off her. As it’s late 11 or so john needs to get to bed so that he can meet the sun with the rest of the troop in the am.
It was warmer Saturday night than Friday night was. Could be the added blankets we took off Patrick’s bed. John did a good job of leaving with out disturbing me much. I find it hard to sleep in any bed but for my own. Shannon and I sleep in. we AWAKEN TO YET ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY. Prep then load and we stuff into the truck. Today we check out of curry village. When john gets in we will drive down to wawona for the night. We then shower, head off to breakfast. We dine again at the pavilion I was mad and disappointed as I got there late. 10 am they close everything up at 10:30am. So no tea, etc after the first plate I was mad enough to speak to the manager about this. Given she did nothing. I however felt a BIT BETTER! SHANNON AND I HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO KILL BEFORE THE HIKERS RETURN TO CURRY VILLAGE. WE HEAD OUT ON OUR OWN ADVENTURE. WE TOOK THE SHUTTLE TO HAPPY ISLES. WE STROLL AROUND THE TRAILS; TAKE PICTURES HAVE THE MERCED RIVER. WE WENT AS FAR AS THE TRAIL HEADS FOR VERNAL FALLS. AS ITS NOT STROLLER ACCESSIBLE WE WALK BACK TO CURRY VILLAGE. THE SHUTTLES WERE VERY OVER CROWDED. WITH HER STROLLER JUST TOO MUCH TO TRY THE SHUTTLE AGAIN. WE THEN RENTED A BIKE WITH A TRAILER. NEXT TIME OUR BIKES WILL GO TO YOSEMITE WITH US. WE HAD A NICE RIDE OVER TO YOSEMITE VILLAGE. WE SHOP AT THE GROCERY STORE. THEN BUY A SANDWICH AT DENGAN'S. WE THEN TAKE THE BIKE BACK TO THE RENT PLACE. ITS GETTING LATER IN THE DAY. I AM VERY TIRED. WE HANG OUT AT THE LOUNGE WHILE AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF THE HIKERS. BOTH SHANNON AND I SNOOZE A BIT DURING THIS TIME.
ABOUT 5 ISH JOHN ARRIVES AT THE LOUNGE. HE IS EXHAUSTED. HE IS ALL IN ONE PIECE! SEEMS HIS KNEE GAVE HIM FITS N THE WAY DOWN. PATRICK SOON ARRIVES. HE'D ARRIVED EARLIER. I DID NOT KNOW THIS HOWEVER. SOON AFTER WE TURN PATRICK OVER TO THE REST OF THE HIKE LEADERS. WE HEAD OUT TO WAWONA FOR JOHN TO SHOWER, AND A MEAL. IT TOOK US ABOUT AN HOUR TO GET TO THE WAWONA. WE QUICKLY CHECK IN, SHOWER. OFF TO THE DINING ROOM. WE HAD THE GILROY GARLIC APPETIZER, YUM!! JOHN HAD THE TROUT. I HAD THE POT ROAST. SO GOOD!! THE WAWONa IS LOVELY IT’S A OLD HOTEL. WITH LOTS OF CHARACTER AND CHARM. OUR ROOM HAD NO ADJOINING BATH. NEXT TIME I WILL SPRING FOR ONE WITH A BATH. WE ARE QUITE EXHAUSTED FROM THE DAYS ADVENTURES TO BED WE GO.I AWAKEN EARLY.
I MUST NOT MISS ANYTHING!! LOTS TO SEE AND DO. BUMMER WE NEED TO HEAD BACK HOME TODAY. I HEAD OFF TO THE SHOWERS. THE MEADOW THAT OUR ROOM OVER LOOKS IS MIST COVERED THE DAY HASN'T QUIET AWAKENED HERE. MOVE OFF TO THE SHOWER I MUST. THEN I GET COFFEE AND TEA FOR BOTH OF US. RETURN TO THE ROOM TO AWAKEN JOHN. A NOTE WAS ON THE DOOR TELLING ME THAT ONE OF THE LEADERS WILL BE BRINGING PATRICK OUT FROM THE VALLEY I CALL AND ARRANGE FOR PATRICK TO BE DROPPED OFF TO US AT THE WAWONA. YEAH!! NOW FOR A NICE BREAKFAST A QUICK TOUR OF THE GROUNDS! WHILE WALKING TOWARDS THE DINING ROOM. THE STAFF DOES A FLAG RAISING CEREMONY AND WHISTLES THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER. VERY NICE AND SO RIGHT FOR MEMORIAL DAY. THIS ADDS A DIFFERENT ELEMENT TO THE DAY. BREAKFAST WAS A BUFFET. GOOD FOOD AND NO RUSH! AFTER BREAKFAST WE WALKED OVER TO THE VISITORS CENTER. SHANNON BOUGHT "BEE" THE BEAR; IT HAS A YOSEMITE BEAR EAR TAG VERY CUTE! DONE OUR SHOPPING TRIP WE GO BACK TO OUR ROOM TO GATHER OUR LUGGAGE. PATRICK ARRIVES AT THIS TIME. HE HELPS LOAD THE TRUCK. WE CHECK OUT. ON OUR WAY HOME! I ALWAYS FEEL TORN WHEN IT’S TIME TO GO.
PART OF ME IS ENJOYING THE ADVENTURE THE OTHER PART LONGS FOR MY BED AND THE NORMALCY OF ROUTINE. I AM TRYING TO DETERMINE WHEN OUR CALENDAR ALLOWS FOR US TO RETURN TO YOSEMITE.
John's Page Patrick's Page Tiffany's Page Shannon's Page