Backpacking Yosemite!

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." - 1 Timothy 4:8

If this is your first time to the blogosphere... Welcome! Ishimwe Running is intended to raise awareness and funds for the Ishimwe Center in Rwanda, a home for orphaned children. It is following my daughter Amy's and my efforts as we prepare to run the Calif. Intl. Marathon in Sacramento this coming Dec. 2010.

Amy and I took the end of the week off from running to backpack Yosemite (http://www.nps.gov/yose/).  We backpack annually (this was our 8th year) with any number of friends and / or family. This year we trekked with Megan, Jordan and Mark Biasotti from Tuolumne Meadows to Happy Isles on the valley floor over a three day period. Here is a short recap.

Leaving Sunrise Camp Site

Leaving San Jose late Weds. morning, we drove across the Central Valley to Merced picking up Highway 140 and entered Yosemite through the Arch Rock Entrance near El Portal. We were in the Valley mid-afternoon and headed straight for the Wilderness Center. There we picked up our reserved Wilderness Permits and Half Dome Permits (something new this year for anyone wishing to climb the rock). On the way back to the car we stopped by the Yosemite Village Store for that evening’s dinner of chili hot dogs. Then we drove to the Backpacker’s Camp. Aptly named, only those with Wilderness Permits are allowed to use a special walk-in camping area on the valley floor. It is located (almost hidden really) next to the North Pines campsites and near the Riding Stables. After a pleasant evening together laughing, listening to Jordan's stories of his cross America bicycle ride and playing card games, we slept (fitfully) under the stars with a minimum of two late night interruptions of “bear!”, clanking of pots and pans, yelling, clapping, etc. as a bear entered the camp (far away from us).

Megan B and Amy B

In the morning, it was up at 6am. We have all backpacked together before, so everyone knew the drill. As soon as I was packed, I walked to get the van. We were out of there in no time. We headed over to Yosemite Lodge for a lovely breakfast in the cafeteria. I love the shared memories of Yosemite. Every family we know has enjoyed the park in one fashion or another. The cafeteria is one such shared memory. It remains looking much like it did in the ‘60s with only upgrades in the food services area, yet remains filled with snippets of childhood memories for each of us. We drank coffee, picked up our bus tickets and chatted of Yosemite & hiking memories past as we waited for the bus to Tuolumne Meadows.

Once on the hiker’s bus, we kicked back, joke a bit about our driver’s spiel of years past and rested until Olmsted Point (just before Tenaya Lake) where we got off the bus for a Kodak moment with Half Dome in the distance; then on to the Cathedral Lakes trailhead where we were dropped off.  The hike starts off quickly gaining altitude with a series of switchbacks that eventually lead past the two lakes hidden below Cathedral Peak, named for its craggy rock outcroppings resembling a medieval cathedral. After the “reasonably” severe initial climb, the hike levels out (relatively speaking) and follows the John Muir Trail westward to Sunrise High Sierra Camp to where we set up camp for the night. Our milage: for 7.8 miles. This is one of our favorite camp settings as it overlooks a large pristine meadow reminiscent of the Plains of Rohan from Lord of the Ring trilogy.  Mark outdid himself in his culinary arts with a one pot meal of pasta salad with spam, fresh tortellini, fresh yellow and red bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, butter and tossed with Italian dressing. Dessert of Poptarts Flambe’! Yum! This camp site also allows for camp fires, so Jordan and I set about successfully starting a fire with his flint and steel (no matches) taking only a couple hundred strikes of both.  The night was crystal clear, and once the moon set, stars, shooting stars, satellites, airplanes and the Milky Way gave an impressive show of God’s majesty of creation. But it was cold that night. We woke up to the meadow as a ‘fairy land’ of frost and a wisp of smoke wafting over from the High Sierra Camp. When you sleep outside, you rise with the sun. In this case, I could lay in my bag and wait for the sun to crest the far mountains and eventually reach us with its encouraging warmth. One of our breakfast traditions is ‘eggs in a bag’ where you create an omelet of egg, cheeses, bacon, salt ‘n pepper ‘scrabbled in a sealed baggie, then placed in boiling water to cook. Once done, it’s an easy pour of cooked egg into a tortilla to make a breakfast burrito / hand warmer. After breakfast we packed then had a 20 minute quiet time which we each spent in thought, prayer, reading, or reading God’s Word. Fantastic way to start the day!

Amy & John on top of Half Dome

Our next hiking segment (as all our days should) started with a prayer, then we set off for a 7.9 mile hike to Little Yosemite Valley campground. We arrived early afternoon, found our campsite (w/ bear box) and set up camp. After a swim (all of us) in the Merced River, we prepared hor d’ourves of fried Spam and sourdough bread with olive oil & balsamic vinegar followed by a dinner of beef stew and dessert of cookies.  As the campsites filled up fast, Megan cheerfully offered to share our campsite & bear box with Jeanna and Dillon from Chicago. Neat people, but both characters. We shared our evening meal with them. Then, after our evening ablutions, we hit the hay early as we were to awaken at 2:45am Sat. in order to hike to Half Dome under a starry canopy, climb the cables and be on top for sunrise. Hiking uphill, in the dark makes for a cool and amazingly quick transit. Ok, maybe we were way early, and there was a freezing cold wind, but we were there when the Sun crested the Sierras around 6:35 while y’all were still in bed.  But wait, that’s not all… we brought a camp stove, water and fixings for coffee with 1/2 & 1/2, hot cocoa and oatmeal for breakfast. The view from the top is absolutely 360 degree AMAZING! No matter how many times climbed, the thrill of accomplishment combined with the breathtaking, never to become monotonous views is truly awesome. After breakfast, we paused to give thanks and honor Christ by partaking in communion on top of the Dome. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

Jordan, Megan, Amy & Mark
Just down off  the cables

We then headed down to camp, packed up and hit the Mist Trail to trek down to Happy Isle. Ask Amy and Megan about their desire to help a couple of wayward hikers find their way to Merced Lake. We stopped at Emerald Pool at the top of Vernal Falls for our final trail meal, then headed down the trail, fighting our way through the Sat. crowds all heading up to Vernal and Nevada Falls. What a delight it is that a park such as Yosemite can be accessible to so many people from literally around the world.  I heard French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and even a bit of the Queen’s English plus American dialects. And every shape, size and age of visitors could be seen. It would have been more fun  people watching had we not been on our last miles of our 31 mile trek through the Sierras. We enjoyed a bus ride through the valley back to Yosemite Lodge where the car was parked. A quick change into clean clothes, and shoes; bought a Diet Coke, mailed a postcard to Mom (Hi Mom!) then on to Oakdale for Pizza & Starbucks and home to San Jose by evening.A great trip with wonderful friends. We look forward to going back next year! – Johnny B

I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus

I am grateful for bold coffee

I am grateful for hill running

I am grateful for clean sheets

I am grateful for inspiring artwork