Thu, 8/12/11
KOA, Coarsegold, CA:  Made another foray into Yosemite today.  Only this time we parked in the lot by the old chapel and then took the free shuttle around the valley.  The forest fire that’s going on seemed worse today.  More smoke.  The shuttle worked out very well.  We saw a lot more than we did when we tried to drive around and find places to park.  Stopped at the Ahwahnee Lodge for lunch.  A beautiful stone and cedar lodge at the end of the valley surrounded by granite spires. After lunch I bought a DVD on rock climbing at the gift shop and we continued on the shuttle to the trail head for Vernal Falls. My hiking boots were in the truck and I only had my Keds on, plus I was carrying my camera and the DVD I just bought.  Mike was carrying his camera also.  The trail to the bridge is only a mile.  We had planned on going that far where the falls come into view and then come back.  But it got steeper and steeper.  And a lot of people.  So I turned around but Mike went on.  I went back down and sat talking to a guy who teaches archeology at Vassar.  He was waiting for his wife and others to come back down.  Mike came back and we headed for the shuttle back to our parking space.  It’s around 5:30 by now and the traffic was bumper-to-bumper heading out of the park.  By the time we drove back to the entrance it was 7:30 and the road was open to the Mariposa Grove, so we drove up there.  We thought the redwoods were big?  The Sequoias are much bigger.  I don’t think they’re taller, but bigger around.  Walked around there for a while, awed by the size of these trees.  Then drove back to our park.  A pretty drive with the almost-full moon out.  It must be beautiful in Yosemite valley with the moonlight washing over everything. 

Mike and John Muir

The fireplace in the Ahwahnee Lodge

The other side of the fireplace shown above--huge!

Beautiful Yosemite Valley