Back from holiday mood! It felt surreal, having holiday I mean. Time flies so fast that I didn't feel I've enough of wondering the world out there!
For a start, let me just share you a story, a true one, that I made along the 3 weeks stints I've in California.
I went camping at the Yosemite National Park. Camping for consecutively 3 nights with my loyal NZ summer tent and my synthetic sleeping bag. And through it all, there were snow and blizzard days and nights I was there. And you can imagine how cold was it. No, don't imagine just yet and let me tell you my story before your imaginations take place.
Day 1: I arrived on bus from Merced at Yosemite at around 12 noon. The weather was alright, not too much soon nor was it gloomy. Perfect for hiking the trails that I've been wanting (or rather dying) to get my feet on. I went to the designated camp site:free, and arguably most deserted one as it doesn't have any of the facilities that other camp sites had to offer. Set my tent under a tree, stow my food in a metal locker and off I lurked around the park in my boots. The rocks that formed the mountain there are mammoth, giants and huge! I feel so small standing there in awe. Such is the greatness of nature! Had dinner by 6 pm after satisfying my walk about to the rather short (3 miles) trail to the Mirror Lake overlooking the Half Dome. That night, as I slept the snow started to fall. I got excited, since it's my first time camping in the snow, so the cold didn't really get to me. For now.
Day 2: As I woke up that morning, opened my tent door and I saw bears paw prints on the snow near my food metal locker. Strangely enough, I didn't hear a thing last night! Snow was my knee deep (2 feet!) and it's still snowing. I told myself it's going to get better by the day and my hike plan was still on! In fact I was roaring to go that I got all my hike gears on me in no time. As I continued to do one of the hikes that goes all the way up to 2000 feet elevation to the top of Yosemite Fall, the snow got worse and I wasn't able to see anything beyond a meter around me! It's all white..Felt like in Alice's Wonderland! So I decided to pull out and walked down and do rather flat walks around the park.. I said to myself lets go to the Mirror Lake again! And I did.. Snow didn't stop the whole day, by the time I hit the Mirror Lake it's not that easy to maneuver around in thigh deep snow. But I felt so blessed: I saw many reindeers, bobcats, squirrels along the way. Was truly a day! I returned to my tent only to find out my tent is almost collapsing under the snow weight. Had to dig that one out before I could get in my tent and rest for the night. Snowing still...
Day 3: When I got up, it was impossible to open my tent door as the snow was waist deep! Had to work my way out of the tent a bit. It's now snow blizzard. Couldn't see anything but snow flakes falling from the sky! Beautiful.. I couldn't bear myself to stay the whole day in the tent so I've to keep moving if I don't want to die from cold. So I went to all the short treks that are full of the history of the park, significant buildings etc. It was so cold by the time I get back to my tent in the afternoon (5 pm) I was shivering cold. Down jacket, rain jacket pants and almost everything were wet from the outing. Had to survive for the night...Have to! Slept shivering...
Day 4: Must leave the park today as the roads were cut and closed for all vehicles. Hitch-hiked to Merced, or San Francisco. 2 guys I've chatted with earlier the days before remembered me as they pass by their hotel lobby. Told him my story, bus isn't coming and I'm wanting to get off at SF for my flight home. The 2 guys were very kind to give me a lift, and along the way asked me if I've a place to stay. Told them I've no one in SF and that I'm staying at a backpacker hostel. David said, 'Look Jess, we've a room in our house that you can crash in for as long as you need'. Gasp..Lovely Americans!! Stayed in a house that is on top of the hill called Diamond Heights overlooking SF city lighted up in lights everyday until the day I left. I found my family in SF.
Comment: 'There are no strangers in the world, only friends we've not met'
For a start, let me just share you a story, a true one, that I made along the 3 weeks stints I've in California.
I went camping at the Yosemite National Park. Camping for consecutively 3 nights with my loyal NZ summer tent and my synthetic sleeping bag. And through it all, there were snow and blizzard days and nights I was there. And you can imagine how cold was it. No, don't imagine just yet and let me tell you my story before your imaginations take place.
Day 1: I arrived on bus from Merced at Yosemite at around 12 noon. The weather was alright, not too much soon nor was it gloomy. Perfect for hiking the trails that I've been wanting (or rather dying) to get my feet on. I went to the designated camp site:free, and arguably most deserted one as it doesn't have any of the facilities that other camp sites had to offer. Set my tent under a tree, stow my food in a metal locker and off I lurked around the park in my boots. The rocks that formed the mountain there are mammoth, giants and huge! I feel so small standing there in awe. Such is the greatness of nature! Had dinner by 6 pm after satisfying my walk about to the rather short (3 miles) trail to the Mirror Lake overlooking the Half Dome. That night, as I slept the snow started to fall. I got excited, since it's my first time camping in the snow, so the cold didn't really get to me. For now.
Day 2: As I woke up that morning, opened my tent door and I saw bears paw prints on the snow near my food metal locker. Strangely enough, I didn't hear a thing last night! Snow was my knee deep (2 feet!) and it's still snowing. I told myself it's going to get better by the day and my hike plan was still on! In fact I was roaring to go that I got all my hike gears on me in no time. As I continued to do one of the hikes that goes all the way up to 2000 feet elevation to the top of Yosemite Fall, the snow got worse and I wasn't able to see anything beyond a meter around me! It's all white..Felt like in Alice's Wonderland! So I decided to pull out and walked down and do rather flat walks around the park.. I said to myself lets go to the Mirror Lake again! And I did.. Snow didn't stop the whole day, by the time I hit the Mirror Lake it's not that easy to maneuver around in thigh deep snow. But I felt so blessed: I saw many reindeers, bobcats, squirrels along the way. Was truly a day! I returned to my tent only to find out my tent is almost collapsing under the snow weight. Had to dig that one out before I could get in my tent and rest for the night. Snowing still...
Day 3: When I got up, it was impossible to open my tent door as the snow was waist deep! Had to work my way out of the tent a bit. It's now snow blizzard. Couldn't see anything but snow flakes falling from the sky! Beautiful.. I couldn't bear myself to stay the whole day in the tent so I've to keep moving if I don't want to die from cold. So I went to all the short treks that are full of the history of the park, significant buildings etc. It was so cold by the time I get back to my tent in the afternoon (5 pm) I was shivering cold. Down jacket, rain jacket pants and almost everything were wet from the outing. Had to survive for the night...Have to! Slept shivering...
Day 4: Must leave the park today as the roads were cut and closed for all vehicles. Hitch-hiked to Merced, or San Francisco. 2 guys I've chatted with earlier the days before remembered me as they pass by their hotel lobby. Told him my story, bus isn't coming and I'm wanting to get off at SF for my flight home. The 2 guys were very kind to give me a lift, and along the way asked me if I've a place to stay. Told them I've no one in SF and that I'm staying at a backpacker hostel. David said, 'Look Jess, we've a room in our house that you can crash in for as long as you need'. Gasp..Lovely Americans!! Stayed in a house that is on top of the hill called Diamond Heights overlooking SF city lighted up in lights everyday until the day I left. I found my family in SF.
Comment: 'There are no strangers in the world, only friends we've not met'
