Day 83: Zero day in Yosemite Valley

A zero day in Yosemite Valley was not the original plan: I have been to the Valley before, seen the sights, didn't need to see them again. Instead I had thought to spend the day here in the Tuolumne Meadow Campground, maybe snoozing, maybe trying (in vain) to catch up with this blog, just staying off my feet and trying to recover the ankle. But the inventory in the Tuolumne Meadows General Store was thin (likely from the July 4th folks coming through), so I opted to head out and at least resupply in Yosemite Valley.

So we got the 8:31am YART bus, and I snoozed on the day up, partially because I was tired, but mostly because I was getting carsick. I woke up right before we entered Yosemite Valley proper, watched as we went through the tunnels, and then, before I knew it, we were driving through  the Valley.

And I looked up and saw those granite cliff faces soaring above, and suddenly I was a giddy child all over again and it was incredible.

The view of El Capitan, from the base, even from a car, is spectacular: the power of that huge, imposing face of sheer stone, in whose presence my self is rendered so tiny as to be empty. The view of Yosemite Falls, falling from so high, that looks so thin and narrow against the granite cliffs, until you reach the base of the Lower Falls and see the people bouldering up the rocks and realize the scale of the thing in human terms, and again are rendered so tiny as to be empty. The view of Half Dome in the distance, a signpost always behind the treetops, always reminding you that, yes, this is Yosemite. And then all the granite faces around the Village (where we lingered--we were just walking after all), all the unnamed pinnacles and peaks, all the unfamous, but still dramatic and writing straight to the joyous part of my heart, making me laugh out loud because no other emotion would seem to fit.

I had not wanted to stop in Yosemite Valley, I had wanted to do practical things, check things off the to-do list, improve my chances of medical recovery. But I did stop in Yosemite Valley and, for the sheer joy it brought me, it was a Good Decision and, I daresay, the Right Decision.

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Some notes:

-- So the original impetus here was that AC/DC and Outlast, and Lux and Khaleesi, had never seen the Valley before. So being in Yosemite for the first time, well, they kinda had to go. And I think they were suitably impressed: Lux I know kept staring out the bus window with wide eyes, trying to take it all in, swapping between sides of the bus as the driver announced this or that highlight. I was just along for the resupply, as were Dylan and Uno (although they may also have added the chance to chill on a beach by the river--Dylan had been trying to subtlely suggest having a picnic all yesterday), as we had all seen it before. But, for me at least, that sheen of cynicism shattered away as soon as the bus dropped to the Valley floor and I looked up. (Outlast suggested that the buses here should have glass ceilings--he's not wrong.)

-- So we took the YARTs bus both ways, and both ways I started getting carsick. Dylan has this theory that, because we're spending all this time moving-by-hiking, we're actually more susceptible to carsickness. That may be true: I don't think this ride would have been a problem before but this time, yeah, had to take some naps to make the time pass faster.

-- Itinerary-wise, we took the YART bus to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, and went straight to the deli. Caught the end of the breakfast hours--got some breakfast sandwiches (and I got a fruit cup too because in town equals greens and fruits for me), waited for about 15 minutes, then got in line for the lunch hours. Ate another sandwich (and I got a lentil soup too because in town equals greens and fruits for me), and then we started exploring. Dylan made a joke about visiting the Ansel Adams Gallery and, lo and behold, we happened to be passing it at the time so we headed in, viewed the prints on the wall, shook our heads at how expensive they were. After that we walked over to Lower Yosemite Falls and then we split: Lux wanted to hike up the Columbia Trail, a short sub-mile jaunt that would afford a view of the Valley from above, and Dylan and Khaleesi accompanied him. The rest of us headed back to the Village and the General Store, resupplied (where the selection was better and some of the prices felt cheaper), then wandered a bit down the river until we found a beach. We ate, they swam, and then we high-tailed it back to the Village to catch the last bus, at 5pm, and head back to Tuolumne Meadows Campground.

-- A bunch of folks did go swimming in the river: AC/DC and Outlast, Lux and Khaleesi. And Tress--who we met on the beach--had already done so. I refrained. I'm a bit hesitant to go swimming, partially because I already have some trouble breathing--surrounding myself with a non-breathable medium wouldn't seem to help things--and partially because my right arm has been acting up. Move it certain ways and it'll spasm and suddenly weaken and collapse. I suspect this is a complication of an older weakness in the arm from before the hike, complicated by the fall, and likely aggravated by my new habit of swinging my arms backwards and holding up my pack from behind as I hike (makes it easier to breathe, but shifts weight onto the arms), but I don't trust the arm at this point. And in a swimming situation, you kind of need to trust the arm. So no swimming for me for a while.

-- As I was walking through the backpacker's campground at the end of the day, I saw a tent with some laundry--socks and some towels--hanging on the guidelines. And I thought, could that be? So knock knock, I said, as I approached. And, lo and behold, I was right, and it *was* J&J! They had gotten in to camp in the early afternoon, Jane had soaked her feet (and some clothes) in the river, Jean had used the spigot at the end of the campground to do the same, and here they were, just two days away from finishing the JMT! I congratulated them, although Jean was quick to note that, no, they weren't done yet, and I knocked on wood on a nearby tree in solidarity (to be fair, I invoke the same admonition whenever people talk about the end of the PCT). It was late by now and so near Book Time for them, but we talked a bit--we all marveled at the beauty of the Lyell Canyon meadows, went wide-eyed recounting the difficulty of the descent into the canyon (cobblestones on a slant, really?, who built this--I mean I understand the erosion control, but what about the traction control?), looked ahead to our separate JMT and PCT paths (they diverge from here--the PCT continues north to Glen Aulin while the JMT curves southward and heads to its terminus in Yosemite Valley). Jean recommended using Seabands for my carsickness in future (as for my solution--dramamine--that makes you loopy, she warned), and Jane noted that trails in the north seemed much more sedate and less rocky than the ones in the south (the descent into Lyell Canyon notwithstanding), among other things. Both noted that Lyell Canyon had a lot of pollen--they woke with their tent covered in a fine powder--although this was also their polite way of assuaging my issues with breathing: it's not the rib contusion, it's the environment! Their the plan was to finish in two days, then they had to figure out the YART bus and CalTrain to get back to the Bay Area; I suggested that that sounded complicated and why not spend an extra day in Yosemite Valley--I mean you're here, right?--and North Pine campground (from what I hear) caters to backpackers so you even have a place to stay. I'm not trying to mess up your schedule or anything, I'm just saying, you'll be in Yosemite Valley, it'll be beautiful (even despite all the crowds of people), so why not take the extra day? It's not the devil's advocate, it's just common sense! :p

-- (Although to me, I will admit that saying "despite all the crowds" above is a bit disingenuous: I find the crowds give the Valley another sort of beauty. Not a majestic, imposing one, but a very human, very "do you see this amazing thing?, here, let me share it with you" eager sort of beauty. I dunno, I just find watching all the families, all the grandparents and kids enjoying these spectacular spaces, brings a smile to my face, and its genuine, so I can't really complain about the crowds in good faith.)

-- When I wished J&J congratuations on the JMT, Jean noted that they still had two days left. When they wished me well on the PCT, I did the same, noting that it was still a long way to Canada. But Jean said, well, you've had bruised ribs and you're still going, you'll make it, which I thought was a very sweet thing to say. Not saying I believe it--if anything, the bruised ribs just show how many different ways I can find to *hinder* my progress to Canada--but the sentiment is a credit to her, I feel.

-- A physical update: last night was the first night where I was able to sleep on my side! This is very exciting! Whether it was true recovery, or the Advil, either way, rolling onto my side--with pain, of course, but not that much--and then being able to *stay* on my side and *breathe*, that's a development. It also makes it so that I don't have to stay in one position all night, which tends to make me stiff in the morning. And also: when I got back to Tuolumne and came up the hill to the campsite, I noticed that it was a lot harder than carrying the same load in Yosemite Valley. There I walked around and barely felt the soreness in my lungs, here I walk and I know each breath is stretching out my lungs, tickling the edges of pain. Certainly the expansion has proceeded apace and the breath is discovering much newer areas: the frontier is now in my lower ribs and up into my shoulders and back, whereas it used to be much more contained. And this is good, but it was still a stark contrast to the ease I was getting away with in the Valley! I'm 'guessing the difference is the elevation--here at Tuolumne we're at 8500 feet, whereas Yosemite Valley is closer to 4500 feet--and not just the elation of seeing the granite!

-- Finally, it was hot in the Valley, 90+ degrees. The sort of heat that's motivation sapping, despite the wondrous sights surrounding. Again, come up here to elevation, and it's pretty pleasant: a bit warm, perhaps, but still cool enough to get moving and get things done. (Granted I was only up here for the early morning and late afternoon rather than midday, but I think the principle stands.) This but emphasizes the accounts we've been seeing of folks further along the trail in NorCal, who are evidently experiencing high heat (110+ degrees) and smoky air (the fires have started). Hmm, NorCal looks like it's going to be it's own challenge. But for me, well, let's get out of these Sierras first, and worry about that later. As my dad always says: we plan ahead, we don't worry ahead.