Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Chilling with the Captain
After our epic day of hiking, Aunt Peggy, Uncle Rob, and I had a much needed chill day on Friday. Our entire trip was pretty much nonstop with busy days, so it was really nice to relax. We found a perfect spot in front of El Capitan to set up some chairs and chill. It was amazing because for some reason very few people were there, even though everything was mobbed just a bit further into the valley. Thanks so much to Aunt Peggy and Uncle Rob for joining me in California! It was an absolutely incredible time!
The Death March
This is the story of an epic hike that Uncle Rob and I did in Yosemite National Park on Thursday, July 25. We hiked from Tenaya Lake to Clouds Rest, and then all the way down to the Yosemite Valley floor where our campsite was. It was the challenge we had been looking forward to for months, and it has earned the title above: The Death March
Wednesday: Planning
After a busy travel day on Wednesday, we sat down at the picnic table to plan out our hike. Aunt Peggy would drive us up and out of the Yosemite Valley to Tenaya Lake, roughly an hour and twenty minutes from our campsite. She would then drive back to the campsite and hike up the Mist Trail to meet us later on the hike. At the trail head, Rob and I would hike 6.5 miles to Clouds Rest for views of Half Dome and the entire Yosemite Valley. After that we'd walk down toward the valley and connect with the Mist Trail, where we would meet up with Aunt Peggy and continue downward to our campsite in Upper Pines Campground.
Thursday: The Death March
We began at 5:30 AM. It was nice and calm in the morning, and the drive out of the valley toward Tenaya Lake was pretty. We parked near Tenaya lake and started to gear up. It was chilly up there, so we put on some warmer clothes. Uncle Rob surprised me with some trekking poles (thank you!!) as we were getting our backpacks ready, which turned out to be extremely helpful by the end of the day. Once Aunt Peggy took some “before” photos, she drove away and we started walking.
Unfortunately about 150 yards in we came to a little lake that we had to cross, so we had to switch to our water shoes. As we started changing shoes the mosquitoes began. They swarmed around us and landed all over us. We crossed the pool and luckily the water was not as cold as I expected it to be. On the other side we switched back to our boots, trying to move quickly to avoid mosquito bites. We thought that once we got away from Tenaya lake they would disappear. Boy was that wrong. We kept hiking and had a lot of elevation gain early on. Anytime we stopped for ten seconds we were swarmed by mosquitoes, and bug spray did nothing to help. Once we finally got the the top of the first long climb the mosquitoes seemed to be at their worst. Some backpackers told us they were cutting their trip short because of the bugs; it was the worst they had ever seen. We kept moving to avoid getting bitten and passed a picturesque lake. As we got higher we began to hike over snow, and I started getting a slight headache from the elevation around 9000 ft.
Soon we were within view of Clouds Rest, but we still had a long climb. As it got steeper we slowed down, stopping to catch our breath a few times. After a long trek, we were finally climbing up the narrow ridge (pictured above) to Clouds Rest, and the views were starting to get really good. We could see mountains all around and snow capped peaks in the distance. At Clouds Rest the view was PHENOMENAL. It also helped that the mosquitoes were finally gone at that point. At the top, we could look down onto Half Dome and even see people hiking it through binoculars. Aside from Half Dome, the entire Yosemite Valley was visible. After eating some food, taking lots of photos, and talking to people, we were reluctant to leave and start a long walk down to the valley. At the beginning of the descent, we came out onto this rock jetty and military jet came flying over us doing barrel rolls. It flew down into the valley and shot back out in front of us. We figured the pilot probably wasn't supposed to be doing that but it was pretty awesome to see.
We continued through many miles downhill with not too much to see. In reality, everything was still pretty beautiful, but we weren’t getting any insane views so it didn’t have the same effect as some other spots we stopped. It started getting really hot on the valley side of the mountain, so we had to stop a view times to replenish our water supply at a stream. The miles to Nevada Falls seemed to take forever, Rob and I were both pretty fatigued at that point. Finally we made it to the top of the falls and saw Aunt Peggy waiting for us on a footbridge. She turned around and was excited to see us but we didn’t have much of a response for her in our tired state. Aunt Peggy warned us that the hike down the stone steps along the Mist Trail was treacherous, but it was the only we we could see the falls so Rob and I decided we had to stick to our original plan and walk the Mist Trail back to our campsite. Aunt Peggy decided to take the John Muir trail instead, which was less steep but a little longer. I had a pretty annoying headache so I got some Tylenol from Aunt Peggy, and after a snack we were on our way.
The trail down the falls was super steep and rocky, but the trekking poles really helped us save our knees and stay balanced. The Tylenol I got from Aunt Peggy saved me; I started to feel a bit more energetic and excited to see the falls. We finally got to the base of the Nevada falls and the view was pretty great, but we just snapped a few quick photos and kept moving. We were in grind mode. After we passed the top of the Vernal Falls, we came up to the really steep and narrow stone steps. After a bit we made it to the portion of the trail that we'd been waiting for, Mist Trail. Mist from the Vernal falls soaked the stone steps and cooled us off as we passed through. We had no trouble with the help of the trekking poles, and we were passing people on the way down. Views of the falls were amazing, and it was so cool to hike right next to them on stone steps. At the bottom of the steps Aunt Peggy happened to intersect back onto our trail at he exact moment we passed the John Muir trail, so the three of us continued together.
After that we had a long downhill paved section that seemed to last forever. This part really sucked because going downhill on the steep slant really tired out my ankles, and at that point we just has to keep walking to get back to camp. There was not really much else to see from there, so we basically just booked it down as fast as we could. Finally we made it to the valley floor and walked back to the campsite a few minutes after 6 PM. We were all exhausted and laughed a bit about how tired we were. It was deemed that the name The Death March was fitting enough for the blog post. Overall, it was the epic hike that we had been dreaming of, and I had an absolute blast. Special thanks to Uncle Rob for finding the hike and planning so much of it out. I don’t think we could’ve possibly done a better hike that day. Also props to Aunt Peggy for going up the falls to meet us, that was no easy hike!
Stats:
Distance: 17.3 mi Elevation Gain: 2,769 ft Moving Time: 8 hr 21 s
Average Pace: 27:35 Calories Burned: 4,166 Total Time: 10 hr 59 min 58 s
Wednesday: Planning
After a busy travel day on Wednesday, we sat down at the picnic table to plan out our hike. Aunt Peggy would drive us up and out of the Yosemite Valley to Tenaya Lake, roughly an hour and twenty minutes from our campsite. She would then drive back to the campsite and hike up the Mist Trail to meet us later on the hike. At the trail head, Rob and I would hike 6.5 miles to Clouds Rest for views of Half Dome and the entire Yosemite Valley. After that we'd walk down toward the valley and connect with the Mist Trail, where we would meet up with Aunt Peggy and continue downward to our campsite in Upper Pines Campground.
Thursday: The Death March
We began at 5:30 AM. It was nice and calm in the morning, and the drive out of the valley toward Tenaya Lake was pretty. We parked near Tenaya lake and started to gear up. It was chilly up there, so we put on some warmer clothes. Uncle Rob surprised me with some trekking poles (thank you!!) as we were getting our backpacks ready, which turned out to be extremely helpful by the end of the day. Once Aunt Peggy took some “before” photos, she drove away and we started walking.
Soon we were within view of Clouds Rest, but we still had a long climb. As it got steeper we slowed down, stopping to catch our breath a few times. After a long trek, we were finally climbing up the narrow ridge (pictured above) to Clouds Rest, and the views were starting to get really good. We could see mountains all around and snow capped peaks in the distance. At Clouds Rest the view was PHENOMENAL. It also helped that the mosquitoes were finally gone at that point. At the top, we could look down onto Half Dome and even see people hiking it through binoculars. Aside from Half Dome, the entire Yosemite Valley was visible. After eating some food, taking lots of photos, and talking to people, we were reluctant to leave and start a long walk down to the valley. At the beginning of the descent, we came out onto this rock jetty and military jet came flying over us doing barrel rolls. It flew down into the valley and shot back out in front of us. We figured the pilot probably wasn't supposed to be doing that but it was pretty awesome to see.
We continued through many miles downhill with not too much to see. In reality, everything was still pretty beautiful, but we weren’t getting any insane views so it didn’t have the same effect as some other spots we stopped. It started getting really hot on the valley side of the mountain, so we had to stop a view times to replenish our water supply at a stream. The miles to Nevada Falls seemed to take forever, Rob and I were both pretty fatigued at that point. Finally we made it to the top of the falls and saw Aunt Peggy waiting for us on a footbridge. She turned around and was excited to see us but we didn’t have much of a response for her in our tired state. Aunt Peggy warned us that the hike down the stone steps along the Mist Trail was treacherous, but it was the only we we could see the falls so Rob and I decided we had to stick to our original plan and walk the Mist Trail back to our campsite. Aunt Peggy decided to take the John Muir trail instead, which was less steep but a little longer. I had a pretty annoying headache so I got some Tylenol from Aunt Peggy, and after a snack we were on our way.
The trail down the falls was super steep and rocky, but the trekking poles really helped us save our knees and stay balanced. The Tylenol I got from Aunt Peggy saved me; I started to feel a bit more energetic and excited to see the falls. We finally got to the base of the Nevada falls and the view was pretty great, but we just snapped a few quick photos and kept moving. We were in grind mode. After we passed the top of the Vernal Falls, we came up to the really steep and narrow stone steps. After a bit we made it to the portion of the trail that we'd been waiting for, Mist Trail. Mist from the Vernal falls soaked the stone steps and cooled us off as we passed through. We had no trouble with the help of the trekking poles, and we were passing people on the way down. Views of the falls were amazing, and it was so cool to hike right next to them on stone steps. At the bottom of the steps Aunt Peggy happened to intersect back onto our trail at he exact moment we passed the John Muir trail, so the three of us continued together.
After that we had a long downhill paved section that seemed to last forever. This part really sucked because going downhill on the steep slant really tired out my ankles, and at that point we just has to keep walking to get back to camp. There was not really much else to see from there, so we basically just booked it down as fast as we could. Finally we made it to the valley floor and walked back to the campsite a few minutes after 6 PM. We were all exhausted and laughed a bit about how tired we were. It was deemed that the name The Death March was fitting enough for the blog post. Overall, it was the epic hike that we had been dreaming of, and I had an absolute blast. Special thanks to Uncle Rob for finding the hike and planning so much of it out. I don’t think we could’ve possibly done a better hike that day. Also props to Aunt Peggy for going up the falls to meet us, that was no easy hike!
Stats:
Distance: 17.3 mi Elevation Gain: 2,769 ft Moving Time: 8 hr 21 s
Average Pace: 27:35 Calories Burned: 4,166 Total Time: 10 hr 59 min 58 s
Monday, July 22, 2019
Giant Sequoias!
On Tuesday we drove from our Campsite in Kings Canyon National Park to the adjacent Sequoia National Park. We spent he first part of the day driving to different Sequoia groves and stopping to take pictures and admire the trees. We saw so many massive trees, it was unbelievable. The best spots were quiet groves where there were no crowds, but we also got to see the popular General Grant Tree, which is the largest tree by volume on Earth. There was also a large downed tree that was carved out so that you could drive through it, so of course we had to do that! After roaming around the park we did an 8.8 mile hike to Heather Lake, which proved to be difficult and incredible. Highlights of the hike were stunning canyon view and walk along a steep ridge, as well as gorgeous views of Heather Lake at the top. We has to book it back to the parking lot after we got to the top because we wanted to be back before dark, so we were all pretty exhausted after that.
Deepest Canyon in North America
I'm pretty behind on blog posts so here are some quick updates about my time last week with my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Rob. On Monday, we met in Kings Canyon National Park, which is home to the deepest canyon in North America. We got a later start than we wanted, but we were able to drive into the canyon to see some sights and do a short hike. It was awesome to look down into the canyon from the top of the road. On our way out we stopped to see the General Grant tree, which is second largest tree in the world by volume. There was also another tree with a massive log next to it that was carved out so that you could walk through it! Though our time in Kings Canyon was short, we got a good taste of what the park has to offer!
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Spiky Plants and Sticky Rocks
On Friday I drove to Joshua Tree, CA, where I met my friend Zach Wilson. I feel like I’ve been smelling exhaust fumes occasionally on long drives so I ended up getting the muffler replaced. It probably should’ve been done when I got my tailpipe replaced, but either way, it’s working well and I haven’t noticed any exhaust fumes since.
Zach and I spent Friday evening driving through Joshua Tree National Park. The rock formations were very cool, and the Joshua Trees and Chola Cacti were so unique. We took Zach’s Tacoma on an off-road trail called Pinkham Canyon and saw some awesome scenery. Jackrabbits kept jumping out in front of us! We finished the trail just before dark and then headed back to the campsite for the night. This morning we went back into the park to do some climbing on some of the rock/boulder formations. The rocks were unbelievably grippy, it felt like you could almost walk up a vertical face! After leaving Joshua Tree we came to Anaheim for the afternoon and spent a few hours on Newport Beach. I can’t believe I made it to the Pacific Ocean! Thanks so much to Zach for meeting up with me, and thanks to his girlfriend Kayleigh for letting my crash for the night!
Some of my best photos are on my camera, but here are a few for now:
Zach and I spent Friday evening driving through Joshua Tree National Park. The rock formations were very cool, and the Joshua Trees and Chola Cacti were so unique. We took Zach’s Tacoma on an off-road trail called Pinkham Canyon and saw some awesome scenery. Jackrabbits kept jumping out in front of us! We finished the trail just before dark and then headed back to the campsite for the night. This morning we went back into the park to do some climbing on some of the rock/boulder formations. The rocks were unbelievably grippy, it felt like you could almost walk up a vertical face! After leaving Joshua Tree we came to Anaheim for the afternoon and spent a few hours on Newport Beach. I can’t believe I made it to the Pacific Ocean! Thanks so much to Zach for meeting up with me, and thanks to his girlfriend Kayleigh for letting my crash for the night!
Some of my best photos are on my camera, but here are a few for now:
Dam it’s Hot
After the Grand Canyon I headed back to Sedona for the night on Wednesday. My dad and I hiked Bell Rock and happened to meet a family from Bethlehem, PA! Also, the sunset at Bell Rock (pics on the photos page) was amazing. On Thursday, I left with my parents to go to the Hoover Dam and then Las Vegas. Both places were extremely hot! I think it was 110+ degrees and at the Hoover Dam I swear it felt hotter when the wind blew. We did a tour of the power plant and then headed to Vegas. It was super hot and crowded, but we walked the strip and got to see some of the famous casinos. Then we rode the High Roller Ferris wheel, which was a cool way to see the city. The next morning I noticed that the heat took a toll on my RV fridge, which had trouble staying cold. Luckily I’m out of the worst of it now and the fridge seems to be doing okay. Anyway, I said goodbye to my parents on Friday morning and headed to Joshua Tree, CA.
Thanks SO MUCH to my Grandparents and parents for coming out to Sedona! I had a blast and I’m so glad you guys were a part of my trip!
Thanks SO MUCH to my Grandparents and parents for coming out to Sedona! I had a blast and I’m so glad you guys were a part of my trip!
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
THE GRAND CANYON
On Tuesday we drove the the South Rim of the Grand Canyon! While the canyon looked incredible from the rim, the helicopter ride we took over the canyon was astonishing! If you ever get a chance to go to the canyon, you NEED to take a helicopter ride. It provided the most amazing perspective of the North and South Rims, and we even saw buffalo grazing on top of the Colorado Plateau. Later in the day my parents and I took some bus routes to different viewpoints along the canyon, and watched the sun set before heading back to the RV for a quick dinner. So glad everyone came to sleep in the RV for the night, it was a full house! After seeing the South Rim, I'm excited to see the North Rim later this summer!
Edit: the photos page is back up and running! Go there more pics and a short clip of our helicopter ride!
Edit: the photos page is back up and running! Go there more pics and a short clip of our helicopter ride!
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