Tuesday, November 21, 2017

     Before I departed for the last part of ACA's Pacific Coast route that I had to still ride there was another adventure ahead of me: a trip to Yosemite to hike up Half Dome. It had been years since the last time I did this hike. Since the last time I summited this iconic peak the NPS had began a permit system to lower the impact that the massive number of hikers were having on the area, but more on that later.

     On the way to Yosemite the four of us, myself, M--, P--- and B----, decided to stop and take a look at a bit of history. Just off the road was the site of Mark Twain's cabin.  We wandered around, read the plaque (which motivated me to read Roughing It) and then got back on the road.

Mark Twain's cabin

     As we entered Jamestown P--- suddenly realized we were going to be gone for four days. He thought it was only a two day trip. He declared he didn't have the time off work and needed to go back. We attempted to get him a Lyft or an Uber. Neither was available to go the distance he needed. So we sought a rental car. The closest thing we could procure was a Uhaul. So, only a couple hours into the trip, we had already lost a beloved member of our party.

Everyone was a bit philosophical after P--- left the group 

      
We contemplated the loss of P—- from our party and did the only thing we deemed sensible, continued on. We entered Yosemite, got our backcountry permit and headed to the first nights camp. Minutes after we began setting up camp we saw a small bear! We quietly watched from about 50 feet away until some dumb hipster with a man bun snuck up behind the bear trying to take its picture. The bear was startled and ran, coming within inches of B——. We cursed the hipster and finished setting up camp.

Why it's not a good idea to get too close to a bear

     Shortly after we went for quick jaunt to go to Mirror Lake. Along the way we spotted another bear! This one was twice the size of the one we had seen only thirty minutes before. It was laying on a rock about a hundred yards off the trail. Again, some moron tried to get closer to get a better picture. This caused the bear to stand up on all fours to assess the situation. Once it figured out it could easily maul the idiot approaching it, the bear lay back down. We moved on, and didn't hear anything later about someone getting maimed, so I suspect another clueless person escaped getting a Darwin Award that day. This was the fourth bear I had seen in the wild in the last three weeks! The only other time I had seen a bear in the wild before these sightings was about fourteen years ago. The bear is a very special animal to me, representing power, strength, and individuality.

The bear that almost knocked over B----

     Mirror Lake was barely a puddle when we got there. It was an overall pleasant hike though, despite the smoke from nearby fires, and we saw a small snake swimming in the shallow waters. B---- snapped this photo of stone steps and rocks that people had been piling up:



     The next morning we celebrated my birthday and hiked 6.1 miles to camp in Little Yosemite Valley. We took our time, meandering up the Mist Trail alongside Vernal Falls, pausing at the top to take in the scenery. We met back up with the John Muir Trail at the top of Nevada Falls and were elated when we finally reached base camp. Both falls were spectacular and we spotted several deer along the way. Not too soon after we had camp setup, we heard rockfall. About a week after we completed our trip we heard news of a few larger rock slides in the valley below, slides that claimed the lives of several people. A reminder of how powerful nature is, and that people don't have as much control as they think they do.

Vernal Falls

Nevada Falls

     Day two of our back country excursion, 8.2 miles. We were in good spirits, having spent part of the night looking at the Milky way and glad some of the smoke had cleared.  We were also satisfied we had chosen to do this as a multi-day trip, instead of as a day hike as many people choose to do. It gave us more time to enjoy our surroundings and not feel rushed. As we hiked along and the views began to increase we saw a couple more smaller fires that had begun that morning. The smoke would continue to accumulate over our remaining time, though it wouldn't become insufferable.  We eventually reached the sub dome and it's rough hewn rock stairs. At the base was a ranger checking for permits. Several people were turned away. The last time I had done this hike there was no permit system in place, and it was a crowded mess to say the least. Now, it was limited to only 300 hikers a day. It was difficult to get permits for our group, but in the end I am glad the system is in place now. It made for a much less crowded and enjoyable experience, especially as we began the ascent up the cables.

Going up the sub dome

B---- and me at the base of the cables

     As we neared the top of the cables, the line suddenly stopped moving. A young woman ahead of us was suffering from severe leg cramps and couldn't move. B----, being the gentleman that he is, managed to get her on his back and carry her the rest of the way up. After setting her down, giving her some electrolyte snacks, and showing her some stretches, we roamed around the top of the fabled Half Dome. We spent a little over an hour soaking in the amazing views before heading back down. The woman was still where she had been earlier, her friends that had begun the day hike with her that morning had finally shown up. She was still having problems so B---- carried her halfway back down the cables until she decided to try going down the rest of the way on her own. She struggled, but made it.

 The infamous Captain's stance atop Half Dome

B---- declaring victory

     We made our way back to camp, reveling in our surroundings. Once we made it back we all had a quick dunk in the river and then made dinner with a side of conversation before heading off to bed. The next morning we opted to take the John Muir trail on the way back, about 6 miles to the trail head. It was substantially less crowded than the route we had taken up, and with better views. Once we did make it back to the village we had celebratory pizza, which was surprisingly good. We loaded our gear back in my truck and began the drive back to civilization and 100+ degree heat, already planning more adventures for the future.

M-- and me at the top of Nevada Falls 

One of the many impressive views from the John Muir Trail

Victory pizza!




     Next time, the Captain goes international...




     





                              

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

     It's been over two years since my last post, but I have decided to revive my little corner of the internet. Why now? I've been having quite a few adventures lately and simply want an outlet where I can share them. This time around the blog will focus mainly on my travels, think of them as more of dispatches from 'out there'. I don't plan on having a regular schedule for when these dispatches will be released, but it won't be two years between posts. Now, on with the show!


     After years of section riding the Adventure Cycling Association's Pacific Coast Route, I have completed it! In June I rode Amtrak's Coast Starlight train from Sacramento to Santa Barbara to begin the completion of the southern part I had yet to ride. It was my first time riding the train and it was fantastic. I met new people, and saw parts of the country I wouldn't have otherwise seen. Taking my bike on the train was easy and convenient. All I did was hand it up into the baggage car, no need to box it. In Santa Barbara I stayed at an Air B&B for the first time. This particular one was more like a hostel than anything else. On this trip I celebrated 10 years with my Novara Randonee, as well as 50,000 miles on it. I rode 103 miles my first day and stayed with my girlfriend in Redondo Beach. I rode through Camp Pendelton, saw signs warning me of tanks crossing (though I didn't actually see any). I met other cycle tourists, who warmly chatted with me about their travels. On this southern stretch people definitely were friendlier than the parts of the route I had previously ridden, and the cycling scene overall was more abundant. The terrain was also easier, much flatter than the rest I had experienced.

     There were, of course, hills. Mostly toward the end, as I approached La Jolla. I passed through San Diego, riding over the bridge that bears the mirror universe moniker of my name.


     As I approached the border of Mexico, outside of Imperial Beach, the roads became quiet and the country side a sublime hilly desert. The ride ended at the ocean, at Border Field state park. I didn't realize until I got there that there was no actual border crossing. I had to enjoy Mexico through a giant, double layer fence. Despite the fact it was just after 9AM, a mariachi band played in front of the bull ring in Tijuana. I enjoyed the sounds of the band mingling with those of the sea, and swore one day I would ride south again, and actually into Mexico. 

Sometimes I dress ridiculously when I ride my bicycle

So close, yet so far!

The Ocean at Border Field State Park

     In the meantime my thoughts turned north, to the last section of the route left: Vancouver, BC to Washington. Until next time...