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Yosemite National
Park/John Muir Trail
Thursday 1st & Friday
2nd October
After my brilliant entry into the Yosemite National Park the
next couple of days I explored the Yosemite Valley viewing
the spectacular sights like the Half Dome, Yosemite Falls
and El Capitan at different times of the day to capture them
in their different moods. I also collected my warm gear from
the post office and the four season tent sent to me by Mike
from Mountain Hardwear, a sponsor. I had a lot of gear that
I didn't want to take with me on the walk so I placed it in
two lockers in the village.
As I change from cycling
to backpacking I have to decide what goes and what I leave
behind.
It was October and the
summer holiday season was over. Many of the roads and tourist
venues in the mountains were closed. However Yosemite's climbing
campsite still bustled with activity. Some of the best climbers
in the world were here. The main talk around camp was of a
Slav climber soloing El Capitan on the west side of the 'nose'.
Apparently it was a very difficult climb, especially when
doing it solo.
That night I walked to El Capitan along a deserted road. The
mist was rising and the full moon illuminated small meadows
alongside the river and light streaked through the trees.
There had been bear sightings in the valley, so I checked
out any rustle in the woods. When I arrived at El Capitan
it too was lit up by the big, bright full moon. I felt as
if I was in heaven, just standing there looking up at the
steep rock face trying to spot climbers hanging in hammocks
and bivouacked for the night. It was another amazing scene
which would be firmly entrenched in my memory.
Saturday 3rd October
It was finally time to leave my safe haven and take to the
mountains and start my walk along the John Muir Trail which
is regarded as one of the best walks in the world. I locked
my bike behind the Wilderness Centre, and started my walk
out of the valley into the mountains following the Nevada
Falls track to Little Yosemite Valley. Within the hour I was
wondering why I was carrying such a heavy pack. I needed ten
days of food for the first part of the walk to Mammoth Lakes
and I wasn't prepared to throw any food away. I was heading
up into mountains of 11,000 to 14,000 feet, and winter was
moving in quickly, so I really needed all my clothes. My four
season Mountain Hardwear tent was heavier than my 3 season
tent I had been using, but not knowing how bad the weather
was going to be, I needed to have the best shelter. And although
I could feel a strain through my right leg, I had no choice
but to carry my heavy load of 30 odd kilograms. The length
of the trail to the end near Mt Whitney was going to be about
220 miles (350kms), it crosses six passes over 11,000 feet
(3,400 m) and several other lower passes.
As unfit day-tourists and mules descended the Nevada Falls
trail, I moved along ascending and zigzagging along the switchbacks
and getting spectacular views of the waterfalls, of Half Dome
and other high walled mountains in the valley, all of which
had the sun shining directly on them. When I reached the top
of a falls, I stood on the falls rock ledge and had my last
look into the valley and then carried on towards the Little
Yosemite camp grounds on a trail less steep.
At the campsite, which was nestled between the mountains,
several other people were making the best of the weather and
full moon. In the days since my arrival at Yosemite, the weather
predictions had been bleak with snowfalls and the onset of
winter. But in the last day or so, the clouds had moved away,
opening up clear, beautiful blue skies. Consequently the nights
ahead with the full moon, clear skies and being up at 9,000
to 13,000 feet, were going to be decidedly cold.
Ninety nine point nine per cent of the hikers in the Little
Yosemite camp were there just to climb Half Dome, a particularly
dominant and spectacular feature in the park. I camped next
to Carol and Chris and had a good chat. Well, I did most of
the chatting, but Carol and Chris seemed content to listen
and ask questions as I talked about my big trips, my books
and the time I worked with unemployed youth and street kids
and how I used to take them on twenty four day physically
demanding outdoor trips to help boost their confidence and
self-esteem.
Sunday 4th October
By the time I was ready to make my way to Half Dome several
people had moved out from under the trees of the camp to find
sunny patches to try and thaw out after such a cold night.
I'm sure most had sleeping bags that were inadequate for the
low overnight temperature. I now had a very warm sleeping
bag, so I slept well.
It was a busy trail to Half Dome and although I carried a
heavy pack, the day trippers, who were only carrying daypacks,
were slower and more exhausted than I was. It was hard to
believe how unfit some of the young males were, but I guess
I had been doing a lot of physical activity and was probably
at the pinnacle of my fitness. At the John Muir - Half Dome
trail turnoff, I hid my pack behind a rock and took off bounding
towards the summit with only a daypack, and what a difference
it made. I was certainly able to move faster and easier. Closer
to the summit, as the trail moved out of the forest onto the
rocky mountain side, it became steep. Some walkers were exhausted
from the climb and from the thin air, so they ventured no
further. Others managed to steadily climb the trail only to
find it became even steeper where the last part of the climb
to Half Dome began.
No kidding it was steep! To help walkers climb this last section
of near-vertical, smooth rock, there were two steel cables
descending the mountain-face held in place every 3 to 4 metres
by steel posts. Between these posts were planks that made
it a little easier to rest, and decreased the strain of having
to hold on to the rails.
The steep climb up the
slopes of Half Dome
At the base of the slab
were hundreds of gloves lying on the ground. These were to
prevent your hands from becoming severely cut on the steel
wire. I grabbed a pair and then looked up to see twenty people
on the climb. They were moving slowly, however they had good
reason, even I was surprised at the steepness of the climb.
If one person is slow, so is everyone behind them. The fitness
of the walkers was really tested here. I could hear them breathing
heavily. It was mighty slow progress and when the people descending
the cliff caught up with walkers ascending, it became even
slower. It was nearly impossible to ascend and descend elsewhere,
as the rock was too smooth and steep.
A view down to the Yosemite
Valley
At the summit several people
were making phone calls home, I assumed they were telling
their loved ones or friends how beautiful it was up on the
mountain. Most though were getting answer phones and were
a little annoyed that they couldn't talk to their friends
from such a spectacular place. It was indeed spectacular and
looking over the edge of this giant rock slab was alarming.
It dropped several thousand feet without any interruption.
Most people crawled carefully to the edge with care and peered
down into the valley with both astonishment and awe. Others
were too nervous and wouldn't go anywhere near the edge. I
could understand their fear. A guy kindly offered to take
a picture of me on a rock shelf that really overhung the Half
Dome Mountain by several metres. I jumped at the idea. The
view from Half Dome was so spectacular I could understand
why all the unfit people around me had wanted to get to the
top. Just seeing so much breathtaking scenery over the last
few weeks had been mind-blowing and it wasn't going to stop
until I at least, finished my walk.
I'm
nearly on top of the world. I just need a good gust of wind
and then I could try flying!
On my descent there were
only about ten people climbing up so I had a quick run-down.
One slip though and you would say goodbye to life. My hands
heated up as I grasped the steel cable and used it as my hand
rail. Thank God for the gloves! I passed many exhausted walkers
on my return and at the bottom of the steep climb I met Chris
and Carol who were going no further. They said their fitness
wasn't up to it. Chris jokingly said I was like a fox terrier
as I managed to go so quickly and leapt around like a young
dog. An Afro American was also resting at the bottom and he
said he was scared of heights and could go no further. To
come all this way and not be able to reach the top and see
the view must have been heartbreaking and I genuinely felt
for them. I walked slowly back to the turnoff with Chris and
Carol and a few others that had been forced to turn back because
of their lack of fitness.
A view from Half Dome
At the turn-off where I
left my pack I gave Chris and Carol a big hug. I felt that
we had become good friends in such a short time. From this
junction I would see very few people on my journey south to
Mt Whitney. My pack was still where I had left it, and after
hoisting it on my back I continued my journey east on the
John Muir Trail. Everyone else walked in the opposite direction
to return to Yosemite Valley at the bottom of the mountain.
The track weaved and I kept looking back to see Half Dome
and its splendour. Eventually it disappeared from sight and
now everything ahead of me was new. I filtered water at a
stream and took photos of Pyramid Mountain and a rock with
a big nose, a little like my own nose!! (The rock was called
Columbia Finger). My pack was heavy and my breathing became
more laboured as I climbed above the 9000 foot mark. I still
had the slight twinge in my right leg. By nightfall I was
close to crossing my first mountain pass. Just before the
sun set, I found a good campsite under three tall pine trees.
I could already feel the cold creeping in. Dropping my pack
at the base of a tree, I unpacked my polartec and down jacket
and wrapped myself up before climbing a ridge to watch the
sun set and to cast my eyes on another new world.
I lit a fire and cooked
dinner and then I noticed what I thought were three torch
lights coming over the ridge, but just as I was beginning
to feel startled by the sight, I realised it was only the
moon filtering through the trees. The night was quiet, with
a cloudless sky. A plane flew overhead leaving a big vapour
trail for me to gaze at. I had ten days of rations, but only
seven days crammed in my bear drum so I put the other three
night's worth in a bag, threw a line over a high tree limb
and hoisted it up, well out of the range of prowling bears.
Yosemite National Park is home to 300 - 500 American black
bears. Apparently though, very few are black, they're more
likely to be found in a variety of colours ranging from black
to brown, blond, or cinnamon.
Black bears are omnivores and will eat almost anything. They
spend most of their days foraging for grasses, seeds, berries,
acorns, and insects and occasionally feed on carrion. Bears
tear open rotten logs or old stumps in search of insect larvae.
Unfortunately, many Yosemite bears have also perfected the
skill of obtaining food from humans.
Monday 5th October
After leaving camp and the forest canopy I started my ascent
and within minutes I was straining. Twenty minutes later I
reached a flatter summit area where I was surrounded by a
magnificent vista, Tresidder Peak, Cathedral Peak, Unicorn
Peak, Echo Peaks and the Cathedral Range. The mountain range
spread in a semicircle. Looking down the valley towards Tuolumne
Meadow stood the imposing Cathedral Mountain. I ate my lunch
sitting on a rock slab outcrop under a sunny sky. I shed my
sweaty clothes and placed them on rocks to dry. I felt both
joyful and relaxed as this first day of being really alone
in the wild-west was like heaven. I chewed on nuts, raisins
and dried fruit and looked on at my beautiful vista. The country
was so different to the mountains on the east coast of America
and the mountains of Australia. I could sense my 220 miles
(350kms) walk through the Sierra Nevada mountain range was
going to be a walk to remember.
I moved on and descended
into a meadow where two mule deer were grazing near a small
tarn (lake) with Unicorn Peak in the background. I descended
again into another meadow and between Cathedral Lakes and
Cathedral Peak and back into the forest. Unbelievably, when
I was purifying water from a mountain stream, a man on a skateboard,
which was fitted with large wheels, came charging down the
mountain. He had a scruffy appearance and long straggly hair.
He stopped, grunted a few words about how he was happy that
there were no horses allowed on the trail, but there were
no rules about riding skateboards. The track was steep, twisty
and littered with rocks. Very seldom was it smooth enough
for the skateboard to rattle more than a few yards before
slamming into rocks. When it did the man would reach down,
lift the skateboard over the rock and have another short ride.
At first I was impressed by his unique and strange way of
descending the mountain, but later as he faded into the trees
and disappeared I thought what a ridiculous thing to do. But
he seemed happy and even happier that he was doing something
that the authorities couldn't stop.
Cathedral Peak
Within minutes he had disappeared
beyond the trees and soon after I caught up with an elderly
couple on a day walk. I walked with them for a while, but
the woman carried bells on her backpack to scare the bears
away, and it drove me crazy. I pushed on and within the hour
I had reached a deserted campsite at Tuolumne Meadows. Tuolumne
Meadows (at 8,600 feet) is the largest sub-alpine meadow in
the Sierra. It is about 55 miles from Yosemite Valley via
the Tioga Road but shorter by the trail.
As the holiday season was over, the campsite, the store and
information centre were all closed. This usually busy piece
of paradise up in the mountains was incredibly quiet. The
gravel track crunched under foot as I passed hundreds of deserted
campsites. Tables were bare and solitary. Bear-proof steel
boxes, used to protect camper's food were closed for the winter.
At the east end of the vast camp-ground I found a high spot
overlooking the river and a huge granite dome that I had earlier
passed on my cycle ride across the mountain range. Tioga Pass
was now only a few kilometres up the road.
As the camp was closed, all water taps were turned off and
the toilets were shut. These luxuries were so close, but impossible
to take advantage of. It didn't matter as I had a stream passing
my tent door and lots of wilderness in which to dig a hole.
The moon appeared at 7.30pm and as it rose, it shone directly
on the tree tops creating such a bright light that the trees
looked snow-laden. It seemed like Christmas had come early.
The moon was full and it virtually turned the night into day.
The sky was completely clear as I sat on the rock watching
the moon come over the hill, and the vapour trails and flashing
and twinkling lights from overhead aircraft. The air was crisp,
in fact distinctly chilly, and yet it was one of those perfect
nights. The water cascaded along the river in front of me
skirting around rocks and falling over ledges. Although it
was not canoe-able, I sat beside it listening, thinking and
imagining that it was much bigger and that I was in my kayak
forging my way through the rapids.
Apart from the cascades the evening was otherwise still. Lambert
Dome which was right in front of me formed a spectacular backdrop.
All I needed now was a little company and a bottle of port.
Instead I sat in solitude and though company would have been
nice, I savoured the moment. I watched a deer graze on the
other side of the river. As the night drew on and with a sense
of deep contentedness I continued to reflect on my incredible
journey.
I left my wild and serene spot by the
river for a moment to put my food away. I had forgotten about
the raccoons, coyotes and bears that may strike if I was away
from my food stores too long. I returned to a place by the
river and found a large boulder formed much like a chair.
I sat on it and looked on. The cold chill was kept at bay
by the warm down jacket that I wore. Spruce trees standing
erect like arrows were becoming more visible as the moonlight
brightened. The water swirled in front of me and on the other
side of the river, upright boulders looked like people. I
had my own little amphitheatre and beyond it the high rock
dome. I reflected back to the time when two guys at the Yosemite
camp told me that they climbed Half Dome on full moon. What
a great idea! It would be absolutely beautiful to do it tonight,
but my chance was lost as I was too far away.
My trip along the John Muir Trail was
just so incredibly amazing meeting only a handful of people
along the way and experiencing beautiful sun shine and stunning
views for over two weeks….
Everywhere I camped the
scenery was so beautiful.
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Didn't Manage
To GuessThe Bird...Well, I believe it's this...
Crested Tern having a
rest on Courtney Island, Bassendean
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