Yosemite’s Secrets ~ Week 2

As foretold by people we met the first week in Tuolumne, the Valley does indeed have a completely different vibe. And yet, one thing is for sure, the human connections never ceased.

Day 8 - Valley Immersion

After 42.8 miles, 1,846 feet of climbing on what was expected to be “mostly” downhill, we somehow managed to make it to Curry Village in time for a celebratory dinner, El Capitan pizza and a green salad, topped off with a super-sized Nut Brown Porter - Deeelicious!

While we were making our way out of the village to find our campsite, a long-distance hiker from Oklahoma in a Yosemite uniform appeared. He was just starting his job as a Park Naturalist to fund his next long-distance adventure and was so jazzed to hear about our travels and grand retirement plan. Before we parted ways, another person approached us curious about the bikes. The Naturalist gave us rave reviews and invited the man to hear our story. Eventually, we made it around the corner, where I ran into the shop to get our final food reward, ice cream bars. It took just enough time for more curiosity-seekers to appear around our bikes. Yep - there was no doubt, we were still an attraction, an aberration in a Valley full of recreational motorists.

Day 9 - Trail Magic!

The rather unfortunate thing about descending from Tuolumne at over 8,000’ in elevation into the Valley to see the granite spires towering 5,000’ above us, is that to exit the Valley, we had to climb 16 miles back up the same road to our final campground in 3 days.

It was about halfway into those last 16 miles of descent, at a crowded scenic viewpoint of the Valley, that my gut, backed up 100% by my mind, decided we were not riding back up this road. There had to be another way - a shuttle, another route, a different campground, a trail angel, something…

On the inside lane of this two-lane road, there was no shoulder and several turns up against rock walls on both sides of the road, plus two tunnels. And, in 3 days it would be Friday, right when the weekend traffic of RVs, vans, buses is at its peak.

So the very next morning, we again visited the ranger station to see what we could do about a shuttle or another route/campground. The unfortunate reality was the shuttles outside the Valley were already closing for the season and another route wasn’t feasible. A distant but familiar feeling crept up inside me…what you think you cannot brave, you will get through…

We went about the rest of our day, took showers, had lunch with a couple from Arkansas celebrating their ascent of Half Dome, updated our phones/laptops, caught up on emails, checked out the grocery store, and started back to camp just before dusk. Right as we turned the corner onto the main road, a familiar face - the Naturalist came walking toward us.

We stopped to say hello and to our surprise he started telling us about the vehicle he had just bought online for work, a refurbished U-Haul 10’ van. He was going to pick it up the next day, and mentioned he had thought about asking if we wanted to come with him to see the Mariposa Grove, but unfortunately the timing didn’t work. It only took a second for Nivaun to pivot and ask whether he would consider taking us up to our next campground on Friday instead. Amazingly, he agreed, without question - happy to help out and continue paying forward all the support he had received on his many long distance trips. I was stunned - in just 24 hours, a literal Trail Angel had manifested before our eyes! We were just over a week into our trip and again a glowing reminder - the universe always provides - in the most unexpected ways! Thank you, Jesse!

Day 10 - Vigilance is still Key

The next day was our only day to hike at least one of the trails in the Valley. But first, finding a more secure place to leave our bikes was key. After the first couple of days in Tuolumne, and talking with the rangers at the gate, we felt comfortable just locking our bikes at our campsite. We spent 3 days hiking without any concerns. However, upon entering the Valley campground on our first night, it immediately felt different - the open layout, the volume of people everywhere. And the fact that when we awoke the first morning, an SUV had yogi’d a night in our empty parking space after the booth at the entrance had closed.

Tuolumne Meadows

The Valley

So we decided to talk to the campground host and ask if they would be willing to watch our bikes for a day. They graciously agreed. The next morning we brought over our bikes and computers. Relieved, we were able to enjoy a day hiking worry-free. We arrived back at the campground right around dinner time and decided to just pick up our bikes to ride to the Village for another delicious pizza and get our computers on the way back to camp.

At the Village, we parked our bikes in the same spot as before, below the upper dining deck and sat down at an outdoor table just a few feet away. As dusk fell, a large group of guys sat down at a couple of tables in between us and our bikes. In the midst of finishing our pizza, I saw a man standing in front of our bikes and assumed he was another curious on-looker.

A split second later, he took ahold of my handlebar. I still thought “okay…this is strange, why does he think it’s okay to move the bike to look at it?” Then I realized, he was actually starting to LEAVE! Dumbfounded, I yelled out “HEY, that’s MY BIKE!” Nivaun had already jumped up and cut off the man’s exit, just as a few of the guys at the tables in front of us circled around behind. I decided to stay put, in total shock at what had just unfolded.

After a very brief shoulder-to-shoulder exchange with the man, Nivaun returned to the table shaking his head. It was an older man, acting a bit confused, claiming he was helping us to find our bikes on his phone?? As we hastily got ready to leave, still incredulous about what could have just happened, we thanked the guys that had stood at the ready to jump in. Totally surreal, but definitely confirmed for us - its never okay for our bikes to be out of our sight in public and to never forget to turn on our KNOG alarms!

Day 11 - The Art of Inquiry

The next day Nivaun was excited to visit the Ansel Adams Gallery - a special place in the park still managed by the Adam’s family and displaying several of his original prints along with a collection of other beautiful art forms. While Nivaun took it all in, I of course waited outside on a park bench just steps away from our bikes.

This time, a couple sitting nearby, joined another woman for a closer look at the bikes. At first, I watched from the bench, intrigued that the woman was scanning every detail and verbalizing her observations to the couple, speculating about the purpose behind the many attachments on our handlebars and frame, as though she too was taking in a piece of art. I was so captivated by her thoughtful inquiries that I had to reveal our connection to the intrepid vehicles.

As the couple left, she joined me on the park bench and our conversation unfurled into an exploration of her many talents along with filling in the details of our chosen path of adventure. She was such a delight. An accomplished photographer and print maker, the conversation continued to flow as Nivaun returned to join us on the bench. After more than one round of farewells, we parted ways, vowing to keep in touch and maybe even meet up at our next campsite. She was on an extended trip through California to immerse herself in the arts and cultural sites before returning to Florida. We left feeling blessed to have crossed her path even for just an afternoon.

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On our way back to camp, in spite of the incident the night before, we decided to return to the Village for dinner again— only this time an unexpected surprise awaited us!

As soon as the guy sitting at a table next to us asked if we would watch his table, while he went to get his pizza, it was like music to our ears - undeniably…Australian! When he returned, our enthusiasm to share a “yarn over Tea” was inescapable. We so miss Australia and all it’s inhabitants — even still.

He was on a solo holiday from Sydney spending his last couple of days in the park to hike and photograph its many splendors. When he rose to leave, it was nearing the sunset hour, and he was headed to a spot he scoped out earlier, hoping it would yield some stunning photos of Half Dome reflecting in the Merced River. Nivaun’s curiosity sparked, so we headed out a few minutes later to see if we could join him. Sure enough we caught up to him at the river with only a few moments to decide on the best vantage points. As we watched the colors slowly creep up the granite face - it was indeed perfection - Good On Ya, Mate!

When we found out he still had to find a place outside the park to boon-dock for the night before returning to hike a trail above the Valley the next morning, it occurred to us (based on our first night’s experience in the Valley) that he too could park at our campsite. He rejoined us moments later at our site, thankful to have a quiet night’s rest, rather than rocking up next to a busy highway. What an unexpected treat to spend an evening with a dear neighbor from across the pond. Cheers, Mate!

Day 12 - Convictions of the Soul

It was our last day in the park before we met our “Trail Angel” to transport us to the next campground that evening. Our plan was to mail a package, resupply at the grocery, get in one more FREE shower and explore around the rest of the Valley, or so we thought…

As we attempted to navigate our way to the post office, next to the Ansel Adams gallery, by memory, we somehow ended up on a service road leading into a park employee residential area. As we started to turn around, who should appear at the side of the road, but our Floridian friend. She introduced us to her Guide for the day, who had recently become a “former” long-time employee of the park. Employed as the resident locksmith for years, he maintained and preserved all the antique locks on the historic buildings in the park. He was one of the protestors behind the distress flag hung at the site of the Firefall over a year ago, won his first lawsuit against the unlawful DOGE firings, had his job restored, only to be fired a few months later, for supporting his fellow park employee’s Transgender rights protest. His current lawsuit is still in process.

Even in our brief meeting, it was evident how heart-felt his commitment is to everything this grand park stands for - still here in spite of all the adversity, lending support, keeping the history alive, sharing his knowledge with those that understand how important our park system is to our very existence.

We also shared a laugh over our accidental meeting - among park employees it is known as the “Valley Vortex” that pulls people together in unexpected ways. Whatever the reason, we felt fortunate to meet someone standing up against the injustices affecting us all. And as for our Floridian friend, it was not to be our last encounter. She confirmed her plan was still to find us at our new campsite the next day to give us a special package on her way to explore some of the areas recommended by her Guide.

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After mailing our package, we decided to get a snack at the nearby outdoor cafe before finishing our errands. All of the outdoor tables were occupied, so we started to lean our bikes on the railing, while we waited for one to open up. It was just then, a guy at the table nearby invited us to sit with him. He was here from Flagstaff spending time with family after guiding a 16 day raft trip through the Grand Canyon. Our fully loaded bikes had already given away that we were not your typical adventurers, and his intrigue stirred.

I guess the “Valley Vortex” was indeed in full force that day. What we anticipated would be a short exchange of trips taken and planned, turned into an afternoon exchange of thoughts, feelings and explorations of what it means to adventure, and the impact it has on how we see ourselves and others. It was refreshing, engaging and a totally unexpected way to spend what turned out to be almost our entire afternoon. Mid-way through, after finishing our snack, I realized I had better break away and get our resupply done at the nearby store. I was fully expecting he might leave before I returned with supplies, instead they were deep into discussing camera tech and photography. By the time we said our farewells, there was just enough time to ride back to the Village, take our showers and get over to our designated pick-up spot.

Right on time, Jesse pulled up in his new, shiny, white van, ready to haul us and our fully loaded steeds, saving us over 2000’ of what I still believe would of been treacherous climbing, to Crane Flat campground. He pointed out highlights of the park on our way out of the Valley, and we entertained him with stories from our travels abroad as he wound his way up the hillside, delivering us all the way to our campsite. It still baffles me - the instant camaraderie of kind-hearted strangers is such a blessing and one that everyone should experience many times over. How wonderful life on Earth would be, if we all operated from that sacred place inside each one of us.

Day 13 - Birds of a Feather

As soon as we left the Valley, we lost cell coverage. Knowing that our friend was planning to stop by at some point, we decided to spend the next morning in camp. By noon, we wondered whether her plans had changed, and Nivaun suggested we go ahead and ride up to the convenience store just a few hundred feet down the main road. I had just made my rounds in the store and came out to watch the bikes while Nivaun went inside, when to my surprise, I locked eyes with our friend walking across the parking lot. Clearly, we were meant to reconnect once more. And I think, this time the Ravens might have had more to do with it than anything.

The moment she first caught sight of the two Raven feather’s tucked into the band around Nivaun’s hat, she told us that when she first arrived in the park, she had asked the Raven to bestow upon her a feather she could carry with her to places they would never see. To then learn that we just happened to find both Raven feathers during our first week at Tuolumne Meadows - well, it seemed to be all part of the plan.

As a parting gift at the park bench that day, Nivaun removed a feather from his hat, and we wove it into place atop her own hat. She was delighted - so much so that in return, she wanted to gift Nivaun some feathers she had collected. And now, once again, we found ourselves arriving at the same place unexpectedly.

I was hopeful we could spend more time with her that day. And as it turned our, she agreed to join us for lunch at our campsite and took us to the nearby Tuolumne Grove to enjoy a walk through the trees together. It was such a pleasure to spend time with someone still adventurous in her own right, embracing the best of humanity and undeterred in her ambitions. In another twenty years, I hope to have matured with such fervor and grace. It was a time to be remembered and a life lesson to take to heart. May all your journeys keep you forever young at heart, my dear!

And so now you know the secret - the most unexpected side of our journey through Yosemite…