Yosemite’s Secrets ~ Week 1
As we arrived in Yosemite, I still wondered whether our “RV on two wheels” would spark the same kind of human connections here in the States, as they did in Australia and New Zealand.
But sure enough, from the moment we arrived, every day, we found ourselves in chance meetings that felt like kismet and in heart-felt conversations in random places alongside our bikes, at our campsite, on a shuttle bus, along the trails, over cups of tea, over meals on the patio in the Valley, and another while simply waiting on a park bench.
Day 1 & 2 ~ What Matters Most
Our first night just outside the park on Tioga Pass, after waffling over the last two available campsites and how much to pay, we decided to pull into a spot next to a Camper Van. None of the campground signs were very clear about whether there was a discount for Lifetime Pass members. Fortunately, our new neighbor had just come back with the answer, after tracking down the off-duty host. Delighted we both paid our 50% discounted fee.
With their sliding door wide open, in spite of the chill in the air, they invited us to come back for tea after setting up our tent. We returned with Tim Tams and Biscoff biscuits to share and were offered homemade biscottis in return. They marveled at our mode of travel and reminisced about their own adventures in the area. Together for 55 years, he is a native of Fresno, and she a native of Germany, brought together when she travelled to the US in her 20s. Now a two-time breast cancer survivor in her 80s, her deep appreciation of life emanated from her smiles and laughter, and were returned in equal measure by her partner. It was inspiring to hear that they too were choosing to stay close to nature, embracing the joy and simplicity of life on the road. By the end of our visit, they graciously invited us to stay with them in Fresno if our plans took us further South.
The next morning we woke to find his shoes sitting on the tarmac right where their sliding door had been. Fortunately, they had told us which campground they were staying at next. Unable to reach them or find them at the campground, we entrusted his shoes to the camp host, hoping their plans hadn’t changed. Several days later when we reached the Valley and cell reception, their thank you text appeared, “Tausend Dankeschön”. Mission accomplished!
Day 3 - Jam Sessions
In Yosemite, if the goal is to stay more than 1 or 2 nights, moving campsites becomes the norm, as we first learned from the rangers at the Tuolumne Meadows gate, its known as “the Tuolumne shuffle”. And so it began, on our first morning, we shuffled our gear to our next spot only a few sites away, just in time to meet our neighbors while they were packing up. It started with an offer to help finish the rest of their freshly grilled zucchini, and ended with a surprise request for a mini jam session - for a few minutes the rhythmic beats of a bongo and the tentative but lyrical notes of a native flute filled the morning air. Such a sweet and unexpected start to our day!
Once camp was relocated, Nivaun was excited to introduce me to the young couple he had met just a few hours ago on the shuttle bus after dropping off our rental van in Mammoth early that morning. They had traveled here from Germany almost 6 months ago and were just finishing their last trip, backpacking the John Muir Trail. We rode across the campground to the walk-in hikers camp and met up with them at their campsite. Four hours passed before we came to the realization it was probably time to part ways. Talking with like-minded souls of any age and listening to how their own paths to the open road took shape is always an incredible privilege and such a delight!
Day 4 - The Gift of Timing
After another round of rearranging our reservations with the ranger at the gate to extend our stay in Tuolumne, we had to shuffle our campsite that same morning which meant our plans to hike Cathedral Lakes would have to wait until the following day. Fortunately at Tuolumne Meadows campground, there are trails right across the road that we could still fit into an afternoon, so we opted for the loop trail around Lembert Dome. Right off the start, we laughed at ourselves going up hill. It seemed everyone else was going the other direction and we didn’t get the memo. But if not for that, and a quick side trip to see Dog Lake, we would not have ended up back on the main trail just in time to cross paths with a lone hiker.
I figured he noticed Nivaun’s camera/tripod and decided to tell us about the bear he had just seen foraging a ways off the trail. A quick change of lenses, a test of camera settings, and we gingerly moved down the trail feeling incredibly lucky and hopeful. As we approached the exact spot the hiker had described, it looked as though the bear may of moved on. And then, another quick glance over my shoulder, I caught what looked like a black ball with ears down the ravine poking up from behind a log. As Nivaun readied the camera, I crept behind a tree, hoping the bear would be unfazed by our presence. And for a few precious moments, we all three co-existed in silence, aware of each other’s presence, in a space that felt so relaxed, it was magical. The bear content in his resting place only lifted his head from the log a couple times to casually look our direction. After a few minutes, we reluctantly moved on as a larger group was quickly coming down the trail breaking the silence with their chatter.
It was our only bear-sighting of the entire 15 day trip. Other than, seeing a bear trap towed out of the campground the day before. During our week at Tuolumne, we sadly noticed the sign posted at the campground entrance went from 16 to 18 bears killed by speeding cars this year. On our hike the following day, a tour guide told us she had only seen a bear three times the entire season. Our brief encounter was special indeed - thanks to that chance meeting.
I truly hope the little bear we saw is spared from any road encounters. On our return trip through the park just 16 days later, the statistic had jumped from 18 to 31 bears killed by speeding cars - almost doubling in just 2 weeks. I could go on about how that number hit me, and even how vulnerable we felt riding the park road as cyclists, instead I will just let that statistic speak for itself. Another conundrum “loving” our park to death with no real solution in this age of disconnected reality.
Day 5 - Trailside Wisdom
The next morning we joined the JMT just behind the campground to reach the Cathedral Lakes trailhead. After wandering the ribbons of trails around the Upper Lake, we left on a different section of trail that led us to cross paths with a young couple visiting Yosemite for their honeymoon after a long distance romance. She is a native of Hawaii and he is a native of Argentina. It was his first camping trip and you could see the sparkle of discovering the wilderness taking hold. Their curiosity about our chosen retirement lifestyle quickly evolved into deeper conversations about how to build a life together on your own terms. It seems so many young people are asking those questions now, leaving jobs to take extended time to figure out what is important to them in life. After a few parting words from our own version of wisdom, we wished them well in their discovery of life together.
Cathedral Peak at Upper Lake
Day 6 - Insider Intel
Our final campsite in Tuolumne, we met a couple climbers that joined us at our last morning campfire and left us with critical intel on the Valley we were about to enter.
First, the best place to eat - Pizza at Curry Village!
And a very close second where to get a FREE Shower - high on the list after almost 10 days on the road!
Day 7 - Kismet Again
Our first ride on the bike fully loaded in over year and only 8 miles to our next campsite - a shakedown of sorts for our bodies, before our big ride into the Valley. The ranger that helped us book the site told us it was one of the prettiest areas, but neglected to tell us it was actually a dry camp. We had opted not to fill our large water bottles before we left, so it was a bit of a shock to find not only was the campground dry, but the water in the creek along the edge of camp looked like it had been sitting in small pools for most of the summer. The next unfortunate surprise was the site location #1, directly off the road with no real space or vegetation to separate it from the next site that was strewn with chairs in front of a house-size tent - without question it was a party crowd. Disappointed, knowing we had to get up early for a 42 mile ride into the Valley, I decided to wander over to the information board. Incredibly there was a note card posted in the corner - “Site 11 Available, Paid for 9/27”. With no host on site, we didn’t question our good fortune and moved immediately!
After pitching the tent and setting up the gravity feed with creek water, a van pulled in across the drive. It was another young couple filled with curiosity. They too had quit their jobs to travel. Both were videographers, he specializes in drone technology and she had been a camera operator at King 5 in Seattle. Nivaun got a tour of his camera/drone collection, while she and I talked about life on the road. As dusk approached, we wished them well.
Moments later, a distant raucous next to our first campsite ensued. Lucky, once again, thanks to a random note card thoughtfully posted for us to find. We had another meaningful encounter of the wanderlust kind and a good night’s rest.
Yosemite Valley - here we come!