Saturday didn’t go quite as planned, since Kirk and Karen got “the call” Friday night, to alert them that their daughter-in-law was in labor, and their first grandchild was on the way. They headed back to Fresno Saturday morning to make sure they would be there to greet the new baby (Lauren!).
Once we got back to the lake area, we headed to lunch at Ducey’s- a restaurant with a great view of the lake. Dinner that night was appetizers- once we started eating them, we decided we couldn’t eat a real dinner. Kirk and Karen arrived shortly thereafter and showed off the pictures of their new granddaughter.
We had until 2 pm Sunday at the campground, so after fixing a delicious breakfast, we opted to rent a pontoon boat and take it around the lake. By then it was warm enough that a couple of us went for a dip in the lake. I got my first glimpse of a Bald Eagle while on the lake! It was just a glimpse, but I did note the white tail- no time to get the camera out unfortunately.
Once again it was lunch at Ducey’s, and then it was time to pack it up and head out. We had a great time, as usual, with these friends, and are trying to make plans for Yellowstone next summer.
After looking at the weather forecast (hot today, cool tomorrow) and the Yosemite brochure again Monday, we opted to check out Mariposa Grove, and then head to Glacier Point to watch the sunset. Mariposa Grove is home to Giant Sequoias and Ponderosa Pines. There are miles of trails that bring you past some of the more interesting and spectacular specimens. We took one of the longest trails, about 7 miles, and made it to Wawona Point, where the view was beautiful. Walking through the forest, I tripped about 4 times, trying to walk while looking up. These trees are so tall and wide and majestic, it’s hard to ignore them as you walk by. Sometimes there would be 2 or 3 trees growing together. We found out that they share nutrition by fusing their roots together, so that they can all survive. There were a lot of areas that showed evidence of fires- some seemed pretty recent. It was in 1970 that the change was made that allowed fires that were started by natural causes to continue to burn. It seems Mother Nature takes care of her own better than we knew. The fires serve the purpose of keeping the ecology of the forest balanced. The bark on the Sequoia trees is so thick and porous, it takes multiple fires to do serious harm to the trees. One of the trees we saw is 1800 years old.
From the Grove it was another hour ride into the park to get to Glacier Point. Glacier Point Rd. is a long, narrow road, uphill most of the way, but once you get close to the top, the views are beyond spectacular. I would say that the views from there may be the best I have ever seen. We could see the whole valley, complete with views of Nevada and Vernal Falls, where we had hiked a few days ago. Half Dome is a prominent feature of the landscape. Sunset at Glacier Point was our goal, so we brought food for dinner with us. We ate while we waited for it to get late. As the shadows lengthened, contrasts in the landscape became more pronounced. On this night there was some pink in the sky, but I think on other nights it could be even better. Not that I am complaining. I think I took 100 pictures, but none of them will do it justice.
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