Day 55- Yosemite Falls and the Ahwahnee Dinner

It's my last day in Yosemite before a 20hr drive back so time to make the most of every last minute.

We decided to join Vanessa and Mike at Camp 4, bus stop 7 at 08:30 except the bus was late as usual so we got their 08:45.

Our plan today was to climb 2 miles and half way up to Upper Yosemite Falls.

Jen was half way to having water for the hike- she had bought a water bottle, now all we had to do was find some water to put in it! No worries like mother like daughter Vanessa was still polishing off a caffeine kick for the morning!

Up we hiked, me and my hiking buddy Jake following Greg's long legs and fast pace and his 2 daughters Whitney and Brook keeping pace with him.

It was a hot hot day and the switchbacks climbed and climbed over errratic rocky steps for a long climb. We reached the viewpoint but there was debate about going on to view the falls. On we trotted until we got a fantastic view of the upper falls cascading down in plumes of water that shot out over rock ledges.

A snack stop at what was supposed to be our turnaround point had Ken asking if anyone wanted to go to the top. Well you know me- can't turn down a challenge so I decided to join him. Then Greg turned up and his long legs said "I'm in too" - then Tim decided he could not turn it down either and so everyone who was going back donated water and snacks and "squirrel nibbled" maps for our trip.

On we hiked- I decided to set the pace at the front or else I'd have never kept up with Greg. Now the climbing was steeper and right out in the sun- it was extremely hot and punishing the legs. We stopped in some shade under a bush and then carried on up. It was a few switchbacks later when Tim started swearing as he realised he'd left his SLR camera at the shady stop.

Well we ain't going back for it now- maybe it'll be there when we go down.

Eventually the sign to the overlook came into sight and we started to descend to see the falls- now I could feel the effects on my legs of Half Dome- going downhill was excrutiatingly painful on my stiff legs. We negotiated a narrow set of exposed steps down the rock face and peeked over the handrail to view the falls and the fantastic views of Half dome and Glacier point.

Lunch at the top amongst these awesome views and regretfully we started our painful descent!

Greg set a thundering pace and we almost sprinted down the rocky steps and switchbacks- actually it was probably easier on our poor quads and calves! A lot of tired bodies were coming

up the hill asking "how much further" and we were chirpy in our response, so easy to gloat when you've already summitted. Half way down we looked for Tim's camera and would you believe it- there it was just where he left it!

So we got down the 3.4 mile descent in around 1.25 hrs at 2pm- just 2hrs til cocktails! We rushed back to camp with a lift from Sandi and sat down for a beer then we headed off to get an ice cream at about 3:30pm- Sandi passed us on the way, looked at us, looked at her

watch and the look of bewilderment on her face said it all- "You guys need to hit the shower!". We carried on and had ice cream then rushed to the shower.

Tonight was the big bash at the Ahwahnee and the showers were full of the gang getting pretty. Smart outfits turned out on all sides of our campsite and we were off to catch a bus.

The Ahwahnee was an amazing building rocks and wooden log lodge effect on a grand scale with an imposing backdrop of granite mountains and the hugest fireplace you can imagine. We had a fantastic dinner and a few paper airplane challenges between tables. Ken won a cheeky $100 bet off Mike!

The wine flowed and the group gradually descended into disrepair and ventured out into the meadow for photos and cartwheels- at least Vanessa and I rose to Rory and Jakes challenge to see if we old ladies could still do one! And we could! Even in a merry old state!

What an awesome end to a great trip.

Day 54 - Running the river rapids

Today we had a gentle start - Tim and Ken and I took Rory and Jake for a cycle ride around Yosemite park area.

I was thrilled to see how good the boys have got on their bikes now. It's a pity there were not more off-road challenges for them to really show me how good they have become. I can't wait until I can take my neice and nephew riding like this.

What was so great is how much they enjoyed riding with us too. We managed to make it around the whole valley floor and then almost up to Mirror lake before Jake's infamouse puncture occured. Ken was beside himself with frustration and incomprehension- how come this wheel keeps puncturing. We thought we were clever and had fixed it this time by taking the sharp rim tape out but after lunch at mirror lake we got back to the bikes to find it was flat again-aaagh! We gave up on it and Rory and I rode on as the other limped home.

We met Vanessa and Marne and the whole huge crowd of family and friends up at mirror lake and had some lunch there, I panned for fools gold with the boys and waded in the ankle deep water- it's hardly a lake -more a trickle now :(

Jen wanted to cycle too so she had to settle for borrowing my bike and pedalling alone. A pity we could not co-ordinate bikes to ride together again. Although the terrain was somewhat tame here (enough for her to cope with riding with the brakes on bacwards- UK style!)

While Jen stole off on my bike Tim and Ken and I were led by the boys and Katy to our own private area on the river where we had built a dam with Vanessa the day before.

The water was extremely cold but Ken dove straight in and swam across the river only to be carried down stream by a fairly strong current but he managed to make it across.

Then Tim and I edged in more gingerly, Tim first, then I did the "1,2,3...dunk" which made me scream!

Eventually Rory plunged in just before Jake did the "1,2,3...dunk" technique too (with a fair amount of cajoling from tim and I first). Now we were all wet we started the fun and games.

We worked our way upstream along the sides stepping on the rocks to wade against the current then dived into the whitewater and floated downstream before swimmimg like mad to get ashore again before we were swept too far downstream.

We soon forgot the water was cold and we just kept doing laps for ages- eventually Rory, Jake and I swam across to the other side of the river and climbed out and upstream to jump in above a huge rock and swim back to Katy on the shore.

Katy watched on sedately perched on a rock as any cool teenage girl would, deciding the cold and lack of river walking footwear would keep her out of the river today.

We had such fun it was hard to get out but eventually the cold dug deeper into the bones and drying off in the sunshine was a much preferred option.

Tonight we picniced at Yosemite Lodge on the river- a great big gathering of family members of all generations- with T-shirt issuing and speeches by Mike and great political debates raging between Roger and Joan amongst the plentiful alcohol.

Apparently Vanessa and Mike used to stay in cabins on this very spot but they were washed away in a flash flood a few years ago, and the new lodge was built.

What a great place to spend time with family and friends!

Day 53- Yosemite Half Dome

I met Tim in North Van on Tuesday and we started a long long road trip from Vancouver to Yosemite. About 1000miles and 20hrs of driving! We stopped overnight in Redding, California having driven down through Washington and Oregon already in shifts.

We arrived in Upper Pines campground in Yosemite at around 3pm Wednesday to meet a pack of Stothers and Lidsters. It was so wonderful to see everyone again and I was soom yabbering away with Katy, Jake and Rory- hearing all their stories of the big move from UK to US.

At about 6:30pm we ate some snacks and laid down to bivvy in the campsite for a snooze. Well it was way too loud to snooze as a bear was seen and shot on the campsie with many screams from campers around us. At 9:45pm we rose and donned headlamps and packs stuffed with snacks and warm clothes and started the hike up Half Dome via the mist trail and John Muir trail.

We set quite a pace and had to slow down or else we were going to summit before sunrise and get cold standing around. It was eery walking through the woods in the dark with bears and deer around. At one point I went for a pee and saw two lights shining back from my headlamp- 2 eyes! Thankfully it was a deer staring me out about 10 feet away!

We met chatty Cathy and her poor 13 year old son who never got a word in edgeways and a couple of young adults from Oz who were inspired to cacth our 50 year old leader up and to summit with us (but they turned back at the cables).

Climbing the steep steps at 3am was pretty scary as you could not see how big the droip off the side was, plus we were all tired and wobbly. This brought Sandi to crawl on all fours but she made it up. Even Tim had a couple of wobbly moments.

We got to the base of the cables around 3:30am too early to climb so we chose some gloves from the huge pile that Ken just had to fall into and then huddled under space blankets and shivered on the cold granite rock in the bright moonlight. Not much sleep was had as we had a blanket rustling relay started by Katy and Abby!

As dawn was upon us and the light growing we headed over to the base of the cables. I did not think they looked too steep but was keen to start moving up and before we could say "Let's do it" Vanessa was off and 6 steps up with Mike in chase. So I decided to follow on ASAP leaving Ken standing with Katy and Abby who followed me up. I never looked back as on the 6th step or so it was pretty steep and my worn 5-10 bike shoes were slipping on the granite making me grip for dear life to the cables. At one point I had a brief freeze but decided I could not face going down nor would I have beena good example for the girls- so I carried on up. It was steep and scary!

I was the 3rd to summit Half Dome (8842ft) before sunrise and after Mike and Vanessa who thought that we 3 were it as no-one followed me for a while but then Abby's face popped over the summit with a big beam- she'd done it! Then a way later Alex appeared and then even later came Ken. 6 summiters- yeehaa! We donned our "Half Century on half dome T-shirts" and had a photo call.

Ken and I headed out for photos on the diving board that hangs over a 4000ft vertical drop! We got a bit wobbly but made it back safely while Mike could not even look. Then Alex and Abby went out venturing even closer to the edge!

Soon the sun peaked up over the mountains and we were bathed in warmth again but it was time to descend. Well the thought alone scared me! But there was no other way down so down the cables we went- me at the back slipping on my non-grippy shoes and clinging to thecables with a death grip that hurt my wrists! Ken was trying to talk to me about how scary it was but I told him "Keep moving and don't talk about it!" I just wanted to be down where I could see everyone else had reached.

Elation at the bottom as we regrouped and had our first photos in the sun before starting the long long 8mile hike back down via Vernal falls. On the way down tired as we were our spirits were lifted by the awe we gained from each group of climbing hikers incredulous that we had hiked overnight and were already on our way down and inspired by the fact that we were celebrating Vanessa's 50th birthday- we became quite famous around town for the next few days. (Even people in the coffee queue were talking about it)

After 13hrs of hiking we arrived back at the campsite- exhausted physically and mentally and me with 5 blisters on my toes - ow!

The rest of the day was sheer collapse and recovery and an early night in our tent cabin where we slept very soundly indeed.

What an awesome experience- one that I will never forget.

(Maybe one day I'll be back- perhaps for Vanessa's 60th and my 50th).