Yosemite: Seven Days Late

We drove to Yosemite on Sunday morning. Despite it being Labor Day weekend, we didn't encounter any traffic. High gas prices must have kept everybody off the roads and close to home.

Instead of heading directly for the valley, we drove to Tuolumne Grove, which is near Crane Flat, off Big Oak Flat Road. We hiked amongst the giant sequoias, some reaching into the sky, some stretching across the ground. While walking along, we came upon the remnants of a towering tunnel tree. It looked as though lightning had struck it, leaving little more than the archway cut through the trunk.

Next, we stopped by Siesta Lake, a dying pond by Tioga Road. It looked more like a marsh than a lake. Eventually, it will look more like a meadow than a marsh. We didn't stay long, but I thought the spot would be ideal on a cool day, when mosquitoes weren't as likely to be about.

We continued to White Wolf, one of the popular lodging areas in Yosemite's high country. It has a dining hall, market, four cabins and twenty-four canvas tent cabins. Because it's open less than three months a year - July through September - obtaining reservations is difficult. I hope we can stay there next summer.

Later, we registered at Housekeeping Camp where we relaxed the rest of the day. To be able to stop and do nothing but appreciate nature was a blessing. As darkness came, it grew chilly, but we braved the cold, bundled up, grabbed our star guide and searched for constellations in the clear night sky.

On Monday, the morning began brisk, but it warmed quickly. We brewed a pot of macadamia nut coffee and ate our customary Deg muffins from Degnan's Deli. We read by the Merced River and, for a while, had the entire beach to ourselves. The river was so calm. It was hard to believe that only a few months ago the same river was several feet higher and rushing by us. It seemed as though nature had shut off the water supply, allowing the waterfalls and streams to run dry.

Before leaving, we stopped by the bookstore and gift shop to inspect the latest merchandise. I bought a 2006 Yosemite desk calendar, the Yosemite Road Guide - a book about the road markers placed throughout the park - and Fur and Loafing in Yosemite, a collection of Farley comics set in - you guessed it - Yosemite.

Farley is a comic strip by Phil Frank that the San Francisco Chronicle features every weekday. My favorite character is Alphonse, an urbanized black bear who loves the S.F. Giants. He wears a baseball jersey and raids campsites for the sports section to see how his team is doing. He's my type of bear. I wonder what he thinks about Bonds returning tonight.