7.11.12
Hello loves! It’s been a while since I’ve updated. Hard to find time to write or journal when all I want to do in my free time is either hike, swim, or read! Let’s see… we had a wonderful visit from Jessica and Dillon! Minus a little car problem at 3 in the morning their first night here ;) but hey, I know a visit to the hot spring was worth it! Before the car fiasco we had a nice dinner at the place Michael works, had a pitcher of the local beer and ended up getting 50% off! Of COURSE that was a highlight ;). Our Yosemite adventure was quite the trip! We started in the high country Saturday afternoon, despite having to get a ride back to town while my car was in the shop. We camped at Sunrise Lake and as we arrive we were greeted by beautiful evening fog over the lake. The next day was a long hike to the trailhead of Half Dome. Half Dome was probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done! Mostly because I’m terrified of heights, so it was a HUGE challenge for me! I thought I was going to puke several times because of it. When we got to the top though, it was a rush unlike any I’ve ever felt before! I can see why thrill-seekers live that kind of lifestyle. Rock climbers for example (and there are A LOT out here). I don’t think I’ll ever be a rock climber though ;). The hike from Half Dome down to the valley was so lovely! We ended up hiking right along side Vernal Falls and it was like a different world! The micro-climate of the area around waterfalls is pretty amazing, everything is so lush! Since we departed with our good friends, work and life has been awesome still - we’re really starting to feel at home here! We have some cool neighborhoods at our campsite now. They showed up a few days after my last post in this colorfully painted van! They are fire performers and lately have been performing at the restaurant Michael works. They are a very nice bohemian couple, and are going to Burning Man, so now I have people to caravan with! Today at work we were restoring motorcycle tracks in the forest, which consisted mostly of rolling huge rocks down this steep hill so they land in the “road”, thus preventing future motorcycles from coming through! Sometimes work is too much fun to actually call work ;). Also, my boss is an incredibly knowledgeable naturalist or something, because when he comes out with us he knows what EVERYTHING is! From all the insects to all the plants, he can even tell us what critter has been living in a certain hole in the ground! I would love to be that knowledgeable about any environment. Seems like he knows the geography very well too, because he can name just about every mountain peak as well! I find it very fascinating! Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th! I worked that day and we had a wonderful hike through this lush meadow with all kinds of colorful wildflowers. We found this HUGE puffball mushroom, which is edible so one of my co-workers said he was going to fry it up at his family’s 4th of July celebration. I’ll have pictures up on facebook soon :). That night Michael was working so I just hung out at the restaurant while they fed me beer and cheesecake! The wait staff there is really nice, we’ve been talking about hanging out soon (outside of the restaurant of course). The next weekend Michael and I had off together so we took a trip through Devil’s Postpile. It was amazing! We hiked for about 12 hours seeing the crazy rock formations, waterfalls, wildflowers, meadows, and hiked along the lovely San Joaquin river! The river actually starts in this area, in Ansel Adam wilderness and is the largest river in central California. It feeds a lot of agricultural lands in Cali that feed us every day! Anyway - that night after our long hike we soaked in the hot spring and watched the stars come out. It’s amazing how many you can see out here. It’s kind of impressive (although not wonderful) how much city lights drown out. I’m sure the elevation makes a big difference as well. After a couple of hours of star-gazing in the tub, we got to watch a magnificent moon rise! It was almost full at the time. We met a really interesting man named Raj, who teaches Yoga in L.A. and goes to India every winter to study Kundalini. We always meet such interesting people at the hot spring! Last night I helped out at the restaurant because it was extra busy sine they had a band playing. It was really fun, and the band was surprisingly really good! Not a lot of music comes through here but bluegrass, not that I mind bluegrass, but it was nice to have something different. I think they were called Warsaw, but I can’t seem to find them online. Anyway, they were awesome and I’ve never seen anyone jam out with a conch shell before! That’s all the excitement I can think of for now. My solar shower has been heating in the sun all day and I’m ready for a hot shower in the woods ;). Pretty soon I’ll be camping in the backcountry for work in the Glass Mountains and I’m pretty stoked! Sorry I haven’t been sending mail like I’ve been wanting. I will soon! Over the mountains and through the woods… love you! xoxo
