my expectations of yosemite during the first weekend of october were different than the reality i was presented. not a problem tho. i had in my mind a vibrant explosion of oranges and reds and browns in patches around the valley and the surrounding hills capped with giant blue skies that seemed endless to the imagination. instead i was presented with rain. this is not as bad as it sounds. the weekend started off extremely warm during our drive into the park on fri. the rain did not start til we hit the valley floor and started getting sprinkled on. i guess all the greenery needs something to sustain it while the rest of california looks as if it is ready to self-combust.
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| couldn't resist. somewhere along highway 49 |
due to our lack of preparation and foresight we discovered the valley floor campgrounds to be completely full. no worries because wawona (we wanna) sleep at higher elevations anyways. so to wawona we headed.
the next day the skies had cleared and we were treated to warm sunshine and clear skies with artistic thunderheads looming far off to the south east. in attempt to "carpe" not the day, but rather just to seize as if pouncing like a
mountain tiger upon prey, we started hiking up. and up. and up some more until we were treated to the classic yosemite and greater sierra nevada favorite, GLACIAL GRANITE.
we laid around showered and explored the waterway and granite terraces until our hearts were content. on the way back down connor and i saw a black bear taking a run thru the woods rather than fear the bear we embraced the chance encounter and were un-alarmed, (this sighting can/should serve as foreshadowing for events later that evening). back at camp we settled into our late afternoon activities of choice: cooking, eating, reading, nothing, ect... the evening followed with rain falling on us for solid blocks of time while trying to cook dinner and start a fire. determined nonetheless to feel the warmth of fire joey and fong got a fire going so that we could all warm up and dry off a bit before bed. bedtime this night brought a surprise visit from an unexpected guest. of course i mean a bear. or do i? compelling arguments for a bear encounter included the sighting of a big fury creature, rummaging sounds, heavy breathing, tent swatting, wild animal elusiveness, and fear and anxiety felt by most, even other campsites were included, and the phrase "'wawona' sleep in the the RV" was uttered. even the next morning possible prints were found around campsite and a recount of the action the night before took place. after a poor night of sleep and an active imagination, stories had been confirmed by "eye witnesses" and everything seemed to make sense. fear was justified and life was valued all the more. of course all of the previous was tossed on its head when it was revealed that said "bear" was nothing more than myself dressed up in a gorilla suit. with connor being my inside man among the humans to help coax them into believing that a bear really was attacking the campsite. this prank turned out to be my best practical joke/scare/surprise to date. it got strangers involved, altered sleep patterns, caused the instinctual fight or flight response, and will be remembered by those involved for many years to come.
