Last night, we are just going off to sleep in our tent-cabin, when a clipped American female voice penetrates the dark silence:
"In 140 metres, TURN LEFT."
Reg has been fiddling about with the sat-nav app on his tablet (which has actually proved really useful on many occasions) and has forgotten to switch it off.
We sleep much better with the mountain of blankets on our bed, and it's nearly daylight by 5.00 am, when we make our way to the code-locked toilets. After breakfast we need to check out of our tent-cabin; we are going to cycle to the Mirror Lake before leaving Curry Village at about lunchtime. But what to do with our food (biscuits and fruit we got at breakfast) and smellies, since we no longer have the use of our bear-proof box? I ask the man at the cycle hire depot.
"Definitely don't leave any food in your car," he advises. " If there's a bear hanging around here, and he smells that food, he'll rip your car apart in no time. There are bear-boxes visitors can use - just ask at registration when you check out."
I think this is a good idea, because the young girl who hands out the towels at the swimming pool told us of one incident involving a mother bear. She smelled food in a tent-cabin, and climbed on top of it, bouncing up and down until she broke it and was able to get in. She was teaching her cubs how to do it. The young girl said they had to do something with that bear, she wasn't sure what.
When we ask the woman at registration however, she's very blasé about bears.
"Do you have a bear box we can use for our food?" I ask. "We've been told it's not safe to leave it in the car."
"What, in the day?" exclaims the woman at the registration desk, astounded. "You won't find any bears around here during the day. There's too many people. I leave my whole supermarket shop in my car during the day. It's perfectly safe. You can use a bear-box if you want to, but you can't lock it, so it's not people proof. You're better off leaving it in your car."
This attitude astounds me, as there's a video playing above on the wall above the woman's head, telling us not to leave any food or scented items in the tent-cabins or in our cars, at any time, and showing a bear breaking into a car in the day.
Reg thinks the woman is probably right, and ops to leave everything in the (brand new) rented car, while we go off cycling. This shows the difference in our characters; Reg, the adventurous one, "que sera, sera", and me, ever-cautious, who worries about everything.
"Which is worse?" I ask. "To have a washbag and a few bits of food stolen from a bearbox, or a damaged car?"
"It'll be fine in the car," says Reg. And logic says it will, really; there are lots of people about, and bears don't like humans.
We cycle to Mirror Lake. These bikes are the same as the ones in New Orleans, with the back-pedal brakes; however, as it's just Reg and me, I seem to manage the braking sysem, after a little practice. It's wonderful to be out on bikes, and to be able to cycle on paths inaccessible by car. Reg takes some wonderful photos.
At one point bikes have to be left at the bottom of a walking-only trail to the base of the Vernal Waterfall. The steep uphill trek is 1½ miles, and it's very hot; I make it most of the way, then find a shady spot with beautiful views to sit and rest, while Reg treks for another 5 minutes to the base of the falls. I'm amazed at how steep the path is going downwards; almost more difficult than climbing up.
We cycle back to the bike hire depot through cool, shady forest, which is lovely, and succumb to American burgers and french fries (chips in America are crisps!) for lunch. Then were on the 180 mile drive back to San Francisco.
Just to say a little about the history of Yosemite. Native Americans (Indians) of the Ahwachneechee tribe lived in the Yosemite Valley for centuries, until the mid 1800's. During the Mariposa War in 1851, the California State Militia burned down Ahwachneechee villages and took their food stores. The tribe were therefore hounded out of Yosemite Valley, and went to settle in East California.
"She-who-must-be-obeyed" - Reg's sat nav app - does quite a good job for most of the way back to San Francisco. However, we are still some distance from San Francisco when she directs us off the Freeway 580 (motorway) onto another route. We soon realise that she's got her electronics in a twist and manage to get back onto the Freeway for the rest of the way to San Francisco. She then tells us “you have been off the route for 8/10ths of a mile” and finally lapses into a silent huff. As we enter San Francisco, she forgives us and starts telling us how to get to our hostel, for which we are profoundly grateful.
"In 140 metres, TURN LEFT."
Reg has been fiddling about with the sat-nav app on his tablet (which has actually proved really useful on many occasions) and has forgotten to switch it off.
We sleep much better with the mountain of blankets on our bed, and it's nearly daylight by 5.00 am, when we make our way to the code-locked toilets. After breakfast we need to check out of our tent-cabin; we are going to cycle to the Mirror Lake before leaving Curry Village at about lunchtime. But what to do with our food (biscuits and fruit we got at breakfast) and smellies, since we no longer have the use of our bear-proof box? I ask the man at the cycle hire depot.
"Definitely don't leave any food in your car," he advises. " If there's a bear hanging around here, and he smells that food, he'll rip your car apart in no time. There are bear-boxes visitors can use - just ask at registration when you check out."
I think this is a good idea, because the young girl who hands out the towels at the swimming pool told us of one incident involving a mother bear. She smelled food in a tent-cabin, and climbed on top of it, bouncing up and down until she broke it and was able to get in. She was teaching her cubs how to do it. The young girl said they had to do something with that bear, she wasn't sure what.
When we ask the woman at registration however, she's very blasé about bears.
"Do you have a bear box we can use for our food?" I ask. "We've been told it's not safe to leave it in the car."
"What, in the day?" exclaims the woman at the registration desk, astounded. "You won't find any bears around here during the day. There's too many people. I leave my whole supermarket shop in my car during the day. It's perfectly safe. You can use a bear-box if you want to, but you can't lock it, so it's not people proof. You're better off leaving it in your car."
This attitude astounds me, as there's a video playing above on the wall above the woman's head, telling us not to leave any food or scented items in the tent-cabins or in our cars, at any time, and showing a bear breaking into a car in the day.
Reg thinks the woman is probably right, and ops to leave everything in the (brand new) rented car, while we go off cycling. This shows the difference in our characters; Reg, the adventurous one, "que sera, sera", and me, ever-cautious, who worries about everything.
"Which is worse?" I ask. "To have a washbag and a few bits of food stolen from a bearbox, or a damaged car?"
"It'll be fine in the car," says Reg. And logic says it will, really; there are lots of people about, and bears don't like humans.
We cycle to Mirror Lake. These bikes are the same as the ones in New Orleans, with the back-pedal brakes; however, as it's just Reg and me, I seem to manage the braking sysem, after a little practice. It's wonderful to be out on bikes, and to be able to cycle on paths inaccessible by car. Reg takes some wonderful photos.
At one point bikes have to be left at the bottom of a walking-only trail to the base of the Vernal Waterfall. The steep uphill trek is 1½ miles, and it's very hot; I make it most of the way, then find a shady spot with beautiful views to sit and rest, while Reg treks for another 5 minutes to the base of the falls. I'm amazed at how steep the path is going downwards; almost more difficult than climbing up.
We cycle back to the bike hire depot through cool, shady forest, which is lovely, and succumb to American burgers and french fries (chips in America are crisps!) for lunch. Then were on the 180 mile drive back to San Francisco.
Just to say a little about the history of Yosemite. Native Americans (Indians) of the Ahwachneechee tribe lived in the Yosemite Valley for centuries, until the mid 1800's. During the Mariposa War in 1851, the California State Militia burned down Ahwachneechee villages and took their food stores. The tribe were therefore hounded out of Yosemite Valley, and went to settle in East California.
"She-who-must-be-obeyed" - Reg's sat nav app - does quite a good job for most of the way back to San Francisco. However, we are still some distance from San Francisco when she directs us off the Freeway 580 (motorway) onto another route. We soon realise that she's got her electronics in a twist and manage to get back onto the Freeway for the rest of the way to San Francisco. She then tells us “you have been off the route for 8/10ths of a mile” and finally lapses into a silent huff. As we enter San Francisco, she forgives us and starts telling us how to get to our hostel, for which we are profoundly grateful.
We
relax with a cuppa in our lovely hostel room; I am so grateful to be
here, safe and sound, after our long journey. We loved Yosemite, but
at least tonight we won't have to walk a few hundred yards to a
toilet in the night, as this hostel has ensuite facilities.
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