I went to Yosemite National Park over a weekend In January. Being that it is January, of course it was cold. It was colder than cold. It was damned cold. But all the snow made it purty, so freezing my ass off was worth it.
When I got to the gate to the park, the attendant told me that I had to have chains to go into the park, being that parts of the road was snowy and icy. So I had to turn around and go back to Fish Camp, which was about 2 miles down the road. But not more than a half an hour later (and $60 poorer) I was back at the gate again, this time with chains. We didn't have to put them on for a few miles into the park, but driving further down the road, I saw why they were required. The road, despite being snow plowed, was still very icy in areas that saw little or no sun. There were huge icicles hanging down in the tunnel (some looked at least 6 feet long), and the air....well, it was DAMNED COLD. I think the high in the park was supposed to be about 35, but up on Inspiration Point, I am sure it was colder, being that it was higher in elevation, and with the wind chill, the temperature must have been in the teens. Bridalveil Fall, which was flowing full force back in May, was reduced to a mere trickle, while the rest of it was frozen solid.
Yes, indeed. It was cold!
I had never driven with chains before. It was a "different" experience. When we lived in Lebec, my folks had studded snow tires. Those felt nothing like chains. Driving on chains feels like you are driving a giant vibrator - LOL! They are noisy and bumpy and a pain in the ass. But without them, there would have been a ton of accidents, and on roads on mountains that are several hundred to thousand feet high (with no guardrails), well that would not be a good thing!
Luckily, we had a heated cabin for the night. But no indoor restroom. No siree. If you had to pee during the night, you were gonna have to brave the cold (the guy at the lodge said the low was supposed to get below zero that night). There were even signs in the bathroom to remind people to leave the faucets running a bit so the pipes wouldn't freeze up. Thank goodness I have a strong bladder - LOL!
The next morning, we got up and had a bit of breakfast and decided to try ice skating, since they had an outdoor rink there. Let me tell you something. I have a new found respect for ice skaters and hockey players. Cuz that is hard! The only reason my butt didn't hit the ice was that I kept my hands on the railing nearly the whole time. My feet hurt, my face was freezing and my toes were cold. It was just very, very hard. But, I didn't fall. Nope. Not once. Came close though - lol. At least I tried something new. I sat down on a bench by the fire for a while to warm up, but since the bench was cold, when I got up, my butt was frozen - lol. No. I mean it. It was frozen. Put it this way.....if someone would have kicked me in the butt, I would not have felt it.
The only "hike" I was able to take was a brief walk to Yosemite Falls (and I say "hike" cuz it is all paved - lol). It is just amazing what a difference a few months and a change of seasons can do to the world. The falls were nearly fozen solid. The normally rushing Merced River was covered in layers of ice and snow. Every now and then you would hear the crashing sound of ice as it fell down the falls after being melted by the sun. It was an awesome sight.
On the way back, I drove up to Badger Pass, which is a ski resort. It was pretty cool. Maybe next time I will take a ski lesson. I bet you I will fall on my butt then - hehe.
(Yes, I know this post is way late in coming, but I just didn't have time or patience (hehe) to sit down and upload pictures til now.)
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
Grab my blinkie if you wanna
(Click on the links below to go there.)
Click the moose to sign my Guest Book
My "pet"
Visit CALM
