Big Sur and arrival to Yosemite

9/30/11

At the campground at Big Sur, we were outsiders, the only ones without surfboards lying outside our tents. We woke up early to eat breakfast on the beach and begin our drive to Yosemite. The surfers were already up and donning their wetsuits and waxing their boards. When we arrived at the beach there were a half dozen surfers in the water. We watched them catch a few waves and talked with one of them as he was entering the water. He explained that most of the surfers at the camp were part of a group that makes their own surf boards. He explained a little about how they make the boards before we went on our

The drive to Yosemite was a little more than Paul had anticipated. Along the famed Hwy 1 that runs along the coast, there were spectacular views of the ocean. Eventually we turned inland and passed miles of farmland before arriving at the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite.

Bridal Veil Fall

We arrived at Yosemite around 3:00 and drove through the valley, taking time to observe el Capitan and Half Dome, spectacular vertical granite peaks that surround the valley. Unfortunately, the campsites at Yosemite were all full for the night. To get to the only campsite available we had to wait hours because of road blockings due to forest fires and it was already dark. We spent some time considering our options and eventually had to get a hotel room outside of Yosemite that night. It was a nice place and we got a hot shower in the morning. The small taste of Yosemite that afternoon made us excited to find a campsite in the morning and select a hiking destination.