PHOEBE JOINS OUR FAMILY

A week ago, on Saturday, we adopted a dog from the Humane Society. Her name is PHOEBE.  She is four years old and a mix-breed of ChowChow and who knows what else. As you can see from the photos she is colored brown/black, has stubby ears, and expressive eyes. She weighs about 40 pounds and is just a little larger than our previous dog, Reba.

Phoebe in her new yard

Phoebe

She appears to be house trained and walks well on leash. She likes people, but is not friendly toward other dogs at the present time. I will be getting help in getting her over her aggressiveness. We will enroll in some classes as soon as she recovers from kennel cough. 

On Thanksgiving Day she was subjected to a bath in our tub. That was quite the experience for her and me. I almost got as wet as Phoebe. She took it all pretty well though I had nothing to keep the bathtub bottom from being so slippery. The bath did wonders to her coat as well.

Bath Time

This is not fun

Drying Off

 We are looking forward to Phoebe being with us. She appears to be settling into her new home, and likes what she is experiencing.

Checking out the Yard.

 

SIERRA FALL SHOW

This morning we headed up Big Pine Canyon to find some autumn color. We were successful and had a good time wandering around with our cameras. 

Fall Leaves

A FALLEN LEAF

Tree Detail

Big Pine Canyon Color

After about an hour we broke off and headed for Bishop Creek and North Lake. I had been able to research the area, and was hopeful that we would be close to the peak time for color. We stopped at several places along Rte. 168 and found some great opportunities. 

ASPEN TALL

SIERRA COLOR

GREEN AND GOLD

NEAR NORTH LAKE

We then pushed on to North Lake. As I was getting my gear out of the car, another Subaru Forrester drove up and the driver jumped out and haled me. It was a member of one of my camera clubs, The PhotoNaturalists C.C. 

NORTH LAKE AND REFLECTION

EASTERN SIERRA COLOR

YELLOW, GREEN & MTNS.

ASPEN QUILT

ASPEN COVERED ROAD

 We spent several hours up Bishop Creek and in the North Lake area. On the way back down we had to stop at a small grove of aspen that was directly in our view. It was a fun day with a number of photo opportunities. This ended our trip to Yosemite and the Eastern Sierras.

YOSEMITE - ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - 6

FAREWELL TO YOSEMITE AND HELLO EASTERN SIERRAS

After breakfast we went our separate ways, Klara back to Idaho, and Tina and Justin back to Ohio. It was wonderful to all be together for the past four days.

  

LEMBERT DOME

DOG LAKE

George and I headed for the Tioga Pass Road and onto the Eastern Sierras. Along the way we took in the hike to Dog Lake and the view of Lembert Dome. Just after leaving the Park we turned off to the North to visit Saddlebag Lake where we had hiked and camped almost thirty years ago. 

SADDLEBAG LAKE

OLD MINING CAR

Then there was plenty of snow pack in the Sierras and the Lake was quite large. Today the lake is quite low with the shoreline being quite a distance from the boat launch area.

After walking around the area we were off to Bishop for a stop at the famous Schat’s Bakkery. Here we picked up a couple of loaves of bread for ourselves and friends, and deli sandwiches for dinner. We then headed for Big Pine, 13 miles down Rte. 395 to our motel. The Big Pine Motel is where we stay every year for Bishop Mule Days.

YOSEMITE - ANNIVERSARY CELBRATION - 5

 

SUNDAY – A GOOD DAY FOR A HIKE

Today we planned on a major hike. George wanted to hike up the Yosemite Falls Trail; and Klara and I joined him for this. We had hiked the trail together in 1967 with Klara in a primitive, by today’s standards, backpack

carrier, and I carrying a backpack with all the essential needs when hiking with an 11 month old, along with food and water for the day.

The trail started at Camp 4 and immediately started its ascent. First we hiked to Columbia Rock. Here we enjoyed a commanding view into the Canyon and East to Half Dome. 

NEEDLE TO RIGHT OF YOSEMITE FALLS

HALF DOME FROM COLUMBIA ROCK

TRAIL CAIRN TO ???

We proceeded another half mile up the trail and enjoyed the up-close view of what would normally be a powerful Upper Yosemite Falls. On this day it was dry and silent. 

A DRY FALLS

YOSEMITE FALLS, MARCH 2010

As we were enjoying our snack/lunch a young man was coming down the trail very slowly and deliberately. I was the first to comment and I was correct that he needed to be “PSAR’d”. (P-Preventative, S-Search, A-And. R-Rescue which is used to assess and assist a person who is having trouble on the trail that can lead to injury. (This is a term we learned and as George did patrols for this purpose at the North Rim, Grand Canyon.) After inquiry we learned that the man, Tony, had spent the night out on the Rim of the Canyon near the top of Yosemite Falls with no food, very little water, and only a poncho to keep him warm.

CANYON WALL

A CLOSER LOOK

We gave him all the water we could spare, and shared our food as well. While we talked you could see him begin to feel better, and his demeanor improved. Shortly he headed on down the trail and soon we followed. Later we passed him, and then I asked a group coming up the trail to give him some water when they met him, and they agreed to do that. Back down at Camp 4 we headed for the bathroom, and then the water spigot to get some water. As we were leaving there here came Tony. We were quite glad that he had made it down safe and sound. He still had to drive home, around the Fresno area, but after a rest and some food I am sure he did fine.

UNDER THE CANOPY

George and I are really happy that we did this hike even though this time we did not go it the top of the Falls. It would have been a challenge with the afternoon heat, and relentless sunshine above where we had stopped. There was no spray from a falls to help cool us off either.

WE DID IT!

GEORGE AND "BABY KLARA"

GEORGE AND KLARA

Tonight was our celebratory dinner at the Ahwanhee Hotel. The Ahwanhee is one of the premier lodges within the National Parks. It was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood.  Due to its remote location, the construction of The Ahwahnee was the most complex trucking endeavor of its day. Over 5,000 tons of stone, 1,000 tons of steel, and 30,000 feet of timber were hauled over the challenging mountain roads. To protect The Ahwahnee from fire, a fate of many of the Park's earlier hotels, its wood-like facade is actually concrete, poured into rough-hewn wooden forms and stained to look like redwood. It is a very majestic setting and the dinner and staff were delightful. There was no rushing and of course the setting is beautiful. We all enjoyed our meals and the ambiance.

AHWAHNEE HOTEL

AHWAHNEE DINING ROOM

   

 

YOSEMITE - ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - 4

YOSEMITE HIGH COUNTRY

HALF DOME IN THE DAWN SKY w/JUPITER, VENUS AND THE MOON

Today we were off to see a Giant Redwood Grove, Toulumne Grove, and points along the Tioga Pass Road. We first stopped at Valley View, 

EL CAPITAN FROM VALLEY VIEW

and then it was on to the redwood grove, but we could not find a parking place. We pressed on into the high country and stopped at a quiet overlook West of Olmsted Point. Here we stretched our legs, and enjoy a quiet view of Half Dome, Mt. Watkins, and Cloud’s Rest from the North and East from 8500 feet. When you look at Half Dome from the Valley you are viewing it at about 4000 feet, and from the West. While here, Klara led us in some botanizing, sharing the wonders of the innards of a member of the sunflower family with her hand lens which is a 20X magnifier.

Then it was onto Olmsted Point. 

VIEW DOWN TENAYA CANYON

TENACIOUS TREE

DETERMINED

This point is named for both Frederick Law Olmsted, Senior; and his son, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., landscape architects and conservationists. FLO.Sr. was the architect for Yosemite Valley, and Mariposa Grove in Yosemite. He also was one of the two architects to design Central Park in New York and a number of other urban parks on the East Coast. The Point commands a magnificent view of Tenaya Canyon which culminates in Half Dome to the Southeast. We enjoyed wandering around the overlook and then going on the short trail to the South which took you away from the “maddening crowds”.

We enjoyed our picnic lunch at Tenaya Lake. This is a beautiful lake to the East of Olmsted Point. 

TENAYA LAKE

There are a number of places to stop and set up a picnic on the stony shore. It was a clear and sunny day here and we enjoyed the setting. We then pressed onto the trail for Lembert Dome. Shortly after starting up this trail to Dog Lake we assessed the time of day and what we really want to see: it was 1530 and we really wanted a walk in the Toulumne Redwood Grove.

Having verbalized this it was time to reverse our tracks and head back to the Grove Parking Lot. It took almost an hour to drive back to it. We found a parking spot, and then set out down the trail to the Grove.  Due to the lateness of the hour and oncoming sunset, we were able to enjoy a quiet walk through the grove. We explored the downed tree with a hollow center, as well as the tunnel tree.

A SENSE OF SIZE

KLARA INSIDE A TREE

It is very difficult to photograph in a redwood grove due to the dark canopy. I had not taken my tripod so there are few pictures though with pushing the ISO up I was able to get a couple. I loved the backlit leaves of the dogwood. 

GIANT SEQUOIA

COLORFUL DOGWOOD

BACK LIT

While admiring the tunnel tree a lady asked Klara to take a picture of her and her family. Klara detected an accent and asked where they were from? Hungary! Once again the National Parks draw visitors from all over the world.

EL CAPITAN FROM VALLEY VIEW

YOSEMITE - ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - 3

FRIDAY – The VALLEY

Today we spent on various excursions around the Valley. Klara, Tina, and Justin rented bicycles and rode around the valley with various stops along the way. First, a view of Upper Yosemite Falls -

YOSEMITE FALLS, OCTOBER 2015

YOSEMITE FALLS, MARCH 2010

George and I hopped onto the shuttle to Happy Isles. We then hiked up the Mist Trail to the bridge and enjoyed seeing water over Vernal Falls. 

RAVEN ON WATCH BY BRIDGE

MAPLES AND GRANITE

Then we hiked along the river trail back to the Lodge via the biking trail along the river’s edge, past the Stables, and Lower Pines Campground. 

TREE FUNGUS

TRAIL VIEW

Once back near the Village, we stopped at the store for some additions to our breakfast larder, then did a short visit at the Ansel Adams Gallery, and the Visitor Center. Back at the Lodge we rejoined the cyclists and enjoyed a lite snack.

Time for a family photo session: The girls had hired a professional photographer for a photo session in our family’s favorite National Park. Nancy Robbins, originally from San Diego, and now from Wawona, CA, was quite personable and made us all at ease as we had our photographs taken at a couple of different locations. Of course there were also a number of combinations of family members. We look forward to seeing the proofs.

HALF DOME

We enjoyed a nice sunset with sunset light on Half Dome before we bid farewell to our photographer, and headed for dinner. Tonight we dined at the Mountain Room Dining Room. It was very good food with a very nice ambiance.

HALF DOME AND REFLECTION