On May 31, 2024, I wrote that I woke with enough time to ride to the ferry building by 8 o’clock. I got coffee and had a pastry before going to the Jack London Square station. My kids were on their way with their mom and were bringing donuts.
I bought tickets and got the boys bikes out of a locker at the station. When the boys showed up we had enough time to board. The train left on time and we took photos. We rode to Berkeley and the conductor found us some seats. The car was packed with school children.
We went to the café car as we passed through Martinez and Suisun Bay. At Davis we put our stuff away and in Sacramento we detrained. We walked our bikes to the Sacramento regional transit stop and I noted that the boys needed a lot of help. Their backpacks were a little big.
At our platform, we sat in the shade and let the Sunrise train go. When we got on the Folsom train the operator push us to the back of the car. We had a lot of space. I had learned that the train only went to Iron Point due to construction.
The trip from there turned out easy and at Iron Point we sat in the shade at the station and the boys tested out their bikes, which they hadn’t ridden for a while. As we rode onward, we discovered that trackside bike path was also out of commission due to track work. So, we ended up riding around on poor quality streets.
We stopped at a liquor store to get snacks and then headed to the historic district to have a bite to eat. I tweeted a picture of my beef sliders, which were really good. The boys liked the hotdogs.
We got photos of Rainbow Bridge after we left Folsom and then we slowly rode up to Folsom Lake. At Crossing Boulevard I took pictures of the dam. Luckily, we made it to the campsites as we ran out of energy. I had the boys set up their tent while I unpacked. When we were done they got on my bike and we rode over to Beals point to jump in the lake. After floating around the lake, we sat around the crowded picnic tables until we were ready to go back to the campground.
When we rode back to the campsite, I started Ramen dinner and had the boys help prep the tent. On the table for dinner Ramen was made with sauerkraut for our greens.
This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Curry Village
On May 27, we got up at our tent site in Housekeeping Camp where we were staying with my niece and sister in Yosemite Valley about 7AM. We went to the Bike kiosk and Café in Curry Village before having waffles back at the camp. The boys ate well. Everyone in the camp contributed fruit, sausages and bacon.
When we were done, I grabbed some stuff from the tent and then crossed to the South Loop Trail on the bikes and headed towards Bridalveil Falls. We stopped in a “rock garden” and later in a fire scarred forest to adjust our helmets. Unfortunately, there were intermittent streams which barred our way in some places. When we gave up on the trail we had to pass our bikes to one another on one of the streams one at a time to get to the swing bridge across the Merced River. I got a couple of pictures.
The ride into Yosemite Village was easy. At Yosemite Falls we got a bit lost but I got a great picture of us with the bikes. We entered through to the museum and deli. We parked the bikes in the back and found a picnic table but had to wait until the deli opened to have a snack. When we were done at the deli we went to the interpretive center and watched a film in the theater. I told the boys about my uncle, a climbing pioneer. There was a spot where you could flip through a book of pictures about climbing in the valley.
We went to the Yosemite Village Market and locked up in front. The light there is really interesting. I couldn’t tell if it was because the canyon walls are so high or because the trees are really tall. I also noted that midday it’s really hot in the spring weather but the forest floor and even the urban areas are pretty cool. I found us sun protection and snacks for later.
We went to the visitor center and the boys got ranger badges. They were supposed to wait in line to provide their Junior Ranger Workbook but instead they sat on the ground and worked on them. Then a little girl cut in front of them in line. The ranger at the desk caught it though and made a point to make sure the boys got their ranger badges so it was OK. I got a picture.
From there we rode our bikes through the parking lots to the Ahwahnee Hotel and headed out to Mirror Lake. The road and forest in Tanaya Canyon were wonderful. I had one of the boys get photos of me on my bike. The last leg was uphill and pretty hard on account of the heat and the fact that we were riding cruiser bikes. We parked and walked near the lake. The boys played in the dirt (silt). I explained the high water benchmark we found – everything was inundated at the last high water event in 2014.
On the way to Happy Isles we passed a lot of people returning to the campgrounds. However, stopped to look at the map because the direct route to Happy Isles winds over the medial moraine. I took the opportunity to explain glacial geology as we rode along. When we got to the Merced River Bridge at Happy Isles I had them kick in the dirt to simulate glacial action.
When we got to Curry Village, we dropped the bikes off and got ice cream sandwiches before we walking to housekeeping. I left the boys with family for bit so I could take a break. The boys played cornhole and later we started prepping dinner. We had chicken tacos and around bedtime I started winding down. The boys wrote thank you notes to our hostess.
Everyone in the camp did some packing since we were all going home the next day. Later we played cards until lights went out at 10 o’clock. I got some much needed rest.…
I woke up at five in the morning of the day that I wrote this and got the boys up at 6:30 AM. I packed the bags and tidied. Around 7 we had a snack and tried to say bye to people. However, nearly everyone was asleep. So, we walked to Curry Village and played the board games at the front desk. I had a coffee and called YARTS and they said we I would be able to board the 9 AM bus.
We got a last photo of Yosemite as we left and I texted family. The ride through Yosemite Valley was great. I took a great photo of Bridalveil Falls. I noted that there is this interesting waterfall At El Portal right above the entrance station. We descended into the valley on highway 140 which was blown out in a specific place so we had to go on some temporary bridges. We saw some rafters on the Merced River.
When we got off the bus in Merced the station attendant said that 713 was late which was fortunate because that meant we would be able to catch it since the YARTS schedule makes catching the 713 train impossible.
We got snacks when boarded the train. The boys played iPad. My sister texted the family chat to say that everyone was driving home on Highway 49. I noted that my boys and I were going to get to Richmond BART several hours early.
This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.
When we were done, I grabbed some stuff from the tent and then crossed to the South Loop Trail on the bikes and headed towards Bridalveil Falls. We stopped in a “rock garden” and later in a fire scarred forest to adjust our helmets. Unfortunately, there were intermittent streams which barred our way in some places. When we gave up on the trail we had to pass our bikes to one another on one of the streams one at a time to get to the swing bridge across the Merced River. I got a couple of pictures.
The ride into Yosemite Village was easy. At Yosemite Falls we got a bit lost but I got a great picture of us with the bikes. We entered through to the museum and deli. We parked the bikes in the back and found a picnic table but had to wait until the deli opened to have a snack. When we were done at the deli we went to the interpretive center and watched a film in the theater. I told the boys about my uncle, a climbing pioneer. There was a spot where you could flip through a book of pictures about climbing in the valley.
We went to the Yosemite Village Market and locked up in front. The light there is really interesting. I couldn’t tell if it was because the canyon walls are so high or because the trees are really tall. I also noted that midday it’s really hot in the spring weather but the forest floor and even the urban areas are pretty cool. I found us sun protection and snacks for later.
We went to the visitor center and the boys got ranger badges. They were supposed to wait in line to provide their Junior Ranger Workbook but instead they sat on the ground and worked on them. Then a little girl cut in front of them in line. The ranger at the desk caught it though and made a point to make sure the boys got their ranger badges so it was OK. I got a picture.
From there we rode our bikes through the parking lots to the Ahwahnee Hotel and headed out to Mirror Lake. The road and forest in Tanaya Canyon were wonderful. I had one of the boys get photos of me on my bike. The last leg was uphill and pretty hard on account of the heat and the fact that we were riding cruiser bikes. We parked and walked near the lake. The boys played in the dirt (silt). I explained the high water benchmark we found – everything was inundated at the last high water event in 2014.
On the way to Happy Isles we passed a lot of people returning to the campgrounds. However, stopped to look at the map because the direct route to Happy Isles winds over the medial moraine. I took the opportunity to explain glacial geology as we rode along. When we got to the Merced River Bridge at Happy Isles I had them kick in the dirt to simulate glacial action.
When we got to Curry Village, we dropped the bikes off and got ice cream sandwiches before we walking to housekeeping. I left the boys with family for bit so I could take a break. The boys played cornhole and later we started prepping dinner. We had chicken tacos and around bedtime I started winding down. The boys wrote thank you notes to our hostess.
Everyone in the camp did some packing since we were all going home the next day. Later we played cards until lights went out at 10 o’clock. I got some much needed rest.…
I woke up at five in the morning of the day that I wrote this and got the boys up at 6:30 AM. I packed the bags and tidied. Around 7 we had a snack and tried to say bye to people. However, nearly everyone was asleep. So, we walked to Curry Village and played the board games at the front desk. I had a coffee and called YARTS and they said we I would be able to board the 9 AM bus.
We got a last photo of Yosemite as we left and I texted family. The ride through Yosemite Valley was great. I took a great photo of Bridalveil Falls. I noted that there is this interesting waterfall At El Portal right above the entrance station. We descended into the valley on highway 140 which was blown out in a specific place so we had to go on some temporary bridges. We saw some rafters on the Merced River.
When we got off the bus in Merced the station attendant said that 713 was late which was fortunate because that meant we would be able to catch it since the YARTS schedule makes catching the 713 train impossible.
We got snacks when boarded the train. The boys played iPad. My sister texted the family chat to say that everyone was driving home on Highway 49. I noted that my boys and I were going to get to Richmond BART several hours early.
This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
The Mist Trail
The day before May 25, when I wrote this, I did laundry and returned the tent I was occupying with my kids at Houskeeping Camp in Yosemite where I found my older sister and her family had prepared tacos for us. My mood had improved from earlier in the day. I had a beer with my brother-in-law and his buddies. Later I had to come up with ways to both sit with the group but also avoid the smoke from the fire.
I ended up sitting with my boys as they finished their desert. I had to have a real talk with them about bedtime since most of the others were much older than them. They had heard about the “moonbow” over Yosemite Falls and I had to find ways to get their minds off of it. I ended up taking a long exposure of the view over the Merced River from the campsite and said that that was how it likely appeared. They relented once they acknowledged how much they wanted to go to bed. Once we had brushed our teeth and wound down, I dozed for a bit with the light on. I had tried and failed to find a beer. I shut everything down at midnight.
In the morning of the day that I wrote this, I woke at 5:45 am but let the boys sleep. We got up at 7:30 and headed to Curry Village where we rented bikes and got some breakfast. We went back to the campsite and had breakfast sandwiches. My sister convinced me to make sandwiches for the boys for our Mist Trail hike.
The boys were playing with dirt and riding around on their rental bikes. I found a couple of backpacks and when everyone in our camp was ready, I convinced the boys to get their bikes and wait with me on the road. Then a big group of us– nearly 25 people– went to Happy Isles to walk on the interpretive trail. Then we went to the Mist Trail and parked our bikes with a lock I had purchased at the rental shop.
As we headed out. I convinced the boys to lead the way to the Vernal footbridge as fast as we could. Only one person from the group caught up to us. At the bridge everyone took a group photo. From there, we tried to follow my older sister to the misty sections of the Mist Trail. However, after a few photos, she and her husband headed back.
From there the hike was really wet and while my boys were displeased at the atmosphere they managed. I had to swallow my concern over the danger on a few occasions but there were enough friends and family around that it felt OK.
Once we had made it past the dangerous climb above Vernal Falls, about 15 of us ate food with. I had the boys eat their sandwiches and a ton of snacky food. After that, we tried to get a photo of Nevada Falls. The group started to dissipate at this point but about 8 of us ended up climbing up the John Deere Trail.
One of my boys had decided to try to stay at the front of the group because he wanted to return to camp. It was cute because he kept asking where the top was. My other son had glommed onto a lady and her mom and spoke to her all the way back to the Vernal Bridge.
At the top above Vernal Falls, we rested a bit, but everyone wanted to descend back to the valley. It was initially steep but got easier. My boy in the lead, who saw me take one of the shortcuts, ran to catch up with me and that made me take caution because of the steepness. I started to take it slow because I realized he was exhausted. I suggested we count switchbacks as a way to monitor our progress.
At Vernal Bridge many of our companions said goodbye and the group was down to 5 – my boys, my niece, her boyfriend and myself. We concentrated on effective walking – the boys had to rest a lot and were occasionally not very happy. Also, the trail had a lot of narrow portions where tourists tend to bunch up so it was hard to pass people.
I noted that the spot where the trail follows the canyon northward for a short while can be very steep but it quickly got easier. I tried to hold the boys’ hands through a lot of it. Suffice to say, I was relieved when we started to unlock the bikes. We rode to Curry Village and said bye to my niece and her boyfriend before dropping the bikes off.
We had a snack and walked to housekeeping. My brother-in-law made the group pizza and later we had s’mores. We then made a plan to play video games on our ipads before going to bed.
This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.
I ended up sitting with my boys as they finished their desert. I had to have a real talk with them about bedtime since most of the others were much older than them. They had heard about the “moonbow” over Yosemite Falls and I had to find ways to get their minds off of it. I ended up taking a long exposure of the view over the Merced River from the campsite and said that that was how it likely appeared. They relented once they acknowledged how much they wanted to go to bed. Once we had brushed our teeth and wound down, I dozed for a bit with the light on. I had tried and failed to find a beer. I shut everything down at midnight.
In the morning of the day that I wrote this, I woke at 5:45 am but let the boys sleep. We got up at 7:30 and headed to Curry Village where we rented bikes and got some breakfast. We went back to the campsite and had breakfast sandwiches. My sister convinced me to make sandwiches for the boys for our Mist Trail hike.
The boys were playing with dirt and riding around on their rental bikes. I found a couple of backpacks and when everyone in our camp was ready, I convinced the boys to get their bikes and wait with me on the road. Then a big group of us– nearly 25 people– went to Happy Isles to walk on the interpretive trail. Then we went to the Mist Trail and parked our bikes with a lock I had purchased at the rental shop.
As we headed out. I convinced the boys to lead the way to the Vernal footbridge as fast as we could. Only one person from the group caught up to us. At the bridge everyone took a group photo. From there, we tried to follow my older sister to the misty sections of the Mist Trail. However, after a few photos, she and her husband headed back.
From there the hike was really wet and while my boys were displeased at the atmosphere they managed. I had to swallow my concern over the danger on a few occasions but there were enough friends and family around that it felt OK.
Once we had made it past the dangerous climb above Vernal Falls, about 15 of us ate food with. I had the boys eat their sandwiches and a ton of snacky food. After that, we tried to get a photo of Nevada Falls. The group started to dissipate at this point but about 8 of us ended up climbing up the John Deere Trail.
One of my boys had decided to try to stay at the front of the group because he wanted to return to camp. It was cute because he kept asking where the top was. My other son had glommed onto a lady and her mom and spoke to her all the way back to the Vernal Bridge.
At the top above Vernal Falls, we rested a bit, but everyone wanted to descend back to the valley. It was initially steep but got easier. My boy in the lead, who saw me take one of the shortcuts, ran to catch up with me and that made me take caution because of the steepness. I started to take it slow because I realized he was exhausted. I suggested we count switchbacks as a way to monitor our progress.
At Vernal Bridge many of our companions said goodbye and the group was down to 5 – my boys, my niece, her boyfriend and myself. We concentrated on effective walking – the boys had to rest a lot and were occasionally not very happy. Also, the trail had a lot of narrow portions where tourists tend to bunch up so it was hard to pass people.
I noted that the spot where the trail follows the canyon northward for a short while can be very steep but it quickly got easier. I tried to hold the boys’ hands through a lot of it. Suffice to say, I was relieved when we started to unlock the bikes. We rode to Curry Village and said bye to my niece and her boyfriend before dropping the bikes off.
We had a snack and walked to housekeeping. My brother-in-law made the group pizza and later we had s’mores. We then made a plan to play video games on our ipads before going to bed.
This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.
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