Intrepid travellers head to Yosemite

Tuesday morning dawned with mouldy toast and the worst coffee I've ever tasted. USA hostel San Francisco might have a great name but I was not impressed. When I asked at reception for a place to buy coffee, she said the aussies and kiwis always wanted decent coffee.

After meeting the group and signing my life away on multiple forms we piled our gear into a covered trailer and 9 of us piled into a Ford 14 seater van.

 

Let me introduce to the group.  Forest, our tour leader, is learning to play the piano and throw knives; Harvey and Kate are Brits on their honeymoon and the entertainment for the tour; Ben the artist from Wimbledon, doesn't like tennis; Sarah from Belgium with a past life as a punk rocker, now sings classical music; Gabriella from Germany; Steph a German Australian auditor; Ross from Wales who just narrowly missed out on a job at MI5 (at least so he says); and me, of course.

Our first day was a slow steady climb up to Yosemite. Much of the countyside waas brown grass dotted with trees. I expected whathisface Landon to step out at any moment.

The campsite was pretty rustic for America - flush toilets but no showers. We are sleeping in pup tents and because Yosemite is bear country we had to make sure everything with a sent was packed in the trailer or special bins at night- including my backpack with the leaked shampoo on it. Dinner made over cookers was spaggetti bolognaise the first night, cooked by the honeymooners and delicious- not just because I was starving.

The campsite- Tuolomne Meadows- is quite high up, and very very cold at night. Thermals in the sleeping bag were a must.
Our first full day in Yosemite were spent in the valley for a latte and a muffin then up the to Vernal falls via the mist trail then on to Nevada falls. Track was quite steep with lots of steps. I looked wistfully at the sign to half dome at the top. Next time....

After Iguassu, waterfalls are mostly umimpressive, but these were quite high and spectacular in their own way. I particularly liked the Silver Apron that looked like a water slide. Usually the waterfalls have dried up by this time of year but we were lucky that they have had lots of snow and late rain.

I went down the John Muir trail which is also a horse trail so much more gentle downhill. I almost saw a bear! I did see the photo of the bear that the people before me took. Gutted to have missed it.

Dinner was pizza at a restaurant in the valley before heading back to camp.