06.29.2010

Backpacking El Cap
The sun warms up the Valley at dawn. Folks brought rope (and we took our vertical gear) to rig the spot where we would have rappelled. But I couldn’t bring myself to go down to the Diving Board to see the view that could have been. It would have broken my heart.

So instead we decided to leave Yosemite. But first thing first, get off the huge rock called El Cap.
Backpacking El Cap

06.28.2010

Backpacking El Cap
Since we travel all the way to Yosemite with our backpacking gear, we decided to do a trip to the top of El Capitan.
Here is Robin Mitchell blazing the way along Yosemite Creek during our 12-mile hike to reach the summit of El Cap, where we planned on spending the night.

Backpacking El Cap
Chris hikes towards the summit of El Cap. You can see the opposite wall of the Valley in the background.

06.27.2010

Yosemite
We arrived in Yosemite National Park today. Looking up at El Capitan from the Valley floor made me sad we were not able to rappel and climb her.

Yosemite Vernal Falls
Took a paved trail to see Vernal Falls.
The trail was a shit show. This really fat man, who looked to be in his late 20s, was with his fat wife and two fat small children. They were hiking up the same trail as us. They had one empty water bottle for the four of them on the hot June afternoon. They all looked like they were going to stroke out at any moment. He approached us and said “You two look like you know what you’re doing in the outdoors.”

“Can I drink this water?” as he pointed to the river we were hiking by. Chris said “Sure, if you want to get diarrhea.”

He scrunched up his face and turned on his heal quickly towards his waiting family.

05.16.2002

051602 rick
Once again my sight-seeing buddy Rick and I went on another trip. This destination was California’s most amazing wonder if them all — Yosemite. Here’s Rick hamming it up for the camera.

051602 climber
Here is a rock climber scaling the giant granite walls of El Capitan, which rises more than 3,000 feet above the valley floor.

051602 Yosemite Moon
And lastly, a night-time image of the moon.