造化神奇

六月末的拓浪弥草地 (Tuolumne Meadows)

高山雪水泄落特尼亚湖 (Teneya Lake)

Heavy traffic was at the Entrance to Yosemite as a mile of cars lined up to pay the park entrance fees ($20).  Drivers chatted with rangers working in the kiosks because it was a long drive and everyone in the car became excited to be there.  Granted, many people were visiting Yosemite National Park for the first time.  Still, they should cut off their sweet talks because people were being cooked sitting in the car at high noon.  Passing the gate, there were still more than 25 miles to reach Yosemite Valley proper.  Some of us weren't even going to the Yosemite Valley, for crying out loud.
 
Inside the park, cars traveled in reduced speed because the road was winding, mountains tall and valleys deep, and also because every vehicle was heavy with bicycles and camping equipments.  We couldn't swing as fast as on regular highways.  Thank goodness, the turn to Route 120 soon came up and we left the long line of cars that aimed at Yosemite.  For many, going to Yosemite was a major trip.  But for us, this was only two thirds of the way, still 90 to 100 miles to reach the east slopes of Sierra Nevada. 
 
This part of the drive in the high country became an eye-opener.  Never before had I traveled along Route 120 past Olmstead Point.  This Point itself left a deep impression because through deep granite canyon the back of famed Half Dome could be seen.  As usual, the Vista Point was filled with cars and people with cameras or posing for pictures.  In the wide arms of nature's grandeur, everyone became a little kid, wanting to climb up and own and hugging each rock big and small.  The views there were amazing but not completely unfathomable because I had been here twice in the past.  
 
After that Point, the scenery seemed to become even more glorious, largely due to the fact that I had never ventured past that point in my life.  A couple of years ago we were looking for Teneya Lake but could only reach Olmstead Point due to time constraint.  So, I was utterly amazed to find Teneya Lake a few minutes down the road.  The lake was large, an alpine lake nestled among towering granite peaks.  Those seemingly harsh peaks stared back at the afternoon sunlight with utter silence and severity.  They had their presence felt by everything that was close, human hearts for sure.  I must stop the car, to look at them, to take pictures, to take in the waterfalls high up there on the shoulders of the rocky ridge.  A giant wore a billion dollar jewelry under broad daylight.  The sight was unforgettable once taken in.  Patches of snow high up seemed to have become insignificant, even in a hot summer day.  The water in the lake had this deep blue color; everything was rich, silent and proud.  I could stand there for days without feeling bored.
 

Tuolumne Meadows in late June

But we must move on, for there were still many miles to go and it was midday already.  But wait, after a few huge mountain peaks, there was this expansive green meadow.  We were at Tuolumne Meadows, a stretch of flat valley floor in the middle of tall peaks and energetic creeks and river, Tuolumne River, of course.  This was campers' heaven.  They had huge campgrounds and canvas tent resorts and yet reservation was hard to come by.  We pushed onwards, through quite a few mirror-like alpine lakes and peaks that reach over 13,000 feet towards the heavens.  At Tiago Pass which itself was only shade under 10,000 feet, they checked our receipt to make sure that we paid our $20 fee to the National Park. 

From there on it was downhill all the way to Mono Basin where we could see Mono Lake in distance.  We were there to connect with Highway 395, a two lane freeway, fairly straight and easy to travel.  About 25 miles later, we found the exit to Route 203 that led to Devil's Postpile, through the town of Mammoth Lakes.  A few miles past Mammoth Lakes, the National Forest Service had a gate that collected $20 from us for the use of their service.  So, we were in another national park, though it was called Devil's Postpile National Monument, a tad smaller in size than national parks.  At the gate it was posted 11 of the 21 camping sites was still available.  Marvelous news.  Another 15 miles later, we found our campground, with only 6-7 sites available.  But, for us, one was enough. With a spot to sleep for the night, things seemed to become orderly in a hurry.
 
3. Amazing Rock Formation

The time was about 2:30 in the afternoon when we settled down.  That was to say, the drive lasted over 6 hours, including stopovers and breakfast, of course.  Still, this was no time to relax.  After some drinks, fruit and snack, it was time for the main attraction, Devil's Postpile.  

Full View of Devil's Postpile

About 100,000 years ago volcanic activity was winding down in Earth's crust.  It happened a huge bed of hot lava gradually cooled down, ever so evenly.  In the cooling process, to release tension, vertical columns of basalt in the shape of hexagon were formed.  Still the entire formation was buried under a thick layer of earth.  Then came the Ice Age about 20,000 years ago, glacier movement took the layer of earth off this part of the lava bed.  Not only did the glaciation exposed columns but also polished tops of the hexagonal columns.  Then there was a big river, the magnificent San Joaquin River, and rain, and snow, and fierce wind, all contributed to mold the shape of this uniformed cliff of columnar basalt we could see today.  We arrived at a very good time as the afternoon sun just cast its brilliant light onto those beautiful columns of standing rocks.
 
A few woos and ahs were exchanged and all the cameras were clicking.  A loop trail from the bottom to the top then down was quickly taken.  It was unbelievable. Such a small place could evoke such tremendous feelings in human heart.  Suddenly the history of earth connected the future with its past.
 
4. Rainbow Falls

It seemed that everyone except me liked to swim in lakes and rivers.  After dropping them off at Lake Sotcher, I went into the mountains. Time was pressing as so many waterfalls and lakes were waiting to be explored; so much so that I had got no time to even think about peaks and huge moraines.  As a matter of fact, this 10 mile long valley had a shuttle bus to move tourists from one spot to another, for free, so they could view as many spots in a day as they could manage. 

Rainbow Falls basked in the afternoon sun

Rainbow Falls ranked a close second t the mind-blowing rock formation of Devil's Postpile in terms of scenic value.  The trailhead was only a short mile drive from our campground.  After the car was parked, I was happy to see the trail was well marked, wide and easy to navigate.  So, there was no chance for me to get lost as I saw many visitors along the way.  The distance from the trailhead to the waterfalls was a bit over a mile.  Before long, the beautiful sound of the mighty San Joaquin River and the cascading water could be heard.  When a river plunges 101-feet over a cliff of volcanic rock, it makes some big noise.  The beauty of this fall was whenever the sunlight cast on the water, a rainbow and often double rainbows could be seen to decorate the already picturesque cascade of green water.  People were mesmerized; pictures were taken; children wanted to get to closer to the water.  Indeed, there were stone steps to the bottom of one of the most glorious waterfalls of the entire Sierra Nevada.
 
Since the hiking part was easy so I had time to go down to the stone steps, close enough to feel the mist splashing on my face.  I loved the cooling sensation in the middle of a hot day.
 
5. Sotcher Lake
 
I went back to Sotcher Lake to look for the swimmers but they had left. The Lake was located along the paved road and was readily accessible.  There was a waterfall not far from the lake at all; but, time was fast clicking towards 6 pm and I had one more major place to go before dinner. 

Sotcher Lake in late evening

I loved this lake as it appeared so serene in the later afternoon light.  Only a few anglers remained in the expanding shade.  The mountains across loomed large, majestic and quiet.  I took some pictures of the lake, the mountains and some precious bright yellow water lilies and left.
 
As it turned out, the swimmers didn't stay at Sotcher Lake for long.  They claimed that the water got deep too fast.  They were afraid of drowning and also water monsters in dark and deep water.  So, they went to swim in the fast moving San Joaquin River.  The river water was fed by melting snow thus icy cold.  However, the fresh feeling provided the swimmers with a good time that they wouldn't forget for a long time.

6. Minaret Falls
 
I started the charcoal for the grill; that counted as my contribution for tonight's cooking.  Dinner won't be ready at least one hour later.  It was 6:30.  I had a quick calculation in my mind and thought I might just have time to catch a glimpse of the Ninaret Falls before dark.  I quickly found the little wooden bridge.  Not only did this bridge take to Minaret Falls but also it provided John Muir and the Pacific Crest trails a way to cross the San Joaquin River at this juncture.  John Muir trail zigzags across the entire Sierra Nevada and certainly goes to Yosemite.  The Pacific Crest trail in turn connects Alaska, Canada, US West Coast and Mexico, mind-boggling territories to imagine. 

Wooden Bridge across San Joaquin River

I was in a hurry because Minaret Falls were located on the east slope of the tall mountains.  Not only were the waterfalls already in dark shadows but the sun was setting fast.  Normally a mile and a half was nothing for me.  But when I had to race against the clock, it felt long and hard.  The mountains were tall and shadowy but also largely empty.  I met not one person all the way to the bottom of the waterfalls.  Even though lone hikers like myself had no fear, the mountains appeared monstrous nonetheless at this hour.  Nobody knew if the onrushing river noise actually helped to disguise a few wild beasts behind some trees and rocks taking a peek at me.  I wasn't going to quit yet and I found the waterfalls in less than half hour.  That was real fast walking.
 
The waterfalls were wild and menacing.  Unlike the beautiful Rainbow Fall I saw earlier in bright sunlight, Minaret Falls seemed to jump off the dark cliffs above.  Powerful flow of water kicked and screamed its way down huge boulders and rock outcrops.  Compared with tamed 101 feet of Rainbow Falls, this wild beast roared down for 270 feet.  For the first time in my life, I felt a bit threatened by water directly above my head.  Though I was safely standing on steady rocks, I still could taste the bitterness of the insecure feeling stirred by the darkness, the enormity of the mountains, the emptiness of the place, and the unyielding noise of angry water.  It was a challenge I must face, alone.  I knew the light was rather heinous but took some pictures at the base of the waterfall nonetheless.  Later I discovered that the light was terrible because stronger sunlight above the cliff rendered the waterfalls into ghostly dark blue.  Under the circumstances, I had no time to think about light and angles.  It required concentration to just stand firm on my legs and pretended everything was normal.  I was not going to run away from this.  I even climbed up on the left side of the waterfalls and took some more pictures, with the hope that a few of my shots would be viewable.

The fierce Minaret Falls

It was time to go back.  It was such a solace to see a few tall peaks on the other side of the river gorge still basked in warm evening sunlight.  It was time for dinner.  But, I was on top of a steep cliff.  I couldn't rush, for I must deal with each rock, each bush and tree along the way before descending to the trail down below.  This was essentially a hiker's constant task, keeping an eye on both time and safety.  
 
On my way back, I met one guy, speaking with European accent.  I told him that he should hurry up if he wanted to see the waterfalls.  But, no, he wasn't interested in any waterfalls.  He was hiking the Pacific Crest trail, for who knows how many days already, with full gear of tent, food supply on his back.  As if to console me, he said that he was going to stop somewhere in the wilderness around 8 o'clock, “preferably by the water.”  I looked at my wristwatch, it was 7:15.  Good lord, he was going for another two miles into the depth of those monstrous mountains and spent the night all by his lonesome.  That spoke volumes for this man's courage.  He really had no fear.  He accepted the challenge of the entire Sierra Nevada without blinking his eyes.  Suddenly I felt funny about the fear bubbling inside.  I was about to be out of the woods and into the campground with hot food soon. 
 
7. Cold Night
 
I got back to the campsite just in time for dinner.  The sun had just set.  Dusk was when mosquitoes and other bugs became most active and vicious.  In the high mountains and deep woods, those bugs knew no fear or quit.  They swarmed around anything alive or moving, seeking blood.  Insect repellent didn't seem to bother them all.  Soon, we had a lot of bites around the neck, wrist and even ankle areas.  I easily killed a dozen just by waving my hands around my head.  My hand became a bit bloody from deep and broken bugs.  It was disgusting.  Good that bugs took a fast retreat after it was completely dark.
 
There was a hot spring nearby offering free showers.  A warm shower of natural spring water sounded delicious at the end of such a long day.  When we  found the place at the end of dirt road in adjacent with another campground, there was a line of people waiting in front of a little row of primitive little barrack like bathhouses.  People had to bring their own light, towels, soup, and even some plastic or wooden wash basins for their little children.  Finally it was our turn.  The concrete floor and concrete bathtub inside reminded me of the public baths in China during my college days.  How time had changed, I was shocked by the condition at first and didn't feel the facility was suitable for a good shower.  Yet, it only took me half of a minute to turn the shower on.  The spring water was a bit on the hot side but very soothing.

The night fell.  When the campfire was up, bugs disappeared altogether.  I decided to turn myself in early, for there was to be a lot more driving and hiking tomorrow.  It took me a couple of hours to fall in sleep as the air was getting more and more frigid.  Maybe the rushing River helped to relax the mind into a good state, I actually managed to fall in sleep and didn't wake up until around 5.  That was good, for most of the time I couldn't sleep that much at a campground.

The day had a dawned a bit.  I checked my watch and the temperature had dropped to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (about 7.5 Celsius).  I couldn't get back to sleep so I got up and paid my final visit to Devil's Postpile.  The light hadn't reached the valley yet; a deer was just minding her business.  My coming really startled her, for that I apologized.  It was so sweet to think I had slept a night only half a mile away from this great natural wonder.
 
8. Tiago and Teneya Lakes
 
The swimmers were greatly aroused by my description of the Rainbow Falls.  So, they got up a bit after 7.  We folded the tent and left the campground to see the rainbow.  At 8:45, the sun had reached the waterfalls; so, everyone was satisfied with the dancing rainbow.
 
We had a quick breakfast in the town of Mammoth Lakes.  We were to revisit Yosemite, the Valley and the high place around Tiago Pass, the places we had skipped yesterday.
 
After the wide and smooth Highway 395, we got onto Route 120.  It was a steady ride up along a colossal moraine that had healed into a valley in the shadow of Mount Dana which towered over 13,000 feet above sea level.  The car engine kept humming and revving up with noise.  Maybe it was early in the morning.  Maybe I didn't sleep well last night.  Large patches of snow glittered in the morning sun; streams of freshly melted snow water cascade down the shoulders of high ridges; I felt my eyes moist; tears of sadness and excitement welled up in silence.  Was I connected with this vast wound, great beauty, the previous life?  I wanted to stop the car and threw myself into such a fabulous wound of the high mountains.  But I also wanted to speed away to be in a safe and serene place to give the heart a break from such bleeding of epic proportion.  It was tense, inside me.  I didn't stop because the car was trapped in the middle of a long line of vehicles trying to climb up 4,000 feet in 15 minutes of time.
 
When the huge moraine was behind us, I planned to stop by the Ellery Lake, for she had the best reflection of snow peaks of this entire trip.  Again, time was short.  When Tiago Lake came into view, I couldn't go on any further.  Even 5 minutes of photographing, looking and doing nothing, was good for the soul.  What a beautiful place!  This part of the world had reached the status of celebrity.  People from all over the world came to see her.  Guess what?  She was so beautiful and every part of her was jewelry of the best kind, a rock, a pine, a wild flower, a mountain and definitely every waterfall and alpine lake.  The travel may be far and time consuming; but the reward was more than enough, for the rest of one's life.
 
By the time Teneya Lake came into view, the emotion inside had mellowed down to sweet happiness.  I was glad to stop and take a few more pictures while soaking my feet in the lake of pleasant temperature.  Ah, when I looked at the clock, it was midday, just like yesterday.  No wonder the alpine lake had already warmed up.  The sun was unusually enthusiastic.
 
9. Yosemite Forever

Yosemite itself deserved a full length article.  Any praises and articulation would never sound outlandish for her spectacular beauty.  The reason I only mention Yosemite here is that I had been there a few times and written about it in the past.  So, this section is just part of the trip.

Huge Rocky Peak near Half Dome

We wanted to go back to Yosemite Valley, simply because it would be rude just to pass by without paying due respect.  Plus, we paid our entrance fee using Route 120 to cross the mountains.  The pass was good for an entire week.
 
As expected, the views of the valley were breath-taking, unique in the entire world.  My favorite vista point with the Half Dome in its field of vision was under construction.  So, we had to drive along.  Another vista point had Ribbon Fall in plain view, I never paid attention to that before.  But it was crowded, overwhelmingly so.  So, we kept on going.  Soon, we were under the Bridalveil Falls but there was no parking.  We had to park a few hundred feet above on the roadside and walked back in.  There were many people.  The good part was the water flow was still relatively strong in June, the strongest I had ever seen as my past visits were often in August, dry month.  We moved on to salute the Half Dome.  Of course, El Capitan, a rock that was larger than many mountains was sitting across from Bridalveil Falls, silent like a philosophical old man.  Every time I passed it, I felt this incredible awe from the depth of my heart.  Nature is, indeed, wondrous.  By the time we got to the parking lot near Half Dome at the end of this narrow and long valley, we finally realized how hot the day was.  The air seemed to be flowing like thick mud in slow motion.  The sunlight screaming through tree leaves seemed to be orange and boiling.  It was hard to take a good picture of the Half Dome because there were so many tall trees on the valley floor.  We didn't have much time or energy to hike up the trail to take a closer look at this world famous rocky peak that missed half in the front.
 

The greatness of Yosemite goes way beyond those well-known spots and sights.  Any one of them is reason enough for a day trip.  But there are much more.  For example, the beautiful Merced River and many creeks that rush to the valley create a slew of marvelous waterfalls.  Let's just run up some names of the waterfalls and their height: Yosemite Falls (2,425 ft), Bridalveil Fall (620 feet), Vernal Fall (317 feet), Nevada Fall (594 feet), Ribbon Fall (1,612 feet), Horsetail Fall (1,000 feet), Illilouette Fall  (370 feet), Wapama Falls (1,400 feet), and Chilnualna Falls (about 2,200 feet).  Of course, there are natural lakes and huge, huge granite mountains of inspirational shapes and forms.  It was too bad that we didn't have much time that day.  Maybe someday we will find time just Yosemite alone.  Hope it wouldn't be this crowded with visitors.

June 30, 2009