This is where we have to do a little bit of time travelling. Due to the lack of wifi in Yosemite, we weren't able to publish the blog until now. So, if you know what happened next, please forget about it until our next post!
So, as far as you're concerned, we're in Yosemite valley. With the bears.
Our stop in South Lake Tahoe, just over the stateline into Caliornia, was fabulous.
It was the stage at which we bade farewell to our faithful friend, Highway 50, which had carried us all the way from Washington DC.
Upon leaving Lake Tahoe, we backtracked along the 50 for a while, as far as Carson City, before heading South towards Lake Mono, towards the Tioga Pass, which would then take us into Yosemite.
We didn't see any evidence of the forest fires which are prevalent in much of California at the moment. We had been warned that the air quality would be poor, but we couldn't really tell.
The drive to Lake Mono was straightforward. The mountain views were stunning, as we headed south through Mono Valley, past the occasional tumbleweed. Except for a spooky stop off.
We took a diversion along a long, windy and steep road which, after 10 miles, became a very windy, very steep and very unmade road for the last 3 miles, before we came to Bodie.
Bodie is a ghost town in the Sierra Nevada mountains, at an elevation of 8379 feet.
It began life as a mining camp following the discovery of gold in 1859. This eventually led to Bodie becoming a Wild West boomtown. By 1879, there was a population of 5000-7000 people, and around 2000 buildings. In 1890, it was California's third biggest city.
Other gold strikes nearby became more profitable and the population declined. The railway was closed and the last mine closed in 1942.
Much of the town was destroyed by fire, but the buildings that remain are exactly as they were left. Shelves still stocked. It is as if everybody has just left.
It was renowned as being a rough town, with frequent killings and a severe climate. It is said that a 10 year old girl wrote in her diary, upon learning that her family were moving there, "Goodbye God. I'm going to Bodie."
The place has a powerful atmosphere. When we visited, the wind was howling and whipping up dust which stung our faces and blew grit into our eyes. It was hard to stand upright in the strong winds. The sounds were of signs swinging and creaking in the gale, just as it would have been in the old days.
There are all sorts of tales about people who have taken souvenirs from the town, such as a rusty nail or a rock, who have sent them back complaining that they were cursed with bad luck. So we left everything exactly where it was, thank you!
It's hard to imagine a place where it is possible to imagine life in the Wild West of the gold rush era.
Anyway, after making the Mustang suffer along the rocky road back, we resumed on our way to Yoesmite.
The Mustang. It has resisted all attempts to name it. We thought of Sally. Too obvious. Muzzy? Nope. He is just called Mustang.
His formerly pristine face is now encrusted with dead flies, mud and grit from the trials of the previous 11 days hard slog. His suspension is groaning under the challenge of some of the rougher roads travelled. There's a faint smell of oil after strenuous effort and from carrying extra weight. But, I have to say, Col has been an excellent navigator.
We passed by the stunning Mono Lake and came to the Tioga Pass.
After a few miles of spectacular mountains and huge cliff faces, we arrived at the gates of Yosemite Narional Park.
We had assumed that this was journey's end. We had reserved a tent in the valley. We were surprised to learn from the ranger that our tent was a further 2 hours drive away. Like everything else on this trip, the sheer scale of the place is amazing.
The pass gradually took us down to the flat floor of the valley, through which the Yosemite Creek gently flows.
The pine trees are dwarfed on all sides by the towering peaks, such as El Capitan and Half Dome. It is a fantastic place to be.
As long as you're not scared of bears.
Or mountain lions.
The warnings are everywhere, particularly about the bears.
After Lake Tahoe, we had become accustomed to sharing the bears' territory. We followed the rules to the letter. No food in the tent. Everything secured in the bear proof lockers, etc.
We didn't see any bears.
It's a bit disconcerting, though, to answer nature's call in the middle of the night, listening for strange rustling in the bushes and wondering whether something scary is lurking next to you.
But all was quiet.
But we did see a couple of raccoons, lots of deer and we were awoken by the sound of coyotes in the valley.
But mountain lions? Who knew that they were 9 feet long and weigh 200 lbs? Not us.
We rose early this morning to hike to Mirror Lake. But the sign we came to made us think twice. There was nobody else around and Col confirmed that he had no intention of keeping calm or fighting back. He felt that we would discover what colour adrenalin was.
So we stuck to the road instead. But it was still a fantastic place to explore.
This was our last wilderness before heading to San Francisco and it was brilliant.
So, our next stop would hopefully be San Francisco itself, via the Golden Gate Bridge.
What could possibly go wrong?
See you at the bridge! :0)
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