A Team Goes on a Hike

The forecast was pretty bleak this weekend in The Valley, with rain and cold all day Saturday.  I was determined to get out however, and so was Audrey and thus The A Team was formed.  We made our caffienated way out to the great glacial church Saturday morning chasing thunderheads all the way east.  We made a significant pitstop for cherries and strawberries somewhere near Oakdale.

Despite the foul weather the line to get into the Valley proper was backed up for a ways.  So we parked by El Cap meadow and decided on a run/hike up the Yosemite Falls Trail.  Despite all the time I’ve spent in the Valley I’ve never once just hiked around the place.  After this trip I can safely say it’s not as fun as climbing, but still worth it for a weekend outdoors.  From El Cap meadow we took off at moderate clip and made it up the falls trail in an hour and a half.

We were hiking fast enough that we were pretty toasty in shorts and a t-shirt but only while moving, despite near freezing temps and occasional snowfall.  As soon as we stopped to admire the falls things became bitter and skin goosebumped quickly.  One of the coolest aspects of the hike was the elevation’s effect on precipitation.  Right about at the halfway point on the hike the light rain we were getting turned to snow.  It was an interesting snow, Audrey was telling me it was graupel or snow pellets, with some of it coming off the falls thundering on our right.  It was pretty fascinating for someone as inexperienced with precipitation as a native coastal Californian like myself.

When we got back to the valley floor it was raining in earnest.  We took shelter in the Yosemite Village store in our rain shells and bought a royal amount of food to feed ourselves for the night.

Wine played a crucial part in keeping us warm while we set up camp.  All told we covered about 14 miles and 3000 feet of elevation from 2:00pm to 6.  Sunday though… we were destined for greatness.

Sunday Runday: We got a lowland start at the extraordinary hour of 9:30 AM and immediately hit the trail.  After oatmeal of course.  Starting from Curry Village (I refuse to use its new name) we made our way up to the John Miur trail towards Glacier Point.  We had a backpack full of water and a special blend of GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts, but with M&Ms and goldfish).

It was salty sugary deliciousness the entire way.  We made the seven or so miles to Glacier point in about an hour and a half in beautiful weather and high spirits.

At Glacier Point things were feeling pretty good legs wise so we decided to take the long way back via the 14 mile Pohono Trail.

After satisfying my dad-mode plaque reading predilection we took off through the hills, hiking the upslopes and running the downhills.  We were moving fast, maintaining a 3-4 mph pace for the entire rest of the trail.  We needed to as well, our total mileage was going to be big and we were just getting started from halfway.

The Phono Trail was absolutely stunning the entire way.  The hills rolled on and on through the trees, crossing rivers and streams and every few miles there was an outlook offering the grandest views on the west side of anything.

Bucket list hike if you’re into long days and beautiful views.

I was relieved to finally start the downhill from the valley rim.  At this point we were at least 20 miles and 7 hours into this ordeal.  My legs were screaming for a rest.  We still had a ways to go however.  I was thankful for Audrey keeping the psyche up,  after about mile 20 I was having trouble faking postivity but Audrey was stoic as always.

We decided to run the last few miles back to the car and I have never run slower in my life.  Each leg felt weighed down by sandbags and progress was slow.  Audrey, even with the backpack, set an unrelenting pace and I watched her pull away slowly.   I can say with confidence that Audrey is a super athlete, still able to run at a good pace after 24 miles, at elevation, over hilly terrain and with thousands of feet of elevation gain along the way.  Incredible stuff girl.  I got my ass kicked and I was feeling this hike for week afterward.  But there is a certain gleefull satisfaction I got, exlaining why I was hobbling around the lab to my coworkers. Total miles: 28+, elevation gain: a lot.