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The hike up was fine, and was pleased with my fitness as its generally uphill most of the way. I passed many a fat American. I stopped occasionally to take photos of the valley floor and surrounding area. Some good views of Half Dome. Pitty it was overcast and dull. Still i made the best of the conditions. Could see mine and Kevin's tent from pretty much all the way at the top.
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On getting to the falls, rather than going back down the way i came i wanted to do a loop. For two reasons. One, i wanted to see a Tim Clifford V12 called Park Life which is on the way up from a different approach, and secondly, nobody likes walking down the way they came. So i started scrambling down. Very precariously. I got pretty much all the way down to Lower Yosemite falls, but could not safely go any further. I resigned myself to the fact i was going to have to go all the way backup, and down the way i came up. On the way back up the hill, i was feeling very alone, considering my location, and one slip and i'd be screwed as no one knew i was down there, and no one could see me. It was then that i noticed some very large footprints and some very large poo. Now, i doubt it was a deer, and the area i found myself in was very rocky and had lots of deep caves, i suddenly realised i was way off trail, and i doubt many people come down this far. My mind starts wandering, and i begin to worry about bears. Needless to say i moved along very quickly and very quietly! I will have to quiz my friend Justin who is the bear ranger about the chances of it being a bear. I know he reads my blog, so Justin?
Anyway, i made my way back up the hill and started on the decent back down. Got most of the way down when i got the usual ankle give way. Ouch.
So i will leave you with some picture i took today.
Enjoy.
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4 comments:
Funny, I'm glad you weren't mauled by a bear, even though there smaller then some of the tourists you passed.
I'm gonna guess, without quizzing you on the details of the poo, that it was a bear. Second, if you do run into one don't worry too much. Just act like you're the bigger bear and yell at it. That should be enough.
Oh, and it's a good thing you didn't continue down your off trail path because that would've led you to the top of a crag called "the Five Open Books" and then over the cliff :)
Ahhh thanks Justin! Now if id have Kevin with me, the bears would have def thought HE was the bigger bear!
It might be harder to scare wildlife now, as I am beardless.
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