Mo' Bus Stop Blues - A Day in Yosemite, pt 5
As we returned from our trek to Lower Yosemite Falls Hawk's leg was acting up. We knew that was probably going to happen, which is why we structured our plan for the day to include several shorter hikes. At this point, we'd walk back to the bus stop, take the shuttle to where we parked, and visit mostly drive-to sights for the rest of the day. Except... the buses didn't cooperate with us. Again.
Yes, it is possible to forget such a view when you're tired and achy and just want to get on the bus!The queue at the Yosemite Lodge bus stop was long. And buses were coming by still too infrequently. We queued up waited without thinking about the stunning view of Yosemite Falls visible straight ahead. As did pretty much everyone else in line. Yes, it is possible to forget such a view when you're tired and achy and just want to get on the bus!
After about 20 minutes a bus came around. It was crowded and only took about 10 passengers. As there had been at least 30 people ahead of us in queue it wasn't hard to estimate that waiting here could take an hour or more. The group ahead of us in line gave up and agreed, "Let's drive." That's a real transit fail... when transit is so bad that people decide to drive, which clogs the roads further and makes transit tougher.
We decided to walk.
We were not excited about the prospect of walking more while already tired, but it seemed like the best option for getting back to our car. A peek at the map reminded us there are some nice foot paths that cross a nearbow meadow and the river, then meet up with another bus stop about a mile away that might just be less crowded. Plus, it'd be a beautiful walk. This reminded me of the travel philosophy I've held over the years: Adversity + flexibility = serendipity.
Speaking of serendipity, the tramp through the meadow was mentally relaxing, with an excellent view of Yosemite's iconic Half Dome in the background:
Half Dome rises above this meadow near the Merced River
Minutes later- and it took that long only because we were moving at a slow meander, enjoying the views in all directions- we reached the banks of the Merced River. I shot this picture of Sentinel Rock towering 3,000+ feet overhead before crossing the footbridge:
Sentinel Rock towers more than 3,000 feet above the Merced River
On the far side of the river we left the paved foot trail and followed a rough path along the banks of the river. We didn't have the area to ourselves- with the park experiencing near record visitation I don't know that we could have anywhere in the valley to ourselves for long- but at least we left the hubbub behind. Our fellow visitors in this area were enjoying life at a slower pace, like these two women:
Visitors relax at the Merced River with Upper Yosemite Falls in the background.
By the way, Upper Yosemite Falls is 1,430 feet (430m) tall and is one of the twenty highest waterfalls in the world.
Yes, it is possible to forget such a view when you're tired and achy and just want to get on the bus!The queue at the Yosemite Lodge bus stop was long. And buses were coming by still too infrequently. We queued up waited without thinking about the stunning view of Yosemite Falls visible straight ahead. As did pretty much everyone else in line. Yes, it is possible to forget such a view when you're tired and achy and just want to get on the bus!
After about 20 minutes a bus came around. It was crowded and only took about 10 passengers. As there had been at least 30 people ahead of us in queue it wasn't hard to estimate that waiting here could take an hour or more. The group ahead of us in line gave up and agreed, "Let's drive." That's a real transit fail... when transit is so bad that people decide to drive, which clogs the roads further and makes transit tougher.
We decided to walk.
We were not excited about the prospect of walking more while already tired, but it seemed like the best option for getting back to our car. A peek at the map reminded us there are some nice foot paths that cross a nearbow meadow and the river, then meet up with another bus stop about a mile away that might just be less crowded. Plus, it'd be a beautiful walk. This reminded me of the travel philosophy I've held over the years: Adversity + flexibility = serendipity.
Speaking of serendipity, the tramp through the meadow was mentally relaxing, with an excellent view of Yosemite's iconic Half Dome in the background:
Half Dome rises above this meadow near the Merced River
Minutes later- and it took that long only because we were moving at a slow meander, enjoying the views in all directions- we reached the banks of the Merced River. I shot this picture of Sentinel Rock towering 3,000+ feet overhead before crossing the footbridge:
Sentinel Rock towers more than 3,000 feet above the Merced River
On the far side of the river we left the paved foot trail and followed a rough path along the banks of the river. We didn't have the area to ourselves- with the park experiencing near record visitation I don't know that we could have anywhere in the valley to ourselves for long- but at least we left the hubbub behind. Our fellow visitors in this area were enjoying life at a slower pace, like these two women:
Visitors relax at the Merced River with Upper Yosemite Falls in the background.
By the way, Upper Yosemite Falls is 1,430 feet (430m) tall and is one of the twenty highest waterfalls in the world.