Bridget and I scooted down to Yosemite with some friends (Meghan, Brian, Anya) for a Saturday night. We left early morning (7am) and arrived in Yosemite for lunch. We reserved a spot, at the Diamond O campground, about a mile out of the park. It must have been our lucky day: Yosemite was having a free entrance for the weekend. And the spot for our camp was great – a field away from a stream, near the bathrooms, and not too close to anyone else.
We setup our tents, explored the surrounding area, and then went to Hetch Hetchi where we went on a six mile hike. The hike went over the Hetch Hetchi dam and ended up in a cold, refreshing waterfall. We went back, enjoyed a beer at a nearby restaurant, and then started to cook our dinner. After a few coronas and some smores, we called it a night.
Despite waking up in the middle of the night by an air horn, we woke up pretty early. Apparently a nearby camper left his dog food out, and some bears were looking for a midnight snack.
I was hoping to see Half Dome, Giant Sequoias, and maybe Yosemite Sam on the way out, but only saw some captivating views of the park itself. We stopped at a lake, where Brian decided to fish and Anya decided to swim. As soon as Anya jumped into the water, cheers could be heard from a tour group. Anya then smiled back and waved. Then she saw what they were cheering about. Brian caught a fish! Pretty funny and random.
We took a detour to explore Bodie Ghost Town. (Holy Expensive! $7 per person to enter.) It was really neat to see this old mining town. Bodie boomed in 1877, but after a few years started to decline. Bodie has a rugged landscape with high desert winds, 100 degree summers, and cold winters plummeting even below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. This town was also known for its crime and villains. In fact at it’s height, over 65 saloons resided in the main street. Murders, shootouts, and stagecoach holdups were regular occurrences.
It was interesting to see the town. And you could definitely imagine how rough the life was in this town over a hundred years ago. If you’re interested, I’d recommend going to Bodie as soon as possible. It barely made the California budget cuts this year. I believe it’s now open month-to-month. (That’s probably why the price was so high.)
We kept traveling and had a picnic with a Cup of Noodles at a gas station in Bridgeport and traveled home. Either way, I am looking forward to going back to Yosemite again soon.
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