Yosemite National Park and San Francisco

After we dropped off our rental car at the San Francisco International Airport, we made use of the local transport system, called BART, which took us into the city center. Being in the final stretches of our 7 month adventure you can imagine that we've accumulated some extra odds and ends along the way...Which means we look like two pack donkeys every time we have to walk a stretch with all our belongings, and which is exactly what we had to do when we departed the BART train and headed for our hostel, USA Hostels. It was only a mile from the station so we thought what the heck, why not...het mos vergeet San Francisco het meer bulte as Kaapstad! 

We were heading on an epic 5 day camping trip to Yosemite the next morning and then returning to San Francisco for a couple of days afterwards - so we thought the hostel might be a useful base for both the preparation and recuperation stages of our camping trip!

The next morning we dropped some of our stuff in storage at the hostel and headed to the Amtrak (train) station across the bay in Emeryville. We booked a relatively well priced trip which took us from San Francisco to Merced by train and then from Merced to Yosemite Valley by bus. 

Yosemite is not only one of the oldest National Parks in the country but definitely also one of the most popular, and rightly so. This does mean that accommodation in the valley is highly sought after and usually booked out months in advance. 

There is one campground in the valley, however that operates on a first come, first serve basis and is only for tents, called Camp 4... Now we tried to book a campsite in advance at the other campgrounds but due to the high demand we would have had to move around every couple of days which is not ideal when you're camping! 

So we decided to roll the dice and try out for the notoriously popular camp 4 and then hopefully have one spot for the entire time. That first afternoon we took the free shuttle over to camp 4 to check how many spots were opening up the next day. Only 15 individual ones! Fortunately we then spoke to someone who was camping there, and asked him when would be a safe time to come join the queue in the morning...He said that the place has been so popular of late that people have been sleeping in line to secure their spots! Yes, like for a Justin Bieber concert... I was going to get up early the next morning which probably would've been too late, so it was a good thing we asked. 

Well we then knew what we had to do! Camp out in the queuing line of a campground...It was a first, but hey this is Yosemite! 

We went to make a quick dinner, gathered all our stuff and headed back to camp 4 - it was just after 9 pm when we arrived and there were already 4 people ahead of us! Fortunately it was a beautiful evening for sleeping under the stars, add to that the instantaneous comradery that comes with these types of adventures and you can imagine that it was a surprisingly fun experience! 

The queuing line for Camp 4 campground

Park Rangers came by a few times to make sure nobody left any food in their cars, because of the bears...We didn't have a car but all our food was in our backpacks which we were using as back supports/pillows! So throughout the night Kristi would wake me up and assure me she just heard a bear and that it was coming for our backpacks...and unless raccoons can be considered a species of bear there were no bears in sight that night - like I assured her every single time! ;) 

Anyways by 04:00 am there were already more than 15 people in line! The camp ranger eventually came at around 08:00 am and allocated us a spot in the campground for 4 nights! Sorted! We then headed to the nearby Yosemite Lodge cafeteria to get some much needed coffee and grub in us! 

After setting up camp and working in a quick sleep - sleeping outside, while fun does not afford the most peaceful night's rest - we headed out for our first hike, up to the top of Yosemite Falls. It was a stunner of a day so we definitely didn't want to waste it! 

It's quite a strenuous 3,5 mile climb and the afternoon sun was still quite potent, so we were huffing and puffing quite a bit during the final ascent! It was all totally worth it though because every time we stopped to take a break we were greeted with some spectacular views of the valley below. 

Trail up to Yosemite Falls

The Yosemite waterfall is only active during the spring and early summer months when the snow melts on the Sierra Nevadas, and what a sight that must be! From the top to the bottom it's a sheer 700m drop down these enormous granite cliffs, where the top section then cascades further into two lower falls...

Beautiful view of Half-dome

Even without water, the top of the falls serves as a really breathtaking viewpoint of the entire Yosemite Valley. Sitting there on the precipice you have have an undisturbed view of the mighty Half-dome, towering proudly over the eastern horizon, you can see Glacier Point to the South, and even the Cathedral Spires to the Southwest...

Top of Yosemite falls - great viewpoint!

The afternoon sun brought a warm glow over the valley and we just sat there for a while, all alone, and completely at peace with our surroundings. It was a great introduction to our Yosemite adventure and we couldn't wait for the epic hike we had planned for the next day! 

Something that we didn't know about Yosemite prior to our arrival is that it is the undisputed rock climbing mecca of the world. Also is turns out that all these climbers stay in camp 4 due to its proximity to the legendary 'El Capitan''...It's just climbing gear everywhere and all the granite boulders around the campground are marked with the signature white powder spots where the climbers get their holds. 

Six people get allocated to a campsite, and thus share two picnic benches and a fire pit. Kristi and I were the only two non-climbers at our site and the other 4 guys were getting ready for an overnight climbing expedition - where they usually sleep near or actually on the rock face or 'wall' to get an early start on the planned ascent...And boy do they plan, we watched them run through every single piece of gear, every inch of the climb, the hourly weather forecasts, and their food rations...it was quite interesting to observe and really quite an infectious environment to be in! 

After the rest of our campsite left on their adventure we were left all alone for the night so we decided to get a nice big inviting fire going and see if the neighbors would want to join. Before we knew it we had about 10 people around our fire, all climbers, trying to convince us to take up the sport, or lifestyle I should say! They were all really friendly with a taste for adventure that ringed true to our hearts! Dr Kristi had to help out a poor guy who had a nasty abscess on his foot, and as the night wore on the group decided, against the doctor's orders (alcohol has been known to numb the sense of reason), that bandages would not suffice and that some surgery was required. And by surgery I mean a Canadian scratching around with a sanitized Swiss army knife in the guy's foot!! Shame he turned out okay, Kristi gave him some painkillers and antibiotics afterwards and the next day he did feel better! 

The next morning we headed out early for the big day hike I had planned for us. It was a whopper, 24 km, first up to Glacier Point via the 4 mile trail then back down to the valley floor via the scenic Panoramic trail.  

On our way to 4 mile trail head

The trail head for the 4 mile trail was situated conveniently close to our campground. We just had to walk across one of the many meadows in the valley that are tucked in between the groves of trees, and across the swinging bridge, which crosses the rapidly dwindling Merced river - or Rio de Merced, river of mercy, named by the Spanish after discovering the valley and having already depleted their water supply! 

The 4 mile trail from the valley floor up to Glacier Point really doesn't mess around. 

4 mile trail

When you stand at the bottom and look up at the daunting mountains piercing the morning sky, you can't fathom how you're going to scale it but somehow with a relentless series of switchbacks the trail just goes up and up until the peaks of the surrounding mountains meet your gaze! 

View of Yosemite valley from 4 mile trail with the daunting face of 'El Cap' on the right

There were no other people on the trail (most just take the bus up to Glacier Point and do either the 4 mile or Panoramic trail down), and we couldn't believe our luck because each outlook and viewpoint seemed a treasure on its own! 

Unlike the name portends, it's actually a 4,6 mile hike up to Glacier Point, but regardless it was a really beautiful hike. Once we reached the top, and were initially somewhat overwhelmed by the crowds, we found a nice spot on one of the boulders laying close to the edge and enjoyed some mid-morning snacks with a remarkable view of Half-dome and little Yosemite Valley in the near distance...

Glacier Point

After a good refueling and rest period we hit the Panoramic Trail that meanders back down to the Valley floor. The trail passes along the Illilouette, the Nevada, and the Vernal waterfalls, the latter two still have some water falling...

Quick refill at Illilouette River

The Panoramic Trail was downhill for the most part which was very welcome because our legs were pretty worn out by that stage! 

Panoramic trail

We made good time on the descent and were back at our campsite by mid-afternoon. We just collapsed in our tent for a short while and then made our way to the public showers to get cleaned up. That evening we made an early dinner - grilled cheese sandwiches over the fire and tomato soup which really hit the spot! 

The next day was an overcast and rainy one so we decided to not fight it and just have a chill day! We slept in a bit longer than usual, I went to get some coffee from the cafeteria, we strolled around leisurely, went to the visitor center, stuff like that! Needless to say a day like that needed to be topped off with the ultimate comfort food: wood-fire baked pizza, ice cold cokes, and some ice cream cookies for desert! Can't beat that! Some guy who we were sure was stoned, or high or on some kind of drugs came over to our table mid-dinner to recount his acquaintance with some South African who he met in Patagonia a few years ago (like we all know each other), and then ventured into the most obscene topics imaginable! It was actually rather entertaining! 

On our last full day in the valley we headed out in the morning to the north eastern section where we ventured along the Muir wood pathway to Mirror lake. It was an easy walk, pretty flat but what made the walk worth it were the trees...

Mirror lake / John Muir Woods trail

A beautiful blend of autumn colours lined the trail with the luminous green moss that covered the trunks providing a striking contrast! 

We still had one must do outing to fulfill before we left especially after staying in camp 4 and hearing endless tales about this specific Yosemite icon. El Capitan. 

El Capitan

The 3000 ft monolithic granite rock face  that has become the ultimate challenge for rock climbers from around the world. We took the shuttle to the view point at the bottom - it's been a long week okay! The park has, quite ingeniously, placed a small telescope at the viewpoint to get a closer look at the climbers making their way up the vertical face. It was pretty surreal to see. There was even one of those shelters, where the guys sleep over, suspended about midway up the "wall"...not for the faint hearted! 

This is why you will never meet a rock climber that sleep walks!

Kristi and I promised each other there and then that if and when we ever return to this amazing place we are going to give old "El Cap" a go! Watch this space...

The next morning we packed up camp, in the rain, and made our way to the bus stop. 

We had such an amazing time in this truly mesmerizing place and will forever remember its breathtaking views and majestic mountains! 

Next stop...a couple of days in the city of San Francisco!

San Francisco 

On our train trip back to San Francisco we bumped into two Canadian climbers who we met on the night of the 'foot operation' fiasco...We shared a table with the two of them and had a great time telling tales of our homelands and debating such trivial obscurities such a whether you'd rather be found at the mercy of a pride of hungry lions or great white sharks! I couldn't help but think of the similarity between that predicament and the upcoming US presidential election! #billybushmademedoit

After arriving back at our hostel in downtown San Francisco we grabbed our bags from storage, checked into our room and got cleaned up. We were quite tired from our camping endeavor and thus just went for a quick meal at this Thai restaurant across the street before hitting the hay. 

The next morning we headed down to the San Francisco waterfront and made our way to the famous pier 39. 

One of the many beautiful San Francisco piers

It was a lovely sunny day in the bay area with lovely views of old Alcatraz and all the piers jutting out into the bay. 

Alcatraz in the background - it's not that far to swim right?!

We were recommended to try out some clam chowder, which is a Pacific Northwest specialty, at the Boudin restaurant located in the vibey Fishermans Wharf. 

They serve it in a bunny chow fashion, using the traditional sourdough bread as a container. It's a very tasty and (very) filling meal! 

Clam Chowder!

Afterwards, just to make sure we carbo loaded thoroughly for the walk back, we headed to the famous Ghirardelli chocolate factory for some of its delicious ice-cream...It was a feat in itself to get back to our hostel, with San Francisco's notoriously hilly roads and our added weight from all the food we consumed! 

Top of the hill!

That evening we just strolled through the downtown area, did a little bit of shopping and grabbed a bite to eat, again at a Thai place - for some reason we were just craving some eastern cuisine!

For our final day we set out to go see the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. It was just beyond walking distance so we rented some bikes, which was another thing we were recommended to try in the city. We nervously made our way through the busy downtown streets - our travel insurance has run out and I don't think we qualify for Obamacare - and cycled through both the impressive Golden Gate and Presidio parks until we reached our destination. 

It was another beautiful day and the sight of the bridge, with its iconic red steel standing proudly against a clear blue sky, was quite something to behold! 

Golden Gate Bridge!

We stopped for a quick coffee at the southern end of the bridge and then headed all along the waterfront back, past pier 39, to our side of town. 

San Francisco is really a cool city, with a great scenic setting and an alluring vibe, just a pity it's now ranked as one of the most expensive cities to live in in the States...Hier bring die Rand jou nie vêr nie! 

After our bike trip we headed back to the hostel, stopped to buy some groceries and cooked ourselves some dinner before embarking on our late night journey ...a train trip up to Portland, Oregon! 

Thank you for a great time San Francisco!