YOSEMITE....

I've always been a fan of Ansel Adams, and vowed to visit Yosemite, and after forty or so years, the time has come! Although Ansel was hired by the Parks Service to take photos of all of the "western" national parks, he is probably most remembered for those fabulous images taken at Yosemite. Quite interestingly, many of the views that he documented are no longer available. Over the years, fire suppression and the removal of a natural dam that flooded the river meadow has allowed many huge conifers to grow thoughout the valley. Not only does this block the best views of those famous peaks, but the elimination of the large meadow "mirror pool" leaves todays photographers with only a small version of the past.

Nonetheless, the visit was an enjoyable one, and we learned many interesting things about Ansel and the history of the Park.

The only campground that was open for "large RV's" (yes, we are now one of those!) was Wawona, just a short drive past the old Park hotel bearing the same name. We arrived late in the day to find the place virtually deserted, leaving the prime spot next to the Merced River available! Just how nice a site this was was evident early the next morning, as I hiked along the large boulders lining the picturesque River.


The drive to the Valley from Wawona is quite long, almost 20 miles, steep in places and very curvey. So, for those of you visiting and staying at the Wawona, plan a full day on each drive in. A picnic lunch would be a good idea, although the $6 sandwiches at the cafe were excellent and enough for two. For those of you that prefer to stay in the Valley, the Lodge is a good choice, or if you care to spend $500-$1000 a night, the historical Ahwahnee is it!

We stopped at Tunnel View numerous times over the three days, but the light & conditions never favored a pix, so our first real glimpse of the falls were not until we reached the valley. Fortunately for us, the Park had a heavy, early snow with the ensuing melt timed perfectly for our visit, providing an unusually high flow for this time of year.

And while you're driving in, you can get a rather classic view of El Capitan.....

Our second day was highlighted by the short hike up to Mirror Lake. Again, the early snow helped us, filling the small pools with just enough runoff to get a fwe of those "reflection" shots that the Park is known for!


On the late evening return hike, we shared a small bridge crossing with this nice buck, who passed within five feet of us without ever so much as slowing down or glancing up....

While you're there, you shpould definitely spend some time in the Ansel Adams Museum, next to the Valley Visitor's Center. And be sure to sign up for their free 2-hour morning photography walk. Even if you don't take a camera, the views and history of the Park are well worth the stroll. Along with your camera, you'll want to be sure to bring a tripod, and a ballhead if you have one.


The light thoughout the Meadow is very low both in the mornings & evenings, calling for long exposures, evident in another couple of reflection shots of Yosemite Falls, taken alongside the crystal clear Merced.



As the morning light brightened, we shifted our attention to the Meadow. While most of our group gave their attention to the towering peaks.....

I decided that the fall colors and textures made equally rich subjects....






Chris, the photo walk leader, also coached us on where to be for those sunset pictures that the Park is so famous for.... especially those of Half Dome and Valley overlooks driving back to Wawona....

Bodega Bay!

We have been at Bodega Bay West Campground for the past three days...first two was rainey & extremely windy - pretty miserable. Ah, but this morning was beautiful! So, the birding here was great, several new lifers including the Yellow-Bill Loon and the elusive Surfbird.

We hiked up to a large cliff between the Pacific and the Bay, so here's a look in both directions....


On the way out through Bodega, we noted the contrast as we passed through this hilly dry marsh area, different but equally pleasing to the eye!
So, we are off to the wine country for a couple of days of sampling....standby!

CA Highway 1 Coastline!

Late last eve, we took the winding steep cutover from Hwy 101 to the famous Hwy 1 ...and our first view of the grand Pacific just past sunset was beautiful!

A few hundred yards past the arrival, we found a pullout on an outcropping about a hundred feet above the water overlooking crashing surf.

The sounds & smells were put our senses into overload. I pulled up a chair at the cliff's edge and had a glass of wine in tribute this this slice of Nature!

After having been lulled to sleep by the roaring of the waves, we awoke early to fog & gentle rain. We were rewarded for our long trailer search by these views from the windows of the new "Spyglass"....

There's No Such Thing as "Enough Boats"!

We are in the Vancouver area this weekend and finally have a decent internet signal again!

For the past 16 months, everywhere we go people alaways comment on how we could fit four boats on top of the truck, and of course, why two people need four boats? Well, as all you fellow paddlers know, you can never have "enough"....

Part of our "rethinking" the RV lifesye, and making a few changes is to allow us to do much more with different gear. We had thought about getting a square-end canoe, that could be paddled, or, used with a small motor thereby greatly expanding hwo far we could go, and allowing us to "self shuttle" on trips. Careful searching on the internet only turned up one comapny that truly made a light weight square-end, Clipper Canoe made by the great folks at Western Canoe & Kayak, who agreed to set up a demo for us if we visited them in Abbortsford (near Vancouver).

We were disappointed in the square-end, being quite heavy and very wide...too much so to act as a tandem "paddle" canoe. So, we tested two boats Tuesday on the Fraser River both with & without a 2HP motor (that provided). We ended up liking the 16-1/2ft Tripper S which did a good job with both of us in it with & w/o the motor. After we each paddled it solo ("S") and found it to be acceptable to use in that maner also (like if I want to >go fish by myself). I also used the motor solo, our minds were made up, this was the new boat to add to our growing fleet!

It was pretty amazing how fast the boat went, paddling, or with the motor at only half throttle. Back at trhe factory Marlin (the owner) made us a "special deal" on a Custom Ultralight that he had in stock that had a couple of almost imperceptable blems on it's finish (we'll puts lots more than that on the first few trips out! ) > >if you are interested in the complete specs: http://www.clippercanoes.com/boat_specs.php?PHPSESSID=fc2ec523b48e7600e8f5d80fdb357d57&model_id=106

I'll pick up the tiny four-stroke, 26lb Honda 2HP motor to go with it when we get back into the states..

So, just how do we get (now) FIVE! boats up there? Turns out it was easier than we expected. With a few suggestions and "spacer boards" at the factory, we were ready to head on to Vancouver Island in short order.


We missed the ferry to Victoria, and had to go to Nanaimo (about 100 miles north), which turned out to be a great detour. Kim found Living Forest Campground in ther trailer guides, and it is simply beautiful. We ended up in one of the best sites in the 55acre park, on the very end of a small point overlooking the mouth of the Nanaimo River and an expanse of saltwater marsh.



Anxious to try the new rig out, we carefully unloaded and placed it in front of the truck. Kim commented "we better get a picture of this sleek shiney hull right now, it'll never look like that again"....and I must admit that Western does a magnificant job of fit & finish on their boats!

From the looks on our faces, you can tell we are delighted with the decision. Paddling happily upstream, in strong current, against a ten mile an hour breeze, we moved swiftly along.


The ducks and geese (mostly Mallards & Canadians) were in the area in high numbers, but interestingly were sppoked at the mere sight of a quiet canoe approaching.

We had watched an old Bill Mason canoe video at Western, and I guess Kim just had to try some of Bill's canoe anticks...of course she didn't jump the docks, boats & ramps like he did....

The paddle up the River was nice, and the trip downstream (tide now going out & wind at our backs) allowed us to just sit back, relax & enjoy the scenery...now moving past briskly. It was interesting to see the local Natives "sight fishing" along the banks....


Into a small bay at the mouth of the River, and along a beautiful high bluff on the farside of the Campground, what a great first paddle!

Bowron Lake Paddle

Bowron Lake Provincial Park is a BC wilderness park covering more than 300,000 acres of land with a system of six major lakes two rivers and several portages. Forming a backdrop are the rugged and majestic Cariboo Mountains. The complete canoe circuit is 72mi and Kim & I decided to do a 3-day, 2-night trip known as the West Side Trip, that takes you from the top Bowron Lake (Start) to Unna Lake and back.


Bowron is quite large, and I guess we were lucky today, the wind was nil, sun shining brightly through an indigo blue sky. What a great way to start a paddle!

We took our time crossing the Lake, alternating between open water and jaunts along the rocky shoreline.

As we approached the southern end, we noticed a few boats returning. After a couple of conversations, it was apparent that doing the entire circuit was indeed worth the effort. Most of the others had spent a week or so out, enjoying this great water wilderness.
The Lake narrowed into a flat, dead calm marshy area. A few puffy clouds developed overhead, adding to the beautiful reflective drama unfolding in the water and mountains ahead.

It wasn't long before we found the small channel through the brilliantly colored grass, a helpful sign seemed to point directly towards this muskrat lodge, signaling a short break to just enjoy this area that reminded us of Louisiana marsh!


We reached a wonderful campsite in the Swan Lake area, and decided to just stop here and enjoy the area. Our new 3-man REI sale tent popped right up, firewood was already provided...a little splitting, and we were in business!

We enjoyed a fantastic sunset, and as darkness grew, I setup my ham radio rig in the tent to try to get info on Hurricane Ike.

Morning brought another spectacular day on the water. An exploratory paddle was in order, so south we headed along the twisting shores of Swan Lake. Interesting shallows & pockets added to the diversity of views. Misty fog hung in the backwaters, while ultimate stillness across open stretches laid out vast mirrors ahead.

Having picked up some more firewood on the paddle "home", we settled in early that afternoon to just relax & enjoy the sites & sounds of camp......


On the way in, we had noticed an interesting campsite that deserved a closer look on our final day. Hidden at the rear of a quiet pocket, we found an old cabin, a well preserved piece of history. Although it was locked, we did manage to get a view of the nice modern king bed inside!!

Just a hundred or so yards away was a more recently built cabin, open for group use. We enjoyed "exploring" it's interior, paying particular attention to the numerous hand-made artifacts hanging from the ceiling.

We sat for a while out back, just enjoying the beauty of the marsh, and watching the many birds looking for an easy breakfast aong the tall grass.
The trip out was every bit as enjoyable as paddle in, and now the current is with us, allowing us to just sit back and enjoy the colorful grasses sway like Hawaiian skirts below.


Again luck is with us on our return through Bowron Lake, and as I watched Kim round the last point with "civilization" in the distance, deep inside I know that one day we'll be back to explore & enjoy the entire 70 miles of this Canadian treasure!