On short notice we decided to do an overnight trip up to Yosemite! We stayed at a KOA outside the park, near Mariposa. (Genious idea for stress-free camping, thanks, Jeff! - need new batteries? an ice-cream cone? bug spray? just visit the camp store.) So, we made camp, explored the campground, met the neighbors, played at the playground, used up the camera battery (GGGRRRRRR) and had a nice night. Then in the morning we packed up and headed into the park.
We did the easy stuff on the main valley floor - Bridalveil Falls. Which misted and rained down on us from their incredible height on a hot spring day. Got sandwiches at the "camp store" and took them to a day use area, where we picniced, while Jeff rested his sore back, the girls and I hiked in a little ways to the wall where we spent some time watching the climbers and exploring the base of the cliff. Lots of excellent bolders, hunks of granite, and "sparkley sand." We met some climbers and asked them questions about the gear, wached a lead ascent make his choices as he picked his way up the face, and even did a little climbing on a nice large "crack." After a while we decided to head back, Bella in the lead. the trail came out of the trees into a meadow and a volunteer ranger called out to me: "Is this your dog?" (dammit, yes... I lost her leash at the campground) "Because there's a bear right over there."
Me: "excuse me?"
Him: "There is a B.E.A.R. Right. There."
Me:"Bella! Come!"
Sure enough, a young black bear, right. there.
So... we stood there for a while, watching, waiting, asking questions. Turns out "White 81" is a 2 year old male, who has a history of lurking around the climbing sites looking for granola bars and what not. And this volunteer's job is to carry around the radio reciever/directional antenna and follow him around when he shows up and discourage the unfavorable behavior with an air gun that shoots "paint" balls of mineral oil. Today he was just grazing in this lush green meadow.
After a while he moved to the other side of the meadow and I was "relatively" comfortable carrying my dog and preschooler, and ushering Olivia down the trail. After clear directions to use "CALM" voices, not walk toward the bear, no squirming while I carry you, etc. When we crossed the meadow. We stopped and turned around to watch a bit more. And I told the girls to remember this picture, because we don't have the camera to save it... we each need to save it in our memories.
Blue sky overhead, silver grey cliff towering on the left, mixed forest with a couple tall redwoods pushing up behind the meadow, the lush green of the spring meadow with a couple big grey rocks breaking it up, and a thin sparkly line of sand trail on the left, and a biggish shaggy brown bear in the middle. (at least, that's how I remember it.) Here is Olivia's journal entry:
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