Chpt-10 Flooded

Another Emailposting.

 

This posting was meant to be called “Yosemite” (auf deutsch ausgesprochen wie „jossimitie“). But „flooded“ seems to be more Accurate to me. The US, like Germany, had lots of snow this winter. And now, suddenly, very warm temperatures make cause all that snow to melt almost at once. This means all rivers are carrying more water than they should.

 

 So, in Yosemite they had to close 2/3rds of all lodged which made that crowded park a no-stay place. Everything was booked (flooded, with people). Streets were flooded, too, party with water, partly with way too many cars.

 

 However, flooded or not, it’s a magical place. I decided to rush through a little the first day. But also “rushing through” was a spectacular event. On the pass which was on an elevation of almost 10.000ft (this is the feet of 5.000 people!!) there was still lots of snow to be found. However, it was warm now. Next day I would go on a part of the “Half Dome Trail” which Tim and Jeff had recommended to me. If you want to do it all, you have to start at like 6h in the morning.

 

 Or me it was a 90 minutes drive back into the park from my campground I found outside the park. However, they haven’t installed the cables yet, which are necessary to climb up all the way to Half Dome, so I didn’t really miss out anything. I just went as long as I could. The 2^nd waterfall would have made me wet all over again, and still there was the way back. I decides getting completely wet twice is enough and returned. With all those waterfalls this park is amazing. I’ll add a little video of the enormous masses of water going down later…

 

 The trail started as a foot path but then started to get steeper. You will see a lot of pictures about waterfalls further up. One of them blew that much water into the air, I was soaked when I finally got up.

 

 So, you see the pictures of my clothing drying? “Thursday” and “Friday”, both drying on a Monday! ;-)

 

 And the last picture? Maybe “Avatar” has been filmed here…

 

In the meantime I have passed on to the Kings Canyon. Pictures of that will follow…

 

 

Here a little video of the waters washing down the valley...