Tioga Pass, Yosemite 10/30

To our surprise, Tioga Pass opened up after the winter storm, so we made a day trip of it to explore Yosemite! Perhaps there will be some fall colors in the park- wouldn't that be great?!

Yosemite is so outstanding, it would be hard to imagine it disappointing.

We learned a little of the long story of geology that is represented in the area. Granite being carved and shaped by glaciers, leaving erratics behind. Also the glaciers scoured the surfaces providing precious little for anything to grow on, but ever so slowly life began to take root.

The pond was frozen over with cool shapes in the ice, and super cool sounds when something like a rock hits it :)

Yosemite Valley with Bridal Veil Falls

Tioga Pass, Yosemite Naational Park

Frozen pond, Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park

Crystal Lake 10/29

We started the day near Mammoth, but overnight it was 28 degrees and clear. We thought it would be a good idea to let things warm up a little before hitting the trail. The coffee shop was warm and cozy, but the snow started to come down. hmmm, That's not in the forecast. We bundled up and headed to the trailhead.

The trail began with a little snow cover, which made route-finding challenging, but soon we picked up a lone set of footprints. As long as the track didn't lead us to the precipice, that should be ok!

There was such an awe and amazement of the grandness and beauty of the mountains, dusted in fresh snow. The light and clouds changed continuously, providing a little better image at each turn in the trail. The amazement and excitement are frequently met with the disappointment that the photos "don't do it justice"- but how could they? It's not just the 2 dimensions that bring the place alive- it's the exertion of climbing the trail, the smell of the forest, the cold wind in our face, even the sounds of the ravens mocking us on our exploration. Ginger playing and zooming around illustrate that even the canine can enjoy the experience. I suppose that If I can bring just a little of the feeling back, maybe as a memory for myself, or an image to bring back a memory for someone else- That would be great.

Mammoth Crest, Crystal Lake trail

Crystal Lake trail, Mammoth crest

June Lake road/ Yost Lake 10/28

Since the road 120 Tioga pass is closed for the storm, we drove the June lake loop. We heard that this area was great for fall colors, but thought we may be too late for that? Nope- it was great! Aspens glowing yellow and orange. The snow that dusted the mountains made our hike to Yost Lake a bit more interesting. The sun was out though, and the warmth was glorious. That hike rose from 7345 feet to 9083 in 2.5 miles, but was a gorgeous as it is strenuous. Ginger loves being out on the trail! We're feeling like we're in the Sierras.

Owens River Headwaters Wilderness.

Sign with Ginger- phone image- add this

Topping that off with a stop to the brewery was great, then we found an even better camp spot, so I explored a bit on my MTB before dark.

I'm finding it challenging to keep up with the journal- the daily activities get in the way of recording the daily activities!

Trailhead to Yost Laake

Yost Lake

Bodie Ghost (mining) town 10/27

This largely intact mining town from 1900s is a fascinating look into history of mining and life in the wild wild west!. It's now a California State Park, so has some maintenance and infrastructure to ensure it remains ghostly and untrammeled by present day prospectors. It's a great place to roam around. I love the textures and forms of the old wooden buildings, rotting curtains, and dusty artifacts in the windows as it was abandoned long ago.

Lake Tahoe and Buckeye hot springs

While in Lake Tahoe, we asked a local what she would recommend to friends and family to see while in the area. She mentioned the Eagle Creek Trail and Eagle falls areas and Taylor Creek. She said that the Kokanee Salmon have started to run back up Taylor creek to spawn, and there are great fall colors there too. If we're lucky we may get to see a bear fishing too! We saw this a while ago in Alaska, fantastic! She added that Buckeye hot spring would be a good visit too, particularly if we're headed south.

We had a fantastic experience hiking up to Eagle lake, in to the Desolation wilderness, starting early- the trailhead is next to a super popular state park, Emerald Bay, so fills up quickly. The trees and granite are fabulous, and the fall colors added an extra punch.

Susan and Ginger on th trail to Eagle Lake, Desolation wilderness.

Eagle creek trail, Desolation wilderness

Ginger Lake Tahoe

Eagle creek trail, Desolation wilderness

Eagle creek trail, Desolation wilderness

Returning from the Emerald Bay area,  we did stop near Taylor Creek despite the crowds. The Aspen in the area were gloriously golden in the sun, and indeed there were kokanee swimming upstream. I was a bit shocked at how small they look- about the size of trout. I would have liked to see a bear, but seems like just the wrong time of day. Headed back, near the congregation of families with strollers, dogs, bikes and kids running around, a Ranger came running up the path like a maniac, hollering at people to get back. We got to see our bear! And a circus of people running towards and away from the scene. Sorry, I wasn't fast enough to get a photo of that!

Kokanee Salmon spawning in Taylor Creek, Lake Tahoe

Leaving town, we did head to Buckeye hot spring with anticipation of a solitary wild soak, hahaha! The route took us through some fabulous areas of fall colors. The town of Markleeville had a great little coffee shop with a parade of people chatting about the happenings of the area. Seems that "leaf peeping" is a thing here too :)

The hot spring was rather busy, but we did find some time to soak in one of the almost hot spring in the morning- expectations reset!