Yosemite: June 15-18, 2007

Yosemite National Park: June 15-18, 2007

June 15, after work I drove to Yosemite National Park taking the southern route through Oakhurst on Highway 41. Just before the tiny town of Fish Camp I turned off on a dirt forest road and drove for six miles to Big Sandy Campground in the Sierra National Forest where I set up camp in an expansive camp site right along the Big Creek. All sixteen of the sites in this scenic campground were well spaced and provided a lot of privacy. A White-headed Woodpecker came and pecked at a tree just over my camp site. Willow trees lined the creek and held some Fox Sparrows and Song Sparrows and many butterflies, many of which were Boisduval’s Blues. I heard a Red Crossbill calling but never could see it. I walked around the campground and saw some Red-breasted Nuthatch chicks in a tree. After setting up my tent I drove into Yosemite Park; driving back down the dusty dirt road back to Highway 41. It was just four miles from the entrance station but then another 16 miles to Glacier Point Road. I took that road to McGurk Meadow and walked the trail to the meadow and back. I heard Mountain Quails calling from the woods and saw Western Wood Pewee, Dark-eyed Junco, Western Tanager, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Golden-crowned Kinglet but no owls. I then stopped by the Four Seasons of Yosemite at Yosemite West, where my brother, Chris, and his family would be staying but they treated me like a criminal and would not let me have the key. So I returned to my campsite which was just as well. The stars were magnificent and the camp site was very quiet and peaceful.

June 16, I took down my tent and proceeded back down the dirt road to Yosemite West to meet Chris and his family. A Hammond’s Flycatcher was singing in a tree beside the road. Yosemite West is just a few miles from the entrance to Glacier Point Road but we decided to make the long drive to Tioga Pass Road for our hike. We drove all the way to Porcupine Creek where we planned to hike to North Dome which has expansive views of Half Dome and maybe the top of Yosemite Falls too. A Williamson’s Sapsucker crossed the trail in front of us. Chris’s son, Kevin, found a black bear that we all got good looks at before it fled into the woods. A Mountain Quail called from the woods. There were lots of Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Fox Sparrows, Brown Creepers, and Steller’s Jays. A Hermit Thrush made its ethereal call. Just one mile from the dome, Chris wandered off trail and he and his family had lunch. They claimed they thought it was the end of the trail even though the dome was looming before us. While waiting for them I saw a Townsend’s Solitaire in a tree. I started down the trail to North Dome but got off trail and ended up in thick intertwined Manzanita mats before finally emerging at the Haystack, another granite dome, that parallels North Dome. No one was on the Haystack since there is no official trail to it but it actually has closer looks at Half Dome. I started back through the woods trying to get to North Dome but the Manzanita was so thick it scratched and tore at my legs and arms to the point I didn’t think I would make it. I could hear White-throated Swifts overhead as I finally struggled my way back up the slope to the official trail but couldn’t see Chris or his family so I walked back to the trail junction. There were many butterflies including many Zerene Fritillaries and lots of California Sisters. Finally Chris and family came to the trail junction and we headed back to the car deciding against proceeding to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls as we had planned.

On the way back down Porcupine Creek Jenny saw a Calliope Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world at 3.25 inches, which still was not enough to get the permanent snarl off her face. After our hike we drove down Tioga Pass a little further stopping at Olmstead Point for the view of the valley before finally turning back at Tuolumne Meadows. There were some California Gulls in Tenaya Lake and some Brewer’s Blackbirds.

June 17, I tried to get Chris’s family up for an early start but they had trouble getting the lead out and we didn’t get to the Chilnualna Falls trailhead in Wawona until the shamefully late starting time of 9:00 AM. We headed up the steep trail where it soon came to the first fall where we saw an American Dipper in the fast flowing creek. There were a lot of birds on this trail. After passing the first falls we passed through a mixed oak, pine woodland where there were Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Warbling Vireo, Cassin’s Vireo, Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, among other things. When we crossed over wet areas there were many butterflies flitting about, Western Tiger Swallowtail, more Zerene Fritillary, Propertius Duskywing, Clodius Parnassian, Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak, Field Crescent, and many more. All along the trail Mountain Misery aka Kit Kit Dizzy covered the forest floor. After 4.2 miles we came to the upper falls where we saw Western Azalea blooming beside the creek. Many wildflowers were blooming along the trail, Sierra Fringed Gentian, Mariposa Lily, Harlequin Lupine, Sierra Onion, Pussy Paws everywhere, and lots of miniature lupine. We walked about a mile beyond the falls thinking there were more and heard a MacGillivray’s Warbler singing in the thicket. I tried to pish it out but it only popped up briefly. We stopped at the creek and had lunch and saw many butterflies including Pale Swallowtail and others. There were more flowers blooming along the creek, White heather, Blue Penstemmon, and Thimbleberry and Megan found a Sonoran Skipper butterfly. After lunch we headed back down the trail the way we came. I saw the MacGillivray’s Warbler again briefly but not long enough for a good picture. After our hike we drove to Glacier Point Road and stopped at the Taft Point trailhead. There were more Clodius Parnassian butterflies and I finally found one spread on a marsh marigold and got a picture. We walked out to the fissures which are huge cracks in the granite which you can see through to the valley floor thousands of feet below. At Taft Point we stood on the granite platforms that jut out over the valley. A Violet-green Swallow flew over. After our little jaunt we drove to Washburn Point for the amazing view of Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and Half Dome. As I gazed out at this magnificent mountain scenery, I was reminded of why I could never really leave California. We made our last stop the crowded Glacier Point viewpoint before heading back to Yosemite West. We were very hungry and it was father’s day and Sharon’s birthday. As Sharon was cooking dinner, the evil woman, Marcie, from the front desk called and told Sharon they had been there three days and she and her whole family needed to come to the office and check in or else. Sharon asked if that included her sixteen year old and the idiotic woman said yes. I had seen this woman on the first day when I tried to get the key. She had shaved off her eyebrows and painted on fake ones. She was skinny and looked like a shriveled up miserable old cow.

June 18, I got up early but I couldn’t get Chris’s family moving so after breakfast I drove up to McGurk Meadow again to look for the owl again. As I drove up Glacier Point Road a huge black bear walked in front of the car. I walked the trail to the meadow but saw no owls. I heard the Mountain Quail again but it never came close. A Dusky Flycatcher was singing in the woods. When Chris’s family was finally ready we drove to the Valley to Happy Isles. We started up the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls and then Nevada Falls. The trail is very steep and Sharon was scared at some points crawling on all fours. A rainbow was formed by the mist from Vernal Falls. At Nevada Falls many White-throated Swifts were flying over. I also was thrilled to find two Black Swifts flying by. There were more Nashville Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Cassin’s Vireos, among other birds. We had lunch at Nevada Falls and then Chris insisted we take the John Muir Trail back down because Sharon was scared to take the Mist Trail. The John Muir Trail is very scenic at first as it crosses over Nevada Falls. The trail is carved out of the granite and has views back across to the other side of the falls. Water flowed down the granite and dripped onto the trail making for lots of wildflowers and butterflies including lots of Coral Bells, maidenhair fern, columbine, and Stone Crop, and Purplish Copper, Propertius Duskywing, and Melissa Blue butterflies. After leaving the gouged out section with views of the back side of the falls the trail is mundane and dusty and full of horse piss. After our hike we drove around the valley floor to the south side where we parked and walked out on a boardwalk into the meadow at the suggestion of Megan. Oaks lining the Merced River held lots of birds. I spotted a Bullock’s Oriole in the meadow. It wasn’t a Baltimore Oriole which is rare in the west but it was Chris’s first ever oriole of any kind. There were also Yellow Warblers and Warbling Vireos in the trees. We walked across Sentinel Bridge and then to lower Yosemite Falls which was crawling with people. We saw lots of Showy Milkweed growing in the meadow. On the way back we found an Acorn Woodpecker beside the trail. Then it was time for me to go. I think Chris and his family were sad to lose their mountain guide and I was sad to leave the splendid granite wonderland that I am so lucky to live so close to.