Day 16 - The Best and The Worst

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WE'RE STILL HERE!! Sorry for the delay, but we've basically had a wifi/interent blackout for a few days now. Will try to get caught up tonight. Thanks for checking on us and continuing to read along!



After another late morning (8:45 am), we made our way back into Yosemite. One of the differences in Yosemite vs. other parks we’ve visited is how long it takes to get anywhere. The park is huge, the roads narrow and difficult, and the sights spread out. We had to go back to the Visitor Center to get our Passport Book stamped (since we forgot it yesterday), and then were headed to a hike recommended by Todd’s brother, Kirk.

Sentinel Dome is a relatively short hike on a trail lined with enormous trees and boulders. We had heard that the views from the top of the dome were phenomenal, so were eager to see the awaiting vista. Apparently we were not alone. As we approached the parking lot for the trailhead, we were met with two grim realities: 1) there was not an inch of space available in the lot, and certainly nowhere for our 30-foot megabus; and 2) the sign just beyond the parking lot prominently prohibited any vehicles over 28-feet beyond that point. That was a pickle.

Todd pulled over to the side of the road as we debated our options. As luck would have it, a few of the parallel-parked cars on the outer rim of the lot were pulling out, creating enough space for us to park. Unfortunately, the lot was now behind and on the other side of the road from our current location. What else to do but get out and stop traffic as Todd drove about 50 feet in reverse down the wrong side of the road and expertly backed into the now open space along the edge of the lot. It was an impressive feat, though the day would prove to be a series of driving challenges, unbeknownst to us.

Having successfully docked our boat, we started along the path. Up ahead we saw an enormous, overwhelming mountain of stone a ways off. When one of the kids asked if that was where we were going, I immediately responded, “Oh no, that’s Half Dome. We aren’t hiking Half Dome. That’s what we are going to see from our hike.”

One of the other hikers on the path spoke up. “Actually, that’s Sentinel Dome. That’s where this hike leads to. You are going up there.”

Well, I stood corrected and stunned. I could not believe that what I was seeing was our ultimate destination – I thought you’d need ropes and gear and all that to scale the behemoth in front of us. But we were on our way.

What we couldn’t see from our approach was the backside of the dome was a sloping rockface that, with care, was quite manageable, and completely worth the effort. The top of Sentinel Dome gave us a 360 degree view as far as we could see of the entire park. Half Dome, El Capitan, the Cathedrals – every peak in the park was mapped out for us on an engraved compass at the top.

As impressive as the Yellowstone Valley views we stumbled upon had been, they could not rival what we were seeing here. It was indescribable. All we could do was sit and absorb the grandeur. As Sean’s pose relates, we felt as if we were sitting on top of the world.

Eventually we made our way off the dome and back to the RV. It was now late enough in the day that we had a much easier time extricating ourselves from the lot than we’d had when we arrived. Our next stop was to find a swimming hole for Maggie, who had been patiently asking and waiting for a few days for an opportunity to go swimming.

Just over an hour later, we had wound our way down the mountain back into the valley and tumbled out onto a rocky shore along the river. Todd, Billy and Maggie braved the freezing cold water, while Sean and Tommy relaxed with their first electronic time permitted in days, and I snapped pictures then relaxed on the beach. Never have we waded and played in such a serene, calming place, with El Capitan rising on one side and the Cathedrals on the other. With plenty of space for the few families already there to spread out, it almost felt as if we had our own private cove. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day in Yosemite.

Which should have been a red flag. As we mentioned in our previous post, we never made it to the campground in Awahnee that we had booked for both of our Yosemite nights. We left Yosemite Valley for the last time headed west and south toward Sierra Meadows RV Park. We knew it was a ways away, so we stopped for dinner at a hotel restaurant just outside the park. An hour and 45 minutes later, we finally bedded the kids down before getting back on the road.

As the stars filled the sky, we drove, and drove, and drove, and drove, and drove, and drove. Finally, after almost 3 hours, our trustworthy GPS on the iPad directed us to turn on Road 621, which would lead to the RV park’s turnoff. What started as a bumpy country road quickly disintegrated – literally. At 11:15 pm we found ourselves off roading in our 30-foot, 5-ton mobile home, on a dirt path no wider than our vehicle and with ruts, divets, potholes and crevices making up more of the “road” than dirt. But the lush green golf course on either side of us, part of the “resort” to which the RV park belonged, beguiled us enough to keep going.

After almost losing 2 or 3 tires, we finally hit the turnoff shown on the GPS that would take us into the RV park. As Todd slowed from the 5 mph we were cruising at to take the turn, he came to an abrupt, screeching halt. There before us, across our path, lay a gate with a very clear No Trespassing sign. We sat for a moment in the dark, dumbfounded, irritated and baffled as to what to do next. Unbelievably, Tommy & Sean had slept through the entire bad roller coaster drive. Here we sat, in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, dogs (or coyotes?) howling in the distance, with no where to go, and according to the GPS, no way to get to our campground other than through the barrier in front of us.

And we laughed. And laughed, and laughed some more. I mean, just how much more absurd could the situation become? Not to mention that the situation completely reminded us of one of our favorite Brad Paisley songs - Little Moments. When we couldn’t breathe anymore, Todd finally suggested that we try looking up the website for the RV Park to see if it could help. Amazingly we were able to open a browser on the iPad and launch the site, on which clearly sat directions to another road by the same name farther down the highway. Our first confirmed GPS screw up. I ventured out into the blackness to help Todd make a 15-point turn to repeat the loud and painful bouncy trip we had just endured once more.

When we finally hit smooth pavement again, we both said a prayer of thanks that our tank of an RV had survived the detour in one piece. We proceeded down the highway, found the correct turn, and climbed the steep grade toward the campground. It was now almost midnight, and there was no sign of anyone on the road. After what seemed like forever, we finally saw the RV Park – the most unimpressive site we’ve encountered yet on our travels. Essentially rows of blacktop pads, sprinkled with a few trees, and only about 4 or 5 RVs parked scattered among the mostly empty sites.

There was no sign of an office, and by this point we’d had it. We pulled in, plugged in, and breathed a sigh of relief and discontentment. This campground easily wins worst location hands down, not just for its barrenness, but its remote location and difficulty to locate. Since we’d only be spending about 7 hours here, we just closed up shop and got some shuteye. We’ll be more than ready to leave the worst campground behind us in the morning.

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Comments

[The Other Baldwin Family]

PANIC!
Ok, laptop on, beverage in place, let's check the blog. What..no blog? Umm..well, no problem. It will be on soon. Just breathe. I'll clean-up the kitchen..............What! Nothing still......what is going on! Refresh screen...no change! Just breathe....well....I'm sure everything is fine....I'll just go vacuum the living room...again...........ok it will be here....laptop on, beverage in place.....SAME OLD ENTRY AGAIN!!!!!!! WHAT ARE THEY DOING!!!!! Just breathe...breathe....they must be just having fun. I'll go paint the house.....again..........Please be there. Please be there......YES! THE BLOG IS BACK ON! THE BLOG IS BACK ON!!!!! I knew everything was ok! Now, type a comment...and just breathe.