Blogs from Groveland, California, United States, North America

Blog 10-09-17 Yosemite Valley Up this morning about 7:15 for the dogs to go out and boy did they come in in a hurry. The temperature was 37 way up here in the mountains. We are at about 3500 ft and it sure makes a difference with the night time temperatures. We waited for the sun to rise enough to warm things up then took the boys for their walk around the campground. By the time we all got back it was time for Ginnie and I to head off to Yosemite Valley for the day. The entrance to the park was just 5 miles down the road but we had another 40 min drive to just get to the valley. I noticed smoke and it became aparent that a nearby forest fire was smoking up ... read more

7.30 went out for some breakfast. We ate at The Blue mermaid attached to the hotel. Sat outside in the sun. 10.00am Checked out collected car and set off on our journey to Groveland. The journey took about 4hrs 30, and was fantastic, stopped off at Walmart for some essentials and saw THE PEOPLE OF WALMART. Temperature 99f. As we got closer to Yosemite, there are signs of appreciation everywhere for the firefighters who have been fighting the 3rd largest fire in california. it has been devastating to the area. It was 90% contained on the day we arrived. 3.30pm Finally arrived at The Cub Inn in Groveland. It is Indescribable. It is a raised log cabin, set in the woods and wildlife, run by fantastic owners, Joe and Charlene, and their dog Cubby. Joe told ... read more

Today is my day to prepare for Burning Man. I had planned for it to be my only day. How wrong I was. Veteran participants warned about the need to build things in advance. Black Rock City is an incredibly stressful place, where missing tools and spare parts can’t be replaced. Structures and other things should be assembled in advance, and then broken into pieces for transport to the event. This ensures that everything needed is available, and they can be put together with minimal effort on the playa. Shade Structure Build My main goal today is to build a shade structure. Black Rock City gets incredibly hot during the day. By 9 AM, tents get so hot the heat wakes people up. For anyone who wants to sleep past then, a shade structure is essential. ... read more

Asking rafters to name their favorite river is like asking art collectors to name their favorite artist; it just isn’t possible. Still, certain names (Picasso, Warhol, Monet) get mentioned more often than any other. For rafters with advanced skills, that name is the Tuolumne River. Toulumne River The river starts in the high Sierra Nevada within Yosemite National Park and flows west to the central valley. It’s infamous as the river dammed in 1914 to create the Hetch Hechy Reservoir (see ). The raftable section occurs west of the park. It exists thanks to a major tributary called Cherry Creek. This creek replenishes significant water flow after Hetch Hechy basically eliminates it. Cherry Creek is also dammed, for power. Ironically, this improved whitewater on the river because it creates a reli... read more

Geo: 37.8383, -120.233Today Anna and I just drove up in our car. We set up camp while we waited for the boys to arrive. My dad has been a Thousand Trails member for years so we stayed at the relatively empty Yosemite Lakes campground just outside of the Park (on Highway 120). I love this campground because of it's proximity and the lack of other campers. Most members drive RVs so I've never seen the non-electric section of the campground anywhere near full.We sunbathed at the river (which wasn't dammed this summer- although sometimes it is) and Anna tried to teach me chords on the guitar. The water was ICE COLD from all the snow melt. So zero swimming happened. Eventually the boys did arrive, and we cooked dinner before heading to bed. =)... read more