Camping under fabled Half Dome.

---

Yosemity Valley, Sunny Side Campground.
22-10-2002.

I heard all sorts of sounds last night including the howl of a coyote and the low growl which must have originated from a bear checking out the anti-bear metal food storage containers. However much I liked the sight of that bear yesterday crossing the road, no way in hell frozen over I was gonna leave my tent to investigate!!!
Leaving Hodgdon Meadows Campground early I cycle on the road that will bring me to Yosemity Valley stopping at the path that will bring me to Merced Grove where I hope to see my first Sequoia Trees.
I leave my bike with all my belongings strapped to it parked at the road, somehow I've a secure feeling about this..everybody has been so friendly and hospitable to me on this trip like my neighbors last night, a german couple working for Lufthansa that quite happily invited me for dinner while I was busy putting up my one-person tent...yeah, I'm pretty sure that nobody will run off with my old and cr*ppy 100 dollar bike while I hike down this muddy small path to have a look at Merced Grove.
Small signs nailed to the trees redbrown bark tell me the age of individual trees, 2000/3000 years old and up to 300 feet and more in height, very impressive indeed.
I cycle on - needless to say that my bike was still there where I parked it - to Yosemity Valley.
From Crane Flat to the valley was probably the most beautifull bikeride I've ever done. I'm just not eloquent enough to descibe it!!!
The eight and a half mile road that spans the valley goes across a lush forest and is bordered on both sides by huge granite monoliths some of which have fancy names like El Capitan and Half Dome.
There are several campgrounds, a small village with some souvenir shops, a supermarket, a few small and some bigger hotels as well as a park information office.
Rumour has it that in the summer high season you can quite literally walk on top of the heads of visitors here. Not so at this time of year though, the valley is sparsely inhabited now with most businesses in the village locked and left behind by the owners awaiting their return next year after winter.
I set up camp on Sunny Side Campground that seems to cater mostly to rock climbers.
As a matter of fact most other cutomers seem to belong to some european climbing group, young mixed race couples, she asian, he caucasian.
I plan to stay for some days leaving my bike alone and do some serious hiking instaed.

---

Photos

Fabled Half Dome...
in Yosemity Valley.