In just a few short hours, I'll be taking off for Yosemite to backpack through the John Muir Trail and climb up Half Dome. It's one of the things that my main character in my new YA book does, so it's solely a "research" trip, of course. Am I committed to my art, or what?
I did this same trip when I was 15 with my mom and a bunch of dudes she worked with. And, call me wimpy, but I remember it being really freaking hard. After climbing Half Dome, I swear I couldn't walk for three weeks. That thing is a bear! Speaking of bears, the second night out, a family of bears (or perhaps really hungry humans who were amazing tree climbers) ransacked our food supply that was hanging 20 feet up on the "bear safe" cables attached to the trees. Our group of ten spent the remainder of the trip rationing nuts and raisins that we scavanged from other hikers. I swear, it was like Survivor: Yosemite. No joke! We even exiled one guy to Voglesang when we found out he'd stashed a couple Slim-Jims in his socks, selfishly hoping to feast on them alone after we had fallen asleep. And speaking of Voglesang, at one point in the trip we thought it was a good idea to hike really fast up to the 11,000 foot high spot, just for fun. I ended up with an epic case of altitude sickness, heaving, hurling, and seizing in my sleeping bag. I swear I still have brain damage from the cerebral edema. Good times.
Hopefully, this trip will be a bit easier than that first trip. But, if not, at least I'll have some good material for my book. Here's hoping I don't get frost-bit, bear-bit, snake-bit, altitude-sick, water-parasite sick, homesick, struck by lightning, poison oak, sunburn, sunstroke, or fall off any mountains. On second thought, I'm wimpier than I thought. Maybe I'll just sit here on my couch and watch South Park reruns. Research-Schmesearch.
- Eve
NOTE: This post was written last Friday. Eve, in fact, has not watched any South Park reruns for a couple of days. Late Sunday, she will return to share with us which ailments she avoided...and which she did not.
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5 comments:
I climbed Half Dome and Yosemite Falls w/ my boyfriend (now husband) when I was 19--but I tell ya, I could NEVER do that now. Good for you--have a blast (and carry bear spray!)
*heidi
My wife and I did Half Dome five years ago on our honeymoon. Damn, that was rough!
Hope you brought enough water for the trip up...and down. The down part is what we didn't plan very well for.
- Jay
Tell you what...whoever says hiking Half Dome is easy is lying. I don't remember it being that, um, steep!
And, Heidi, bear spray would have been a great idea. They were all over the place, and not afraid of people at all.
Good times!
Eve
(who is still alive, barely)
You couldn't walk for three weeks when you were 15 ... and you're hoping it will be easier now?!?
I'm just sayin'....
Glad you made it back alive, Eve!! And Jay, for next time, my husband had a great idea to hide gatoraide bottles behind rocks on the way up so we could get them on the way back down.
The man is a total genius.
*heidi
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