California 10.23.12

Today we started our journey from Sequoia National Park and the Wukashi Lodge (that's not really a lodge) down to the valleys below.  It is still cold but not as miserable as the last two days have been.  I have decided to forgo fashion and just basically wear everything that is clean to help stay warm.  It has been 24 degrees here overnight.  Fortunately we find that no bears attacked our car last night.  Good news!

Yes, I know I look like that Hallmark character, Maxine, but at this point I really didn't care.  It was about warmth!

Here's a photo of the lodge, which looks like such a perfect setting, but it was really strange inside.  No fireplace inside and all of the guests seemed to have to wait, as we did, for our rooms to get ready.  Most of us had been in the sleet and snow today and were literally shivering cold!  One guests asked them to please light the Franklin stove, which they finally did!

View beyond the lodge.  So amazing!  And yes, I once again am having trouble editing these photos because this part of our country is just blowing us away with its beauty!

Even Steve got a bit cold and chilly today as we ventured out on the trail to see the giant sequoias.  The worlds two largest trees are here in this park and we got to see them both.  I was impressed with the first one, but then they ALL started looking large.  Someone said that part of the movie "Jurassic Park" was filmed here in these woods.

Loving this random view from the ground up and using an antique filter.  

They said this trail was all paved...which it was...but it was longer than I anticipated.  and lots of steps that I'm still not handling very well.  Remember it was about 32 degrees this morning!  I trudged along, looking like Maxine from the Hallmark cards, and taking photos.  

Snow and ice on the benches.  We drove over totally covered roads on our way up this 7000 ft elevation mountain!  We met snow plows and dump trucks full of sand on the way up too!

After twenty years, I just love this guy.  And he loves me.  We know each other so well...the good, the bad and the ugly.  I think he has likely seen a lot more ugly out of me than I have of him.  He is so funny how he LOVES to explore...just like a little boy.  He would still be out in on these trails if they hadn't been closing the roads behind us as we left!

I like putting people in these photos to give everyone an idea how vast and breathtaking they are!

And yes...he reads most everything that there is while we are on trails and in the parks.  I love that about him.  He is the planner between the two of us.  I ordered a packet of information from the Dept. of Tourism for California months ago, but it was Steve that looked through all of the pamphlets and brochures to determine exactly what it would take to make this a memorable vacation for our anniversary.

And so here it is...the world's largest tree.  
Felt funny too...sort of like leather.

Here's what the trunk looks like from one that had fallen over and they, I suppose, cut it to flatten this out.

Someone apparently thought, years ago, how clever it would be to cut a hole out for folks to walk through.  And of course we did it!  Note the snow on the ground...it was frozen solid like ice.  And there goes my little explorer.

Ummm, Steve....you may want to reconsider about going down this trail.  And he did, although he was disappointed that he had to miss it!  He pouted actually, I think.  

So this is where our day got interesting, a little ugly and nightmarish and a bit scary for me.  We had walked the three mile trail (yes, I did it!) but it had been all downhill.  Now we were going to have to walk back up.  We had met a couple from New Hampshire--North Lakes area--and we talked about Chris and Rachel living in Salem.  She also had a bad knee and didn't feel she could make it back up.  They took off up the highway toward the parking lot.  This seemed like a good solution as we watched them go....sloping roads as opposed to steps and trails all going up.  So, off I go following my Boy Scout.  I was snapping photos right and left of iced pinecones that looked like they had shellac covering them, flowers that seemed to be growing out of the rocky cliff beside us, and beautiful displays of fall color everywhere.

Well, about this time, after walking for a long time and reaching an intersection with a sign leading UP a very steep hill, I just didn't feel I had any steps left in me.  Steve said he would finish the walk, get the car and come down to pick me up.  As he was walking off, I told him that this intersection looked familiar.  Almost like the turn we took when we entered the area.  But that would mean that he had a LONG walk ahead of him, much of it on totally iced highways.  That just couldn't be...right?..................so I waited....

I know, classy, right?  I hear my daughters groaning out loud as they see this photo.  And I waited some more....

Started getting a bit anxious because he wasn't returning.  
So I waited some more.....

And waited and waited.  Thought I was hearing things off in the woods (of course, i imagine one of the black bears they said were everywhere out here....or do you think they have Grizzlies up here?)
, so I began trying to distract myself by taking every nature shot that I could think of.  And I waited....

And I waited some more.  Quite a lot actually.  Cars came by and went on.   Quite a lot actually......and I waited.

Oh I was really proud to get this shot of a droplet of ice melting and dripping off the tip of the everygreen.  See how great I am at distracting myself?  But there's that noise in the trees again.  Still no sign of Steve.  No cars are stopping.  None.  And I keep waiting.

Okay, so after what seemed like forever, I got very nervous.  I began to think of what I would do out here if he didn't return.  "What if's" started taking over my brain!  I didn't have my cell phone because we were in an area that has absolutely not one single shred of cell phone service so I'd left it in the car!  

So I prayed...yes I hate it when people do this in desperation, but I did. 
 And I waited.

And I began to cry.  Just a little bit.  I didn't want to be the wacko Maxine on a mountain highway in California that loses her husband and then loses her mind!  And people would always be saying..."you mean Dianne DIDN'T have her cellphone with her?"

I mean really.  Snow on a log?  Desperation.

And I waited.  And I'm freezing.  My toes are numb.  I realize that my left knee is much colder than the right one...I guess because it is full of titanium and chrome!

And finally I saw our car coming down the hill!  I burst into tears of relief!  I had guessed it right, Steve said.  He had to walk the entire distance back to the parking lot taking possibly twice as long as going right up the mountain on the trail would have been.  I am still amazed that not one soul stopped to inquire about my safety, etc. but then who would stop for a freaky dressed woman with nothing but a camera with a polka dotted strap?

So I dry up and we continue now to drive down the mountain towards Three Rivers, planning to end up at our Vacation Rental By Owner near Malibu for our last two nights. We had not eaten all day long and found a little Pizza Place in Three Rivers that was some of the best pizza I'd ever had!  Of course, anything tastes good when you finally know that YOU are not the main course for some bear! 

I guess this too happens a lot.  So, what's your thought?  If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?  I vote yes it does!

Last tree photo, I promise.  This is the number one, largest tree in the world!  The General Sherman Tree, I think.

Okay, so maybe there's a couple more. =)

On Steve's hike, he found this cabin which belonged to one of the early discover's of the area.  Hard to believe that anyone ever lived here!  Even harder to believe was my view of Steve as he set off for this hike, taking my camera around his neck to get these photos for me.  And what you have to close your eyes now and picture is that the camera strap is a vivid bright turquoise with hot pink polka dots.  I may never forget that image.  Gee, I wish I could have gotten a photo of that!  

Impressive vistas!!  

We met up with road construction.  I am not kidding you.  We were stopped in the same place for over 45 minutes!  Along with an ever-growing line of cars.  They apparently were building this rock wall for a ledge over several miles.  I had to hold my breath when I saw those guys walking around up there like it was not a problem at all!

Yes, this rock wall. 
 Beautiful, but was it worth almost an hour of waiting?  NO!! 

Rental car for 11 days.....too much.
Hotels and cottages for 11 days.....too much.
Gas per gallon......$4.69
Airfare XNA to LAX and back.......reasonable....
Time together and this view for 11 days.....priceless.

And the journey continues tomorrow in Malibu.