"Hiking Half Dome" 6.16.09

Elizabeth and I got up at 5:45 am. We grabbed our packs and breakfast, slipped out of the RV and headed into Yosemite. It would take us 30 minutes to get to the trailhead. We were beginning our adventure to the top of Half Dome.

The hike to Half Dome is 16.5 miles long and gains 5000 feet in elevation. The last 400 feet up the side of the dome itself is done by using steel cables. I have been looking forward to this hike for 5 months and today was the day. The climb, round-trip, should take about 10-12 hours. I put on some great worship music on my ipod and hit the trail.

The first marker in the trail is Vernal Falls. You must take the Mist Trail to get there and it is well named. After about 400 granite steps we reached the top of Vernal Falls. Next stop, Nevada Falls. Through a series of switchbacks up the side of the mountain we reached the top. Nevada Falls is about 60 stories high and is fabulous. We sat there and had a little snack and rested. A little beyond that was the halfway point.

The trail levels out for about a half mile, but for the other 8 miles it is straight up. Our pace lessened as the altitude increased and the oxygen decreased. We finally made it to the "saddleback" of Half Dome and possibly the toughest part of the trail so far. It was here that Elizabeth decided she could go no further. The saddleback again is a series of switchbacks up a granite rock face. The incline was grueling and my quads were burning up. I would rest about every 60 seconds. I finally made it to the cables around 1 pm. It was there my heart sank. Not because of the cables, I was ready for that. Dark clouds were setting in and climbing the dome in the rain is a very bad idea. I could see the cables were highly congested at the top as people were trying to get down due to the inpending weather. I sat there for 20 minutes trying to decide what I would do. I finally decided it wasn't worth the risk and I headed back down to meet Elizabeth.

The descent down was more difficult than going up. It's very hard on the knees after a few miles of decline. We finally made it back to the trailhead. It had taken 11 hours. Even though I didn't climb the dome I felt pretty good about physically making the hike. We met the Slemps and the boys later and had dinner together and shared with them our adventure of the day.

I would like to thank a few folks for making this hike possible. Bryan Colgrove for all the help and sage advice preparing for the hike. (equipment, food, backpack, etc.) Jim Larkin for helping me get in shape for the hike since February. And finally Brenda Curry for praying that I would stay alive. Well... I'm alive. -Alan

"Yosemite: Larger than Life" 6.15.09

We headed into the park today. The road from Hwy. 140 follows a rushing river all way to the park entrance. Our first stop was Bridelveil Falls. It is just one of many beautiful water falls in Yosemite. We got a bit of a shower from the mist created as the water pounded against the rocks from 620 feet. There was a woman there in a wedding dress obviously preparing for a ceremony right there at the falls.

We then headed to El Capitan. El Capitan is a 3000 foot ganite monolith located on the Northern part of the valley. It is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers. In fact, we spotted a few with our binoculars.

We headed into the valley and dropped in at the visitors center. There we learned about how Yosemite was formed and got some info regarding our hike to Half Dome the next. We found out that someone had died a few days earlier when he decided to hike the dome in wet weather. Tomorrow has a 20% chance of rain so I am optimistic. We did a little shopping and had lunch in Yosemite Village and then we moved on.

Our next stop was the incredible Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Falls are the tallest falls in North America. The water falls 2,420 feet from the Upper Falls to the base of the Lower Falls. It is amazing. Noah and I climbed up the giant rocks of granite to get closer to the base of the falls. We headed back to camp and waited for Kevin and Felicity to arrive. Early in the evening they made it to the campground. We visited a bit and then got their tent set up. After that, Elizabeth and I prepared our packs for the hike to Half Dome. I hope I can sleep tonight. - Alan

"Yosemite and the Tioga Pass" 6.14.09

Fathers Day. I was greeted in bed by my boys and a nice card that Noah made. They are good fellas and I am blessed to get to spend this time with them. Although Ethan said today that he has had plenty of nature. Well buckle up, because there is more on the way.

It was beautiful morning and our campground is very nice. Ethan, Noah and I threw football for a while and I had a great quiet time sitting at the picnic table outside our RV. We took our time getting ready and left the camp at noon.

The Tioga Pass crosses Yosemite National Park from east to west. It takes you through Tolumne Meadows, a couple of tunnels, a cliff side drive, around some beautiful lakes and some of the higher elevations of the park. I knew this drive would take a few hours. On the way we enjoyed the beautiful overlooks and also did a little bear watching.

We made it through the park and headed to our campground. We wanted to get set up and rest as we recovered from our sprint-like schedule. Tomorrow we would head back and begin to see some of the sites Yosemite has to offer.

"Pit Stop" 6.12.09

Today we continued our relentless pursuit of the Pacific Coast. We were on the on the road early and heading west. Utah is an amazing state. The drive on Interstate 70 is fantastic although I think my family had seen enough rock formations. After driving through Salt Lake City we began crossing the salt flats along the states western border.

We drove all day and began to get close to our Wells, Nevada. There we found a laundromat and decided to do the wash before it overtook the RV. While there I notice the back passenger side tire was low. The pressure was good but the inside tire was completely flat. After failed attempts to inflate the tire we decided we would have to have it worked on in the morning. We finished the laundry, found a campground and called it a night.

The next day we pulled into a local garage had them look at the tire. It had a gash in the sidewall and would have to be replaced. Fortunately they had one in stock. While putting the new tire on the mechanic noticed a crack all the way through the brake rotor. Wonderful. We would now need a rear brake job. Unlucky for us, it was Saturday. There would be no way to get the parts before Monday and I have reservations for Yosemite National Park. It did not look like a new crack in the rotor so I decided to continue west. I called ahead to a place in San Francisco and made arrangements to have the brakes done when I get there in five days.

As the day progressed we made it through the remainder of Nevada and through Reno. We then turned south to go around Lake Tahoe and down to the west side of Yosemite where we would camp for the night. Lake Tahoe was gorgeous but the next 100 miles of road where made up of hairpin turns and 8% slopes. (No pics because we were in a hurry and there were few places to pull off the road.) At one point we were on a road with nothing on either side. No guard rails, no side of the road. Just a white line and then oblivion. We took the next 4 hours to go a 100 miles and arrived at our campground at midnight. Everyone was asleep already so I quickly leveled the RV, put out the slides, hooked up the water and electric and got to bed. I was very tired but looking forward to tomorrow. Yosemite! Woo Hoo!

"The Canyonlands" - 6.11.09

Today the family headed to one of my favorite national parks. The Canyon- lands. The Canyon- lands are split into districts. The "Island in the Sky" and the "Needles." We packed a cooler, topped off the gas tank and headed south.

On the way we stopped in at Dead Horse Point. The Point is a small peninsula connected to the main mesa by a narrow neck of land. The story goes that cowboys used to drive wild horses onto the point and pen them there with a brush fence. Some were accidentally forgotten and left to perish, well in view of the Colorado River 2000 feet below.

Next stop: the Mesa Arch. The Mesa Arch sets atop a sheer cliff that drops nearly 1,000 feet to the canyon bottom. As you approach the arch it begins to take your breath away. It perfectly frames the scenic landscape below. Almost like looking through a crystal clear window. What a cool place.

The main thing on my list to do was to drive the Shafer Trail. This drive will forever have a place in my heart. Five years ago my father and I drove this trail and found it to be one of the most memorable trips we had ever taken. It was a special time as the shadows of the setting sun gave an added dimension to the canyonlands. We had a great time. We also forgot our camera. So for five years it has lived in my heart with hopes of returning. Today I did.

Through a series of very tight switchbacks we made our way down the side of the cliff. And I mean the side of the cliff. Elizabeth wouldn't even look. Ethan and I thought it was cool. We continued for the next few hours over rough roads and four wheel drive terrain. All this time taking in the sights of the enormous walls of the canyon. It was glorious. My family grew tired of the uneven road after a couple of hours and we were all thankful for a paved road.

Tomorrow we drive all day and spend the evening at a Flying J in Wells, Nevada. Please pray for safe travels for me and my family. -Alan

"The Devil's Garden" - 6.10.09

Got up early today and headed back into the Arches. I was interested in getting a few photos of the Delicate Arch as sunrise. I got to the lookout point, hiked about a mile and enjoyed having the area to myself. There was one in sight. It was very quiet and very peaceful. I took my photos and decided it would be a great time to spend talking to God.

You see, I worry alot about things. I've not always been this way, but it seems to be overwelming at times. God and I have been working on this. It's no fun always being stressed and I am tired of it wearing me down. Like I said, we are working on it. Pray for me.

We are staying at the Riverside Oasis RV Park. It's really is an oasis. In all of the desert surroundings you find this park with plush green grass and wonderful shade trees. (And mosquitos)

Our plans for the day were to hike the Devil's Garden Trail. This six mile hike took us past several arches. The Double O Arch and the Landscape Arch to name a few.

This was a difficult hike. You start out on nice trail that leads you through some incredible rock formations. In fact, the entire hike is through this "rock maze." The trail is marked with rock cairns and its usually a good idea to find the next one before moving on. We decided to take the primitive loop part of the trail which was sand for quite some time. Loose sand is a pain to walk in after a mile or so. Praise God the landscape was very diverting.

The boys did great for such a tough trail but decided they wanted a break after doing the Delicate Arch trail the evening before. Fortunately the weather was unseasonably cool. We experienced a little rain while we were on the trail but took shelter against one of the stone cliffs. We also encountered some heights as we traversed over a long rock "fin." They view was amazing.

We were all tired when we got back to the campground. Elizabeth made a great spaghetti dinner for us, we cleaned up and then went out for ice cream.

"Glenwood Canyon and The Arches" 6.9.09

We stayed the night at a nice campground in Gypsum, CO. It sat right on the Colorado River. We awoke the next morning to warmer weather. A very welcome sight. We took our time that morning, broke camp and continued west to the Arches National Park.

Once on the road we soon came upon Glenwood Canyon, one of the country's most scenic roadways and one of the last sections of interstate to be built. The 16 mile long stretch of highway, completed in 1992, snakes through the canyon with a series of 39 bridges and 3 tunnels as it follows the Colorado River. The engineering feat itself is remarkable. The highway just seems to "fit" the canyon. It is a place I will visit again.

About 30 miles into Utah we exited onto highway route 129, the scenic byway that would take us to the city of Moab. The drive starts out rather uneventful but soon you find yourself in a series of canyons and red rock formations. The color is so vivid. For 50 miles we enjoyed the winding road to Moab. When we arrived we set up camp and decided to enter the park and hike to Delicate Arch.

Delicate Arch is the premiere symbol of the Arches National Park if not for the entire state of Utah. It is tall enough to shelter a 4 story building and frames the La Sal Mountains in the background. The trail to the Delicate Arch is a 3 mile round-trip. Part of the trail involves a long walk up a steep grade of slickrock. (In the picture you can see Elizabeth and Noah coming down.) The trail passes along the edge of cliffs with no railing. Very cool and very careful. We arrived at the Arch and hoped for the clouds to clear so the sunset would cast shadows across the rocks. No such luck. We waited but the sun never came. It was great evening though. On the way back down the imagination of God just made me smile. I had witnessed completely different landscapes within a 24 hour period and yet all were breathtaking in their own way.

All Ethan wants to do is climb on steep rocks, Elizabeth wants to move rocks, and Noah... well, Noah just rocks!
I can't believe I get to live this life. - Alan