YOSEMITE TRIPS OF OUR FAMILY

MY FAMILY USUALLY TOOK ONE TRIP EACH YEAR TO YOSEMITE EITHER DURING THE SUMMER OR DURING THE WINTER. ONLY ONE TIME WE WENT WITH GARY'S BROTHER'S FAMILY AND WE TOOK THE PANORAMIC TRAIL. IT WAS SUMMER BUT A BIG RAIN STORM CAME UP AND WE WERE HAVING LUNCH BY BRIDALVEIL FALLS. A LIGHTENING STORM CAME UP THAT DAY AND I DID NOT HAVE ANY HIKING STICKS AND FELL ON MY BOTTOM MANY TIMES. MY ARTHRITIC KNEES WERE KILLING ME. DENNIS AND HIS FAMILY CHOSE ANOTHER WAY TO GO DOWN THE VALLEY. WE WENT DOWN A SLIPPERY VERNAL FALLS TRAIL AND IT WAS LIKE WALKING ON GLASS AS THE GRANITE WAS VERY SLICK. OUR FAMILIES FINALLY MET UP AT THE END BY OUR LODGES.

ANOTHER TRIP WE CAMPED WITH OUR SON WHEN HE WAS ABOUT FIVE. SOME BLACK BEARS ATTACKED OUR OLD VAN AS IT HAD HONEY AND CEREAL. WE HAD PLANNED A TRIP FOR A WEEK. ONCE WE CHASED THE BEARS AWAY, THEY BROKE A WINDOW. THEN THE LARGE RACOONS CAME BY AND COLLECTED THE REST OF THE FOOD ON THE GROUND. THEN SOME SMALL SQUIRRELS CAME. WE BOXED UP OUR WINDOW THAT WAS BROKEN AND MOVED TO ANOTHER CAMPGROUND THAT HAD LARGER BEAR BOXES FOR OUR OUR FOOD. IT WAS A GOOD LESSON. AGAIN WE WENT HIKING AND CAMPING UP TO TOULOMNE MEADOWS AND WE HUNG OUR FOOD IN THE TREES. WE HAD NO BEAR PROBLEMS. WE TOOK MANY PHOTOS OF YOSEMITE DURING DIFFERENT SEASONS.

ANOTHER YEAR WE RENTED A CABIN IN THE WINTER AND BROUGHT OUR BIKES AND WINTER CLOTHING AND RODE ON THE TRAILS. IT SNOWED ONLY A FEW INCHES. WE FOUND A PLACE TO USE OUR SLEDS AND MY SON ENJOYED PLAYING IN THE SNOW. WE WENT TO THE MUSEUMS AND BOUGHT SOME OF ANSEL ADAMS PHOTOS FOR GIFTS AND WATCHED A POMO -MIWOK WEAVER MAKE A BASKET. WE VIEWED THE LARGE HISTORIC AHWAHNEE HOTEL BUILT IN 1927. THEY HAVE MANY HISTORIC PAINTINGS AND WEAVINGS IN THIS HOTEL.