This and several upcoming blog posts are about my recent month long visit to California and experiences in Yosemite National Park, where I served as a park volunteer.
Saturday, June 27
In my prior outing at Olmsted Point where Yosemite Conservancy maintains a telescope so visitors can observe the Half Dome hikers who make the last 200 yards of their ascent on a pair of steel cables, I did not wear my Lawrence of Arabia headgear. The result was sunburn of my ears to the point they felt like Crispy Critters. I did not repeat the mistake today.
Western shore of Tenaya Lake
As has become my routine, I ate my breakfast at the west end of Tenaya Lake. Waterfalls are wonderful, but no scenery beats this pristine alpine lake set among massive granite domes and mountainsides. It’s my favorite way to start a summer’s day, particularly when the bugs aren’t biting.
On to Olmsted Point. I enjoyed lots of interaction today. Most visitors burst out laughing when, looking through the telescope, they identify the tiny stick-like figures making their way up the steel cables of Half Dome. Some have made the hike recently or many years before. Others shake their heads, incredulous that people would put their physical safety at risk just to say they had reached the top.
Telescope at Olmsted Point
Visitors who had just come to the High Sierra from Yosemite Valley are amazed at the cooler temperatures. The thermostat had hit 105 degrees in the valley just the other day, while highs have remained in the mid-70s in the High Sierra. Along with the lower temperatures come light breezes in Tuolumne Meadows and occasional gusts at Olmsted Point.
I remained at Olmsted a half hour beyond my normal shift. I then went to the Visitors Center to turn in visitors’ donations. After a quick lunch I headed to the Park Rangers’ laundry facility on Bug Camp Road. That chore affords me the opportunity to scribble these notes and call home. Ah, the rewards of keeping up with my domestic chores!
Beyond the History Textbooks 