"Glacier Point & Devils Postpile"

(Sept. 25th & 29th, 2010 )

By: Ned Opdyke

nedopdyke@gmail.com

OTHER STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR

Please Allow Me To Introduce My Selves

From Here to There and Back Again

I Love Texas

Sometimes You Find Love in the Most Unexpected Places

California is My Home (But I Still Love Texas)

The Last Adventure… of 2009

Momma's Boy

Killeen Texas Is My New Home

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend in Galveston

The Hill Country, Our 2nd Visit

A Very Strange Day

- and -

An Ongoing and Growing Selection of Misc. Musings and Melodies

About My Spiritual Evolution and Enfoldment

The Gospel According to Ned (Part I and II)

The Yucatan Peninsula vs. Hurricane Wilma

A Different Kind of Adventure Story

Spiritual Exercises… The First Steps

The Best Kind of Adventure Story

Morning Thoughts

The Sound Current

Learning From The Silence

As I Grow

A Better Life

Daily Interpretations of The Eck & Rumi

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I am still lucky. I'm not sure why God loves me as much as he does, but I am certainly forever in his debt. I survived my exodus in Texas (that sure sounds like a good title to a story, or perhaps a country western song, doesn't it?), and am now temporarily habitating at a family friend's home near Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in California. Yes, I am a very lucky man.

The following pictorial essay will update you on my physical surroundings and my thoughts about what's going on around me, and… you guessed it… inside me:

The town center is 5 miles from the home I'm staying at. This is my kind of town.

This is the Tindall cabin. My room is under the front deck. It's private, stays cool on hot days, and is very comfortable.

This almost-dead-and-now-coming-back-to-life oak tree reminded me of me. I pass it every day, on my daily walk to the little lake just ¼ mile or so from my front door.

This is Stout Lake. I built the raft about 15 years ago. It's holding up well and looks like it should last at least that much longer. I hope I do.

Ok, that gives you an idea of what's around me when I'm home. The rest of this 'story' is gonna be about what's around me when I'm not.

9/25/10 - GLACIER POINT

First stop, Rainbow Pool. It is located 17 miles from my front door, on the South Fork of The Tuolumne River on Highway 120, about 15 miles from Groveland. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the first time I jumped off the rocks, and swam behind the falls. This is one of my favorite places in the world. It is my nirvana… my heaven on earth.

About another 12 miles up the road from Rainbow, is the north entrance into Yosemite National Park. I wish I'd counted all the times I've been here in my life. An honest estimate is 50. We'll say this was my 50th, and I'll keep track from here on out. It's impossible to see this place too often. I'm shooting for triple digits before I see it for the last time. I think Honey has been here about 15 times or so. So far.

Surprisingly, it took me driving by the turn-off 50 times, before I finally decided to drive the 16 miles out to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. One panoramic view and another one from the damn dam.

Honey just loves this view coming into the Valley from Crane Flat entrance. Me too.

Half Dome, and beyond, Clouds Rest, are the primary obstructions in this view, from Glacier Point. Words of description?… they just get in the way, don’t they? Spectacular, unbelievable, breathtaking, awe-inspiring. I just had to try a few of the first ones that come to my mind, when I take in the grandeur of Yosemite. It's only been a week since I was there, and I'm already looking forward to going back.

My heart soars and my pulse-rate drops, when I think about what it's like to be there.

I don't remember seeing this angle of Half Dome on a post card. I wonder why?

This guy was pretty funny. He said he wanted half of all the profits I got from this picture, but readily agreed with me, when I said, "Just being here is our profit."

On the following page is one of my favorite vistas of Yosemite Valley. It is on Highway 41 coming down the hill from Glacier Point from Wawona, the south entrance to the Park, out of Fresno. There are signs at the end of the mile-long tunnel, warning you to be prepared to stop for traffic and pedestrians. Do yourself a favor. Follow the warning… and  S-T-O-P.

I did something this day that I haven't done in many years… I spent about two hours, driving through the Valley floor. Honey and I went to every (paved) nook and cranny we could get to (legally). Here is what Glacier Point looked like when we were down there and looked up to where we had just come from. I wish I had a camera, other than my cell phone.

Before heading back, I detoured about 20 miles, down to El Portal entrance to the Park. The picture didn't turn out, but the one I took on my next ride, at east entrance, and Tioga Pass did! But that's the next part of this story. This Trip… six hours and 185 miles. Turn the page for our Devils Postpile ride, somewhere neither Honey nor I had been before!

9/29/10 - DEVILS POSTPILE

This ride was on a glorious Saturday afternoon, and I chose the ride 'cuz I knew I'd be in the 'High Country,' 6~10,000 feet in elevation, for most of the day, and it would be much cooler than the 90~95 degrees that was the forecast for the Greeley area, which is at about 3,000 feet.

My first stop was at Jordon Oak, off of Smith Station Road, about 5 miles out from Greeley. Story is that this oak is as old as some of the oldest redwoods, dating back to the time of Christ. Jesus that it. I hung my size-46 leather jacket it to give you an idea of the size of this thing. Allegedly its trunk has the largest circumference of any oak tree west of the Mississippi.

I decided to take another side road I'd never been on, and Honey and I found ourselves at the Crane Flat fire lookout station. This guy was a fellow member of the biker-hood, and a helicopter pilot. What a life, huh? He gets to fly low, and high!

The elevation at Crane Flat is 6,192 feet. Porcupine Flat, about 30 miles from there is around 8,000. I sure have some good memories about this place. We used it as base camp almost every summer for about 5~6 years. Mom would guard the trailer while my Dad, and my twin brother Don and I, would take hikes all over the High Country. Hey Don… would you like to collaborate on a story about the 11-day loop hike? Yes, he and I are both very VERY lucky men.

Ten more miles brought us to Olmstead Point. Marilyn, a Road Scholar, took a picture of Honey and me, enjoying the view of Clouds Rest and Half Dome, 180 degrees from the view we had of them a few days earlier, from Glacier Point.

Here's a couple pictures from and leaving Olmstead Point. For those of you who are reading this story on your computer, you may be able to play the video! If you can, please excuse my blunder when I said it was "July 29th." I guess I was feeling tipsy from the elevation. I know it wasn't from beer. I've been sober now for 13 weeks (and tobacco free for 9)!

After getting down the east slope of the Sierra's, and running down Hwy 395 about 25 miles to Mammoth Lakes, and just before getting to my destination for the day, Honey asked if I would take her picture in front of the Minaret Mountain Range. Ain't she purdy?

Devils Postpile was actually a little disappointing. It's my parents fault. They spoiled me from before the time I was born. I was conceived while they were visiting the Grand Canyon, and I grew up with what is in my opinion, the most picturesque geography in the world as my back yard. Damn them.

This is the last picture of the four entrances to Yosemite that Honey and I had been to, in the last 5 days. Tioga Pass, elevation 9,945 feet. It is on the east side of the Park. We were still about 80 miles from Greeley, but we both felt as if we were already home.

Round trip: 10 hours and 310 miles.

Next story… the entire length of Highway 49 through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Coarsegold at the south end near Fresno, to Loyalton at the north end, near Reno.

See you then!

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 14- 1.7k words

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27th - DAY 14:

5:30am - Thank goodness for a great night's sleep… and down the street for coffee.  Stopped at a motel next door, and asked how much they'd charge me to let me use one of their 'jacuzzi suites' for a 15 minute hot tub.  The morning manager looked at me with a puzzled stare.  I like bringing people out of the boxes.

7:45am - On the road.  I wanted to verify how far 'til next gas, so I stopped and asked a blonde who was finishing up washing her car at the car wash across the street.  Cheryl Holms… a mortgage broker from Janesville.  Very cordial… very cute… and very married.

8:45am - Doyle (the town of).  Almost took time to stop at "Honey Lake Campground".  Honey was disappointed, but I knew she'd forgive me.  She knew there were a lot of beautiful scenery and lots of fun ahead of us today.

9:30am - I woulda been at my sister's house, except for the detour I took to try and find the ceremonial grounds of The International Community of Christ, at Red Rock.  I wanted to say a prayer for my sister that she continues to find peace without the Church in her life.  I wanted to call her and surprise her after I had done my 'prayer service' for her, but I couldn't find the place, and called her for directions. 

She wasn't willing to give me the emotional energy it would take her, to tell me how to get there.  What a shame.  She was the 'second in command' of the Church for about 25 years, but when the Founder retired and his sons took control, they ousted her.  They wanted to turn the Church into a business, and Jackie wanted to keep it a Religion.  What a fiasco.  The membership is dwindling.  The Church is dying.  My sister is heartbroken.  Gotta change the subject…

10:00am - Jackie's house.  Mark (her husband) was out teaching… either tai-kwan-do or trumpet… I'm not sure which.  He's also a para-legal… a very amazing man.  He played with the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra in Carnegie Hall a few years ago.  I love Mark.

I spoke with Cheri (Jackie's grand-daughter) and Derek (Cheri's husband), petted the two black labs and… had my first hug with my youngest great-grand-nephew JC.  Jackson Claybourn was born about 4 months previously, and I was in heaven.  He smiled up at me from my arms while gazing into my eyes.  He played with my lips and got his finger smudges all over my sunglasses.  Wonderful wonderful.

I had upset Jackie with my attempts at sending her my healing energy, and I knew from experience that I wasn't gonna be able to make things better, so I made my stop in Reno pretty short.

10:15am - Back on the road, and up the hill to North Shore (Lake Tahoe).  I'd decided to check out the ski resort at Mt. Rose… my nephew Roger's favorite hangout, while he lived there.  He was a daredevil… I miss him.

When I got to the top, they were doing re-construction/ maintenance so I wasn't able to have the cocktail I was hoping for, but I was able to meet some really fun people standing on the side of the road, getting ready to jump off.

E-Man, Jeff, John, Steve, Bill, Paul, Kelly and Nancy.  There were others, but they were just getting there as I was leaving.

E-Man pointed me towards a placard that they put up, in remembrance of one of their friends, a lost comrade, Doug Cook.  Doug had died in a tragic accident while racing his motorcycle in Southern California on Oct. 21st, 1999.

Doug had previously set all the distance records for hang gliding off this spot:  West - 15 miles to Squaw Valley;  South - 85 miles to Coveland;  East -132 miles to Dry Patch;  and North - 144 miles to Susanville.  I could see the look of love, respect, and reverence in the eyes of all of them.  He was obviously a marvelous man.

11:30am - Stopped just down the road to pick up a rock I saw in the middle of the road on my way up.  I strapped it to the top of my tail bag, and am gonna keep it, to remind me of my nephew Roger, and of Doug, the great man I never met.

Noon - I decided to stop at 'The Potlatch', a clothing and collectables store, and said hi to the owner and friend, Lynn McGinty.  I'd always wished she would like me as more than a friend, but she's a great gal and I'm happy to know her in any way she wants.

12:15pm - I stopped twice to go skinny-dipping in Lake Tahoe, but turned around both times.  First time, 'cuz the trail was longer than I'd remembered, the second because I slipped and fell on my ass (and elbow), and didn't want to risk further injury or insult.

1:30pm - Just south of Carson City.  I pulled up next to a young blonde gal at a stoplight and asked how much further down the road it was, 'til the next gas.  I like to use the gas station location thing as an excuse to talk to pretty blondes.  Britney was about 22-ish, a hippy looking girl, and had a genuine smile for me.

About 15 miles down the road something interesting hit me.  We (Honey & I) were cruising at about 75 mph, and all of a sudden I noticed there was absolutely no wind in our faces.  Before I could fully process the oddness of this sensation… BLAMMO… a wall of wind pounded into me from the left, like a Mack truck, almost hard enough for me to loose control of Honey's reigns, as I found myself fighting to keep us on the road.  Then… just as quickly as it happened, the wind went back to the normal speed and direction.

I glanced into my rear view mirror, and saw a large dust devil moving off the road and across the prairie.  I estimated its size to be about 40 feet in diameter, and about 100 feet tall.  Hello.  Nature does have a way of waking you up and giving you the taste of coffee, doesn't it?

2:00pm - Topaz Lake, and there was the gas, just as Britney had promised it would be.  Honey took almost exactly 4 gallons… after galloping almost exactly 160 miles, which meant she got almost exactly 40 miles per gallon.  Honey and I sure love the mountains.  We are in our element when we're above seven thousand feet and surrounded by Mother Nature and Daughter Beauty.

3:00pm - Left Lee Vining with Richard, a fellow biker brother, who was telling me that when he was younger, he and his buddy Scott climbed Half Dome three times in less than 18 hours.  I told him that when my buddy Brian and I did it, we took 18 hours to do it once, and felt like whipped puppies as we limped back to our car at the Valley Floor.  If Richard is telling the truth, he is a superman.  Oh to be young, virile, and good looking.  At least I have two out of three of those attributes.

3:30pm - Stopped for a photo at Tioga Pass Entrance to Yosemite.  9,945 feet, light rain, some sleet, hail, and I took off my shirt to document the moment.  Is that virility, or is it insanity?

4:00pm - After pulling back on the road after a beer and a poddy break, I fell in behind a group of four riders, and followed them at their putt putt speed for about 10 miles, until they pulled over at one of my favorite viewpoint in the world.  Looking southwest over Clouds Rest and Half Dome.

Werner, Jean-Pierre, Gerardo, and Carlito were Italians who'd flown to Chicago, rented their bikes, and followed Route 66 to Las Vegas… then went north on 395 and had just come over Tioga, right behind me.

They were headed west to San Francisco, before going down the coast to LA, to catch a flight back to Italy.  What a fun bunch of guys.  We talked, laughed and shared my last beer as a communion offering to:  safety, fun, and girls.

6:00pm - Crane Flat for gas and beer.  Said goodbye to Richard who rode up, as I was getting ready to take off.  I told him we'd have to stop meeting like this, that people were gonna start to talk.  6 times in about 50 miles we'd pulled over together:  1 - Lee Vining; 2 - Ice Lake;  3 - Tioga Pass;  4 - Tuolumne Meadows;  5 - Clouds Rest overlook; and 6 - Crane Flat.

7:00pm - Rain.  Torrential Rain.  Lots of lighting and thunder… right on top of Honey and I.  Less than a second between the flash and the booming, roaring, bone shaking claps of thunder.  I stopped at Rainbow Pool and stood there in the parking lot and smiled like an idiot.  It was fantastic.

The warm spring thunderstorms in the Sierra's are part of my upbringing.  For anyone who hasn't experienced them… I'm very sorry for you.  I can still smell and taste the air, and feel the rejuvenating benefits of God's Bathing Love, washing away all my sins and making me pure once again.  So I can go out and sin some more.  Kidding.

8:00pm - I was soaked to the bone, but I was happy happy happy.  I arrived at Tokosaben, my home away from the coast, which I've been visiting for the last 39 years.  Virginia (my surrogate mother, since mine died) and her grand-daughter Ambria are always very kind and loving to me.

9:00pm - Asleep on the couch, what a great day.

377 miles for the day, 3,157 for the trip.