Clouds Rest

Sitting in the lobby of a Sheraton Hotel in Pleasanton, CA. I'm in route to the Oakland airport and back to Philadelphia to see family and rest some

My biggest, baddest, toughest wheelchair push ended without incident two nights ago. Funny how things go, It wasn't all that far. It wasn't all that stupendous of an elevation gain. It was certainly super complicated. It was not too well paved. It was the John Muir Trail runing up from Yosemite Valley proper to Little Yosemite Valley.

Actually I only went half way there. There was maybe 5 miles of paved road from Camp 4 to a place called Happy Isles Nature Center. This is the beginning of the Mist Trail which runs up the Merced River to Vernal Falls and on to Nevada Falls. The Mist Trail links to the John Muir trail. The John Muir Trail takes one to the camp ground at Little Yosemite Valley. It carries on beyond this to a granite dome called Clouds Rest.

A year ago I looked out from the wall of El Capitan toward a shallow but large granite dome for six nights and seven days. It looked so much simpler to climb than El cap. I told myself I'd try and give it a shot next year. How hard could it be? It certainly looked easy miles off in the distance. No vertical walls, no insanely ambitious goal here I imagined.

It sure got cold when I did the "bivvy" on the top switchback of the the first section of trail. I didn't know what exactly the protocoil was on bears so I ate my last three Cliff Bars soon after dark so that I couldn't loose them to animals during the night. What was I doing sleeping on the ground, without a tent or sleeping bag, all alone, no food or water left- but my teeth freshly brushed ...

Wednesday at 11 AM found me sat at Clarks Point taking in possibly the most spectacular sight I'd ever seen. Nevada Falls a mile or two up valley to the right- splashing down the granite wall. A giant called Liberty Cap to the left of this. Another called Mount Broderick to the left of that. Between the two but behind them is the massive Half Dome. My gosh ... it was worth the crazy effort of the 8 hour climb up the two miles of trail. It was worth the brash start without confirmed support. It was worth the lack of confidence I felt for being in so deep and so high up and so alone.

It will take some time to put this all in perspective. It will take some time to organise a more possibly successful pilgrimage to Clouds Rest. It would be more involved to get to Clouds Rest and safely back than even to climb El Cap. It would take a large support team. It would invlove at least a week of back country camping permits and bear cannisters.

I only went about a quater of the way there on this initial reconnaisance mission. At Clarks Point I needed to decide whether to atempt to continue toward Litte Yosemite where my supplies were or to return to the Valley floor and hopefully avoid another night of bivvy. I felt so small and disorganised and insecure and unsure. Team Us brought reinforcements at 3 Pm and more at 5 PM. I got to the Valley floor before dark. I got to the Valley floor safely. I got there with a lot of assistance from two strong men. I got there with a feeling of elation. Somehow this had been a magnificent adventure and a wonderful success.