Day 108

September 24, 2017                                                                                                    Day 108

To say last night did not go well would be an understatement.  I was warm and fast asleep when a car door jolted me awake.  I could not believe it was happening again! I have nothing against foreigners but do they just not understand personal space?  Here they maneuvered their van so its headlights were shining directly at my camper window. They kept making noise too and the angry side of me wanted to step out and give them a piece of my mind; however, I only could make out three men and I was only one woman.  I was not sure what they were doing but they were less than six feet from me so I had my keys in one hand to sound my car alarm and my gun right next to me just in case.  After about an hour of doors slamming, lights flashing, I think I made out a woman's' voice and I realized they were camping right here.  They literally started making food at 22:00 on the picnic table at my site and pulled their vehicle even closer!  Needless to say I did not get any sleep after that for now I was freezing cold and I did not feel comfortable with these strangers so close.

At 06:00  I got up and went about my morning, albeit freezing cold, not caring at all if I was being loud.  I had to go to the bathroom so badly last night but I didn't feel safe walking out to the porta potty so I held it until morning light.   I made a protein shake and found out water had leaked into the container that contained my birthday cake flavored shake and ruined it.   I will have to clean that out when I get time at some point.  It was 36 degrees out and my hands were freezing so I decided to make some hot tea and started up my vehicle.  I had decided during the night that I would not be leaving my camper here alone for I did not feel comfortable with it at all.

I drove up to Yosemite National Park and the road was very twisty and curvy (don't know why I just used basically the same description haha) but it was a lot of fun.  When I entered Yosemite village, around an hour later, it was already very busy and finding parking for a camper was a huge headache.  They were doing construction within the park and I have noticed that construction in National Parks is the worst for they don't bother adding additional signs to redirect people.  Eventually, I found parking across from Camp #4 and detached my camper to drive back to the visitor center.  There I purchased my sticker and was going to ask about hiking but the line was to the door so I opted to hit up one of the park info tents in the parking area.  Taking the mans suggestion I got back in my vehicle, after making a sandwich, and parked my vehicle next to my camper.  I readied my pack and took a shuttle to my destination.  Mind you all day it did not get above 66 degrees so I was quite cold.

My hike was to Vernal Falls and beyond to Nevada falls which in total would be a 5.4 mile round trip.  The hike up was literally all uphill and comprised of very large steps that had a layer of moisture on them from the spray coming off of the waterfall. I was breathing hard as always but I did great until I was almost to the top of the second waterfall, Nevada falls.  There I had to stop quite often and boy do I smell horrible!  Is it bad I can't even stand the smell of myself?   The hike up to both waterfalls was breathtaking.  The first section, to Vernal Falls, was covered in moss and the walls of rock were laden down with ferns and various other green plants while the air was thick with the moisture from the falls.   The second section, to Nevada Falls, was drier and at first was within the woods but soon entered into an open rock face that was open to the elements.

On the way down, I met a man who I began talking with and we ended up hiking back down together.  I gave him my blog address and after snapping a few pictures for each other we parted ways.  From there I took the shuttle back to my vehicle to snack on some strawberries and a bag of dried fruit and nuts I had found stashed within my pack.  Then I drove to El Captain to snap some pictures and after speaking with my mom I devised a plan.

Tomorrow I will hike to the Upper Yosemite falls, enjoy a beer at the lodge, see the sunset at Glacier Point and call to see if my mail arrived in Oakhurst and if so make an appointment for my passport.  So with that decided I drove out of the park, after acquiring my camper of course, to El Portal to get some fuel and park on the side of the road for the night.

Vernal Falls

Vernal Falls

Nevada Falls

Nevada Falls

Vernal Falls

Day 107

September 23, 2017                                                                                                          Day 107

Last night I was cold again and when I woke up around 09:00 I was groggy and not wanting to get out of bed.  I really didn’t care what I looked like today so I just got out in my yoga pants and a purple long-sleeved shirt to make my coffee.  I brushed my teeth and hair and then with coffee in hand headed out on the road towards Oakhurst, California.  It would be about a two hour drive which flew by due to the caffeine high I was one that somewhat made me feel as though I was drunk.  I was very relaxed though and when I pulled into a Dollar Tree at Oakhurst I called my mom to ask her some questions.

From there I headed to Miami Creek OHV- Kamook Staging within the Sierra Nevada National Forest.  The road there was steep and narrow but we made it and the place I parked was an area normally used for dirt bikes and other all-terrain vehicles.  It was barren and not the grandest but it had a pit toilet and I just prayed that tomorrow my camper would be safe for I was planning on leaving it here while I went into the national park. 

After I called my parents back to tell them where I was for the evening I grilled a roast beef and cheese sandwich and then talked with a friend for a while.  Afterwards I updated my Excel sheets and typed up my blog in a word document.  From there I began coloring in my adult coloring book and meandering around until bedtime at around 19:30. 

Day 106

September 22, 2017                                                                                                Day 106

This morning I woke up cold and feeling drowsy after a rough night of very little sleep.  I got up around 08:15 and after using a cleansing wipe on my face, plucking my eyebrows and cleaning my forever dirty fingernails (I mean how do they even get dirty throughout the night??) I made my bed and got dressed.  When I climbed out of my camper I decided my hair was quite nasty and since I was not about to pay $12.00 to take a shower I took my sprayer that I had used for my plants when they were still alive and sprayed down my hair until it was wet.  I used my brush to further make sure my hair was completely wet then I patted it all down with a towel and spritzed it with leave in conditioner.

From there I made some milk out of the powdered milk I had bought earlier and it actually tasted really good.  I prepped my camper for driving, filled up my gas tank, and used the restroom to clean my cup and brush my teeth.  Leaving the Loves truck stop I drove to a Wells Fargo bank to get some paper rolls for my nickels and dimes and received some quarters out of the $8.00 in cash that I had on me.

At the laundry mat I paid $4.75 to wash and dry all my clothes and while they were washing I sat in my vehicle devouring a cup of cereal which is the first bowl of cereal I have had since I started my journey! After my laundry was finished I drove the three minutes back to the Loves truck stop and spent the rest of the day updating my blog and eating a sandwich, another bowl of cereal, and a peanut butter sandwich.  Finally, around 17:00 I was caught up with my blog and I was tired of writing/typing so I tried to re-watch Wonder Woman but it kept freezing on me and soon my patience with that ran out.  I turned it off and tried to fall asleep. 

Day 105

September 21, 2017                                                                                                        Day 105

I slept in until around 08:00 and though I felt cold I was refreshed when I woke up.  I made my bed and then got dressed in jeans, a light blue shirt and my cowboy boots.  My hair was still somewhat decent so I just left that down and went about cleaning my vehicle of all my back packing gear that I had thrown everywhere within the last couple days.  With all that situated I packed up my back pack with my computer and other accessories for a day at Starbucks.

It was a small and ice cold Starbucks so I put on my black leather jacket I had brought in with me on the off chance it would be needed.  I ordered a hot pumpkin spice latte with an extra shot of espresso and set up my work station.  I began with calling post offices near Oakhurst from the information my mom gave me to see if they did indeed accept general delivery and to inquire about obtaining a new passport.  With the information I needed I called and left a message for my mom so she could send out my package when she had time.  After that I continued my planning from the other night until I was satisfied with what I had.  Before I delved into the depths of updating my blog I ordered a spinach, feta cheese and egg white wrap along with an iced coconut milk mocha macchiato.  Tis a sad day indeed for I no longer have any more Starbucks gift cards so I had to use my own money.  I see a lot less Starbucks in my future.

Soon I was hyped up on caffeine, freezing still but typing away in my blog.  It seemed to take forever to update my blog and the upload of the pictures dragged on and on.  I thought I must be close to being caught up for I have been sitting here for hours but I realized I still had a long ways to go!  At this point, I was starving and just couldn’t take it anymore plus I figured I should probably put some food in me to try and soak up all the caffeine.  So I packed up everything I had and left the Starbucks to head down the road to a Walmart that I had called prior to arriving to verify they had a deli section.

At the Walmart, I bought a pound of roast beef and Colby jack cheese, peanut butter, a bag of Doritos and for the first time some fresh fruit in the form on strawberries.  I will admit seeing all the fall things everywhere saddened me for how I love to decorate for fall, carve pumpkins, sip on hot cider and eat all the delicious fall food and I knew that none of those things would probably happen this year with me being on the road.  Maybe I can see if there is a fall festival up ahead in my path somewhere where I can carve a pumpkin or walk around with a hot cup of cider in hand.  

From the Walmart I made a pit stop at a Lowes to get some more silicone to fix up my camper.

As I drove back to the Loves truck stop I jammed out to the Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats radio while snacking on Doritos and was in a very pleasant mood.  My grandmother called me when I was about to pull in to my parking area so we spoke for a while until she let me go so I could eat the sandwich I had made.   I sat in my camper, eating my sandwich, drinking a blue moon and eating Doritos all while watching the new Beauty and the Beast movie on Netflix.  The whole experience was really relaxing and enjoyable; however, when it ended and I tried to update my blog some more but I just was no longer in the working mood.  Instead I ended up watching some Indie movie on Netflix with subtitles called “Janaan.”

I honestly do not know why I torture myself with watching these romantic movies for all it does is remind me that I am alone and that the love they portray in these movies really does not exist.  I really want that kind of passion to exist but I have not found that anywhere or even know anyone who has found that.   I love romantic movies for I am a hopeless romantic myself but sometimes I just hate them and curse myself for watching them for once the show ends I realize I am alone in my camper with no one to share my thoughts, hopes, dreams, sorrows and happiness with.  Sigh.  I guess it is what is and this is the life I chose.  I love traveling and exploring the world and I have yet to meet anyone who feels the same way; for most men I meet try to make me stay put and hold me back from what I want and I will never be held back.  There is just too much in this world to see and experience to simply stay put.

Day 104

September 20, 2017                                                                                                    Day 104

I did not sleep well last night and was up for the majority of the morning for my friend was making so much noise.  Let us just say that the morning did not go well at all but I did have some good coffee for I had ground the beans last night and I was able to put creamer in my coffee which I haven't had in quite some time.  With a couple of cups of coffee in my system I took a quick shower, packed up my stuff and then we left the place we were at.  We said a quick good bye at my vehicle and then finally I was alone and able to relax.  I was so stressed out the last couple days that my hair has started falling out again which it has not done since I was back in South Carolina.  It will be nice to be able to be alone again for at least a month..hopefully longer.

Leaving the place I was at I drove back up to the park and dropped my trailer back off where it was the other day at the Potwasha overflow parking. Driving on the winding, mountain road with the sun coming up from behind the mountains was beautiful and peaceful.  The morning was cold and had the crisp fall smell to it.  Since my hiking pants were quite dirty I put on my hiking shorts, chacos and my jacket. I was standing outside in the crisp morning air wondering how winter would be in my camper and that maybe I should have some winter gear sent to me.

My first stop along the scenic road was Hospital Rock where there was supposed to be a trail to a cascade but I couldn't find it and to be honest I didn't invest too much effort into looking for it.  I ended up getting back in my vehicle and driving to Moro Rock where I got out and hiked up to the top which provided a beautiful 360 degree view of the surrounding area.  I was intrigued to read that large parts of this rock will randomly fall off and down the mountain side which made me wonder when that would happen next.

Back down on the forests floor I walked thru the woods back to my vehicle where I climbed inside a dead sequoia tree thru a small hole that I had to get on all fours to get thru.  There I stood inside of a sequoia which in itself blew my mind.  I continued following the road to hit up the tunnel log and stopping every few feet to take pictures of these amazing trees for I could not get over how huge they were and that something can grow so large.

So...haha where to begin with this.  Well while I was out on a walk, not even 0.3 miles from the parking lot, looking for birds and trying to catch a good view of a stellar s jay so I could snap a picture I was almost attacked.  I was just walking on the trail looking up for birds and I noticed a man up a head but didn't pay him any attention for people were all around me.  As I was on the point of a U-shaped bend in the walk a black bear rose up from the grass on my left and looked right at me! It was not even an arms reach from me and if I had wanted to I could have petted the damn thing!  I thought I was a goner for I was directly across the bear and pretty much if it wanted to attack I would be done in a matter of seconds.  It didn't matter which way I went so I just slowly continued on my way and turned around to walk backwards up to the man.  I now know I handle those situations very well and as soon as I was a distance away I started taking pictures but of course my good camera would die at that point.  When I reached this guy he told me he was like, "I wonder if she sees the bear?" I'm sorry but I feel like he should have informed me that there was a huge predator right in front of me!  Though I did not freak during the entire encounter my legs were shaking and it did scare me.

 After that wonderful experience, I slowly made my up to the Giant Forest Museum where I looked around at the exhibits and did some more walking among these amazing giants.   Leaving the museum I then went to see the General Sherman Tree where I saw the same guy from earlier during my bear encounter.  All in all my day went quite well and seeing the sequoias is very quite humbling in my opinion.  Though I wish the experience with my friend would have went differently or at least have ended on a good note I think my trip to Sequoia National Park went quite well and I was able to recover the trip at the end.  As I drove back down the mountain I was happy I was able to see the sequoias my older brother had always talked about.

When I reached my camper and hooked up I was starving and feeling a tad sick so I made myself some oatmeal and stopped at the visitor center on the way out to get a sticker.  As soon as I received cell service I pulled over and messaged a friend of mine and called my mom up to let her know what I was thinking of doing from here. After we both contemplated over my choices I decided to head back to the Loves Truck stop I was at before so that I could use the cell service to catch up with my blog and plan the next leg of my trip. It was only an hour drive from where I was currently at and when I pulled in I called my mom back and walked into the Subway to devour an entire foot long sub.  I wanted to go to a Walmart to buy lunch meat but the one closest to me did not have a deli and I didn't want to drive anywhere else today.

After I devoured that sub I then sat in my camper with my computer looking up Yosemite National Park and watching videos and reading information on the Half Dome hike.  I really want to do it but I am thinking that although I have been back packing and hiking long distances my cardio is not where I want it to be so hiking Half Dome may just be too much for me right now.  But I will assess it when I get to the park and decide what other hikes I might do instead.  I did not last long being on the computer though for I was tired and passed out quite quickly.

 

Standing inside a tree looking up

 

 

 

Day 103

September 19, 2017                                                                                               Day 103

This morning I woke up not really tired but also not well rested and we laid there not wanting to step out into the cold...not that it was warm inside the tent though.  We had some coffee and I ate half a cliff bar and then spent a good chunk of the morning debating whether to continue the hike or to just head out and go have some beers.  Since I was not feeling hiking at all and Travis was indifferent we decided to head out and go have some beers and just hang out for the rest of the time he is here.

Without going into any detail, due to me respecting the other persons privacy, the hike was going smoothly and then things took a turn for the worst and lets just say I ended up hiking out by myself and Travis waited for me at the end of the trail. The rest of the day was just filled up with tension and after me being dropped back off at my camper we headed out of the park to grab some food.  We stopped at a pizza place that had some of the best pizza I have had.  I had a beer and ate about half the pizza and then we went and bought some more beer.  At this point, we were being civil and I think we were both trying to reconcile and save the trip.

My friend wanted to get a place to stay at for the night and I was indifferent for I had my camper so it made no difference to me what we did.  The rest of the evening was spent hanging out on a porch and drinking and I used the time to message people to let them know I was okay since I could not make any phone calls.

Day 102

September 18, 2017                                                                                             Day 102

This morning I woke up around 06:00 when the sun was just beginning its ascension into the sky.  Once I dressed and made my bed I stepped out onto the already busy road next to the Loves that was filled with truckers and noticed that Travis was gone.  As I walked to my vehicle he pulled up but stayed in his vehicle so I went about and made some coffee. During this I had texted him to see if everything was alright to which he replied he was good.  So once my coffee was made I went and sat in my vehicle.  I texted him I was ready whenever he was and began updating my Instagram when I received a text about five minutes later saying he was waiting for me.  I looked up and here he was gone so I put my phone down and joined him.  The last couple days I have been feeling like I am being rushed and so when we drove away I forgot I needed fuel so I quickly texted him I needed to turn around and fill up.

Once my tank was full we drove towards a sports store that would have the backpacking food I needed; however, it was not yet open so we sat in a parking lot..in separate vehicles.  I decided I was hungry and so I asked him if he wanted any oatmeal since I was making some but he was good.  So I sat in my vehicle eating my oatmeal and looking up sleeping bags.  I found one I really wanted but is way out of my price range.  It was the Feathered Friends Snow-bunting zero degree bag.

At the store we acquired what we needed and then figured out our route to Sequoia National Park since there was a vehicle length restriction on parts of the road and my vehicle was too long.  All day long I have felt a tension in the air but I was hoping it was just me being weird.  When we pulled into the visitor center, I became pissed for vehicles were parked in the only camper parking area when there were spaces available for them to park in so I had to wait until someone left so that I could park.  Inside we were told that we had to go to a different visitor center in order to figure out back country camping but my vehicle couldn't go up there so we would have to park it in overflow parking across from a campground.

Parking in the said overflow parking turned into quite the experience for there was really no where for a camper to park and then the workers there said I could not park where I had parked for their vehicles needed to go there.  Then I got quite irritated at Travis for he wanted me to give him my keys so he could park my camper.  That right there pissed me off for it was like him saying that I don't know how to handle my own vehicle and camper and to me I am a very self-reliant woman and I do not take kindly to anyone thinking I need help and can not handle my own shit!  I tried to reel in my temper but I'm pretty sure he knew that I was pissed. So once I was parked I got my backpacking stuff together and we grabbed a beer and got in his car to drive up the mountain.

At this new visitor center we were told that there were really only two long distance trails we could do and that the John Muir trail I was interested in was actually on the other side of the park.  So after some debate we decided upon a thirty mile trek with two nights in the back country.  When we were both packed we headed off on the trail; it would only be 6.8 miles to our first campsite.  As we began the hike, I knew it was not going to go well for I was in no mood to really hike and my legs felt like they weighed 50 pounds.  What normally would have been a decent hike turned into a treacherous trek that never seemed to end for I wanted to be at the campsite and be done hiking so desperately.

Eventually, we made it and immediately set up the tent and began cooking our meal of a texas chili.  We had eaten, were freezing cold and in the tent by 20:00 both attempting to share one mattress for I had forgotten mine.  I also have yet to get a sleeping bag so we were trying to share that also and I had on all the clothes that I had brought with me.  Oddly, I ended up sleeping directly on the ground and kicking the sleeping bag off of me at one point during the night and was not that uncomfortable and actually got some decent sleep.

Day 101

September 17, 2017                                                                                              Day 101

I did not sleep well at all last night which I do not know if it was due to having a few drinks last night or because I knew someone was outside my camper.  I also had some crazy dreams which kept me from getting a peaceful nights rest.  When I stepped out to use the restroom around 05:00 Travis was up but I told him that I was going back to bed for I was not ready to get up yet and I was hoping to catch some more sleep; which really didn't happen.

As I stepped out about an hour later Travis was already packed up and he offered me some of the coffee he had made.  He took off on a walk and I went about packing up my portable shower, the canopy and prepping my camper for travel.  By the time he came back I had everything packed up so we headed towards Death Valley National Park which was apparently around two hours away since I wanted to stop at the visitor center.  The drive was not too bad though I had no service and there were no radio channels so I had no music in which to listen to.  Normally, that would drive me insane but it was actually a peaceful ride this time.  One town we drove thru called Trona was like a town that had barely survived an atomic bomb for all the buildings were locked down and the area was so desolate.  The entire drive to Death Valley was a desolate area with no plants of any kind and there was just dirt as far as one could see.

Like I said Death Valley National Park holds up to its name for there is nothing there but rock and sand.  No trees and only a few scattered sage brushes.  As far as one can see there are hills of rock and dirt of every different color and texture.  The sand ranged from pastels of greens, yellows, purples, blues, reds and oranges.  Then one sees the salt flats that are a brilliant white and look like snow against the barren, brown landscape.  The temperature reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit and for the entire park we were suggested to not have our AC going in our vehicles.  My vehicle for sure protested pulling my camper in that environment and the engine was constantly revving.

Travis and I walked around the Badwater Basin and then hit the Artists palate all in his car for we had left mine at the visitor center.  When we returned to the Furnace visitor center I found out my spare Jerry gas can sprang a leak so I had to empty the gas can into my tank.  I will have to see if I can fix it in any way otherwise I will have to dispose of it and acquire another gas can for my travels.  We filled up all our water and then headed out to the park stopping at a few more locations before leaving.

All day Travis and I were off kilter for we had both somehow developed different ideas on how these couple days would go so we trying to handle that. As we left the park we headed south back in the direction we had come to for we wanted to go to Sequoia National Park.  It was about a six hour drive and was quite boring so when I acquired service I spoke to my mom and then my friend Luke. At this point in time I was beyond starving and eventually around 18:00 we pulled into Temblor Brewing Company which Travis had found.  I immediately ordered a beer and then a devoured an entire burger that had: pepper jack cheese, fried jalapenos and onions, BBQ sauce and lettuce on it.  It was so delicious and to top it all off I had another beer and a huge brownie!  Pretty sure I had a food baby and will never lose weight when I eat like this. Ha. After we ate we found a Love's to park at for the night for we needed to hit up an outdoor store so I could by some backpacking food.  

 

 

 

Day 100

September 16, 2017                                                                                                   Day 100

Well, I must have been exhausted for last night I went to bed around 20:00 and I did not wake back up until 08:00 this morning and honestly I could have continued sleeping.  Constantly being on the go the last couple days and the stress of dealing with fixing my camper must have worn me out more than I thought. The sun was already out and bearing down on my camper so I crawled out and I knew instantly that I would not being heading to Death Valley National Park today like I had planned.  I didn't feel sick but I just did not feel right and I think I needed a day to get my vehicle and camper clean and gather myself.

So I messaged Travis, for he was going to be meeting me later in the evening, and got all of that situated with him.  Then I called mom to let her know my plan and she agreed that I needed to take a day for myself.  We talked for awhile about how her and dads dinner went the other night and about other random things that have been going on back home.  I find it quite funny how when I go to write in my journal about what we talked about I can not remember the majority of our conversations.  Maybe it is because we talk every day, multiple times a day and I can not keep it all straight and we cover such a wide range of topics every time.

After we hung up I made some coffee and then went about setting up my portable shower which I needed to use stakes this time for it had tried to run away on me.  I put my solar shower out on the ground so that the water could warm up in the sun.  Since it was a decently warm day and there was no shade anywhere in sight I decided to put up my King Camp canopy for some shade.  It went up easier than I thought it would and once I had it set up I put my chair underneath it and it was the perfect temperature under there all day long!  Once my shower and my canopy were set up it was time to do some major cleaning in my camper and vehicle.  I put my phone to play my thumbprint radio on Pandora and thoroughly cleaned and organized my vehicle and camper.  I may have been a little too OCD for I took the armor-all wipes and was using them to clean my carpets since I did not have a vacuum.  Then I was using them to wipe down all the walls and floors in my camper.

Once I had everything cleaned and scrubbed down I felt a million times better.  By now the water for my shower was at the temperature I wanted to so I grabbed my two pairs of hiking socks and climbed on in.  First, I washed my socks then I put conditioner in my hair and sat down on the floor to shave my legs.  Soon I was squeaky clean and when I stepped out in clean clothes, I put lotion on my legs and in about three minutes my hair was completely dry due to the wind and the dry air.

With absolutely everything around me, including myself, clean I made a roast beef and cheese sandwich and with a sparkling water sat in my chair, under my canopy, looking out thru the window completely at peace.  After eating, I began the process of updating my blog but since I did not have service to access the internet I typed it all up in a word document so that I could copy and paste it later.  The rest of my evening was spent sitting in that chair, listening to music and writing my blog up.  As the sky darkened and I could no longer see my journal I switched on my outside light and continued for awhile longer until I was too tired to continue.

Finally around 19:30, Travis pulled up and we sat under my canopy in the glow of my light and we caught up with each others lives while drinking beers.  The rest of the night we talked, drank and snacked on the last of my cookie dough and then my cheese and crackers.  For we were hoping to be going backpacking and none of that food would keep in my cooler during that time. Afterwards, I helped him set up his tent and by around 22:00 we decided to call it a night.