The rains cleared up each evening and for a good part of each morning, but then they would start in again. You can see some of the guys great trench work around our kitchen. When it wasn't raining, they continued to make sure channels were set up properly so that we wouldn't get water logged again. Those hiking poles became multi-use tools!
Yummo, the rainbow trout we had for lunch with great southern cornbread.
Jeff's view camera got a bit of moisture in it (not so shocking!), but fortunately he was able to make the necessary repairs to get it back in working order. I don't understand all the ins and outs of working with a view camera, but Jeff only brought fifteen slides with him, allowing him to take a total of thirty images. Those things aren't light weight either. The limited number alone shows you that you don't just click, click, click like I tend to with my digital. Much thought, patience and timing goes into capturing images. I now have a much better appreciation for the incredible finished photos that come out of such effort and work. (Jeff did also have a Canon for unlimited digital shots. Those are amazing, too!)
Can you say southern biscuits and gravy? Oh the yumminess. Jeremy and his southern Amy did a lot of prep, taste testing, and bake testing before our trip that paid off immensely. Thank you, Amy!
I'm not a girly-girl and I do enjoy roughing it, but after a few days without a shower or running water, a girl needs a mirror, right? Yes, I used my camera as a mirror daily and shivered at the sight once in a while. I'm not too proud to show a couple of my mirror shots. Just wait, you'll shiver at the sight in a couple of mornings. ;-)
Today was our one and only bath day. Not by choice, but because that's all that time and convenience allowed. Jeremy brought these amazing paper soap wafers that dissolved in water. We heated up a bit of water for the "sink", mixed it with cool water, and dipped our heads in for a shampoo. They worked amazingly well. I was the last to use the "sink" and got to have the remaining water dumped on my head. Oh, it was heaven! Then the boys and I went for a quick dip down the river. This is the location I posted about earlier where AA made one of his famous images of the lodgepole pines. It seemed as we were entering sacred waters, but it was so nice and "refreshing" (meaning COLD!). This is our after shot. We tried to hurry out of the water before Dad got any incriminating photos on his camera! I love my brothers and love them even more after this trip. I'm their big sister, but I look up to them and am thankful for the relationships we've made as adults.
Jonathan fished in the "sacred" waters, too. :)
So these waterfalls seen from our camp weren't so viewable on the first day of our arrival. But after all the rain we could easily see and hear them and the river had visibly risen by us, too.
When I rose early this morning and caught Jeff at "work", he explained that he wasn't a vest kind of a guy and had never really worn one. But, this particular vest had belonged to Ansel and he thought it was appropriate to bring on this trip and wear as he was capturing images of Mt. AA. How cool is that?
Trust me, I've whittled down the number of pictures that I'm posting, but I took so many of this view. It continued to change with each minute and hour.
This may be a better zoomed in shot that shows Ansel's face more clearly.
I love the lodgepole pines in the Sierras. They are so strong, tall, and point straight to heaven. The coloration on each is unique and beautiful.
Rainbow trout cooked in lemon pepper and butter, and served alongside southern cornbread and honey. I'm telling you, we ate well on this trip!
More rain, but with Jonathan around everything is made more fun. :)
It was so special for Dad to have made it to this location again. He had visited it on those nineteen year old legs fifty-three years earlier and knew the privilege of being here again. Dad said this was his last "big one", but I know he can't be kept from Yosemite. Hopefully we can help him with some smaller less risky trips!
Feel the love.... and notice Jeff's drag marks on his arm from the Molly the mule.
Dessert that night, I can't remember. Maybe it was blueberry cheesecake night. I tell ya, we ate well.
Dad is not normally a campfire backpacker. It does cause for some extra dirtiness and smokiness. With all our wet weather though, we really needed it for the heat and to help dry things out. In YNP you aren't allowed to burn above 9,600, and we were just safely below at about 9,300. Our last night at Doc Moyle's, bittersweet.
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