Day 1

Day 1- official start day

Backpackers Camp— Glacier Point — Little Yosemite Valley

7 trail miles (walked 12)

The Yosemite backpackers camp isn’t exactly the most restful place you can set up a tent. In the middle of the night several people came in with their headlamps. Luckily for me, I’m able to sleep quickly so I used my buff as an eye mask and went to bed.

When I woke up, I went to the bear box to get my food. Doug and E were already sitting at the table. I waved hello and E gestured for me to join her at the breakfast table. She pointed at all of the extra tents and bivy that had come in the middle of the night and set up between my tent and theirs.

“I’m sorry how I acted yesterday. I think I was expecting a lot more space and didn’t realize how busy it would be!”

I didn’t know it but it really helped to hear her apologize and me to know it wasn’t personal.

I thanked her for that and commiserated over how noisy the night was. I learned that Doug and E are from San Diego and are both retired. E is nervous about the trail but has confidence in Doug. She married late in life (55) and Doug was her first marriage. Doug enjoys skiing and usually does that with his sons, but E doesn’t like skiing. They recommended the High Sierra Camps for the future (they are all closed this season). After we had breakfast they wished me good luck to find my ride to Glacier Point and we bid each other goodbye.

I left the backpackers camp at 7:10 to catch the 7:20 shuttle to Camp 4. The Ranger at the permit office recommended Camp 4 as an ideal place to hitch hike to Glacier Point. She suggested I make a sign and smile. “You don’t look creepy Im sure someone will come get you. If not, wave a $20 around and they may stop”

It’s a 45 minute ride from the Valley to Glacier Point. Originally when I accepted my permit application, I saw there was a shuttle service between the Valley and Glacier Point. Turns out there isn’t one.

Rather it’s a tour that leaves from the Valley floor and takes you to Glacier Point eventually. That shuttle books up months in advance. Alternatively I could have taken my pack and tried to get to Glacier Point via 4 mile trail. That would have been a beast (2,500 elevation gain in 4 short miles, then I’d have to hike back down to the valley floor). If I had to do it again, the moment I paid for my permit I would go and book the $26 tour ride. Since I didn’t … I made a sign and hoped for the best.

While I was on the shuttle I started to get worried I wouldn’t have reception on the 24th to wish Josh and Katie well wishes for their wedding. So in a flurry when I had a sliver of signal around Yosemite lodge, I managed to get a quick Instagram post out.

Then I was at Camp 4.

Once I got there I hopped out and the bus driver asked me where I wanted to go. “Glacier Point.”

“Oh, that will be hard this early in the morning. Good luck.”

Then she drove off…

Bit odd.

I stood on the side of the road with my sign for about 30 minutes.

A lot of curious people came by to ask what I was doing, which probably delayed getting a ride (since it looked like I was causally socializing). Once no one was around me and I had the sign chest level… I got picked up right away.

A woman named Patty in an old work van gestured for me to meet her in the pull out.

“I’m a park volunteer, where do you want to go?”

“Glacier Point!”

“That’s great, I’m on my way to Fresno, I’ll drop you off on the way!”

I got into the front seat and put my pack between my legs. I didn’t want to get separated from my pack if the ride didn’t go well.

After a few moments of conversation it was clear that it would go well. Patty enjoyed volunteering at the park because she said she hates crowds. By volunteering she is able to get into the park for free and have a place to stay. She can hike all week days for minimal work.

She told me about her partner and son in LA. She recommended going to Havasupi falls and was floored when I told her the cost of reservations now. After twenty minutes of talk, the van arrived at the bathroom intersection of Glacier Point and HWY 41. I knew I was still 16 miles away from the trail head, but didn’t know the protocol. Did I just get out and say thank you? Or should I tell her this wasn’t Glacier Point? I decided the former and was glad I kept my sign. I got out and put my pack back on. We exchanged addresses and she gave me a huge hug, calling me a “woman after her heart.” Then Patty drove away.

I checked my phone and saw I didn’t have service. I still had to go 16 miles, so I walked to the intersection with my sign.

While I was waiting I noticed that the people I thought would be good candidates (had large cars and no extra passengers) to pick me up, usually awkwardly sped off after making eye contact. Patty’s van was filled with ropes and gear but she cleared out space for me. As I was thinking this, a large SUV/Mini Van pulled over and a beautiful Asian woman opened the window.

“We are going to Sentinal Dome, but I figured it would get you closer.”

“I’ll take that!”, I said excitedly. She got out to open the trunk and I saw the entire car will filled with kids.

“You mind if you put your pack here?”

“No, not at all” then I assumed I was getting into the trunk of the van with the pack.

“Oh no! You can sit on the floor between my kids!”

I laughed it off. My second hitchhike and I was already making it awkward.

I got into the car and the grace of what is good… my behind fit between the two middle seats onto the floor. Then the car was off.

It was a tiny bit awkward. Here I am a random woman in pink hiking gear sitting on the van’s foot between a kid I thought was about 11 and another about 13. The back row of kids had one little girl in a car seat and two brothers next to her. Mom(who picked me up) was up front and dad was driving.

I started by thanking them profusely and we began to make small talk.

E— is originally from the Bay Area but moved to London where she met her husband (driving). They live in London and all of the kids in the car were theirs.

They were doing a tour of Yosemite before going to the Bay to visit E—‘s mom.

They asked me why I was hitchhiking and I told them about the John Muir Trail. There were a lot of questions about my survival methods and if 3L of water was enough.

A sweet moment in the ride was when the daughter in an adorable British accent would periodically ask, “Daddy, are we there yet?”

Which the Dad would say, “no but soon”.

Then two to three minutes later, “daddy… are we there yet?”

Which he would answer the same, no annoyance, just answering every time she asked.

I took a mental picture of those interactions. My heart was moved by her open question and ability to trust her Dad was able to give her what she need. It was a sweet reminder of why I was doing this trip… so I can strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father. So as I’m dying walking up hill wishing it was there already, I can say, “ Daddy, are we there yet?”

We got to Sentinal Dome and I hopped out and grabbed my pack.

I said thank you again to all of them and started to remaining 2 miles to get to Glacier Point.

I was really struck by how both Patty and E— didn’t actually have room for me in their cars but they were still willing to pull over. I thanked God for their hospitality… basically offering me what they had available.

The road walk to Glacier Point was one of the worse. I am not sure I’ll ever do that again. The road is exceptionally narrow and windy with no shoulder to speak of. I saw a sign where a bear died being hit by a car and wished myself to avoid that fate.

While I was pondering what people were thinking when they saw me… I started to see views of Half Dome.

Although I didn’t enjoy the road walk, I realized that I was actually grateful that I was able to get views that most don’t see from the car. I made a mental note to come back to these spots.

Soon, I was at the Glacier Point trail head. It was 11:30 and I grabbed a celebratory popsicle from the Glacier Point gift shop for surviving the road walk.

The hike was relaxing and beautiful to see the valley from all different angles.

I took a lot of photo breaks and rest spots.

One of those spots was when four Chinese guys insisted that I follow them into a side trip. It turned out they had found a beautiful overlook that

was hidden.

I did and it was worth it.

By the time I had a mile left, I noticed I was so extremely dirty. I decided that white hiking pants was a tactical error.

I made my way into Little Yosemite Valley (after a 2 mile accidental detour) and exhaustedly set up camp. I was settling into the camp site and journaling when a few teenagers came over and asked if I had a water filter. They had just done Half Dome and didn’t have any water left.

I loaned them the filter and pondered being a teenager. Many of them look like adults but still retain the ability to ask for things like a child. There seems to be a world of possibility with them. I could see how they would annoy an adult (since they look the same and one can assume they should be more mature than they are), but their brains in effect were children.

Half an hour later they returned my water filter and said thank you.

I went back to camp and started to relax.

The sun started to set when I stated to wonder if I would see other campers. The park has a requirement that all JMT hikers stay their first night at Little Yosemite Valley and I had not seen a single person.

I pulled out my permit and began to read. “No camping outside of the Little Yosemite Valley backpackers camp, which is located here.”

A map with a small circle showed that I was definitely at the wrong spot. In a “oh crap moment” I tore everything down and hastily packed up my camp. The circle was a mile away and the sun had already set. Headlamp and a horrible pack job (all my gear was loaded awkwardly), I rolled into the backpackers camp around 9 and set up the first place I could find.

As I was getting my sleeping clothes on … I laughed at myself and hoped to be better prepared for Day 2.