Day 100, Wednesday, Nov 16, Berln-icythyosaur State Park, Nevada
What a spectacular day. More on this below. But first...
Yesterday, as i reached Glacial Point at Yosemite for a spectacular view of the valley and Half Dome and Sentinel peak, i got out of the Defender for a few minutes. After i got back in, there was a knock on my window. It was Sarah. She has reached Yosemite last night herself and had just furnished hiking up to Glacial Point, a two hour hike. What a coincidence of timing. I invited her to share my tent site. I was late in getting back to the site because of laundry chores, but she had found,it, set up her tent, and had made dinner for the two of us. So much for wanting solitude all the time on these trips. We will probably meet up at least one mote time two days down the line.
I was concerned that because of incoming bad weather they were going to close Tioga Road, route 120 as it cuts east across Yosemite, which would have added a day to my return trip home. As it turns out, they had not closed it by the time i got there, so i was able to drive it. And what a spectacular drive it was, all 56 miles of it. It is as much a jewel of Yosemite as El Capitan and Half Dome. There was not a minute that my eyes were not fixed on the natural beauty passing by on all sides, when they were not fixed on the road itself. It started to snow at one point but i beat that. I could not stop taking pictures, mostly from the Defender as it crawled along the road. When the first snows arrive this week, the road will be closed until May,so i lucked out on this one. Then, a silence will fall on this swath of Yosemite and it will be for the animals alone.
As I left Yosemite, i spontaneously shouted Bravo. What a wonderful decision on my part to include it on the original itinerary and then not cut it out to save time on my return trip home. I might never have gotten here otherwise. What an absolutely awesome place.
Our next leg today took us through the eastern California and Nevada desert. I was expecting milder weather but got hit with cold and high winds, and i mean very high winds. But the 140 mile or so trip to our destination for the night was mostly on empty, straight, country roads through some if the most beautiful landscapes i have ever seen. I was in sheer awe most of the trip and visibly shaken at times by the sheer beauty of this land that weaves its way through valleys framed by desert mountains off in the distance. Absolutely awesome.
We finally reached our camp destination for the night, Berlin Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada, at 4. It pretty much resembles Petroglyph State Park, an alternate destination 60 mikes up the road where Erde And i stayed two years ago, but this camp is truly isolated. the camp is totally empty except for us, and it appears we have the whole enormous valley to ourselves. there are no animals or birds in evidence. There are no sounds but the occasional wind. There is not a single light that i can see anywhere. But there is mostly silence. It is surrounded by three Ghost Towns. I like solitude, but even i might admit that this is a bit much. As soon as we got here and set up the tent, the sun set at 4:30. By 5:00 p.m. It was dark, dark and cold and windy. In fact, the water in Donner's bowl started to freeze minutes after I poured it for him. So much for my plan to get to warmer weather fast. Then again, we are at about 7000 feet elevation. The camp is absolutely spectacular, nestled on the side of the Ione Mountains. It reminds me of all the Old West movies i saw as a kid. I expect to see a posse of cowboys come riding through the hills, i hope to welcome me here and not string me from a tree for rustling.
Tomorrow we head northeast to Utah and will camp at the Great Basin National Park. I am still trying to get used to my new routine of getting on the road early so we can be in a camp before 4 o'clock just as dark sets in. I do not particularly relish spending six hours at night in a dark cold tent, so i am trying to adjust my evening routine to deal with that - early to bed and lots of sleep. On these last few days, i do not intend to push myself or even think that this long, long trip may be coming to an end soon. We will take it day by day, one day at a time, and then all of a sudden show up in DC.
Although i am reluctant to set out any schedule. Here's the probable schedule from here...
100- Tonight...Berlin Ichthyosaus State Park, Nevada
101- Thursday...Great Basin National Park, Nevada/Utah border
102- Friday...Arches National Park Utah, or nearby
103- Saturday...Denver area somewhere
104- Sunday, KOA cabin GoodLand Kansas
105- Monday...Perry Lake Kansas
106- Tuesday...Lieber State Park, Indiana
107- Wednesday...Somewhere in Eastern Ohio or nearby
108- Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, home
What an absolutely awesome trip it has been, and it's not over yet.
Photo...our wonderful camp ar Berlin etc. Donner is in the Defender . Too cold outside even for him.
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