Sequoia NP (Letters from America 7)

driving through a sequoia that fell in 1927. They are mighty tough trees, resistant to insects, disease and fire. Eventually they collapse under snow or strong wind, but can live over 2000 years in good growing conditions.

this was only the second bear we have seen on our trip - the first was in Grand Teton NP

Giant sequoias - impossible to capture the whole tree without a fisheye lens

One of the giant sequoias - they are the largest (by volume) living plants in the world. The General Sherman tree has a volume of over 52000 cubic feet, and a base diameter of about 35 feet (11 metres)

Yosemite was a superb place to laze around, hike around, and just chill out. Nearby Kings Canyon is similar but quieter and wilder - its canyon is 50% deeper than the Grand canyon. The sequoia groves have lots of really big trees. Kitty was unfortunate in that when I found the brown bear in the photo above it was the only half-mile of car travel in which she was not in the car. She was annoyed so I found another big, black bear for her a few miles away (or did I find a Kitty for the big bear ?). Anyway, as with the previous encounter of Kitty and the rattlesnake, they both survived.

But we must bid farewell to the Sierras, the National parks, the deserts, the wild animals and to the simple life. We must face the real America - traffic freeways, large cities, and maybe even loud, unpleasant people (no I don´t mean the French - who seem to have invaded the National Parks here).

So tomorrow we hit the coast at San Simeon (Hearst castle) and work our way north up the Monterey coast to San Francisco. Australia has another week of peace and quiet before we return. Make the most of it.
Cheers
Yosemite Graeme (Yosemite means ¨he who kills¨ ! - so watch out you scrawny varmints)

Yosemite National Park

Enjoy this post - it´s the first time we have had to pay for WiFi (at Yosemite Lodge).  We have just had 3 lovely days in Yosemite NP. On Sunday we entered via Tioga pass from the east.  This reaches Tuolomne Meadows which is quite different scenery from the main valley where we stayed.  We did a walk to Lembert Dome and Dog lake:

Lembert Dome 

We stayed at Housekeeping camp where we have a ¨tent¨ which actually has 3 solid walls with a canvas roof and entrance.  It has a double bed, bunk beds, and outside a private covered area with table, chairs, benches, hooks, etc.  It´s beautifully located on the river with a view to Yosemite Falls - sadly these are totally dry at this time of year.  The 2 hotels in the valley book out months in advance for this time of year.

Yesterday (Monday) we did the Vernal Falls walk up Mist Trail.  It involved a reasonable ascent which became even more when someone (me!) misread the map.

the final ascent to the top of Vernal Falls (see top right of photo) 

at the top 

Today we drove to Glacier Point for stunning views of Half Dome, and then did the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point loop walk for equally impressive views of El Capitan and The Three Brothers:

Half Dome - the vertical face has a slope of 93% - steepest in the USA 

El Capitan (left) and the valley from Sentinel Dome 

that´s me waving from near the edge of the steep drop

El Capitan from Yosemite valley - people come from all over the world to rock climb the 3600 feet ascent.  People also get killed each year trying.

One could easily spend a week or two here realaxing and doing little walks plus the odd harder one. The challenging one is Half Dome - it´s about 4500 feet above the valley floor.  Some people do the climb in one day although that is not recommended.  The final few hundred feet of ascent are up a 45 degree slope with cables.  A good one for you David!

Only 2 national parks left to go - tomorrow we are off to Sequoia/King´s Canyon.

California here I come (L to A 6)

Devil´s postpile - one of the best examples of basalt columns in the US - at Mammoth Lakes

Lake Sabrine - the trees are just starting to change colour

one of the many lakes near Mammoth Lakes village

a Bristlecone pine tree over 4000 years old

Well I have reached my final state (no – not death, exhaustion,or divorce – each of which I have narrowly avoided – but California ). After escaping the Valley of Death we chose to head leisurely up the East side of the Sierra Nevadas rather than the west side. Which was not a bad choice – despite its desert like appearance. In 80 miles you can go from the lowest point in the US (Badlands, Death Valley) to the highest (excluding Alaska) i.e Mt Whitney in the Sierra Nevadas at about 14,500 ft. And there are dozens more peaks between 12000 and 14000 ft.

And now for some trivia !

Trivia Question 1 - Where were most Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers and even many modern films made
A. East of the sierras in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine.

Trivia question 2 – where does Los Angeles get most of its water ?
A. 250 miles away – east of the sierra. Using very unethical methods they obtained most of the land and water rights there – and in doing so destroyed the lives of most of the apple and fruit farmers in the Owens Valley

Trivia Question 3 – What film used the events described above as its basis (hint: think Jack Nicholson and Roman Polanski)
A. Chinatown

Trivia Question 4 – What country suddenly told 10s of thousands of its law-abiding people that they had a short time (less than a week – often less than a day) to get rid of everything they owned as they were being relocated for their safety). These people were allowed to take only one bag with them. They were sent to a remote barbed wired concentration camp where they were kept, under armed guard, for up to 3 years. After this they were released without charge, given $25 and a one-way ticket out.
A. No – not Germany, Chile, Uganda, or Iraq but the good old US of A. They did this virtually without warning to over 100,000 Japanese- Americans who were living legally in the US (many were US citizens) after Pearl Harbor. One of 10 such camps was Manzanar in the desert in the Eastern Sierra region. Some were shot at the camp but none were ever charged with anything.

Trivia Question 5. Were Japanese- Americans in Honolulu/Hawaii treated the same
A. No – they were too important to the economy of Hawaii (ie too many of them)

Trivia Question 6. What is the name of the oldest known living thing in the world ?
A. Methusalah – an ancient, gnarled Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree believed to be 4,700 years old – living some 9000 feet up in the East Sierra region

Trivia Question 7. What else did we see ?
A. Lots. Mammoth Lakes – a ski resort for 8 months of the year was a highlight with its Brokeback mountain scenery, alpine lakes, and views of serrated mountains – but there are numerous side-trips (8-10,000 ft) up into the mountains, lots of scenic drives, canyons, cowboy-style country (rocks, mesas, desert, etc – even Gunga Din was filmed here!)

Trivia Question 8. Why doesn´t Kitty get more of a mention
A. As the chief skinny controller she edits out all comments – including this one

Trivia Question 9. Where to next ?
A. Over Tioga Pass (9900 ft) to Yosemite – where Internet is scarce and you MAY get some peace from us for 3-4 days. Cheers.

From Vegas to Death Valley

Having left Las Vegas I have now decided I possibly would return as follows:
1. I would stay again in a lovely room like we had at the MGM Grand - you pay so little for so much
2. I would stay for at least 5 days so that there would be plenty of time for lazing around the pool as well as seeing the theme hotels, shopping,etc
3. I would come with lots of money so I could see a different top-billed show each night, including 2 Cirque du Soleil shows
4. I would also take in midday shows like the Mac King magician we saw - an excellent show and only $15 at Half Price Tix.  A nice way to cool down and rest in the middle of the day.
5.  I would continue to avoid the casinos until LV catches up with the 21st century and bans smoking in them
6. I would try to come in winter as it´s so hot even in September (around 40C)

Yesterday and today we went through Death Valley and the lowest place in the USA -  tonight we are less than 100 miles away from there and not far from Mt Whitney the highest mountain in the USA (excluding Alaska)

 the view from Zabriskie Point (Death Valley)

nearby Golden Canyon 

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the lowest point in the USA (85 m below sea level)

I have also been to the lowest point in the world at the Dead Sea in Israel/Jordan 

(about 400m below sea level) 

Graeme´s comments:
PS - Kitty has left out the most important issues


1.  Make sure you are in LV when David Copperfield is appearing.  He is here ALL September - except for the week we were there. Forget the cost.

2.  Limit your drinks to no more than 5 small cocktails per day.  The small cocktails (for wimps) cost $8 - $10 and are a mere 16 oz.   The large cocktails can be 110 oz and come in yard glasses; then there are the buckets.
3.  Do not show your wife the cards with gorgeous naked women and their phone numbers on them.  You may have 50 of these thrust in your hand in a 100 yard walk on the Strip !
4.  Even though the strip is huge (4-5 miles long) make sure you go to downtown LV (5 miles from our hotel).  Fremont Street Experience is located in the heart of downtown Las Vegas and is home to Viva Vision, the biggest big screen on the planet. Towering 90-feet above a pedestrian mall with more than 12 million lights in its four-block long canopy, 550,000 watts of concert quality sound pumps to speakers throughout the venue. Eat your heart out Michael S.  - this is the Vegas you would love.  There are also street performers galore there.

5.  Pay for good seats at the big shows - the theatres can be huge.  The KA  (Circus du Soleil) show we saw probably took in close to a million dollars a day (2 performances).  One issue was an incredible number of the performers who fell completely off the stage and disappeared.  Actually the theatre had no fixed stage - just a ¨bottomless pit¨.  Most of the action took place on a platform that slid out from the back of the stage .   The platform (maybe 80 x 40 x  2 feet)  could be rotated to almost any angle.    One battle between 8 actors took place with this ¨stage¨  completely vertical - so it appeared you were looking down on the scene.   It totally changed what actors could do ¨on stage¨ - a new dimension. Again Michael S. - eat your heart out.

6.  Don´t treat people in LV as strangers - they don´t understand it.  As Barry Humphries´ mother used to say ¨There is no such thing as a stranger - just friends you have not met !  (She is now in a high security detention home for the aged). 

Las Vegas photos

rows of slot machines inside one of hundreds of casinos

inside The Venetian - the sky is fake - it´s the ceiling 

 

Gondolas at The Venetian 

 

pool at The Mirage - max air temp today was 37C 

white tiger in the Hidden garden at The Mirage 

Eiffel tower - a half size replica 

 

The Sphinx at the Luxor hotel 

 

Excalibur hotel 

 

Planet Hollywood 

Fun or Loathing in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a showpiece of hotels/casinos trying to outdo each other. We are in a medium size hotel at the MGM Signature. It is only a small part of the MGM hotel site - and is only 38 stories high. To imagine the hotel site size think of Myers site and then extend it from Flinders to Swanston St and then back to Flinders St !! It can be quite hard (and tiring) to find your way out of.

So there is glitz and kitsch everywhere - a half-size Eiffel tower, a casino in a huge pyramid, dolphins, white lions and tigers, the Sphinx, flamingos, New York, Treasure Island, Roman temples etc, etc, etc. Caesars Palace alone would take about an hour for a quick walk thru;  statues and columns galore, the Trevi fountain, huge roman buildings.  It is far bigger and more glamorous than the real Roman Forum ever was.

Lots of shows - too many to choose from. I am seeing the Crazy Horse Review, Phantom of the Opera and Circus de Soleil (one of 5 or 7) here. Kitty is seeing a comedian Carrot Top instead of going to Phantom. If you want to play golf there are 60 courses (remember this is in a desert).

 Las Vegas at night was (35 years ago) a massive array of flashing light bulbs - today it is much more sophisticated.   The gargantuan casinos are all lit up, one has an erupting volcano, another  a huge lake with  synchronised fountains, another has a free Sirens of Treasure Island show , the Eiffel tower and New York skyline are lit up. Something for everyone - and something for everyone to belittle.



So Las Vegas - love it or hate it - it certainly is unique. There are 2 million stories in this city - this has been one of them.

Zion National Park

We had a day in Zion a week ago before we went to Bryce and Capital Reef, and now we have returned and had another 2 days. Finally I have been allowed to do some decent hiking - yesterday we did a lovely walk along a creek which ended in a spectacular double arch alcove, plus some river walking in a canyon, and today we did the challenging Angel´s Landing walk (up almost 500m with the last section being quite tricky with sheer drops off to either side). After the walk Graeme actually agreed to spend a few hours around the hotel pool and I opened a novel for the first time on the trip - there simply has been no time before this.

The smaller Kolob Canyon area  of the park

Driving toward the main park entrance 

 

in ¨The Narrows¨ - involved walking in the rather cold Virgin River

further into ¨The Narrows¨

 

Angel´s landing - the summit was today´s destination

 

about to ascend the 21 switchbacks called ¨Walter´s Wiggles¨

the view down from part way up 

Graeme stopped at the base of this final ascent - I continued to the top.  It looks worse than it actually is - there are frequent chains to hold onto to help prevent you falling off the edge and tumbling 1400 feet down

the view back down the valley where we started from

It was a great day!  Tomorrow we are off to Las Vegas for some R&R after the hard work of National Park visiting up until now.

More General Observations - USA vs OZ

1. 
   
   Dogs are allowed in National Parks on a leash, but not on back country trails. Since many trails are near roads you see quite a few people with their canine companions.
2. 
   
   Hotels that provide breakfast use disposable cutlery, bowls, cups, etc. Maybe not in a 5-star hotel, but certainly in the 2 or 3-star ones we are staying at. What a huge waste! They claim it is due to very strict health department laws. I did get an inkling of these when we booked dinner and a river sound and light show back in Moab. When I got to the people dishing out the meat I picked up the gravy ladle myself, as the person serving was using both hands to dish out different meats. The ¨contaminated¨ ladle had to be immediately replaced.
3. 
   
   The news is so depressing here. 14% of people now live below the poverty line, defined as $22,000 annual income for a family of 4, or under $11,000 for a single. So the real figure of people struggling is of course much higher as that definition uses a ridiculously low income level. 51 million people have no health cover at all, and they don´t have a free Medicare scheme like we do. The housing market is totally depressed with large numbers of people defaulting on their mortgages which are now way more than the value of the property. In some areas house foreclosures are 1 in 4. All this makes Australia look pretty good to me – we really do not know how lucky we are.
   
   
   
   

Capital Reef NP +

We checked at the visitor centre, and the snake that rattled Kitty (in more ways than one!) was a Mojave Rattle Snake - see the rattle at the end of the tail:

We drove scenic biway 12 to Boulder where we spent 2 nights, and from there did a 230 km scenic drive, partly on unsealed roads, to Capital Reef National Park:

We drove back towards Zion NP on the same scenic hwy 12 - scenery looks different from the other direction, and went to the Petrified Forest State park and Cedar Breaks National Monument today; it´s like a mini-Bryce Canyon. 

Scenery on hwy 12 

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Kitty sitting on a huge piece of petrified wood 

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We are standing under a bristle cone pine supposedly 1600 years old 

Finding a Slot for Kitty (L to A 5)

North of Bryce is Hwy 12 - it goes to the ¨last frontier¨ Boulder. We felt very sorry for a gorgeous 21 y.o Taiwanese girl who is a waitress here for 3 months. She thought she had signed up for Boulder Colorado.

Two interesting parts of this world (apart from the scenic Hwy 12) are the Hole in the Rock and slot canyons. Hole in the rock is where 80 wagon loads of Mormons tried to blaze a shortcut across the plains. They made slow progress as they built a trail but finally came across an 1800 foot drop to the Colorado river. Not to be stopped 200 men blasted and dug a hole to lower the wagons down to a ledge by rope and then down the 25-45 degree slopes. They were made of strong stuff.

Not like Kitty. Slot Canyons are very narrow canyons (often barely wide enough for a person) with maybe 50-100 ft walls. I took Kitty an hour down the dirt Hole in the Rock rd. and then a 2 Km walk into a slot canyon. Kitty was walking ahead thinking about another world when suddenly she jumped - breaking the world high-jump record. She had heard a noise and looked to the side - where there was a rattlesnake rattling at her. The next problem was getting her down from the top of the slot canyon.

I was unluckier - I was attacker by a wild animal in the middle of the night. It was a fight to the death. When I turned on the lights there were legs spread all over the bed - and a dead body of a daddy-long-legs spider on the sheet. A close call.


Signing off from the Hells Backbone Grill in tiny Boulder (Utah).

Bryce Canyon - WOW!

Hoodoo - ¨a pinnacle or other oddly shaped rock caused by erosion¨. So named because it casts a spell on you.
Bryce Canyon and hoodoos are synonymous:

After gaping at the view from the rim, we did what the visitor centre describes as ¨the best 3-mile walk in the world¨ - a loop that takes you down 500 feet to be close and personal with the hoodoos.

From Bryce Point near sunset:

You can also check out http://www.nps.gov/brca/photosmultimedia/index.htm for excellent photos and an etour of Bryce Canyon.