Gallery

We went to the Irving cabin for five days this June (2009). We followed our usual pattern of reading, lounging, hiking, eating and drinking. This time the weather was cooler than previous years when we stayed in July or August, when the mercury typically trips the 90's; the highs this June were in the 70's. In fact is was raining when we arrived, and continued to rain every other day in the afternoon. Since we did our hiking in the morning, it turned out to be a very civilized weather pattern.

We had been warned of a mosquito problem in Wawona this season from more than one source, but they only came out later in the day because of the cooler temperatures. Hiking locations where we had been eaten alive in previous years only produced a few blood-suckers and we were grateful. We were also well-supplied with an insect repellent that was 5% DEET; not a very high concentration, but enough to keep the odd skeeter at bay for awhile. I had brought along a bottle of "jungle juice" which is 98% DEET and will soften the plastic sides a Swiss Army knife as well as keep mosquitos away for hours, but didn't need to use it.

We weren't total slugs: we went on hikes and walks around and in Wawona every day. I had brought along a GPS unit from the REI store gear bank, a Garmin Oregon 300. It has no keys or buttons on it, and has an interface somewhat like an iPod in that you scroll through menus and fields of icons by dragging your finger across the screen. I had taken a couple of GPS classes through the store using a Garmin 60CSX loaner unit, and it was a keyboard beast (well, arrow keys anyway) and although it was an effective device, its interface is definitely last generation.

	Bridal Veil Falls from Inspiration Point. There had been a certain amount of sanctioned burning over in Wawona, and later on the drive out of the valley we encountered one more burn. This has an affect on the clear skies of Yosemite Valley; if I were a tourist, I would want to know *when* there was going to be any burning, and then schedule my vacation around it.
	The Irving's cabin. We stayed for part of our honeymoon here. The cabin has been in the Irving family since the 1920's; subsequent to the cabin being built the boundaries of Yosemite park were extended to include the cabin and all of the hamlet of Wawona. As the years went by one of the Irving sons, Peter, had come up and did substantial work on the place. Every family should have somebody who works construction. What with the economy and all, Peter brought his under-worked crew up to the cabin for some work-and-play; there was a tent on a platform nearby - we'll have to ask if that's where the crew hung out.
	Just trying to be artsy with some sun-tea and delinquent yarn.
	Here is a fine example of Peter's work; doubtless this granite slab would have been otherwise consigned to scrap after some house remodeling, but with a little judicious work with a chain-saw, the slab survives to live on as an outdoor barbeque kitchen tabletop.
	Something new from the last time we stayed at the cabin; individual log section seats around the campfire. We didn't get around to doing the s'mores and listening to Doctor Demento CDs on this trip, but it is good to know the next time we stay that we can sit around the campfire in comfort.
	The mighty Weber. Here is the secret to non-charred steaks on a charcoal BBQ: put all the coals on one side of the grill, sear both sides of the meat on that side of the grill, then move the beast to the other side and put on the cover that the exhaust holes are over the meat. Leave the cover on until the steaks are cooked to the degree desired. Diligence and attention are required during the searing stage, but after the meat is moved away from the coals it need be monitored only sporadically. This is described in a book called "Born to Grill", a book Joanna's mother gave me, and it is the most important lesson I took from it.
	This is El Capitan, the largest cliff in Yosemite valley. We could see perhaps eight groups climbing on portions of the cliff, from the Nose to routes right of the marking that gives the North American Wall its name. One group had set up what looked like a platform large enough to hold four people overnight.
	Me, oggling the climbers on El Capitan.
	The fishing creel; as old as the cabin?
	Two years ago there was a very nice chalet on this empty lot. The people who owned it sold it to a woman who already has another house in Wawona, on the other side of the creek, as well as having homes scattered across the nation. She had the place torn down; we suspect she intends to build a Taj Mahal on the site, but the economy being what it is, well, the lot just sits empty. Better views for us.
	The deck is a wonderful part of the cabin; it looks out down to the creek (the South Fork of the Merced River, actually). It's a restful place.
	Crochet patten instructions.
	Joanna and Max at the Inspiration Point overlook. Well worth the stop, even if a bit hazy from smoke from contolled burning. That is Bridal Veil Falls in the distance. It was windy on the cliffs, and the spray was blown left and right like a silk curtain in a faint, lazy breeze.
	There is a suspension bridge only a twenty minute walk from the cabin; its a fine, rickety old thing that spans the South Fork of the Merced River (a.k.a. "the creek").
	Lower Chilnualna Falls. Those steps are a little tricky - no guard rail or chain, and the steps themselves are short and uneven. We got Max down them since we had approached this section from uptrail. The Upper Falls is a six to eight mile hike; maybe next year!
	Max, free to roam across the deck and into the main cabin. He had enough slack to get up onto the couch, but not enough to lunge into the refrigerator.
	A new addition - the outside shower. It has a stone floor and hot/cold water. I used it once; fun in a rustic sort of way. The cabin also has an indoor shower, but the outdoor shower is much roomier.
	Joanna's friend Shirley came to visit and brought us some of her tomatoes.
	Steller's Jay. We put a trail of left-over pancake crumbs along the deck railing and drew a lot of interest. Other birds I saw were Brewer's Blackbirds, a Black Phoebe, and a Red Breasted Nuthatch with its cry sounding like a toy horn.
	Steller's Jay with a mouthful of attitude. The jays would come in a mob of a half-dozen.
	Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point. It is worth a stop if you get to the valley; there are turnouts on both sides of the road. From here you can't see anything manmade; it's as if you are seeing the valley as the Native Americans did hundreds of years ago. Ansel Adams made a famous exposure near this place; as you can see, anyone with a Brownie camera could take a great picture from here.
	Looking across the Irving cabin deck toward what used to be a neighbor's chalet; all that is left is a single corner so that electricity can be brought to the site. It is a great location; you can see Wawona Dome to the west, and the creeks wraps around the property.
	We went on a short hike towards the Chilnualna Upper Falls and passed this sign; when we came back we took a route to the lower falls. We had a little excitment when we got there; it turned out we had to coax Max down some narrow, funky steps. I had no desire to be dragged over the edge by a stumbling, forty pound dog, but Max did good.
	Yosemite Falls. We had a tail-gate picnic in the Yosemite Lodge parking lot and watched the curtains of spray shift in the wind.
	A closer look at the foot bridge. You can get it to sway pretty easily just by walking across it with a little bounce in your step.

Wawona Trip, June 2009