Day 7: Friday (Riding off into the Sunset)

Transitions are exciting. And that meant I was awake at 4:30 this morning. Packing was easy: just take everything that’s ours. And since we are not flying for several days yet, we didn’t have to be very strategic about what we put where. Never even met our host at Nature's Nook— that’s how private and quiet the place was.

Our last drive into Yosemite— sweet. and short. Doesn’t it always seem like that the last time of anything? The awareness that we won’t be doing this again, at least for a really long time, made everything even more beautiful than it has been. If that’s even possible.

It also seemed short because Wawona is just a few miles inside the boundary of the park. I guess if I’m going to follow the trademark laws I have to call it Big Trees Lodge now. You can read about the conflict here. This would be a cool place to stay sometime. I really felt as though I had traveled back a hundred or so years in time.

Next to the hotel is the Hills Gallery, showcasing the work of Thomas Hills, american painter whose work (along with others) inspired folks in the East to make the trek to california to see the grand Yo Semite.

Yes, we are already dreaming about coming back with family/friends. Bob's pre-trip research advised us to come in May— after the worst of the winter and before the crowds grew so large in summer. We think that our timing was perfect.

Only regret: not getting up to Glacier Point. But seriously, we have no regrets.

On today’s agenda? A two-hour trail ride on horseback (neither of us were assigned to the several mules that are part of the party.) Arrived early to the stable so we had a chance to look around and say hello to the horses. Both of us got a little nervous when they showed us the required safety video. Okay, so we will stop complaining about having to wear helmets. 

We are assigned to our rides based on a mysterious algorithm of our weight, height, riding experience, and confidence level. Bob was assigned to Rookie. I got Chance. 

Magical trail ride mostly in shade, up and down little hills, through one little creek bed. We passed “real” riders who call out  “a dude line is coming through!” to his companions further back on the trail.

Three guides, 10 guests, so we had a long convoy. Our guide--Kendall-- told stories and gave nature information about what we were seeing on the trail.  He told us that mountain lions can kill horses. This was not something we wanted to think much about. Especially after all the signs we’ve seen in the park which told us that if attacked by a mountain lion we are suppose to fight back.

Forest. more ponderosa pine. meadow view. This was first day  in the past five that we haven’t seen waterfalls. although, Bob says, when that horse stopped to pee it kinda sounded like a waterfall. 

You don’t want to hear about the 5 hour trip from Yosemite to San Francisco. Let’s just say it was long. Lots of great scenery. Many traffic updates from our trusty gps. And now we are parked on a very steep hill in Noe Valley, San Francisco. Staying in another beautiful airbnb home. You can tell I'm tired by my sentence fragments.