The day dawned gloomy, but in the reinforced (and not over-populated) tents we were dry and happy. Even the gentle pitter-patter that started as we got dressed couldn't deter us. When it got heavier Hannah still whipped out the pancake mix and started frying up. When we began to look like drowned rats our friendly neighbours with an RV invited us to cook and eat under their awning. Americans are so nice!
Shortly afterwards we were packing up again, the tents possibly wetter than on the morning before. But it didn't matter - we had done two nights where most mere (sensible) mortals would have given up, and most not even bother to start with.
We checked out and found a public bear locker to stores our food in. Ha! We had tempted bears with burgers, steaks, jellybeans at the top of waterfalls...why bother? Then we took off for a last, gentle walk up to Mirror Lake, so called for obvious reasons. Today it resembled a very wet and wavy mirror that didn't reflect much. We toddled by, along a river and up through the forest.
Our tactic for the day was to avoid the heaviest cloudbursts under whatever shelter we could find, and so some pleasant minutes were spent in the entrance to a toilet block waiting for the latest deluge to pass. Further away from civilisation we squeezed ourselves under a footbridge, and enjoyed some more cheese sandwiches. After the spectacular falls of the day before it was a little bit of an anticlimax. Back at the car we stripped off our waterproofs and decided to take in some viewpoints as we drove back to Berkeley.
But what's this? On our way out of the park we hit a traffic jam with a ranger waving frantically for people to keep moving. Suddenly Hannah exploded in the back of the car: "There's a bear, there it is!" She was right.
A huge brown bear was sauntering along, parallel to the road, without a care for the tourists that were running about trying to take its photo. Amir managed to find the last road-side parking spot and we jumped out ready to join the hungry mob. It quickly became clear that the ranger's job was to protect the bear from the stupid people who decided they wanted to run right up to it. Thankfully things calmed down and we all snapped away from the roadside.
Wow! We'd seen a bear!! As its large furry behind wobbled off into the bushes and undergrowth we got back in the car happy that we had experienced everything Yosemite has to offer. Apart from the Half Dome hike and a mountain lion, but you've always got to keep something for next time.
View from our tent on Sunday morning.
Amir is once again the first up, and the tea maker.
Ex-boy scout in action.
Chef Hannah struggles with propane technology.
Yay, new friends! They'd come prepared (i.e. without tents).
Happy again, under shelter.
A short stack with pork links and scrambled egg. This is the life.
A shadow (even rarer than a bear)! The sun came out for 15 seconds, but the rain didn't stop even then.
More waiting for rain to go away.
Video proof!
English summer scene.
A bit of the un-mirrory Mirror Lake.
Taking refuge where we can find it.
Ah, that's better. Now that we're leaving the showers have calmed down.
There she is! Yes, it's a bear, just to the right of that tree. It's true!
Where's it gone? Chasing our quarry through the park (with a million other people).
It stopped to gnaw on a tree trunk, just for the tourists.
A rather nice viewpoint, on the way home.
Amir demonstrates the correct distance to be from a waterfall.
Tired, smelly, happy.
How else do you celebrate seeing a bear? Yes, those burgers are animal style.
Back home, and now for everyone's favourite bit of any holiday...
