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  • Day 20

    Day 20 - Mammoth Lakes

    September 30, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    We have been staying in a hotel near Yosemite and the luxury of a pool and hot tub was embraced by us all this morning. It was a hot day and probably the last time the Canadian residents among us will swim outdoors, so we revelled in it. Becky and I had to go get COVID tested before our flight in 2 days time. It was a streamlined, drive-thru process that allowed us to go back and swim again before packing up and heading out. But due to rising numbers on the US, labs are flat out and we doubt these test results will come in time. So an expedited (and pricey) test in Vegas is going to have to happen.

    We explored the little town of Oakhurst, grabbing local sushi for lunch, perusing some stores and finding wicked deals on gently used quality outdoor clothing/gear! We are headed the direction of Death Valley tonight, and not being sure how far we wanted to go we asked the outdoor store guys. They were a wealth of knowledge and told us of some hot springs near Mammoth Lakes (a few hrs north of Death Valley). We were stoked: off the beaten path recommendations are our favourite. Off we drove, delighted and a little shocked when a bobcat sped across the road right in front of us, his pointy ears and bushy tail a rare sight indeed. Becky's defensive driving saved both us and the bobcat. Beautiful, speedy creature.

    Our three hour drive took us back into Yosemite valley and up the other side, through Tuolumne Meadows (stunning, high alpine meadows with yellow waving grass amidst stunted pines). We were above 9000 feet, but tomorrow will take us to below sea level in Death Valley.

    We arrived at our free campsite as the sun was setting and right next to a hot spring! The weather was cool and it took some encouragement (or fomo...) for Cilla to get into her bathers and join Becky, myself and a few other travellers in this tiny pool someone had created. Only about 7 feet across, the ingenious creation was a concrete and stone 'tub' set in a hollow 15 ft from a natural (and very hot, mud and algae-filled) puddle that was the hot spring. A pipe carried stinking hot water (literally - vague rotten eggs from the sulphur in the water!) into the pool. We met some locals, one of whom was a geologist and, always hungry for geeky info, we picked her brains about the formation of the area. Turns out we were in in a valley filled with calderas (large depressions made after a volcano collapses). Volcanic activity causes these hot springs all over the area and we were very much enjoying that fact! The irony of 'warming up' before sleeping on our last day of camping just as we 'cooled down' before sleeping on our first day of camping was not lost on us!

    Over two hours and many shooting stars later we decided to brave the cold and climbed out to dry off and get some sleep. Despite the gear and clothing we had brought with us, we struggled to stay warm. The temperature dropped to -3C and the summer sleeping bags we'd brought weren't holding up. Cilla (in the winter sleeping bag :)) eventually bailed to the car to defrost her frozen toes. Becky managed some sleep after wrapping her toes in all the clothes, while I barely slept a wink all night (thanks also to the polar bear snores!).

    Tomorrow is our last day! Hard to believe its been 21 days, feels like 210 and 2 at the same time.

    - Nomes & Becky
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