The falls themselves
July 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Lots and lots of water is the theme this year! One fun thing we discovered was that if you go out on the rock just past the "don't go any further sign" - the mist from the falls lowers the temperatureRead more
Smart move to get sleep
July 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We drove down to Sherman Tree but put our heads together and decided it was late enough and we could come back in the morning. It was a good group decision. We slept at Dorst (which we barely saw) andRead more
Breakfast at Sherman Tree
July 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
We woke up early to try and time a road closure issue - but that ended up being no big deal. Still, the kids were great about packing up fast and waiting to eat breakfast until after we arrived at ourRead more
Walk down to Sherman Tree
July 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
It's a downhill walk of about half a mile to the tree. So many beautiful trees! The big stone pattern is the footprint of the Sherman Tree. It is the biggest tree in the world!
Other trees and sights
July 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
We really liked the twin trees! Because of the burn damage at the bottom you could touch wood at the center of the tree. What we realized is that we were touching wood at least 1000 years old!
Driving around the Sierras
July 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
First off - thank goodness for the wonderful ranger we met in the foothills visitor center as we descended out of Sequoia. I wanted to ask for advice about taking the Sherman Pass road over theRead more
More vistas
July 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
The drive really was spectacular. I kept pulling over to take pictures. I also kept thanking my lucky stars we were driving around and not over these browned out behemoths.
Lone Pine to Mt. Whitney
July 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We pulled in to the moderately prosperous town of Lone Pine to gather supplies and stretch our legs. We then turned west and went through some remarkable rock formations on our way up the campgroundRead more
Mt Whitney Hike
July 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
We got up and went to the store at the base of the trail and saw lots of serious hikers! Turns out you need to enter a lottery to climb to the summit. We decided to do the 2.5 mile steep climb to LoneRead more
Mt. Whitney #2
July 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
It was a tough climb! The kids were troopers but it was touch and go. We thought a storm might blow in but we took our chances and kept going. We had to take our shoes off at one stream crossing - boyRead more
Lone Pine Lake
July 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Wow - the lake is gorgeous! It sits at 9,850 feet but given that we had to hike down to it, we're pretty sure we crossed 10,000 feet!
Lone Pine Lake #2
July 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Crossing over the snow bank was a bit scary! A slip or sudden avalanche meant we would be going for an unexpected swim!
Hike Down
July 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
The hike down was great as well. I kept noticing the little micro-climates we would pass through. Lots of pretty flowers and trees.
Up to Mammoth
July 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
We drove up to Mammoth Lakes after the hike. I wondered where the skiing was as we approached as the mountains looked steep! We camped at Old Shady Rest right in town. The site was great and it wasRead more
Skiing in July!
July 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
We got up early (thanks to Franklin's insistence) and got our tickets and rentals fairly quickly. It was a Friday so it wasn't crowded at all.
Notice we are wearing jackets at first - they won'tRead more
Gondola to the summit
July 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We decided to take the Gondola to the top - 10,048 ft! I asked the lift attendant what the easiest way down was. He rolled his eyes and said (for the millionth time) "There is no easy way down.Read more
Scary lift!
July 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
So we got on this back up to the summit - but when reached for the safety bar - nothing! Maybe in the winter it's scary but at least you would fall into snow! This was terrifying- Samantha's arm wasRead more
Full disclosure
July 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
We did stop off at a local campground for a nice hot shower - our first since San Diego. At least I *think* I showered in San Diego.
In my defense - Daddy Camp usually features lots of swimming toRead more
Relaxing afternoon
July 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
We just relaxed after skiing. I reorganized the van a bit and it he kids read and played.
Another morning of skiing
July 15, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Up early again and on the slopes not long after the lifts got going. I didn't take many pictures - just enjoyed the skiing. I did text Kha a picture of my fancy outfit though!
Afternoon on Lake George
July 15, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We rented a motorboat for the afternoon and went around pretty Lake George. We started with a freeze dried lunch on the opposite bank.
Fishing on Lake George
July 15, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Having had no luck casting from shore, we headed out to deeper waters. The kids took turns driving and casting. Oh - and for the record - not even a nibble! But it was great!
Off to Yosemite and another bear!
July 16, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
For the 3rd day in a row we got up at 6:30 am. The previous two were to ski. This one was to get to a campsite in time to get a site.
We came in from the east via the Tioga Pass and discovered thatRead more
Down in the valley
July 16, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
We headed down to the valley even though it was a Sunday. It was pretty busy but we found a good parking spot and walked over to Yosemite Village. We ended up taking the shuttle to Half Dome VillageRead more
Swimming in the Merced
July 16, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
After lunch we walked around and then wandered over to the river for a swim. The water was COLD and I was quite nervous about the strong current we watched one adult almost drown! She tried to swimRead more