Minor Catastrophes and Misadventures
Early last week Lauren sent me an email. Lots of rain was being forecast for San Francisco and Yosemite. Jeff and I were coming to visit and we had planned on spending a few days in the park, but it might be miserable in the rain. Two days and thirty-seven emails later, after checking the weather, calling park rangers and weighing all our pros, cons and alternatives we decided we'd just go. The park rangers assured us that it would still be beautiful, and we'd be among the 1% of park visitors that ever see Yosemite in this particular slice of season. We hoped for snow, since a bit of snow is much more tolerable than a torrent of rain. It would be an adventure.
"Adventure!" is what we told ourselves when just across the Bay Bridge we figured out our rental car had a screw stuck in one tire. "Adventure!" is what we hopefully declared when we were upgraded to a large Jeep Liberty and headed back on track, just a few hours behind schedule. After we drove up a winding mountain and into falling snow we all laughed and watched as it grew deeper along the side of the road, "Hey! Adventure!" we said.
And Yosemite was beautiful. The tall trees covered in snow looked like a postcard. Looking out across the vistas blanketed in snow and capped by dark dramatic clouds was amazing. We scrambled over a wet slushy path and got stung by water washing down Bridalvail Falls. Half Dome peeked out from behind the fog. El Capitan still jutted into the grey sky.
When we missed out on a hot dinner because everything within forty miles closed by 9pm, we ate bread and salami and half-heartedly assured ourselves, "Adventure!" The next morning we brushed snow from the car and spent a good portion of the morning in search of snow chains we weren't convinced we'd need and our refrain became a question. "Adventure?"
We adjusted and re-adjusted the plan. It had snowed so much the roads into the park were inaccessible. So we played in the snow and went to lunch. When we returned to the hotel to find it without power we piled under blankets, and when it still didn't come on we went out for a pitcher of beer and pizza. We returned in the dark and piled on even more blankets and lit candles. Surely, if we toughed it out there'd be a reward the next day and we'd find ourselves in the midst of an adventure worth having.
We woke to a stubbornly powerless morning and did our best to dress and pack in the half light of early morning. In the coffeeshop in town a half dozen locals regarded our plans with weary eyes, but we ate our bagels and headed to a southern enterance, where surely there wasn't snow and we'd be able to get in. "Adventure!" we called as we retreated down the twisting mountain road. There was snow and then there was rain and then there patches of blue sky. Hope rose in our chests.
Maybe we hoped too hard for snow. Maybe this is a lesson about adventure, which can be just as disappointing as it can be exciting. Or a reminder that much of life is luck, and bad luck is best weathered with good friends. Who knows. We waited until the park rangers told us that the road we'd hoped to take into Yosemite was covered in downed trees and rocks slides, destroyed in parts and flooded in others to turn back for San Francisco. It's certainly fair to say that we had an adventure. And if we learned a little something about failing*? Well, you know I'm all for that.
Lauren has more details and photos, here. I have more photos, here.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 1:11PM | margosita | 3 Comments | Share Article tagged Yosemite in failing, travel
Reader Comments (3)
Despite all those question marks after "adventure," I bet this is something you really will llook back on as an adventure. And hey, it does look beautiful, even if you were ultimately snowed out. :)
Lovely. Lovely, lovely. You did a better job with the story telling than me. :) LOVE IT!
So good! I always wonder if my vacations sound more terrible than other people's because I have worse vacations, or if I'm just no good at making everything sound awesome even when it's awful. But this is a great "adventure" story and it's also SO HOW THINGS GO DEAR GOD VACATIONS ARE OUT TO GET ME (sometimes).