One of the best parts of being out here “on the edge of civilization” are these day trips into Yosemite. Today I decided to give Shella a break from the two of us, and hike with Abbie down into the Merced Grove of giant sequoia trees.
In the parking lot we briefly talked to a maintenance worker, and I mentioned being a bit concerned about carrying Abbie back out with my (sometimes) bad back. “Well, wish us luck”, I said, and we hit the trail.
It was a perfect summer day up here at 6,000ft. The hike in is no problem – just a short 1.5 miles down into the canyon.
I have been to this beautiful grove many times…I actually brought Shella and her cousin Brenda here a few winters before Abbie was born. There is a rustic old cabin near the grove that’s always locked and boarded up.
Abbie and I hiked into the lush, creek canyon nearby. As you can see, so far she was in good spirits.
We sat on a log and I told her about the Native American tribes that lived among California’s giant trees. I mentioned how some of them believed these groves to be sacred…that these trees contain the spirits of their ancestors.
It was so etherial and serene there – I asked her if she noticed any kind of special feeling. You might think it would be difficult to explain energy and spirituality to a 3 year old…and well, you’d be right. However, she said “I do have a good feeling here”…and well, we have consistently been amazed by how much she absorbs and comprehends. You never know.
As we turned around and started climbing back out, I could see that her enthusiasm for hiking was starting to wane. This was the part I was dreading. She’s quite a trooper for being 3 years old, but continuous uphill (& high elevation) hiking is obviously where she draws the line.
I could probably manage with her on my shoulders – I just wasn’t looking forward to it. I’d carry her as long as I could, then take breaks. After a few rounds of this, we noticed the same maintenance guy driving his truck down the dirt road. I figured he was on his way to get some work done. I simply waved and continued hiking as he drove by.
As it turned out, though, he had come to check on us – and offer a ride back up! Really nice of him, and it was fun for Abbie to drive in one of the “work trucks” she sees on her favorite show, Blippi. Good thing I planted the seed at the start of the hike. As my mom used to say, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”.
After a quick chat with him back up at the parking lot, we said our thanks and I took Abbie to Rush Creek Lodge, where they have an assortment of games and toys for kids to play with it. It’s a tradition of ours, and probably her favorite place in the whole world.
Above, we found a set of 4 simple puzzles that she finished in a flash.
(Starting at age two and a half, Abbie was blowing us away with her ability to do puzzles. Grandpa and “grandma” Linda came for Thanksgiving and couldn’t believe how much faster a two year old was than any of us. It’s quite unreal, and a bit of a hit to the ego, to be honest. At 2, she was already doing puzzles for ages 6 and up!).
A Swim in the Tuolumne River
Anyhow, I had one more surprise in mind for today. The weather at this lower elevation was quite hot, so we went to the nearby Carlon Falls trail to take a dip in the chilly Tuolumne river.
Due to snowmelt from the high Sierra, it’s freezing cold if you swim here in May or June. By late August, however, the snow is gone, and the water is much more agreeable. Still, though…I don’t want to make it sound like it’s warm. Haha. The temperature didn’t slow Abbie down one bit though – she loved it!
Thankfully, we do these trips often. They mean the world to me, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my free time.
Until the next adventure,
Nathan
