Yosemite - September 2007

The Great Bear Hunt begins.

Ah, Yosemite! Our long weekend in search of Ursus starts here.

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Ian, naturally, has sworn to protect me.

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So, ol' fly eyes is feeling pretty happy.

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Ian sets the course for our (9 hour) 15 mile uphill trek to Half Dome.

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It's thirsty work,

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but we can cool off later -

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under the thundering mist. See our ghostly shadows bottom right?

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This is where we are headed - Half Dome (from behind).

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The creeks here beg you to jump in, but the water is icy

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and Ian says "No!"

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Click on El Capitan, you will see people on top and climbing the sides.

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Try it again!

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And again.

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Now, see why it's called Half Dome?

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Ian waiting to yodel.

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Vista point.

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Half Dome gets closer - kind of.

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Just 5.9 miles now!

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The Aussie drop bear drops.

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Magnificent, huh?

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Nevada Falls - I could live up there - truly glorious.

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Isn't he the cutest thing?

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Looking out from Nevada Falls.

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The sign says, "If you go over the falls, you will die."

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Click on Half Dome twice and you will see the climbers on the precarious trail.

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Another view, also refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_Dome

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Lunch. At 8.8 thousand feet it was pretty cool

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but, as you can see, Ian never feels the cold.

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The return route; two and a half miles of crippling, sheer downhill staircase!

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The Wawona Hotel - our home for three days. (Felt like being on the Titanic, seriously.)

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Ian looking out for icebergs.

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Tenaya Lake.

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It was f--r-e-e-z-i-ng, OK!!!

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See, even Ian is wrapped up. So, what about about the bears? Did we find them?

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Yup! The search ended in our very own room at the Groveland Hotel.

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And that's the end of the story.

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