Tired. But hopefully things will get better.

I’m back on iron supplements. The brain fog and my general difficulties with focusing is really pissing me off. I had to jump back on it. It’s very frustrating for me to not be able to focus, concentrate, and just ingest what I’m listening to or reading.

Hopefully it doesn’t fuck with my stomach that much.

Speaking of which, the doctor, who I don’t think is a good one think I may have IBS. He told me to get some OTC probiotics and some fiber. So, that’s what I’m doing. The good thing is that I’m shitting better. Yay, I guess?

But man, this whole fatigue thing is really getting to me. Hopefully things will just be better. Hopefully all my stomach issues will be better as I try to figure out what I’m eating that may be causing my issues.

Progress? Who the fuck knows.

* * *

So, back to it, back to the grind, and man these past couple of weeks have been busy.

It’s just that we are in the progress of launching and pushing out new software and new tools to the agency and I’m heavily involved in the roll out. SharePoint training and site creation and OneDrive for Business and even Skype for Business. We are definitely making use of our Microsoft licenses. That’s a good thing, I guess, but yes, definitely very very busy.

I still have a lot of outstanding stuff to do, like getting back on creating the loaner database on SharePoint. I don’t even know if it is possible, but we shall see. New stuff, new learning curves.

* * *

I guess the iron supplements haven’t kicked in yet. Still a little unfocused on many things as so many things roll through my brain that I feel that I need to get to. So many.

Let’s focus and pare down to what I need to do. Finger tapping. Let’s do a little diddy…but oh wait, I need to check something.

Checked and let’s roll.

New section.

* * *

Yosemite.

Last weekend I continued on my little adventures for 2016 with another wilderness trip.

A refresher, it seems this year’s traveling them is hiking, nature, and California State/National Parks and it was time for Yosemite.

I don’t even remember the last time I was there. It was either 2009 or 2010 with my brother and it was definitely definitely time for me to go back.

It’s such a beautiful place, a magical place, full of beauty. But the shit thing about it is that it is always fucking crowded.

I kind of planned it about month or so ago, but didn’t really know exactly what I’ll be doing in terms of hiking and exploring.

It wasn’t until about a few days out that I had a definite plan of what I was going to do.

With the help of Ms. D I planned on doing the High Sierra Loop on Saturday and then just do something light and easy on Sunday before I head over to Fresno to visit family.

I’d meet up with Steve-O on Friday after he gets off of work and then on Monday, I’d go and explore Kings Canyon National Park a little.

It wasn’t until I was going to sleep the night before I was to leave that I found out that Obama was going to be in Yosemite the same weekend. I was fucked.

I love Obama and I think he’s great, but man, I wanted to go to Yosemite to get away from people and things and this was throwing a major wrench to my trip.

Steve recommended that I do the high country instead while Obama was in the valley and that’s what I did. I had to switch my plans around and for the most part, it worked out great.

So I rolled in to the Valley close to 1pm on Friday and was able to find some parking in a somewhat reasonable amount of time. I thought I had a lot of time before Steve-O left work, so I thought I was going to do the High Sierra Loop, but I opted not to. I didn’t really have that much time, so I just did the Valley Loop and worked my way to Mirror Lake instead.

I managed to meet up with Steve-O close to 5:30 and we just had some dinner and drinks and just caught up. It was great catching up and seeing him again. Around 7-ish Obama landed and we tried to make our way to him and back to my car, but the Park Rangers blocked us off. We took the long way around to get to my car and then that was it.

I drove out of the park and about the close to 2 hours back to my hotel, which was an Indian Casino. It wasn’t too bad, but the fucking cigarette smoke fucked me over.

Bright and early the next morning, it was on. I think I left the hotel close to 7. I didn’t even head into the Valley.

Tioga Pass or bust!

Yosemite High Country.

I never ventured there before. It was a great recommendation by Steve-O. I didn’t have much time to research it, so I just thought I’d wing it.

At first, I thought I’d find an early easy hike and I remembered Steve-O telling me that the hike to Yosemite Falls was an easy and short hike. So, that was on my agenda. I found the turnoff for Yosemite Creek. It was the wrong turn off.

I drove for about 30 minutes on an old busted narrow lane road that ended up at the campground. The hike to the falls from there was still a good 6+ miles. It was a bust. I slowly drove out and continued heading east on 120 Tioga Pass. No more than 10 minutes later I found the correct stop for the hike. That too was still a good 6+ mile to the Yosemite Falls viewpoint.

So, I just went on and on. I resigned myself to the fact that today would be more of a driving day than a hiking day and I was okay with that. I stopped at Olmstead Point and got a great view of the back of Half Dome. Not a bad view and then I saw off in the distance Tenaya Lake.

That was my next destination and that’s when things turn to shit.

* * *

Day 2.

Why? Because I was too focused on finding a braised pork shank recipe.

Distractions. Can’t focus.

Back and back.

Tenaya Lake.

Things were going great at Tenaya Lake. It was beautiful and the weather was just gorgeous. Not too hot. Not too cold. Perfect.

I decided to do the hike around the lake. It was a short easy 3 or so miles hike. Easy peasy. Great views and no hills to speak of. I took it easy, rested and enjoyed the views and got eaten by mosquitoes. I didn’t mind. I was in nature.

I didn’t even mind that I had to cross a river to get to the other side of the lake. I took off my shoes and plunged my legs into the cold water and wade my way across. Easy peasy. It was great. Brisk and fucking cold. Didn’t mind at all.

Until the end of the hike. I reached the end of the lake and was going back to the same path that I started so I can get to the parking lot. I sure could have followed Tioga Pass to get to my car, but I was like, nah, let’s follow the path. Follow the path.

Follow the path.

It’s the way.

I came across another creek I had to pass. But this time, it was only about 6 or so feet across. Short, right? But the bad thing was that I couldn’t see a way to cross. The only way that I saw was a small 4-inch-wide branch that didn’t seem sturdy, but that was the only way. I didn’t wander up or down the creek to see if there was another way. I was dead set on it. Follow the path. It’s the way.

Well, I say, fuck the path ’cause it fucked me over.

The first two steps were fine but then I lost my balance. I couldn’t get enough purchase on the branch to make a jump for it so I fell into the lake. I fell deep into Tenaya Lake. Not even the fucking lake, but a small creek that feeds into the lake.

So, my iPhone got wet along with my camera. There’s sand in my 28-70mm lens. It’s fucked. After a while the camera wouldn’t turn on at all. The lens wouldn’t focus because of the sand inside of the lens grinding.

I was fucked.

Sure I was pissed but then that went away. I was too cavalier. I was too impatient. I should have spent a little more time looking and when I got to the other side and walked up the creek a little I saw it. A wider plank and more shallow area. Fuck you Phong.

Just fuck you.

I got to the car and tried to dry off. Dried off my camera and my phone and took off my shoes and socks. Fuck you Phong.

The camera wouldn’t turn on but I still had to continue on. So I did.

I knew that there was some food around Tuolumne Meadows and that was the next destination. I drove by the meadows and went into the Visitor Center. Nothing there. I drove by the small grill and the tiny store and continued on. I turned off into the Lodge, but there wasn’t any food there. I made my way back to the grill and set my camera up on the dash board with the battery out so I can dry.

I had my burger and went back on my way. Camera still wouldn’t turn on. Fuck it.

Here’s where I’m thinking I’ll have to get another camera again. Money. More money, like I haven’t been spending a lot this year. But what to do? I love photography and it’s one of those things that I’ll want because I want it. Money. More money.

I got to my last destination as I passed up other great photography places because it wouldn’t turn on. I parked and tried my camera again. Nothing.

I let it sit in the car, drying while I did my hike up to Gaylor Peak and the Gaylor Lakes.

The hike wasn’t bad. Very steep and at high elevation. The air was a little thin but I managed.

There’s a hike down to the lakes at the bottom but there was snow up at the ridge and it covered the trail. Sure I could have made my way down, but after everything that happened, I wasn’t feeling up for it. Given the time, I thought I should just go back to the hotel instead and call it an early day. I knew I had a long day ahead.

So, I spent a little more time up at the top of the ridge taking pictures from my iPhone and then I made my way back down. I got into the car and tried my camera again. Still no go.

I drove back.

I hit the meadows again and wanted a proper picture of the meadow even if it is on my phone. I didn’t get one earlier and I decided to try my camera again and this time if fucking CAME BACK ALIVE!

Hallelujah! I was the happiest motherfucker alive at that moment. Didn’t have to spend any more money!

I snapped a few pictures and then I was off.

I got back to the hotel close to 5:30 and just chilled.

I got dinner at the Casino Buffet. Fucking disgusting and spendy. I should have heeded the yelp review.

* * *

Sunday was the big half day in Yosemite.

Obama was scheduled to leave that day and I don’t think he had any hikes or events planned, so the Valley shouldn’t be a clusterfuck.

I got up early and just drove and got to the trailhead close to 7:45.

The plan for the day was the High Sierra Loop via Four Mile Trail – Panoramic Trail – The Mist Trail. It was a hike of about 14 miles one way and then I have another 3 miles back to the car.

I started on up to Glacier Point via Four Mile Trail close to 8 in the morning. Going up wasn’t bad. Sure I had to stop a few times as my body started to loosen up and I got up to the top in about 2 hours.

Glacier Point was amazing. It was my first time up there. I’ve been to Yosemite so many times and I never stopped by. The good thing about Glacier Point is that you don’t really need to hike up there. There’s a parking lot up there which I always never take the road to. I made it a point to go visit it this time around. Definitely worth it.

After resting for about 15 minutes at Glacier Point, I headed onto the Panoramic Trail. There were spectacular views of Half Dome and Nevada and Vernal Falls. The Panoramic Trail is a rim trail that goes down and up along the rim of Yosemite Valley. It ends at the top of Nevada Falls. From there, one will have to take the Mist Trail down to Yosemite Valley.

There were spectacular views throughout the but most amazing was definitely the beginning of the hike with the view of Half Dome along with both falls. Breathtaking.

I rested for a good 10 minutes at the top of Nevada Falls before I started my way down. I know that Ms. D told me the last hour was stairs, but I really didn’t know what I was expecting.

The Mist Trail was fucking horrible. The stairs were fucking horrible. I almost turned my ankle and slipped and fell a few times. It also was very very crowded also. 2.5 miles of navigating rocky and sandy stairs and fucking people taking selfies. Sure, the views were spectacular, but man, I sure was bitching about it the whole time. My knees were fucking hating me that last hour.

But then 6.5 hours after I started, I finished the trail. It was just gorgeous. Majestic and then I have 3 more miles left to do to get back to my car. One more hour and that’s what I did.

Getting out of the park was a bitch, but it could have been worse. I was just happy to be sitting, out of my boots, and just chilling.

Overall Yosemite was just fucking awesome and I definitely need to make it a more regular trip. Next time I’ll definitely to plan more trips up in the high country. There’s just so much up there to explore and I definitely didn’t do much of that this trip. Next time.

Next time.

I managed to make it back to Fresno and met up with Sister and Gifu and the fam for dinner.

The next morning, I set off to Kings Canyon National Park after breakfast.

The drive there was great. Not too crowded and just a simple drive and when I got to Kings Canyon, my first destination was Hume Lake. By the time I got there, it was already fucking hot. I did a small hike. I did like a third of the lake and ended up at the Christian camp.

I snapped a few pictures and hiked it back to the car and that’s when I started the drive through the Canyon. I believe this was the drive that Ms. D was raving about and it was beautiful. The canyon and the views, just amazing.

I reached Cedar Grove and checked out the visitor center and called it a day. It was getting late and I still had to drive back home to pick up Pickles before the vet closes. I would have loved to explored more of the park and maybe do the hike that Ms. D recommended, but next time.

Like Yosemite, next time.

Definitely, next time.

Now it is onto the next thing. The next vacay. The next trip. The next hike.

Banff.