The Wonders of Yosemite

Vernal Falls

I went to Yosemite for the first time with Poly Escapes, a club at Cal Poly that organizes outdoorsy trips.  We set up camp Friday night in Hodgdon Meadow.  The following day, our trip leaders prepared a breakfast of scrambled eggs with fresh salsa, peppered turkey bacon, and cuties, delicious sustenance for our 11 mile, all-day hike.  Sunday was less strenuous and involved exploring Yosemite Valley.  We saw the famous Ahwahnee Hotel, bought some souvenirs at a tchotkes shop, and admired impressive Ansel Adam photography.  Our trip ended atop Glacier Point, the best place to go for an incredible view of Yosemite!

We hiked up the Mist Trail adjacent to Vernal Falls, and stopped around noon at Nevada Falls for a lunch break. After 2 hours of uphill hiking, we were all famished.  Many people brought PB sandwiches and other snack-y items, but as I am not a PB lover, my lunch consisted of mini bell peppers, snap peas, a pear, homemade rye bread, almonds, and a square of 72% dark chocolate.  Quite a few of us were "foodies," and one of the girls brought a sizable amount of smoked gouda, which she graciously let people sample. Smoked gouda was the perfect topping for my rye bread.

Water rushing towards its Nevada Falls destination.  

What intensity!

L-R: Half Dome, Liberty Cap, Nevada Falls

Water heated up in no time with this ingenious system.  The cooks used this insulated sleeve-propane tank combo to boil water for both pasta and oatmeal.

Our Saturday dinner consisted of al dente spaghetti with piping-hot tomato sauce and sausage.  The Poly Escape leaders were great cooks, and enhanced Costco marinara sauce with fresh zucchini, garlic, and onions.  TJ pesto chicken sausage sealed the deal.

4 Ingredient Dutch Oven Peach Pudding-Cake

Since myself and the other Nutrition major had mentioned a fondness for baking, we were asked to be in charge of the pudding-cake.  It was very easy to assemble, and just required mixing together sugar, self-rising flour, canned peaches with syrup, and {lots of} cinnamon.  Someone was a little incredulous at our interpretation of "cinnamon to taste," but we assured him that you can never have too much cinnamon!

  The guys perched the dutch oven on a bed of coals and then placed more coals on the lid.  An hour later, our noses told us the dessert was ready. 

Several of us put crushed graham crackers in our bowls for some textural contrast.  

Sunday breakfast was instant oatmeal topped with Granny Smith chunks, dried cranberries, bananas, and lots of cinnamon.  One of the trip leaders even brought a French press, a treat for the handfull of us who liked coffee.  As a recent joiner of the the coffee appreciation club, I now understand why everyone raves about French press coffee.  From talking with the baristas at Peet's, I have learned that French press coffee is more full-bodied and has a richer mouthfeel because there is no filter paper to suck up all the essential oils.  

The ritzy, yet rustic, Ahwahnee Hotel.

Vernal Falls (bottom) and Nevada Falls (top) as seen from Glacier Point.

  Traveling with the right people makes all the difference, and the people here were great.  This wilderness escape gifted me with new friends and fantastic memories, and also helped me feel re-engergized to finish the quarter strong.  

Best decision of the quarter!