The Road to Yosemite- Surprise!

7/8

Alex led us through the lighted, sleepless city and over the Bay Bridge towards Yosemite. Riding at night is exhilarating at first, then becomes a bit eerie, and finally exhaustion sets in.

We set out on an extremely cold and curvy route to Tuolumne Meadows on the northwest side of Yosemite. We had to stop several times to put on more clothes in an effort to warm our freezing bodies. I think I got up to two pars of pants, two t-shirts, two long-sleeves, and two jackets.

At just before 6:00am we arrived at the wilderness office. Falling frozen off of the saddles we hobbled over to a patch of sunlight that had eluded the shade of the towering pines.

How can it be so cold?

Alex fell asleep against a tree and I wend back to the permitting office to wait in line. Another hiker hopeful had arrived taking his place behind my motorcycle helmet which I had left as a placeholder before we went to warm ourselves in the sun.

He wore a blue puff thermal jacket and smelled of months void of a shower. The stench filled the little overhang and I did my best to keep a strait, smiling face during our introduction. The smell told his story which he confirmed. He was a PCT through hiker and was about two months in to his journey. Having spent some time on the AT, I was accustomed to his kind. He had completed the AT and this was his second trip on his way to completing the triple crown of hiking (the final being the Continental divide). We talked about nothing, complained, and waited tired and impatient for the office to open, a necessary inconvenience to seeing the great wild wonder of the outdoors.

Alex and several other hopefuls joined us just before the office door was unlocked. I was worried about him joining me inside and wasn't sure how I would get three, instead of two, permits without his knowledge. By God's mercy and humor, Alex received a phone call from his friend Brian as we were all shuffling inside to do our business. I emphatically assured him that I could take care of securing the permits and that he should feel free to pursue the call outside in the parking lot.

The ranger must have been at least a little suspicious of our reasons for visiting as I rushed through the process and provided quick impatient responses to all of her questions all while constantly looking over my shoulder and through the window to the parking lot outside. I was sure Alex would walk through the door any second as she said, "Are you sure one bear canister will be enough for three people, you better take two." She convinced me to take two but only because I didn't have time to stay and argue. We would later return one.

We now had permits but lacked a very essential component, Alyse. I was in need of a visit to a doctor for some simple routine tests. Over the past few days, I had fed Alex the story that the tests would need to be done in Fresno because the hospital there was the only one on my medical insurance plan. He now contested this plan and even went into the permitting office to ask if there were any hospitals closer to the park. Of course there were, but I held fast to my story. I couldn't let Alex lead himself unknowingly away from the arms of his lover.

We set out for Fresno around 9:00am. We made it exactly 17 miles down the road before stopping for a nap. Both exhausted, we pulled of at a turnout, walked down the embankment about 20 yards, laid down under a big pine tree, and fell asleep. Alex didn't even remove his helmet to which he still is convinced is the best pillow and is even useful when laying face down.

We woke up two hours later to biting ants and got back on the road refreshed. The ride into Fresno was long, slow, hot, and boring.

I checked into the ER at 2:30pm. We left at 9:30pm. Apparently, I wasn't in enough pain to be seen sooner or the finger prick blood sample was more complicated than it looked. The hospital was in bad shape. They were horribly understaffed. The waiting room was overflowing and patients were being treated and kept in the hallways because all of the private rooms were full.

When we finally left, we were hungry, tired, and discouraged having had no food and very little sleep since San Fransisco. At least I saw the purpose. Alex had no idea that Alyse would be arriving on a plane in an hour. I think by now Alex hated me.

I cheered him up by stopping at In-and-Out for burgers (2x2), fries (animal style), and milkshakes. While stretching our shriveled stomachs to fit the form of greasy, American fast food, I received word that Alyse had landed and set the rendezvous point to be a local grocery store. We needed to get food for the hike, and this was the only place I had a chance convincing Alex to follow me to. He had already begun looking near the parking lot for bushes that could hide his seeping body.

The walk around the grocery store seemed to last for hours as I waited for the signal that Alyse had arrived. With three hours of sleep in the past 36, we were like walking zombies. I grabbed an extra of all we bought which frustrated a confused Alex, but he was too tired to argue.

At just before midnight we checked out and started packing our bags in the parking lot. Minutes later a par pulled into the nearly empty lot stopping in front of our bikes. The passenger side window lowered and behold, a fiance was born.

"Hi!"

Alex couldn't trust his tired eyes. He dropped the water bottle he was holding, and walked slowly to the car without saying a word. I think the surprise knocked the wind out of him. What followed was all joy, and any tired feelings were swept out the window.

We abandoned the bush idea and checked into a motel across the street for a decent nights rest before setting out on our adventure the next day.

Alyse and I exchanged high-fives, proud of our accomplishment and then began fielding questions from a bewildered but grateful friend and fiance.