Watering hole

Many find the beauty of Yosemite unmatched by anything they have every encountered before that they return again and again, year after year, finding new trails to explore or stunning landscapes to photograph. The more  agile are compelled to climb the exquisite mountains and find new angles in which to scale the infamous El Capitan.  There is an article and video in the National Geographic about an athlete called Dean Potter who has live in Yosemite for 17 years. For an adrenalin junkie he is quite amazing and we have been inspired and a little frightened by his skill and lack of fear in the search for new ways to explore Yosemite's greatness.

"It feels like I'm hovering in space," says Dean Potter, perched on a highline above Yosemite Falls. Gusting winds and blinding mist make it tough to balance on the inch-thick rope 2,600 feet above the valley, but a tether attached to his waist protects him from disaster.

The draw of Yosemite is so strong that we have returned a second time for an extra long weekend of trekking and scrambles. We have no chance of climbing a steep hill let a lone El Capitan or base jumping off Half Dome but we have come to explore none the less in the Webster's own special way.

We are back at Yosemite Bug and it is everything it was a few months ago. We are in the next door cabin from last time (which is a hit as it has bunk beds) but it still offers the same quaint charm with antique furniture and patchwork eiderdowns. Diner is a wonderful collection of fresh and well seasoned home cooked food exploring the flavours of mexico and the med and some wholesome American blueberry pie. Breakfast offers American pancakes, eggs with anything and everything and fruit. An energy building start to the day.

Its HOT.
As we drove to Yosemite Bug the temperature on the car thermometer reads 96 degrees. So much hotter that we have been used to in San Francisco or even inland in Marin County. After the 3 hour drive the children didn't want to get back in the car for a further hour into the park so we followed one of the trails here at the Bug.

A steep sandy, quite unstable, and rather fun path lead us to a fresh water stream. After a few wrong turns, a bit of rock climbing and some rather traitorous sand slides we eventually found the ever talked about Watering Hole.

WOW..........

An oasis of calm with the constant accompaniment of a 8 foot waterfall. The water is deep and crystal clear. It is surrounded by very slippery rocks and enclosed in a forest of pine. There was no one around. After laying down a few safety rules (very boring and not worth mentioning) we took pleasure in yet another 'first'. Although the romantic idea of swimming free from inhibitions in a crystal clear pool rather appeals, the reality of the water temperature put a stop to that silliness and I left the craziness up to the children. Owen and Rose found that by soaking the rock with water it became the most fantastic water slide and Isla found the whole experience hysterical as usual.

While the changing seasons bring new sights in the living nature that inhabits Yosemite, many things stay the same, as they have for hundreds of years. On our previous visit in May the early spring sun was melting the frozen mountain snow resulting in the most amazing waterfalls we have ever witnessed. The Merced River ran fast and deep, collecting the melted snow and dragging it along. In late July the air temperatures are up in the 90s and The River is calm. The power of the current is still evident and the water is still coming from the last of the frozen snow high in the mountains but the water level is much lower and it runs clear over the rocks. ( We heard that there were still people skying on the 4th July). The lower level reveals beautiful coarse granite beaches that invite us to the waters edge. Here the challenge was set. For an undisclosed financial bribe and after a little wading, Owen, Rose and Isla stripped off for a full body submersion in the freezing water. Owen even swam. I am in awe and he is my hero!!!!!! Although he had to go commando for the rest of the day.

Owen, Rose and Isla are now Junior Ranger at Yosemite National Park. The most exciting bit of becoming a Junior Ranger was having to pick up a bag of 'trash' from along the trails. To become a ranger they had to go on a trail, write about what they could see, hear, smell and touch and then attend a ranger lead programme writing about what they learnt. Buckshot (that's the name he gave!) took us on a wonderful stage coach ride in Wawona imparting loads of useful facts. Did you know that the name Wawona comes from the indian word for Hoot of an Owl or that it takes 36 hours by stage coach from Yosemite to San Francisco or a whole day to the Yosemite valley with 3 changes of horses or that each traveller was allocated 15" of shoulder room....?

The final question was to contemplate the reasons why people become rangers. Both Owen and Rose came up with well thought through reasons but Isla still doesn't really know what their job is let along why they would want to do it.

The Junior Ranger Pledge:
“I am proud to be a National Park Service Junior Ranger. I promise to appreciate, respect, and protect all national parks. I also promise to continue learning about the landscape, plants, animals and history of these special places. I will share what I learn with my friends and family.”

Liquid or solid?

I have been searching in vain for appropriate activities to do in a wet city with the children. San Francisco is such and 'outdoors' city that most of its attractions and adventures feature being outside. And to top that, ALL the museums are closed on Mondays - and today is monday, and its raining and the girls are on holiday from nursery for a week together with Owen.

Then I found 'Gak'. So much fun......messy, but fun. Defiantly not an activity for when Dave is at home!
There are lots of variations on this theme but this seems to be the easiest and more of a 'store cupboard don't need to leave the house' kind of recipe.

You will need:

• to be calm in body and mind before embarking on this project. Its fun science but be prepared.
• cornstarch
• warm water
• food colouring (optional)
• a plastic container and spoon for mixing
• a BIG plastic tablecloth

Start by measuring 1 cup of cornstarch into the plastic container.

Gradually add up to 1/2 cup of water to the cornstarch. You can mix this with a spoon or hands!

The consistency of the mix will go from a powder to a smooth liquid that is not too runny. It needs to be able to run smoothly but slowly.

Add a few drops of food colouring and mix through.

And then have lots of messy fun!

'Gak' turns from a liquid to a solid when touched and then back into a liquid again.  You can form it into a ball and, if the consistency is right, you can snap it. The photos do not do it justice as it always looks like a liquid but it was amazing.

We could pick it up and mold it into a ball and then when it was dropped on to the mat it turned into liquid again. Apparently the scientific word is a polymer.

Owen has thought of loads of uses for it and games to play in the garden with friends, even tricks for halloween. We have also carried on our science experiment by mixing dyes together and then coloured 'Gak' to see what different colours we can make. We even have a pot in the fridge to see what effect temperature has on the mix.

The mixture will store in an air tight container for up to two weeks. If it dries out then just add a little more water and mix well. If you spill it in unwanted places then just let it dry and brush it away. It returns to a powdered form.

I hope you have enjoyed this and that you try it too. So much fun....

Love Jo