Yosemite Bob and Mickey Mouse

California 

Thanks to Leslie and Her Dan we took a wonderful guide with us on our forays into Yosemite - an audio app that by some strange witchcraft knows exactly where you are AT ALL TIMES, even when there is NO  CELL PHONE SERVICE.  You can even see the blue dot that is you moving along the road and, sure enough, as you round the bend to an awe inspiring vista, Bob is right there to tell you all about it.



I have a mighty crush on Bob.  When there’s a slightly less spectacular stretch of road coming up he has a store of wonderful stories to tell you, including one about Yosemite Sam, the pint sized cowboy cartoon who was always battling that darn varmint Bugs Bunny.  Apparently there were other contenders for the character’s name including Wyoming Willie, Denver Dan (!) and Texas Tiny.  

We took his advice of course and made sure we weren’t arguing.  Thanks Bob!

Another cartoon character made an appearance that day.  In the parking lot we saw a couple of serious looking climbers packing away their gear, and this was attached to their van.  I had to ask.

       


They had retrieved it from halfway up Half Dome which they had just finished climbing.  He gets around, that Mickey Mouse.  The climbers had also conquered El Capitan in two days.  According to Bob it took the first climbers  47 days to scale it - and the all-time record is just under 3 HOURS which I can’t even begin to get my head around.






We spotted a few intrepid souls near the base (but high enough to give me Vertigo By Proxy).  Look closely to the right of the dead tree and you’ll see them.  Then keep your eye on that dead tree as we scale back.





I think I need a lie down.

Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing Yosemite. Always a positive, inspiring place.

    Paul Eisenhardt

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  2. Wow! Very cool pictures. Love seeing and reading your blogs.

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  3. I like how you set the climbers in an ever more frightening perspective. I wish they at least had some helium balloons attached to them such that their weight would be reduced to about 25 pounds and, if they fell, the balloons would also help parachute them so that they land uninjured. Also, I appreciate the intricate detail in the closest shot. How did you get the GPS app? Was it a piece of machinery or something you downloaded onto one of your computers? Thank you for your vlog! It am really enjoying it.

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    Replies
    1. Gypsy Guide - a brilliant app which we’ve just downloaded for the Utah Big 5. Oh Bob, can’t wait!

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  4. I'm lying down and I STILL need to lie down looking at those climbing photos! My sister has a phrase that is oft-repeated in our family, "What some people do for fun!" I'm still thinking about the first climbers and wondering how they got to the grocery store and other necessities during those 47 days (you sure that wasn't hours??) ...

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    Replies
    1. I know. And Bob wouldn’t ever lie to me. 47 hours. Your sister is right: “fun” is very subjective.

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