“Well, I’ve got a hike for you!”

Did the ranger really say that or did I just imagine it? Whatever she said, the way she said it made me think she was either trying to sell me a hike or being sarcastic. Perhaps she was really just excited about the hike. I had been staring at the map on the wall of the Yosemite Valley Visitor Information Center and then staring at the suggested hikes a brochure. I wanted something that wasn’t too difficult since it was my first day in Yosemite, but also not too easy. I needed to be able to finish it in time to catch my bus back to the hostel. I decided to break down and ask the ranger. She continued, “There was a rock slide in 2005 which blocked the trail. They just blasted through a few months ago. You can hike up the canyon and there won’t be a bunch of people.”

“Cool,” I said. She told me the shuttle stop and I happily went to catch the hiker shuttle.

The Mirror Lake trail starts out on a road. The shuttle driver reminded us (several elderly people, one young couple, and me) to look up at Half Dome about one mile down. I began to worry that the ranger who had enthusiastically suggested the trail must have thought I looked out of shape and sent me down a super easy paved trail for people who don’t usually hike.

Fortunately, a little ways down I saw a small trail to the right of the road. It was the other end of the loop. I decided to do the loop backwards and was happy to find myself alone. There was a chill in the air but it wasn’t cold enough to put on my gloves; just cold enough to think about it. Mainly I was struck by the warm smell of damp cedar. The granite boulders reminded me of New England, but the cedars and fir trees were very West Coast. It was quiet except for the sounds of drops of rain falling from the trees and an occasional call of a jay. There were a lot of maples with leaves faded into pale gold like captured sunlight against the dark moss covered granite and dark red tinged brown of the cedar trunks. A raven cawed a warning then flew from a tree, beating the air like a drum.

I had forgotten about the rock slide until I saw a fallen sign post. The sign stated the trail was closed due to the Ahwiyah Point Rock Fall, March 28, 2009.  (It had purposely been taken down). The trail was open. I noticed some large moss covered boulders with broken tree trunks strewn about. But the real rock slide was farther ahead.

I came to a sloped area of white stones and boulders, raw and clean as bleached bones. The stones had slid from the granite mountain above. The forest was ripped open. Broken trees were entangled within the rocks. Blackberries claimed them twining like vines on gravestones. The ground was covered with course white gravel and sand. I don’t know if this was from the rock slide or when workers blew the path through.

Beyond the fallen mountain was a damp primordial area filled with tall scouringrush horsetails (Equisetum hyemale  L.  ssp. affine)  Although I remember my father battling horsetails trying to take over our yard when we lived in the Pacific Northwest (along with the blackberries), I’ve always found them quite interesting. They are the only living descendants of plants that flourished during the late Paleozoic era over 250 million years ago.[i],[ii] Medicinally, they have a variety of uses including treating urinary tract infections, joint issues, dry skin, and broken bones.[iii]  You can also use them for scrubbing pots while camping. However, the main reason I like them is they just look really neat.

The smell of blackberries hung in the air. Plantains grew along side the trail: shaman plants (As herbalist John Finch of San Diego’s Self-Heal school said on an herb walk I attended) throwing themselves in our path begging to be used. I also recognized mugwort. This patch of the forest was a little natural pharmacy.

Since the sun had burned through some of the clouds, I began to hear more birds. Chickadees and tiny greenish warblers rustled in the branches. I came to an area where a trail split from the main one and went up the hillside. It was empty and I could see it steeply switch back and forth through oak trees. It was too tempting, so I promised myself to hike up for an hour then turn around. The oak forest included both live oak, common in Southern California and black oaks with leaves similar to those in the deciduous forests of the East Coast.

The ascent was steep but paid off as I emerged from the forest to a dry rocky area with manzanitas and scattered mistletoe strewn live oaks. The valley below was filled with green. The cliffs across were snow tipped. As I rested high above the valley, facing the mountains, even the air felt freer.  I felt like I could drink it and fly.

Thinking I was alone, I was startled by a noise a little up the trail from me. I looked up the trail and saw someone’s backpack and camping tarp.

As I approached, I saw a young man who was smiling as if he belonged there.

“You’re the first person I’ve seen on the trail today.”

“Most people do the loop,” I replied pointing to the valley. “How long have you been out here?” (meaning camping in the backcountry)

“I hiked down from the road yesterday, but it was snowing at the top and I was struggling with my tarp… My hands were freezing. So I hiked down and spent the night under a rock. This morning it was so beautiful here, I thought I’d stop and have breakfast…and there is some water,” he gestured towards a puddle on a rock where his water bottle and filter lay like an dying geoduck.

He seemed light-hearted like nothing could phase him. I could imagine him blending into the elements rather than battling them like some of the hipster mountaineer types seem to. But maybe his happiness was that fabulous feeling of being alive on a beautiful morning (afternoon) after a rough cold wet night.

“See you later,” he said knowing he’d see me on my way back down. “Have a nice hike.”

I over hiked my hour, but eventually turned around and finished hiking the loop which ended at Mirror Lake. The lake was dry, but the deer didn’t seem to mind.

Useful Information The Mirror Lake loop trail is about 5 miles long (not including the trail going up the mountain.) It is located in Yosemite Valley. Take the free shuttle bus to stop #17 (Mirror Lake Trailhead). The first part of the trail is on a paved service road. If you wish to hike the loop backwards, look for the other end of the loop, a dirt trail that starts a little ways down the paved road and goes along the eastern side of the creek. After crossing the creek and heading west for a little, a trail splits off from the main trail and goes up the mountain side towards Tioga Road. Useful Links Yosemite National Park www.nps.gov/yose/: the official site of Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park: Nature and Science www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/index.htm: information about the flora and fauna of Yosemite The Yosemite Bug Hostel www.yosemitebug.com: This is a nice affordable place to stay if you don’t camp inside the park. It is also a spa. YARTS www.yarts.com: If you don’t have a car, then be sure to check out the Yosemite bus service