Sylvia Cognac

Bootjack Campground, Mount Tamalpais

After my first couple of nights camping at Pantoll, I wanted to move somewhere quieter.

One of my sites at Bootjack. Note how the tent area is raised above the rest of the site

I was surprised to find that Bootjack campground was just a short walk away– literally just 0.4 miles away up the Matt Davis trail.

I found an open site, set up my tent, ran back down to the Pantoll Ranger Station, and paid for my first couple of nights at Bootjack Campground.

Van Wyck Meadow sign: Population: 3 Stellars Jays

I picked out site 7 because, on top of having its own stone grill and barbecue, it was also closest to the water and washing stations.

Site 7 is near the top of the hill, but, at the time, there were still three sites above it. (Site 9 has since been buried in fallen trees for unknown reasons.)

Most of the sites (including mine) were split level, with a flat area for a tent clearly set above the area with the picnic table, racoon cabinet, and grills.

Since I set my tent up right next to the creek, and there were only two other campers in the whole campground, I assumed I would finally get a peaceful, quiet night’s sleep.

What I got instead was a lesson about leaving food in my tent. A relentless raccoon kept me awake from about 2am to 6am.

I kept scaring it off by making loud noises, but it kept coming back.

The camp provides racoon boxes, but I had accidentally left some beef jerky and dried fruit in my tent. Never again.

Other than that, though, this campground was really peaceful. I’ve ended up coming back at least two more times.

By Memorial Day weekend, the campground was entirely full, and it was becoming difficult to get a spot.

I boiled water outdoors for the first time at Bootjack

I had secured my spot by arriving very early on Wednesday morning, and paying through the next Tuesday.

My first outdoor meal cooked with boiled water

I remember watching the last couple snag the last spot. “Babe, it’s open! Bring the tent! Bring everything you can!” They were so happy, they looked like they had just won a prize.

Of course, Memorial Day weekend was not a quiet, peaceful weekend. I’m sure it was much worse at other campgrounds, but at least a few people came here to party late into the night.

Pantoll Rangers cruise through frequently to make sure there are no vandals in the parking lots, but they are not as concerned about midnight campground music.

The cost to stay here is surprisingly cheap, at only $25 a night, which you can get half off of with a disabled or senior access pass.

The cheap price must be because the bathrooms aren’t well kept, and because you can’t drive to your site. But, if those things aren’t very important to you, then, this campground is a steal.

Bootjack is located in prime hiking territory, literally in the middle of the Matt Davis and Bootjack trails. It’s only two miles down to Muir Woods.

In recent years, Muir Woods has become so popular that they’ve begun requiring reservations to enter through the front gates. Tickets sell out months in advance.

There are no gates on the hiking trails, though (except for on the Redwood Creek Trail by the front entrance). It is free to hike in via the Matt Davis, Bootjack, Stapleveldt, or Hillside trails.

So, for only $25 a night, you can camp in Mount Tamalpais, hike to Muir Woods, and park at any other state park (like Stinson Beach or Cataract Falls).

If you are there for more than a few days, the hikes to Mountain Theater and West Point Inn are also both incredible (but challenging).

Of course, my personal favorite hike in the world is Dipsea, which intersects with the campground trails just half a mile away at Cardiac (which is wheelchair accessible via the Old Mine Trail).

This is one of my favorite campgrounds I’ve found so far. As I continue to travel around Northern California, I’m hoping to find more high quality, first come first serve campgrounds like this.

Point Cabrillo Light House SHP, Mendocino

Recently, while camping at Van Damme State Park just outside of Mendocino, I made a stop by the Point Cabrillo Light House State Historic Park (SHP).

The park is easy to find, as it’s just off of Highway 1, less than two miles down the road from Russian Gulch State Park.

You can actually take Point Cabrillo Road all the way to Russian Gulch.

Mendocino Headlands, Jughandle, Fort Brag, Glass Beach, Noyo Headlands, and Mackerricher State Park are all within fifteen miles up the road.

I had never seen this lighthouse before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I think I had the tall lighthouse from Point Reyes in mind.

The walk down to the lighthouse is either half a mile down a paved road from the parking lot, or a three quarter mile hike.

End of the hiking trail to the lighthouse

Obviously, I went both ways. The hiking trail was not very interesting. The paved road was actually more interesting, since it led to the museum and vacation rentals.

Unfortunately, since I arrived past 5pm, I was not able to see inside the museum. But, obviously, I could still see the lighthouse.

On the other side of the lighthouse, I saw one of the most beautiful coves I’ve ever seen. The entrance was tall, but narrow.

As a result, the water in the cove was calm. Two juvenile sea otters were playing in the sea kelp, purposely tangling themselves up, and then dramatically setting themselves free.

They looked like they were having a ton of fun, until one suddenly leaned upward, and looked straight at me.

It stared at me for a few seconds before diving deep under the kelp. Within seconds, the sibling followed. Once I backed away, I could see that they resumed playing.

I thought, they must be afraid of being hunted. I guess that makes sense, since they swim long distances, and some people do hunt them.

I honestly didn’t care too much about the lighthouse, but thought the walk down was worth it just to see the ocean and the coves.

The vacation rentals were really cute, and looked like they were bright and clean on the inside. It would be interesting to stay there.

Rental vacation cottages on state park property

Both cottages are two stories, and both are accessible. One has three bedrooms, while the other has four.

As a bonus, this park probably has the nicest bathrooms of any park in the area. They are clean, private, and spacious, and have soap and good electrical outlets.

Since this was less than a two mile walk, it was a quick trip. Most people would only need about an hour or less to check this out.

There is a fee to park at the lighthouse, but, if you are camping at any of the state parks nearby, it’s actually included in your day use fee. Just be sure that your registration slip is in your window.

Food: 30 Days in Yosemite National Park

Background

(Scroll down to see my food reviews!)

While I was staying at the homeless shelter, I got paid out for a lawsuit that I’d won the year before.

One day, I couldn’t afford bread, and the next, I could afford an SUV.

South Sacramento Homeless shelter cafeteria.
Source: Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency

Problem was, after everything I’d been through, I was having trouble thinking straight, and was afraid of making any big decisions.

Plus, I felt guilty thinking about buying things for myself, when I was surrounded by so much suffering.

Shelter smoking areas.
Source: Volunteers of America

At the same time, my little sister was also going homeless in Montana.

The only thing I could make up my mind to do was to leave the shelter.

I was lucky enough to find a reservation in Yosemite.

And then another. And then another.

Sleeping in snow in the woods was more peaceful than the shelter

In the month that I was camping there, I applied for dozens of jobs. I got emails from my five top choices, and accepted an offer from my top choice.

So, I’ll be going back to Yosemite soon. Meanwhile, here is my review of every restaurant I’ve tried in Yosemite so far this year, categorized by location.

Getting Around Yosemite

Quick breakdown of Yosemite geography: Yosemite Village is near Yosemite Falls, the Ahwahnee is near the Royal Arches, and Curry Village is between Half Dome and Staircase Falls.

Yosemite Valley Lodge is closest to shuttle stop 7, Degnan’s is stop 4, the Ahwahnee is stop 3, and Curry Village is closest to stops 14 and 19.

Yosemite Village

Mocha cookie crumble Frappuccino from Starbucks at the Lodge

Needless to say, after a few months of being hungry, I went a little overboard on dining out.

I normally would describe myself as not a Starbucks person, but I went there a few times while I was in Yosemite.

The only Starbucks in Yosemite is located next to the Base Camp Eatery food court at Yosemite Valley Lodge.

By 8am, the line is insane, so, I tried to get there as early as possible. All of my drinks were made perfectly 👌 👍 I think the flat white is my new favorite drink!

The ham and Swiss croissant was sold out most of the time that I was there, so I ended up ordering a tomato mozzarella panini.

I wish they had more options without eggs, but, when you’ve been living off of trail mix and beef jerky, pretty much anything else tastes good.

Tomato mozzarella panini from Starbucks at Yosemite Valley Lodge food court

There are two Peet’s Coffee locations in Yosemite: one in Degnan’s Deli in Yosemite Village, and one in Seven Tents Pavillion in Curry Village.

For whatever reason, the lines in Curry Village were consistently longer. So, I ended up only going to the Peet’s in Yosemite Village.

I love their drinks even more than Starbucks, but they are also a bit more expensive.

I was unpleasantly surprised when I ordered the promotional honey almond latte, and it cost $8. It did taste really good, though.

Honey almond latte from Peet’s at Degnan’s Deli, Yosemite Village

All three coffee shops (Starbucks and both Peet’s) are located inside of or next to food courts, so it’s easy to pick up breakfast, lunch, or snacks at the same time.

Degnan’s Deli also has my favorite water refill stations in Yosemite. They look like giant kitchen wash sinks, but the water is top tier.

The view inside Degnan’s Deli. Peet’s is in the back left corner

Degnan’s has two public dining rooms, plus an upstairs lounge which is for park employees only.

The employees are pretty cool about letting you sit in there and charge electronics or do work, so, I ended up spending quite a bit of time in there.

Eventually, I had to try one of the sandwiches from their deli.

I ordered a Hiker Hummus sandwich on wheat, with added bacon.

The prices weren’t terrible, but they only had one size, which was small. I definitely could have eaten two of these.

It wasn’t great, but it also wasn’t bad. It was about the same quality as Subway or Togos. The hummus was okay, and the veggies were fresh enough.

Sandwich from Degnan’s Deli, Yosemite Village

Base Camp Eatery, the food court located at Yosemite Valley Lodge, is bigger (and usually busier) than Degnan’s.

Base Camp Eatery.
Source: Travel Yosemite

They have one huge public dining room, with additional seating outdoors. The higher end Mountain Room Lounge and Bar are located just outside the food court, as is the gift shop.

I haven’t yet eaten at the Mountain Room or Lounge, but will update this review if/when I do.

Fun fact: one of my close friends was a line cook at the Mountain Room for years. So, technically, I’ve eaten their food, but I’ve never dined there 😅

Mountain Room Lounge.
Source: National Park Service

The Base Camp Eatery menu didn’t look incredibly appetizing to me, but I had to try at least one hot breakfast of theirs before I left.

Base Camp is self checkout, meaning that all food orders have to be entered on a self-service kiosk and prepaid.

Kiosks at Base Camp Eatery.
Source: National Park Service

I was surprised that their POS already had a button for “No eggs, sub extra potatoes.” I would have much rather had fruit, but, whatever.

For $11.99, I got a big plate of country potatoes with two strips of bacon, and the tiniest croissant I’ve ever seen in my life.

I cut the croissant open as best as I could, stuffed it with strawberry jam (from the condiment station), wrapped the bacon around it, and ate it like that.

(Two of those strawberry jams were saved for later.)

The condiment selection in Yosemite is not great. If there is any sauce or seasoning you can’t live without, you should definitely bring it yourself.

The Ahwahnee

The Ahwahnee is located in its own corner of Yosemite Valley, just in front of the Royal Arches. Technically, it’s considered part of Yosemite Village, but it’s almost as close to Curry Village.

Surprisingly, there are no coffee shops at the Ahwahnee.

(If there is complimentary coffee for guests, then it must be well-hidden, because I’ve never seen it.)

Eating at the Ahwahnee Dining Room had been a dream of mine for years. Fortunately, my cousin and I were recently able to pull that off.

Coffee, yogurt with toppings, sausage, bacon, French toast, biscuit, country potatoes, vegan sweet potato scramble

Because the Ahwahnee is currently being renovated, the regular breakfast menu has been temporarily replaced by an all you can eat buffet.

Even though it wasn’t busy season yet, it was somewhat difficult to get reservations. By Tuesday morning, they were entirely sold out for dinner that weekend, and only had three slots left for brunch.

I booked a 7am seating for my cousin and myself.

Vegan sweet potato scramble, country potatoes, French toast, juice

While I did not take any pictures of the buffet itself, it was set up beautifully. Hot dishes were served from pretty copper chafers, while cold items were served on ice.

All of the main breakfast categories had their own little buffet stations: oatmeal, yogurt, bagels, potatoes.

The bacon, sausage, bread, and pastries were in their own line.

As someone who does not eat eggs, I really appreciated the vegan sweet potato scramble. I sincerely wish all breakfast restaurants served something like this.

Coffee, oatmeal, Danish, biscuit with chorizo gravy

While I don’t usually eat chorizo, I wanted to at least try the chorizo gravy with petite biscuits. It was phenomenal. The gravy flavor had so much depth to it.

Surprisingly, the bacon and sausage were my least favorite buffet items. But I loved the oatmeal and yogurt bars.

Coffee and juice were included in the buffet price, and we both chose pineapple juice.

I loved the mini Danish, but failed to use any of the mini Bonne Maman jams brought to me.

Not only was our breakfast delicious, but it gave us all of the nutrition we needed to hike to the top of Vernal Fall, which we did right after breakfast.

This was definitely my favorite meal in Yosemite. I’m looking forward to using my employee discount to try the dinner buffet 😋

Curry Village

From best to worst: Pizza Deck, Meadow Grill, Bar 1899.

Well, I’ve been to Pizza Deck many times over the years, so, the first thing I noticed was that their menu had changed.

Some of the pizzas had the same names, yet completely different descriptions.

The first pizza I tried was the Half Dome: marinara, mozzarella, ricotta, pepperoni, salami, chili flakes, basil, chili oil, and honey.

Out of all their pizzas I’ve tried, this was by far the best. Even though the crust was a bit doughy and Americanized, it was still good, and the toppings were legit.

The next pizza I tried was the Firefall: marinara, mozzarella, pepperoni, pickled jalapeños, ranch, and chili oil.

The Firefall was also pretty good, but not as good as the Half Dome.

The last pizza I tried was the Mother Curry: Thai curry sauce, mozzarella, tomato, red onion, mushroom, cilantro, and garlic oil.

This pizza was TERRIBLE. It was the worst curry pizza I’ve ever tried in my life. I do not recommend this pizza.

While I was on my way to the Mountaineering School, I noticed that the Meadow Grill was about to open.

I was excited to have something different, so I stopped by on their first day. I may have been one of their first customers of the season.

Meadow Grill order and pickup counter, Curry Village

I ordered the carne asada burrito, super. It was about the size of a $5 burrito from Taco Bell.

The carne asada was terrible. Really, really bad. I actually had to spit out some gristle.

The cilantro tasted really fresh, but you can’t make up for bad meat.

Maybe it was just a bad day for them, though, because they have stellar reviews on Yelp.

I think I’m going to give them another try.

One of the goals my cousin and I had for her trip was to try at least one of the bars in Yosemite Valley.

We chose Bar 1899 in Curry Village. The drinks were good– the drinks are good everywhere in Yosemite. Alcohol is the one food category that is reasonably priced.

The food, on the other hand, was not so great. We ordered the Sierra Smashburger, which came out looking like a sad, practically plain double cheeseburger.

The fries weren’t great, and there weren’t many of them. Needless to say, we were not impressed.

I will update this review if/ when I try any of the other bars.

Village Stores

Aside from the restaurants, there are also several small stores around the Valley that sell alcohol, food, gifts, and camping supplies.

Most of the food in these stores costs about three times as much as normal, but can still be cheaper than eating out.

Of course, the cheapest option is probably to bring your own food from home, or to stock up in Mariposa.

Alcohol selection at Housekeeping Camp store

The biggest store is the Village Store in Yosemite Village, followed by the gift shop in Curry Village, the two gift shops at the Ahwahnee, and the Housekeeping Camp Store.

All of these stores offer very similar products, except for the Ahwahnee, which also carries some higher end souvenirs.

Just Outside Yosemite

The first time I ran out of supplies, I drove all the way to Merced to restock.

Before driving back, I stopped by the food truck Taquizas Gracian, and ordered two tacos durados de papa (mashed potato tacos in a fried shell).

Since they were parked outside a dispensary, I was expecting the food to be amazing, but it was really just okay.

The salsa was fire, but I would definitely not order these tacos again.

Tacos durados de papa from Taquizas Gracian, Merced

Next time I went out for supplies, I just drove out to Mariposa, which isn’t as far from Yosemite as Merced.

Again, I saw a food truck parked downtown during a busy time, and expected great things. Again, I was disappointed.

The carne asada was really on the “ground beef” side of the border between carne asada and ground beef.

There was no salsa in my burrito bowl, even though I asked for salsa. The bowl was so bland that I couldn’t help but think, “This tastes like it was made by a white person.”

It brought to mind a conversation I had long ago with my ex’s father.

I asked, “How come Mexican people always rip white people off on salsa? I never get salsa.”

He replied, “We’re not doing it to be mean. We’re trying to help you. Most white people say they like spicy food, but then cry if you give them spicy food. We’re just trying to give you something you’ll like.”

I LIKE SPICY FOOD, DAMN IT.

If there is great Mexican food in Mariposa or Merced, I haven’t found it yet!

Carne asada burrito bowl from Tacos Sonora food truck, Mariposa

Best for Last

Maybe Ramon’s Taco Truck doesn’t belong in its own section, but it is worthy of its own category.

Ramon’s is located in Planada on the side of Highway 140, about one hour outside of Yosemite Valley.

Ramon’s tacos are the best street tacos I’ve ever found in Northern California. (My favorite tacos of all time are in Santa Barbara.)

The carne asada is mind blowing. All of the other ingredients are flavorful and authentic. Portion sizes are very generous. And the tacos come with avocado!

Last time I was here, I decided to try a burrito, and loved it just as much as the tacos. It was huge!

Finally, my craving for good Mexican food, which went completely unsatisfied in the valley, was quenched.

Whenever I have the opportunity, I always stop by Ramon’s.

Gear Review: Suisse Sport Summit 5 Mummy Bag

My first two sleeping bags were both the Suisse Sport Summit 5 Mummy Bag from Big 5.

I purchased the first one sometime around 2014, and took it on a few trips to Yosemite before giving it to one of my unhoused neighbors.

I had gone on a walk around the block to buy a drink, when I ran into my neighbor, who told me she was cold.

My car wasn’t running at the time (so I couldn’t go camping anyway), and I had free heating included with my apartment, so I decided to give her my sleeping bag.

Compressed Suisse Sport Summit vs Nemo Forte 20

I know she’s gotten good use out of it, because I’ve seen her out there using it.

When I realized that I was going to be unhoused again, one of the first things I did was drive back to Big 5.

Incidentally, this was the only bedding I used at the homeless shelter– I refused to use the bedding that was assigned to me, which looked like it had been found in a field.

This sleeping bag normally sells for $99, but both times that I bought it, it was on sale for $39. It goes on sale for that price at least a few times per year.

It’s rated for zero degrees (Fahrenheit), but, since it’s a unisex bag, a female needs to add at least fifteen degrees to that.

I would definitely not use this bag by itself in zero degree weather. The lowest I would use it by itself would be about forty degrees.

Layers of warmth. Summit bag is second from top.

For really cold nights, I use my Nemo bag inside of this bag. When I was camping in snow, I also added a wool blanket and foot warmers.

After several months of use, both sleeping bags offer a similar amount of warmth.

This is not a lightweight bag, but I love how comfortable and cozy it is. My favorite feature is the cinchable hoodie, which I’m able to cinch snugly around my face.

However, this can get annoying in summer, because it’s not detachable. If you try to tuck it down, it bunches up under the neck.

I also love the tiny pocket near the top of the zipper, which is just big enough to fit my Bluetooth ear buds.

The bag is compressible, and comes in the included compression sack. But, even when it’s fully compressed, it’s still significantly larger than my Nemo bag.

The bag is made of one hundred percent polyester. I’m not sure what the technical washing instructions are, but I’ve had good luck with washing mine in a big machine at the laundromat.

It also has loops at the bottom so that it can be hung upside down from a clothesline.

The one thing I did not like about this bag is that, compared to the Nemo, the compression sack is harder to use.

The straps have to be threaded through on all four sides, whereas the Nemo has buckles on two sides.

Overall, you get what you pay for, and I’ve definitely gotten my forty dollars worth out of this bag (twice).

Compressed Suisse Sport Summit vs some of my other stuff

Chute Hill Camp Ground, Nevada City

Malakoff Diggins was once the site of the world’s largest hydraulic gold mine. The corresponding town of North Bloomfield had a population of over 2000 people.

Hydraulic gold mining at Malakoff Diggins. Source: United States Geological Survey media

In hydraulic gold mining, giant water jets were used to wash away entire mountainsides so that the gold could be extracted from them.

Because Californian gold forms in flakes rather than in chunks, mercury was used to separate the flakes from the rest of the sediment, which was then dumped into giant piles of rocks.

Valleys were filled with rocks and sediment, which began to flow downstream into the Yuba and American rivers.

The Diggins, former site of the world’s largest hydraulic gold mining operation

So many tons of rocks were washed into the rivers that it filled up the bottoms of the riverbeds, causing the rivers to become more shallow, narrow, and swift.

Deadly floods began to hit the towns of Marysville and Sacramento. After enough people died and enough businesses were destroyed, hydraulic gold mining was finally outlawed.

The first environmental protection law in California banned hydraulic gold mining in 1884. The thriving town of North Bloomfield began to die off, and was eventually entirely abandoned.

A hundred years later, California turned the remains into a state park. Malakoff Diggins contains the ghost town of North Bloomfield and the ‘Diggins,’ which is the site of the old gold mine.

Chute Hill Campground is the only official campground in Malakoff Diggins State Park.

Aside from the campsites, there are also three cabins, which can each sleep four to eight people.

Technically, the park is located on the outskirts of Nevada City, but Nevada City is actually about half an hour away.

Before visiting Malakoff Diggins State Park, there are a few important things to know.

First of all, following the Google Maps directions will send you down an 8 mile long dirt road for no reason.

Driving in on a nicer section of the dirt road

It’s much easier to take highway 49 to Tyler Foote Road. It’s a quarter mile longer, but it’s paved all the way.

My first time driving in, I took (the dirt) North Bloomfield road, and it was awful! The road is mainly used for off road vehicles, and it’s full of giant gaps and potholes.

Once I finally made it in to the park, I didn’t see a kiosk, so I went ahead and set up. As I later found out, the check in kiosk is actually located inside the museum/visitor center.

When I read on the website that there was an old town in the park, I was picturing a lively town with retail shops and restaurants.

There are absolutely no shops, stores, or restaurants inside of the park. The ‘old town’ is literally just the skeleton of empty buildings where the town of North Bloomfield used to be.

The museum sells ice and firewood, but nothing else.

The park contains several hiking trails, but they’re all relatively short. An avid hiker could easily cover most or all of them in a single day.

Since the trailhead for the Slaughterhouse Trail was only one campsite away from mine, I decided to start there.

It only took about ten minutes to take this trail past the cemetery and church to the museum. The grade was steep in some places, but the trail was easy to follow.

Next, I took the Rim Trail around the rim of the ‘Diggins,’ which is the name bestowed upon the hydraulic gold mine graveyard.

Some of the manzanitas on the rim trail appeared to be ancient. Their bark varied from crimson red to ash gray. Some of them had really interesting holes in the branches.

I also found a few patches of white lupine, and, of course, lots of redwoods. There were a few sugar pine trees, which I noticed because of their giant pinecones, which are about as long as my forearms.

White lupine on the side of the Rim trail

Some of the manzanitas looked kind of hairy to me. It took a while to figure out that this was because they were covered in pine needles fallen from the trees above.

The view of the diggins was not any better than it was from the outlook inside of the campground, which was right next to my campsite.

Unfortunately, the Rim trail was infested with mosquitos, which made me get tired of it very quickly.

Sugar pine cone bigger than my hiking boot

I hiked back to the visitor center, and heard the volunteer ranger recommending the Diggins hike to someone else. She said, “I wouldn’t miss it.”

Very old manzanita branches on Rim trail around the Diggins

So, the next day, I took the Diggins Loop Trail down into the actual Diggins. Along the way, I got lost, and ended up in an NPS graveyard of artifacts.

I didn’t take any pictures, but it was wild. There were literally just piles of antique cars, stoves, and mining equipment.

Walking around the Diggins was kind of interesting. It felt just like walking around on the gold tails in Folsom (where I lived for the last fifteen years), except on a larger scale.

The most interesting thing to me was that the redwoods were literally buried fifty feet deep in rocks and sediment, but were still mostly thriving.

I could tell that I was hiking through the midsection of the trees, which felt really weird to me, since I’m so used to hiking underneath them.

In between the rock dunes, a few pools of water had turned interesting colors of turquoise due to the mineral pollution that washes down during rainstorms.

According to educational signs in the park, this runoff is responsible for roughly two tablespoons of mercury washing out into the Pacific Ocean per year.

Since I was alone and without cell service, I decided not to take the tunnel trail through the old gold mining tunnels, even though this sounded like the most fun hike to me.

Back in North Bloomfield, I found a large lawn called China Garden, but it’s unclear what the historic significance of the lawn was.

Entrance to China Garden in North Bloomfield

Presumably, Chinese immigrants must have played a part in gold mining at Malakoff Diggins. Like some other state parks, they probably need to add this information to their signage.

The next day, I drove out to the Bridgeport covered bridge, which advertises itself as being the longest covered bridge in the world.

I was not super impressed, although the view of the river from the bridge was pretty. Lots of people were swimming or rafting the waters below.

Looking out onto the Yuba River from inside the bridge

On my way out, I noticed an old closed down Shell Station, and a historic Wells Fargo building.

Educational sign explaining the history of the Shell station

Old Wells Fargo building on the side of the freeway

While I did not take any pictures of the campsite itself, it was very pretty. As compared to other state park campsites, it was on the larger side.

The rangers make you sign an acknowledgement of the bear policy when you check in (there are bears here, and food must be stored properly), but I personally had way more issues with mosquitos!

The fees were not bad, especially with my access pass. If I stayed here again, I would probably want to stay in one of the cabins during the off season.

This wasn’t the most beautiful place I’ve ever camped, but it was nice and peaceful, and the history was interesting to learn about.

Gear Review: MSR Elixir 2 Tent

In her book Wild, Cheryl Strayed said something about how, nowadays, there are all kinds of blogs and forums that will tell you everything you need to know about thru-hiking.

Maybe that’s where I got the idea to join a Facebook group for wannabe PCT hikers.

I joined one group, and then another, and then another.

MSR Elixir 2 after being assembled, disassembled, and reassembled at least 22 times, and slept in at least 50 times

Multiple women from multiple groups recommended the MSR Elixir 2 tent, for the following reasons:

1) This is an extremely popular tent. There’s one in every campground. There’s nothing unique about it. It doesn’t stand out.

2) This tent is easy for one person to set up or take down in about five minutes (or less).

3) It has a reputation for being durable, and it’s lightweight enough. (I chose the more durable option over the more lightweight option.)

4) Although it’s technically a 3 season tent, many people have reported good results from using it in snow.

5) It has zippers on both sides, which could increase one’s chance of escape from a predator. With the rainfly on, there are two zippers on each side.

6) The company MSR has a good reputation for repairing damaged goods. They also own the brands Thermarest, Cascade Designs, PackTowl, Platypus, and Sealline.

This tent had been on my Amazon wishlist for a few years before I won my disability lawsuit.

Of course, I wasn’t expecting to be illegally evicted and go homeless right after winning my lawsuit (but I’ll write about that on an entirely separate blog).

The first time I ever set up this tent, I thought I was just taking a break from the homeless shelter in South Sacramento, where I’d been staying for two months.

I took another “break” to Yosemite the next weekend, and never came back.

Since I left the shelter (and a little bit before, too), this tent has seen rain, snow, sun, mud, condensation, physical stress, and foxtails.

View of Folsom Lake from inside MSR Elixir 2

The footprint, rain fly, guy lines, and tent are all still nearly in perfect shape. I’ve bent two of the stakes, but those are the cheapest and easiest component to replace.

Last week, as I was setting up the tent, I noticed that one of the poles was broken and splayed near the end. I didn’t even know that could happen!

Some quick Google searches taught me that I could temporarily splint the break, and then send the poles in to MSR for repair.

I bought a Gearhead splint at REI, and two MSR splints off of Amazon. The MSR splints are a much better fit, but all of the splints are reusable, so I’ll keep the Gearhead splint for a different tent.

Of course, sending the tent in meant that I would have to buy another tent, since I won’t be able to use the MSR while the poles are being repaired.

Imagine trying to sleep with this view when you’re literally afraid of trees killing you in your sleep

It was beginning to get really hot and stuffy inside the MSR as the weather warmed up, anyway.

I decided that I needed a bigger, better ventilated tent for summer.

Luckily, I was able to find a highly recommended tent for a good price at Costco.

The MSR Elixir 2 was a great tent for a beginner like me. It didn’t seem that heavy to me, but I didn’t have anything to compare it to, since this was my first tent.

I was pretty rough with it, so I’m not surprised that the poles split. I’m just glad they have a lifetime warranty.

This tent is great when you’re trying to conserve body heat, but not so great when you need to cool off. I doubt I’ll be using it again until summer is over.

MSR Elixir 2 in front of Folsom Lake at night

So far, I haven’t had any issues with the tent leaking, or with bugs getting into the tent. There is a tiny rip in the mesh from a foxtail, but no bugs have climbed through it yet.

Even when I accidentally set my tent up on low ground during snowfall and came back to the tent floating in a pool of water, it still didn’t leak a single drop.

This tent normally sells for over $300, but I was able to get mine for $100 less from a reputable seller on Amazon (Sunny Sports).

I honestly feel like I got my money’s worth, especially since, after the poles are repaired, I will continue to use this tent for many trips to come.

Pantoll Campground, Mount Tamalpais

The first time that I left the homeless shelter to go camping, I didn’t know that I would be leaving forever the next week.

I thought that I just needed a break from all the commotion.

Flowers on Stinson Beach, which I hiked to from Pantoll Campground

For some reason, we had been given a “pass” that weekend, which meant that, if we chose to spend a few nights elsewhere, it wouldn’t count towards our total.

The shelter does this from time to time to allow everyone a chance to spend extra nights with friends and family.

I’d never been camping alone before, but I was pretty sure I could pull it off.

I’d been camping a few times with other people, and I had just recently purchased the backpacking tent that I’d had on my Amazon wishlist for years.

It had been sitting in storage. I went to get it out, stocked up at my favorite dispensary, and went grocery shopping.

My grocery cart for my first solo camping trip

I left early in the morning, and got to Pantoll around 8am. I was relieved to see that it was mostly empty.

Pantoll is a hike in, first come first served campground. Pantoll and Bootjack are officially the only two campgrounds in Mount Tamalpais where one can camp without a reservation.

I noticed the self registration envelopes, but had never used one before. I was reading the sign, trying to figure out how they worked, when a ranger surprised me by opening up the window.

“Good morning!”

“Good morning! Can I pay you here to camp at Pantoll?”

I can’t remember which site I was on, but I know it was the second or third closest to the top of the hill.

I had figured that the higher up the mountain I went, the more peace and quiet I would get.

As I laid out the footprint for my tent, it started to rain. My neighbor asked me if I needed a hand, but I was determined to learn how to do it alone.

She looked at me like she thought I was crazy, but then shrugged.

A day on the beach is even better with a gummy

I laid out my tent. Tents are rain proof, right?

I pulled out the poles, and found them to be latched together with some kind of lock that I couldn’t remove. I tried super hard to remove them, before figuring out that they were meant to be there.

At some point, I ran down to the parking lot, connected to the wifi from the Pantoll Ranger Station, and Googled “How to set up an MSR Elixir 2.”

I then ran back uphill, and put up the tent. I couldn’t understand why it was all wet inside. I think I learned my lesson about setting up in the rain.

For the first night, due to the rain, it was extremely quiet in the campground. For the first time in months, I slept through the night.

The next night, the girl next to me left, and was replaced by an arguing young couple. They argued all night long, and I had forgotten to bring my ear plugs.

The next morning, I moved over to Bootjack, which is just down the road.

At $25 a night, Pantoll is relatively cheap, especially considering that some of the campsites overlook the San Francisco Bay.

Those with California State Parks disability passes get half off of all camping fees.

Parking and day use fees are included in camping fees, in general.

I hadn’t realized it when I first arrived, but the top four campsites have amazing views of the city lights at night.

Breakfast and snacks at Pantoll with bay in background

Of course, the reason Pantoll is so cheap is because it’s a hike in campground, which means that you cannot park at your campsite, like you can at most campsites in Yosemite.

You leave your car in the parking lot, and then carry all your stuff up the hill. The two campsites closest to the bottom of the hill are reserved for ADA campers unless the campground fills.

Pantoll is truly first come first serve in that, if you show up to reserve a campsite, and someone else has tried to pay for that spot online, the rangers will cancel their reservation.

Priority goes to whoever has a tent physically set up on the site first.

The campground itself is rustic and beautiful. It has a similar look and feel to all of the nearby camping trails. Lots of redwoods, and lots of moss.

Unfortunately, I did not take very many photos of the campground itself.

The bathrooms have mirrors and flush toilets, but they get nasty by 10am, especially on a busy day. There are no showers.

One of the main advantages to camping at either Pantoll or Bootjack is the ability to hike into Muir Woods without a reservation.

Normally, reservations for Muir Woods sell out months in advance. The entrance fee is around $15/person.

However, there are no entrance fees or reservations required to hike in via the Ben Johnson or Stapleveldt trails, which are both easily accessible from Pantoll.

Dipsea Trail, which runs between Muir Woods and Stinson Beach

Depending which way you go, it’s about a two to three mile hike downhill into Muir Woods.

Other great trails nearby include, well, every trail in Mount Tamalpais and Tennessee Valley.

The hike out to Cardiac Point on Dipsea is just a half mile stroll down an accessible gravel path from Pantoll.

Cardiac Point is so named because it is five miles uphill from the bottom of Dipsea Trail.

It overlooks the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, which is only about twelve miles away.

Approaching Stinson Beach on Dipsea Trail

Driving into the city from Mount Tamalpais is a no brainer. But, of course, you have to pay the $9.50 bridge fee, so if you’re going into the city, it’s best to plan a whole day there.

I loved camping at Pantoll, and would love to camp there again.

Sutro District, San Francisco

Usually, when I go to the city for some alone time, I plan an entire itinerary for myself.

But, recently, I found myself in Inner Richmond with no plan for the day.

I decided to simply walk up and down Geary, and see what happened.

I grabbed an Amocado sandwich from Lou’s Cafe, and started walking.

The views along Geary were almost comparable to hiking along a mountain ridge in Mount Tamalpais. Although, some sections of that street are much ritzier than others.

Since it happened to be the day of the Bay to Breakers race, there were a lot of people running around in costumes. It was like a mid-May Halloween for adults only.

I walked for what felt like forever. I was about to give up and turn around, when I finally spotted a beach.

I walked down to an area with signs saying ‘Sutro District.’

I’d heard of the Sutro District many times before, but had only ever been down there a handful of times, and never for very long.

The Sutro Gardens are actually more like the ruins of where the Sutro Gardens used to be.

Apparently, there used to be such elaborate Gardens here that it took a full time staff of twelve arborists to keep everything up and running.

Sign showing what the Parapet used to look like

The Parapet used to be a grand balcony for upscale parties. I could totally imagine myself serving cocktails up there.

Now, though, it’s more of a high school and college burnout hangout spot. Only small portions of the gardens are still maintained, and most of the cement has crumbled.

Some lone bunches of succulents were thriving on the cliffs, in spite of a lack of maintenance.

Succulents blooming on the cliffs near the Parapet

Just uphill from the Sutro gardens, I found some historic war battery ruins.

Picture of historic war battery ruins covered in graffiti

Of course, since it’s San Francisco, the ruins are covered in graffiti. They’re a popular hangout spot for teenaged delinquents.

Picture of historic war building covered in graffiti

Not sure what this building was originally used for, but it looks like it’s recently been used for some raves or something.

Icky clothes, a pink and purple hair wig, and adult toy boxes littered the ground behind the building. It’s that classy San Francisco charm.

Adult toy boxes, dirty clothes, and a wig on the ground outside the war battery

Just below the war batteries and above the gardens, there is a huge picnic area overlooking the ocean. When I visited, it was full of college age students having an event.

While I didn’t get any pictures of it, I loved the National Parks Visitor Center at the Lands End Lookout.

They had clean restrooms and water bladder refill stations, and lots of cute merchandise.

After walking around the gardens and batteries, I headed down to the Sutro Baths ruins.

View of Sutro Baths and Cliff House Ruins

I walked over to see the Cliff House, but there wasn’t much left there to see except for a balcony.

So, I headed down to the Sutro Bath Ruins.

View of the Sutro bath ruins from the top of the sand ladder

The view from the top of the stairs is great, but, in order to get down to the actual ruins, you have to climb down a sand ladder.

This ladder is relatively well maintained and easy to climb.

I wanted to eat my sandwich at the uppermost pool, but some teenage girls claimed the spot just before I could. So, I headed all the way down to the ruins.

On my way there, I ran into a blue heron.

Blue heron and purple flowers at the Sutro

Of course, the view is always better with an edible. I cracked open this St. Ides tea that I had purchased up the street.

From far away, no one could possibly tell what it is– unless they know because they’ve had one, too!

A few sips made me hungry enough to finish my sandwich.

From the Gardens, I decided to take the hike along Coast Trail to Mile Rock Beach.

I had noticed that the 38 bus could take me back up Geary, so, I could hike for as long as I wanted to.

View of Golden Gate Bridge from Coast Trail

The trail was lush, and incredibly beautiful. There were lots of pairs of college age students out hiking, and I loved hearing everyone talk about how pretty it was.

The sand ladder down to Mile Rock Beach was a bit harder than the one down to the Sutro.

It was only about a quarter mile down to the ocean.

Down at the beach, there were lots of families playing and having barbecues.

Some groups of scouts were lashing together beach teepees.

After Mile Rock Beach, I hiked back over to Geary, where I took the 38 bus all the way back to Union Square.

Food: 3 Days in San Francisco

As a long-time Yelp Elite, a question that I’ve often been asked is, “Do you pick your dinner off of Yelp?”

Yes, but no.

Funny sign outside of a bar in San Francisco

I do take the Yelp rating into consideration, but I usually tend to prefer restaurants in the 4 star range.

5-star places are often bland and overrated. Just because a restaurant is popular doesn’t mean that it’s good.

I mean, just look at McDonald’s– they’re super popular, and their food is mostly terrible.

Since I don’t eat out very often, I try to choose my restaurants carefully. I don’t want to waste an opportunity to eat something delicious and unique. Each dining out experience is special to me.

So, when I found a hole in the wall Japanese place in Inner Richmond (San Francisco) with great looking pictures and a solid 4 Star rating on Yelp, I thought, “perfect.”

Chicken katsu Curry from Volcan (edited)

I ordered a chicken katsu curry, to go. As I was waiting for my food, my mom texted me, “Are you near any of the good Asian places?”

I sent her a picture of my curry, and she responded, “I don’t know what that is, but I’d probably eat it.”

For anyone who is not familiar, Japanese curry is super simple to make. It’s one of the first things I learned how to cook well.

So, if the restaurant’s curry was better than mine, I would automatically be impressed.

Chicken katsu and rice before I added the curry

Chicken katsu is basically fried chicken that has been pounded out thin, seasoned, and encrusted with panko.

Japanese curry is, essentially, S&B curry in a roux with veggies.

The curry gravy tasted great, but didn’t have as many vegetables as I would like– there were just a few pieces of carrots and potatoes.

They were, at least, large pieces. I noticed that the carrots were cut Rangiri style, which is traditional for Japanese curry.

Volcan’s curry was a little sweeter than I would make myself. I think they may have added something sweet like grated apple, or perhaps a hint of milk chocolate.

The chicken was not heavily seasoned, but was fried to perfection, and tasted very fresh.

I agreed with Yelp’s 4 star score. Maybe not the best curry I’ve ever had in my life, but really good. It was definitely cooked to order, the ingredients were all fresh, and the flavor was complex.

The day before that, I’d stopped by one of my favorite pizzerias in the city: Slice House Haight Ashbury.

Slice House is the biggest and most successful restaurant chain owned by world pizza champ Tony Gemignani.

Haight Ashbury is world famous as a hippie, stoner, rock and roll, counterculture neighborhood. There is a lot of great food on that street.

Having recently tried the brand new Slice House location in Folsom, I wanted to go back to Haight to make sure I liked it better.

A slice of Sweet Gino from Slice House Haight Ashbury

I was surprised that they didn’t have any of my favorite pizza: Purple Haze. Instead, I ordered the Sweet Gino without pepperoni.

It was heaven. The crust and sauce were so much better and more nuanced tasting than their Folsom counterparts. The basil and mozzarella were perfect.

This shop was running a special: buy a large pizza, get a free bottle of balsamic vinegar. But, I only wanted one slice.

I couldn’t take any leftovers back with me, because there may have been a rodent living in my vehicle. But I’ll write a separate post about that.

Chocolate bar and avocados, which have apparently been broken into by a rodent

I will also end up writing a separate post about how I’ve been learning to cook at my campsite, which is what I did for dinner that night.

Before I became homeless, I was already a great cook, but I’m just learning about camping. The struggle has been real.

When I get sick of trail food, a bowl of Ramen noodles can sound like a gourmet treat. I’ve recently mastered the task of boiling water outdoors, which has made Ramen more accessible.

I love these Laksa Curry bowls. They’re about $3 each, easy to make, and hard to spoil. The flavor isn’t as good as a restaurant or home cooked meal, but it’s decent.

A bowl of curry noodles and some kava tea over Mt Tamalpais (pacific Ocean barely visible in background)

The next day, once again, I found myself in Inner Richmond. In this case, I did pick a restaurant off of Yelp.

Yelp has a feature called “collections” (formerly known as “lists”) which I use to make lists of places that I want to try in various cities.

This sandwich shop called Lou’s Cafe on Geary had been on my list for some time. I ordered an Amocado (pastrami, salami, and avocado) with everything.

I ate the first half at some nearby outdoor tables, and carried the other half down to the Sutro Baths with me (since I have gallbladder disease, it’s better for me to eat smaller meals more frequently).

Amocado sandwich from Lou’s Cafe, Inner Richmond, photographed nearby

The hour or so in my backpack made a significant impact on the sandwich quality. It was still good, but nowhere near as mouthwatering as it had been back on Geary.

Outside of the coffee shop in Inner Richmond, I’d thought that this was one of the most amazing sandwiches I’d ever tasted.

It wasn’t huge, but the price was decent given the quality and the current economy. The flavor was all there.

The Lou’s sauce and pesto were what really made this sandwich better than the rest.

Amocado sandwich from Lou’s Cafe, Inner Richmond, photographed at the Sutro Baths

Back at my campsite, after several more hours of hiking, I had another bowl of noodles.

This time, it was the new birria Ramen from Tapatio. These are incredibly salty– which is perfect for a night between long urban hikes.

I tend to expend a lot of electrolytes on my hikes, and I don’t want to become hyponatremic. (For anyone who doesn’t know, being too low on salt can be very dangerous out on the trail.)

A bowl of Tapatio Birria Ramen noodles over Mt Tamalpais, Pacific Ocean in background

Before leaving San Francisco, I googled, “what’s free today in San Francisco?” And was reminded that Japanese Tea Garden admission was free between 9-10am.

So, I stopped by, and decided to try a new kind of tea: genmaicha. I chose this tea because it was described as nutty and sweet, but not too earthy.

I tend to love drinks that are nutty and sweet. I’m certainly not a tea or coffee connoisseur, but pistachio and chestnut drinks are my favorites from Starbucks.

I loved the Genmaicha so much that I considered buying a bag of it, but ultimately didn’t want to take any food to go until I’d dealt with the potential rodent in my car.

A cup of genmaicha tea at the Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco

After several hours of walking around the Botanical Garden, Tea Garden, and Academy of Sciences, I was famished.

I was laughing at myself for choosing Slice House again.

It’s just so good! And I love comparing the locations.

A slice of Hot Tony from the Original Slice House in North Beach, San Francisco

This slice of pizza was the perfect finale to my weekend.

It was the slice of pizza I always dream about, but rarely find.

The Original Tony’s in North Beach is a hot spot for local Italians. It’s located right next door to Tony’s– which, surprise, is also owned by Gemignani.

I had actually wanted to eat there, but had not realized that reservations are required. Someday, I’ll eat there.

For now, a slice of the Hot Tony from Slice House.

I prayed she would give me a piece with a huge dollop of ricotta. She gave me one with three– although one was sadly lost when it fell to the street.

Out of all of the Slice House locations, this pizza was the best. This pizza made me feel like, “Yes, it does make sense that I just paid eight dollars for a single slice of pizza.”

It’s the same price for a whole Italian pizza at Little Caesars, but Tony’s is worth it.

Camp 4 Campground, Yosemite

While I was camping at Upper Pines, I heard that Camp 4 was about to go back to an online reservation system.

Camp 4 with Upper Yosemite Fall in background

At this point, I’d been a little intimidated by figuring out how the off-season ‘first come first serve’ system worked. Making online reservations sounded easier to me.

Reserving a spot at Camp 4 was nowhere near as difficult as I expected it to be. As it turned out, this campground didn’t even start filling to capacity until early May.

Because Camp 4 is a walk in, tent only, group campsite, it functions very differently from any of the other campsites in Yosemite Valley.

All of the campsites are shared, and can accommodate up to six people. Meaning, if you go by yourself, you might be sharing a campsite with five strangers.

On the other hand, if the campground is mostly empty, you might still get your own site.

Yosemite Falls during a snowfall, as seen from Falls View, less than one mile from Camp 4

Individual campsite arrangements are configured, assigned, and inspected by the volunteer camp hosts who staff the kiosks.

Most of the people who shared my campsite were friendly. My favorite campsite mates were a father and daughter from Utah who were visiting a bunch of national parks on their way to Coachella.

My least favorite campsite mates were a group of very young adults who showed up at 2am with an entire film crew.

(I bet the documentary they were creating won’t show how they woke everyone up at 2am!)

I was actually pretty irked by the fact that they did this on one of the ADA sites (but I’ll write more about that in a separate post).

Upper Yosemite Falls as seen from a Meadow near camp 4

Like all campsites in Yosemite Valley, Camp 4 requires all food, toiletries, and scented items to be stored in the provided bear-proof lockers (aka bear boxes).

Each campsite has four bear boxes, which can become very noisy late at night (if they are repeatedly slammed shut). After my first night, I learned not to pitch my tent anywhere near them.

Crows waiting for scraps at Camp 4, with bear boxes behind them

Each campsite at Camp 4 has at least one picnic table (but most have two or three) and at least two fire rings.

Camp 4 is directly across the street from Yosemite Valley Lodge, where there is a shuttle stop that can take you anywhere in the valley.

The Valley Loop Trail runs behind Camp 4, which is located between the trails for Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls.

Upper and Middle Yosemite Falls as seen from a Meadow near Camp 4

In one direction, the Trail takes you past Upper Yosemite Falls, Wahhoga Village (currently under construction), El Capitan, meadows and beaches, and Bridalveil Fall.

In the other direction, the Trail goes towards Yosemite Village, Mirror Lake, Vernal Fall, Happy Isles, and Curry Village.

I’ve been hiking these trails for years, but was still somewhat surprised to see so much snow around Yosemite Valley so late in April.

According to the weather report, it was supposed to start snowing by noon on the day of my check-in.

Luckily, I managed to set my tent up just on time, put my poncho on, and headed to Yosemite Falls to take videos.

A view from the drive to Mariposa, where I made a day trip for groceries

During my stay at Camp 4, I learned that strangers tend to set up camp close together, and that anything you leave out might get used by other campers.

On one specific occasion, I had set up the campsite kind of fancy to welcome my cousin.

While she and I went hiking, some German tourists showed up. They thought that the whole arrangement had been left out by camp staff to welcome them, and they used it all.

After several days, I was in need of more privacy. So, I packed up my things, and headed up to Wawona.

Showing how close strangers set up to each other at Camp 4

The best thing about Camp 4 was the price– currently only $10/person per night (not eligible for pass discounts). There is a camping limit of 14 days per year, only seven of which can be during peak season.

The worst thing about Camp 4 was the food– there was virtually no good food nearby, although there is a Starbucks at the Lodge.

Of course, Camp 4 does allow the use of personal camp stoves and camp fires, so you can always just make your own food.

The biggest Woodpecker I’ve ever seen in my life, across the street from Camp 4 in the Yosemite Valley Lodge parking lot

My favorite thing about camping at Camp 4 was seeing all of the different ways that experienced backpackers configured their tents and sites.

I found it especially interesting to see the various ways that everyone guyed out their tents during the snowstorm.

Because Camp 4 is so famous in backpacker culture, it tends to receive a lot more foot traffic from tourists than other campgrounds in the valley do.

Even though there were signs up saying “no picnicking” and “campers only,” these signs were ignored by literally hundreds of people per day.

Every single time I left my tablecloth out, it had food crumbs on it when I came back. On one occasion, I actually caught British tourists going through my bear box!

Overall, you get what you pay for. Camp 4 is nowhere near as glamorous as any of the other places you could stay in Yosemite, but it is a lot of fun.

Upper Pines Campground, Yosemite

Tent getting covered in snow in early May at Upper Pines

I was sitting in the Ikea parking lot, dreading going back to the homeless shelter when I thought, what if I just went camping for a little while?

(Due to my disability, I receive some massive discounts on camping.)

The environment at the shelter was so chaotic that I couldn’t even sleep, let alone apply for jobs or housing. Maybe in Yosemite, I could at least get some rest, make some phone calls, and take care of some business.

Upper Pines site 77 with snow on the ground

I checked the online reservation page for Upper Pines Campground in Yosemite, and just so happened to refresh the page at the exact same moment that someone else canceled their reservation.

It felt kind of meant to be.

I jumped on the opportunity, and booked as many nights as I could. Next thing I knew (after checking the weather), I was asking the staff at REI for advice on how to tent camp in the snow.

What I loved most about camping at Upper Pines was how close it is to Curry Village. It’s only about a five minute walk, two minute bike ride, or one shuttle stop away.

Pizza from the Pizza Deck in Curry Village

Some of the best food in Yosemite Valley is in Curry Village. After a few days of tuna, beef jerky, and trail mix, a pizza from the Pizza Deck starts to sound really good.

During my first few nights in Yosemite, I managed to find more cancelations for Upper Pines. Apparently, some people don’t like the idea of camping in the snow.

I was just glad to be out of the shelter!

Prime nutrition: tuna, crackers, Cheetos, and cherry coke

The spaces at Upper Pines are medium sized. Some could probably fit two or three family sized tents. A lot of people bring RVs or trailers to this campground.

The noise level was not too bad. I found it to be quieter than Camp 4, but less quiet than Wawona (both of which I will write about in upcoming posts).

My first neighbor at Upper Pines was a high school counselor from San Francisco who was about my age, and also happened to be an experienced backpacker. It was fun swapping stories and tips with him.

A lot of the people who camp at Upper Pines come to the same site every year. Many are older couples who know the Valley very well.

Stoneman Bridge, which is a short walk away from Upper Pines

During one of my site changes, I messed up, and failed to clear my campsite by noon. When I came back at 12:09, a ranger was there waiting for me.

“Next time,” he said, “Pack up early, park in Curry Village, and then you don’t have to worry about being back by a certain time.”

There weren’t any showers, electrical outlets, or laundry facilities at Upper Pines, but I found all of these nearby at Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp.

The regular price for a night at Upper Pines is currently $36, which is a little pricey for a tent only campsite, but is still much cheaper than staying at Curry Village or a hotel.

All of the sites at Upper Pines come with car parking spaces, bear boxes, picnic tables, and fire rings. Restrooms and dumping stations are shared.

A ground squirrel snacking on whatever was left burned onto the griddle by the previous campers

Fires are allowed from 5-10pm. Firewood must be purchased at one of the village stores for $10/bundle. (If you are caught bringing in outside firewood or gathering in the park, you could get a ticket.)

The nearest trail to Upper Pines is the Valley Loop Trail, which leads to Mirror Lake, Yosemite Village, and Yosemite Falls in one direction, or Curry Village, Housekeeping Camp, the 4 Mile Trail, and Bridalveil Fall in the other direction.

I loved staying at Upper Pines, and would definitely camp here again.