Finding these photos is precisely what taking them is for. This was an amazing day in my not so distant past. The day had started out rocky. I didn't want to go to Yosemite for some odd reason yet I still went. We had four in the car and were meeting two there. Before even leaving Tahoe, some crazy girl punched on her horn behind us, sped around and locked up her brakes, emitting smoke from the tires. We stopped and she got out in the middle of the road and proceeded to yell at us for cutting her off. I got out of the car and asked her to kindly get back in her car and leave. She said it wasn't her car, it was her friend's. Oh, really? That is how you treat your friend's cars? Regardless, this was not a conversation I wanted to have. I put my arm around her and guided her to the car. She said I had beautiful eyes.... twice. I wished her good-bye and to buckle up to be safe. some guys cheered.
We eventually made it to the gates of Yosemite after finding the other two. They went ahead with their parks pass while we waited. Then out the port side of the car there was a long legged blonde haired kid running through the field. It was Matt and he had the parks pass so that we (the second car) could get in for free.
We made it into the valley where it seemed that most of California had decided to go. We started hiking up to Half Dome while bumping shoulders with the onslaught of tourists. As we pressed on we eventually emerged out of the crowd after a bridge. From there on we saw a total of maybe four people. So much for the meek.
We camped early so that we could get a get-up on the next day. we slept for a few hours and awoke a couple hours before sunrise. With headlamps equipped, we pressed on.
In pitch black we made it to the bottom of the cables to Half-Dome. While we looked for matching gloves, as to not cut our hands on the cables, a man who never really came out of the shadows lingered. paying no real attention to him he started to climb. It seems a lot steeper when you can only see ten feet in front of you.
We made it to the top as little telltales of light shown over the horizon. We had made it, and just in time for sunrise. Madeline, being as prying as she is decided to go find out what our lingerer was doing. As luck may have it his story is the most compelling:
He asked, "Do you know this area well?"
She had no idea.
"I think my car is somewhere over by that river's bend."
he kind of had a lazy eye as he told her his secret.
"You guys seem nice enough, I'm going to jump."
She flagged down the rest of the crew to notify us of his daring stunt.
And just before he did jump he wished those around him to have a wonderful sunrise.
We watched him fall down and pan out. He flew across the Yosemite Valley toward Bridal Veil Falls, made a ninety-degree turn, opened his chute and lofted into the trees.
The sun was just coming up now, and it was time for a nap.
