Day 3: It's Getting Real

Day 3

It's Getting Real

by: Kaylee Smith
kas294@txstate.edu

Best Snack of the Day: Peanut Butter and Jelly
Miles Walked: 9 miles

Me in front of one of the largest sequoia trees in
Mariposa Grove. 

It is officially our third day in Yosemite national park. Today we were given the full day to work on material for both Feature Writing and Mobile Story Telling. The day started with our alarm going off at 6 a.m. in order for us to be on the bus and on our way to Mariposa Grove by 7:30 a.m. - yikes. After a few "I'm tired" complaints, my bedmate, Allison Jones quickly brought me back down to reality by reminding me that our 6 a.m. wake up was 8 a.m. Texas time.

Luckily, the combined drive to and from Mariposa Grove was around three hours there and back. We have quickly learned that on this trip, drive time equals nap time. After getting in two good naps and seeing some of the most beautiful trees this earth has to offer, we arrived back at Half Dome village around 1 p.m. (just in time for lunch).

Allison and I satisfied our PB&J craving, put some caffeine in our bodies and set off for the latter half of the day. We both had the task of finding more interviewees and collecting as much B-roll as humanly possible.

To start the afternoon, we set out on the nature walk we had done with the Yosemite Conservancy the day before, but in reverse. We quickly discovered that trying to do something in reverse that you have only done once before is much more challenging than it may seem.

Along with the stress of turning down several wrong paths and not having a map, we had yet to accomplish any of the daily goals we had set for ourselves. However, we decided to make the most of the situation and strike up a conversation with the other park visitors.

On the trail to Happy Isles, I had the opportunity to interview a local anchor for the BBC. Her professional experience was astounding and she was thrilled to see that we were pursuing a career in mass communication.

Although at times, today was exhausting and stressful we learned the importance of making the best out of a
situation. Instead of focusing solely on the stress of being lost on the trails of Yosemite, by being open I was able to meet and interview one of the most amazing subjects I have talked to thus far.

Day 3

The biggest trees I have ever seen and a conversation with a Yosemite housekeeper

The entrance to the Mariposa Grove Trail
Photo by Ashley Bowerman 

By Ashley Bowerman
atb63@txstate.edu

Miles traveled: 42

Temperature: 75

Work produced: 23 pictures, 14 videos, 2 interviews, and an Instagram post

Missed Opportunity: hiking the entire Mariposa Grove Trail

Mariposa Grove 
It was an early morning in Yosemite Valley. We were up by 6:30 a.m. and eager to start the day in Mariposa Grove, the land of the sequoia trees. The drive to the grove from Half Dome Village, our tent cabins, was about an hour long. A short bus ride to the top of the mountains dropped us off at the start of the Mariposa Grove Trail. The Sequoia trees lined the walkway of the trail and stood upon us like statues. These trees are 3,000 years old! We captured as much of the beauty as we could through the lens of our cameras, but nothing can beat the views of these trees seen through the human eye. It was such a peaceful, and pleasant way to start our third day in the park.

On the drive home, we stopped to take a picture on the side of the road of two mountain tops that framed Half Dome. To the left of the scenic view was a waterfall, where I found a woman that stopped to eat her lunch. I loved this part of my day because I was able to capture someone who was being real and in the moment. She managed to find an area of the park that wasn’t crowded and take in the views.

A hiker stops to eat her lunch and enjoy a view of the valley
Photo by Ashley Bowerman

A housekeeper at Yosemite

After returning home from Mariposa Grove, I stopped to talk to Yosemite Housekeeper Liza Devlin who was picking up trash right around the corner from our campsite. I sat down and talked with her about her job at the park, and how important it was to keep Yosemite clean. She had so much to say about how tourists need to respect the park as if it was their home, and not just a temporary place to stay.  

The remainder of the day consisted of another interview with a female park ranger, and gathering b-roll footage of trash I found in the Yosemite Valley. My coming goal is to get an interview with a junior girl park ranger and a volunteer in the park. Today was such an amazing day. The Sequoia trees are something I have dreamt of seeing my whole life, and now I can check that off my bucket list. I’m thoroughly enjoying my time in Yosemite and the unknowns that lie behind every corner of this beautiful place. 

Day 3

The Big Trees
By Allison Jones
atj21@txstate.edu

Miles walked: 8.51
Time: 11 hours
Work produced: one Instagram post, 30 photos and two interviews
Earliest rising: 6:00 a.m.

Off to the Sequoias
The group got up bright and early this morning so we could hit the road. Although we left our campsite at Half Dome village at 7:30 a.m., our group was energetic and ready for a day full of sightseeing and more walking at Mariposa Grove.

Mariposa Grove is part of Yosemite National Park and is home to large sequoias. The drive from Yosemite Valley to Mariposa Grove lasted around an hour and a half and consisted of more curvy roads and sharp turns while we went up and down more mountains. Once again, no one got car sick - so we got lucky. Throughout this drive our group saw incredible sights. From looking down into deep valleys to seeing rows of burned trees struggling with regrowth. It was incredible. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking.

After our journey up the mountain, we raised our elevation to around 5,000 feet about sea level. Talk about having your ears pop during a drive! We had to arrive here by 9:00 a.m. so that we could get parking.

Seeing the Big Trees

Sequoia tree root
Photo by Allison Jones

Sequoias are sometimes referred to as the "Big Trees" because of their large sizes. The trees we saw today were close to 250 feet tall and had been around longer than the United States of America. The first tree I saw didn't seem as huge as I had expected. But I quickly changed my opinion. As we moved further along the trail to head up to the Grizzly Giant, the trees seemed to grow in size - both height and width. Now, they probably didn't. It was probably my imagination seeing this type of growth occur on the spot. The truth is, it was probably my realization hitting me that these trees were right in front of me. Close enough to touch. It was unreal.

Sequoia trees
Photo by Allison Jones

We spent a total of two hours at Mariposa Grove. Our group was able to take in the sights of the Grizzly Giant and hike the trails that wrapped around the sequoias in a beautiful way. A way that preserved the trees for their own benefit, yet allowed the public to enjoy them in a safe way. Once we saw the Grizzly Giant, we headed back down the trail. Seeing the trees as we headed back down allowed us to see them from a different perspective.

Often times throughout our visit, I noticed that some trees had fallen and were burnt to what looked like a crisp. Yet they were still standing. Other trees had fallen and pulled their roots out of the ground in such an incredible sight that lines of people stood and waited to photograph it. This was proof of how incredible these trees were.

We left to head back to the valley around 12:45 in the afternoon. Most of us fell asleep on the drive back, but Dale stayed awake (and he was driving, so that was good). We arrived back "home" and all headed off with our teams to work on our assignments. Tomorrow we'll see more of the park and get more in depth with our stories.

Each day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity. We can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!