Final Day

Day 5
By: J. Del Valle
Jcd165@txstate.edu

Missing home, but enjoyed this once in a lifetime experience 

Wow I can’t believe that I been at Yosemite for five days already. Being able to combined the outdoors and education made it very enjoyable. I was able to learn the history of Yosemite, but also learn how to capture the beautiful angles of the park as well. I was definitely out of my element, since day one the cell service hasn’t been so great. Which I will admit I enjoyed it, but I do miss text messages from my family and also missing my dogs back at home. But this trip has taught me so much especially being outdoors. Our last night here our professors put together a dinner for the group and to end it with a evening play by a John Muir impersonator- which one of our professor is obsessed with John Muir- this play was pretty different it was a story telling theme play. Which allowed the audience to participate and ask John Muir questions. After the play we headed back to our campsite and started packing for tomorrow’s departure. It’s been real Yosemite can’t wait to visit in the near future.

Mirror Lake Trail

Day 4 

By: J. Del Valle
jcd165@txstate.edu

Where art thou’ fisherman?

This morning was a bit different for me, I needed to find a fisherman to interview for my feature story. Which started off pretty complicated because I kept getting dead ends. But luckily a host at lower pines campgrounds gave me a lead and said I can find fisherman at Mirror Lake which was about 2.5 miles from my camp site. In tow with me was my professor and graduate assistant Tony we were all excited to get the day started and on our walk we got to talk just about everything from upbringings, family and education. It was nice to get to know my professor and graduate assistant on a personal level. While on our walk to the lake I accidentally routed us in the wrong direction, which put us behind 20 mins-it was honest mistake. After reaching our destination all three of us were in awe once we came across Mirror Lake and embraced the beauty that was right in front of us. But yet again I reached another dead end and did not find one fisherman in sight. Trying to think of another angle for my story my professor was kind enough to help me out and give me some ideas to considered. Once we made it back to our campsite I started on my venture for my feature story It was the start of a long day for me. After the day was done I was able to get three interviews, a good amount of  pictures and b-roll for both my mobile storytelling and feature writing class. My day ended on a good note.

Bears, Ghosts, Battlestar Galactica

Day: 5
Steps Taken: 35,370
Location: Yosemite National Park
Fun Fact: I'm getting really tired of barley making it on time

Sequoia the bear

Sequoia the bear
Photo by Michael Garcia

This morning Gabby and I went on a hike around 0500. We embarked on the Mist trail. There we met Sequoia the bear. Dale had named her that. The bear that Dale saw was still there. This whole trip I had been trying to see a bear and I finally got my wish. We continued on the path. My legs still feel like jello from the hike. It was straight up. The higher we got, the wetter we got from the Vernal Falls. After thinking about how we would look during our interviews that day, I decided to make the executive decision and head back down to dry off. 

Back to business
We made it to the nature walk with the junior park rangers. We had finally taken care of all that we needed to do. Gabby and I had been breaking our backs to get our stories taken care of before we leave and we had finally finished everything. Now we can actually enjoy the park. But, b-roll was on our mind. once we were done, I headed back to camp for a little r and r.

Dale and the boys

Storytelling with a ghost
Photo by Michael Garcia

We went to go see a John Muir impersonator for our final gathering as a class. It was funny to see Dale act like a little kid. The whole time I've known him, I always saw him as Dale, the professor. It was good to see him act out of character a little. After the play, Sam and I walked with Dale to fetch the van. On that walk, we got to know Dale a little. It was a good little send off for this trip. The whole time I wanted to get to know the man behind the trip. All in all, I got everything that I wanted out of this trip.


Tomorrow I would spend the whole day in an airport. But, it was all worth it.

Adjusted to California time

Day 3

By: J. Del Valle
Jcd165@txstate.edu


5 a.m. in Cali, but 7 a.m. in Texas
Woke up at 5 a.m. which seemed very easy to do and I walked over to The Meadows with Audrey, Mike and Sam in hopes to find a bear-but no luck- but it was nice to be up and watch the sun rise on Half Dome. It was a beautiful view and peaceful, after that I headed back to the camp site and started to get ready for the day.

J. Del Valle posing by sequoia tree by: Kamryn Allen

 Mariposa Sequoia Trees Our group headed to Mariposa to visit the beautiful sequoia trees, I got to ride with Jessica, Tony and Sam it was a great ride to Mariposa. The drive was about an hour and the sights there were amazing but also scary with the elevation getting higher. Felt like we were driving towards the sky, once we started to get closer I noticed the trees getting thicker and the height sprouted into the sky. It looked like a scene from the Chronicles of Narnia. Couldn’t believe what I was looking at it was amazing I can only say so much on text, it can only be experienced in person.

Ask a climber
After our morning at Mariposa we drove back to the camp site and continued on with our daily assignments. I was able to attend the “Ask a Climber” session that was being held at El Captain bridge which is considered rock climber’s paradise for some of the elite climbers in America, possibly the world as well. I was fortunate to interview an experienced women rock climber that has been living at Yosemite since 2011. Meeting Rebecca and hearing her story on how she started rock climbing made my day. It’s always fascinating to hear about people’s background she made the interaction very smooth and enjoyable.

On top of the Mountain: Day Five

Day Five

On top of the Mountain

By: Audrey Garcia

Arg136@txstate.edu

Steps Traveled: 20,369

Fun fact: There’s a YARTS bus that will shuttle you back to the Fresno International Airport for only $15.

Sam, Jake and I on top of Glacier Point

Thursday was my last day in Yosemite. I was leaving early to make it to my younger brother’s wedding, and though it was hard to leave the park, I was ready to see my family. I tried to use the shuttle buses as little as possible this day, as I wanted to take in as much of the sights as possible before my 5:45 p.m. bus to the airport.

I started my day by meeting up with Sam, Jake and Dale at 7:00 a.m. to head to Glacier Point, about an hour and a half away from our camp. Glacier Point is the highest overlook in Yosemite at an elevation of 7,214 feet and is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley. We were all excited to go to Glacier Point, and once we arrived we realized that we never wanted to leave the valley. The scene from the top of Glacier Point was breathtaking. You could see the seven mile stretch of the valley and every other major site that Yosemite has to offer. I was able to snap a pic of Dale and Sam replicating an old photo of President Theodore Roosevelt and founder of Yosemite, John Muir. Dale was John Muir of course. After some great photo opts, we took off on hour drive back to camp… where we couldn’t find any parking.

Sequoia treetops 

Walking All the Way Home

We had to park pretty far from base camp and decided to walk back in order to see Lower Yosemite Falls and some other great sites. The falls was so much fun. It was nice to get splashed by crisp water after a long walk. We also took this opportunity to get more b-roll for our final day in Yosemite. Jake led us to the Ahwahnee Hotel, where there were more Sequoias planted in the back acreage by some abandoned tennis courts.

Those last moments by the Sequoias were peaceful and fun and a wonderful lasting impression of Yosemite National Park. I can not wait to return. 

Inspiration in the Woods: Day Four

Day Four

Inspiration in the Woods

By: Audrey Garcia

Arg136@txstate.edu

Steps traveled: 16.460

Fun Fact: Weekly on Fridays, from May through October, Yosemite Conservancy offers “Yosemite Wine and Paint!”

Dr, Babak Darvish posing for a photo during Wednesday lunch

To say Wednesday was inspirational would be an understatement. After a great spiritual experience on Tuesday at the Mariposa Grove, I was able to schedule an interview with an equally miraculous doctor.

Dr. Babak Darvish an Iranian Jewish refugee from the 1979 Iran crisis, had moved to the U.S. at the age of 10. With help from HIAS, a Hebrew immigration non-profit, Darvish and his brother were able to get refugee status while in England, and they found a new home in New Jersey. 16 years later Dr. Darvish graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine with the hopes of being an Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, but after being diagnosed with a rare disease called HIBM (Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy) he quickly had to adapt and change his plans. Now, Dr. Darvish runs a nonprofit organization called Advancement of Research for Myopathies (ARM). He co-founded the organization with his older brother, who happens to also have the rare disease. Their goal is to find a cure and help others who are affected by this disease and other ones like it.

“Amazing,” I thought. I couldn’t believe I was able to interview this man and get to talk to him about his journey to becoming a doctor and non-profit founder.

A page taken during my nature journaling class

Seeing Stars

After having another emotional day, including a nature journaling class in the morning, Sam and I decided to head back to camp and take a nice break before going to the Star Party later that night.

We arrived at the star party around 8:55 p.m. and prepared ourselves for some amazing nighttime visuals. During the party I learned that the “Big Dipper” isn’t actually a constellation. WHAT? It is an asterism, a smaller group of prominent stars that usually belong to a larger constellation. I felt like I’d been lied to throughout all those elementary gym star parties.

The guide led a great star party and I even got to see several shooting stars. It was a joyous, new experience for my last full day in Yosemite.

Rise and Shine: Day Three

Day Three

Rise and Shine

By: Audrey Garcia

Arg136@txstate.edu

Steps traveled: 17,117

Fun Fact: Sequoia trees are the largest trees on Earth by volume, but have very shallow roots about 3-6 feet deep.

A sunrise above Yosemite Falls

A group of us woke up around 5 a.m. Tuesday morning with the intention to see bears prowling in the Halfdome meadows. Unfortunately, there were no bears to be spotted. I did, however, make friends with a tiny field mouse. I was sitting on a rock as this little mouse would run back and forth between me and a post about 8 feet away. As I was sitting, watching the gorgeous sunrise, the mouse would scurry over, look at me as if it wanted to climb into my pocket, and as I looked back at it, the mouse would run away. This occurred about six times before we finally left the area to walk back to camp.

Since we didn’t see any bears, we turned our attention to an orange-glazed horizon, and witnessed a glorious sunrise over Yosemite Falls. I got a few pictures, but they don’t do the majestic mountains justice. As the sun reached the tips of the mountains, my body and mind became invigorated. It might have just been the cold morning, but I was ready to walk around and start another adventure with my partner Sam.

A great Sequoia tree at the Mariposa Grove

Into the Heights

After the sunrise, we met up with the rest of the group at 7:30 a.m. by the vans to travel to the Mariposa Grove. I was very excited to hike through the grove as it was the center of my mobile storytelling piece. The Mariposa Grove is a newly restored masterpiece that shows off some of nature’s greatest trees, the Giant Sequoias of California. After years of visitors trampling on these giants’ shallow roots, the Sequoias were beginning to die. So, about three years ago, Yosemite National Park along with Yosemite Conservancy, decided to restore the grove with beautiful boardwalks and hiking trails. These renovations not only helped the trees but made the grove more accessible for all types of visitors at the park.

I became overwhelmed with emotion several times while hiking the grove. The beauty and wonder of these giants, that are thousands of years old, astounded me. Their presence made me grateful to be alive and their greatness made me emotional. I cried and prayed over the protection of these magnificent red tinted giants, as I view their lives as spiritually significant to humanities connection to the Earth.

Easy Goes It: Day One/Two

Day: One and Two

Easy Goes It

By: Audrey R. Garcia

Arg136@txstate.edu

Miles Traveled: 1,648 by air

Time: 4 hours 4 minutes

Fun fact: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s roadways are anarchy at 5:00 a.m. on a Sunday.

Had to stop for a picture with the entrance sign

Waking up at 4:00 a.m. seems to be easier when there’s fun travel plans on the way. Jessica and I had plans to be taken to the Austin airport by my boyfriend, Quintin, so there could be as little hassle as possible. Although being dropped off at the airport is an easier route, I wasn’t prepared with how crowded and crazy the roadways are leading into the airport entrance. Cars were swerving in and out of lanes, and they basically were creating their own lines. When we finally arrived at the entrance, I was very excited that my vehicle hadn’t been side swept. Once in the airport, Jessica and I checked into our flight and made it to the gate with ease. We met up with our professors, Dale Blasingame and Jessica James, as well as nine other students. Luckily, for us, the rest of the flights were a breeze.

Riding to the Valley

1,600 miles later we arrived at the Fresno International Airport in California and we were greeted by a display of fake giant sequoias, reminding us to stay off their roots. This got me even more excited about our car ride to the valley. On the two-hour car ride to Yosemite Valley we saw miles of gorgeous wilderness and awed at breathtaking landscapes filled with bright foliage and swift coursing rivers.

For lunch the group stopped at 1850 Restaurant and Brewery in Mariposa, California. I ordered the Chipotle Chicken sandwich, and the restaurant definitely delivered the goods. The chicken was tender and juicy with cheese oozing off the sides, and it seemed the whole group was satisfied after the feast. All the food that we consumed got us ready for the next coming hours at Yosemite National Park.

Once we arrived at the Yosemite National Park entrance sign, excitement filled the cabin of the van, and everyone was ready to stretch their legs for the next five days. We drove a little further and soon we were able to check into camp at Halfdome Village. We all quickly got to our tents, and got as much rest as possible as we anticipated what was in store for us during the week.

Landscape picture taken by Mist Trail

A great start to the week

Our guide, Kaleb Goff, teaching us all about nature.

Jessica and I woke up early Monday morning to retrieve some coffee before our first hike of the week. We then met the rest of the group at the visitor entrance of Halfdome Village. I was ecstatic about our guided hiking tour that Dale had prepared with Yosemite Conservancy for the group.  The hike was led by Kaleb Goff, a Yosemite Conservancy Naturalist, who you could tell had passion for storytelling and all things nature. Kaleb was very insightful and kept the class interested with every detail he had about the park. He talked about the “Leave No Trace” policy, which included seven guidelines to traveling parks without infringing on nature’s rights.

That’s right, nature has intrinsic rights. This is a concept that I always believed in, but the way Kaleb was able to explained it, the meaning became solid. Nature has rights and we should protect them. That was my biggest take away from the four-hour hike.

After the hike, my park partner Sam and I got our first interviews for our projects from Kaleb, and they were fantastic. We then decided to use the rest of our day to get to know each other, strategize our week and take b-roll as we decompressed from a great learning experience.

See ya' later Texas.

Days 1 and 2

By: J. Del Valle
jcd165@txstate.edu

The early bird gets the worm.

Woke up at 4 a.m.and arrived to Austin airport at 5:30 a.m. and realized I left my debit card in San Antonio. D'oh!

I learned that booking a flight to leave at 6 a.m. in Austin isn't the best time, because ATX airport is a mad house. Audrey and I were a bit nervous waiting in security checkpoint line because all three lanes were overflowing of people waiting to get pass security and we only had 20 minutes till our flight was going to start boarding. But good news we made it with five minutes till our flight started scanning tickets.

Arriving in the 559 (Fresno, California) 

Finally landed at 9:16 a.m.-let’s fast forward to 2.5 hours later and we finally made it to Yosemite National Park. My first impression of Yosemite Falls was this place is magical. Is this real life? I was in awe for a few moments.

Yosemite Falls by: J. Del Valle 

Once we arrived to Half Dome Village and waiting for the keys to our cabins we couldn’t help but take in the beautiful views that was surrounding us. Finally settled in our cabins our professors let us explore the grounds; my first route was walking through The Meadows by our camp site and couldn’t believe that I was finally at Yosemite National Park.

First night at Half Dome Village

After having my first experience in a community shower house I ended up in a stall where the hot water wasn’t running and took the coldest shower I have ever taken-my luck right-and the temperature dropped to 40 degrees that night. So, wet hair and cold night didn’t go well in the cabin I woke up at 3 a.m. to put a beanie on. But gladly to say I survived my first night camping our group woke up at 7 a.m. got dressed and headed to dining hall to get breakfast. 

First group activity: Nature hike with Kaleb from Yosemite Conservancy

Kaleb from Yosemite Conservancy
talking among the group by: J. Del Valle 

Our second day at Yosemite started off with a morning hike with Kaleb who is a season park ranger for National Park Service and volunteer for Yosemite Conservancy. He was kind enough to teach us some of Yosemite beautiful plants and trees. Some of the trails we hiked was John Muir trail, which is one of the popular trails at Yosemite. After our hike was able to grab lunch with the group and started our first day of assignments with our assigned partners. Kamryn and I walked to Yosemite Village which is mile away from our camp site, got to explore it by going to the wilderness center to get footage for our documentary. It started to rain for a brief moment and cleared up after 10 minutes. My first problem arose, while recording a interview for Kamryn my iPhone storage maxed out. So, I spend the rest of the day deleting unnecessary memory to free up space. Hopefully tomorrow goes smoother than today. 

Day 5: Final Full Day

Day 5

Final Full Day

By Kaylee Smith
kas294@txstate.edu

Best Snack: Rainbow Sherbert

Flights of Stairs Walked: 83

It's hard to believe it is our last full day in the park. When we arrived Sunday afternoon it felt like we had an endless amount of days ahead. Waking up this morning, we all had the same realization that our heads had been so down and focused on work that we hadn't allowed ourselves to explore the park at all.

Therefore, we designated the first half of the day to that and that alone. Half of the group went with Dale on the hour and a half drive to Glacier Point and the other half took on a hike in the valley.

This is where things got interesting. I decided to join the group doing the hike in the valley. You see, Texans love to underestimate the power of altitude. Feeling courageous, we decided to do the 3.4-mile hike to Upper Yosemite Falls. Easy, Right? Wrong.

When they say 3.4 miles they don't mean a nice hilly stroll. This was equivalent to walking 3.4 miles on a Stairmaster (oh, and don't forget about the elevation change). About 10 minutes into the hike we take a break to catch our breath. We began chatting with a fellow hiker wearing a Fit Bit who informed us we were only 0.3 miles into the hike. It is was in that moment we realized there was no way we would be able to this entire hike. Not only were we clearly out of shape but it was evident that this hike was about to take 7 hours round trip.

View from halfway point on Upper Yosemite Falls

Continuing to talk to fellow hikers, we learned there was a halfway point in the hike with some beautiful views. As a group, we decided to at least make it that far; to make all the sweat and heavy breathing worth it.

However, I can't say the entire group was optimistic. Allison Jones, coupled with her fear of heights, clung to every rock and tree branch she could find. However, once we made it to the halfway point, stopped, took a break and turned around, it was as if someone flipped a switch in Allison. She was conversing with every other hiker on the trail and cracking jokes.

At the bottom of the trail, I had the opportunity to stop and reflect for a moment on why we were here. For a week, Yosemite National Park was our classroom. We had the chance to apply what we learn every day in Old Main to the real world. Looking back on this experience, I wouldn't trade it for anything. We were given a glace at what a career in mass communication looks like outside of Texas State University.

We came into this trip overwhelmed and not knowing one another. We are leaving with pride in the work we have accomplished and as a close-knit family having been a part of this experience.