When Patrick and I first started dating back in 2004 we both were avid outdoors recreational kind of people. Our first date was a hiking trip to try to reach the Mount Lowe hotel ruins. We overshot the destination point by four miles. So our hiking date ended up being 11 miles, instead of 5. Whoops. Anyway, farther down the line we ended up camping together for the first time in June of 2004. We went to Yosemite the day after getting mugged at Berkeley.
Since then Patrick and I had been back to Yosemite every year for Labor Day weekend. For me, this year will be the fifth time going back (I actually went with a few friends in August of 2003 after my skydiving adventure). It has been a sort of traditional between me, Patrick and our friends. Every year we have a few people that come back, but every year we also have new friends that join us. There hasn't been a time, despite my cranky behavior, that I didn't enjoy being at Yosemite for a few days, void of any sort of real communication. For me, I love the fact that cell phone reception is essentially non-existent.
In 2004 it was just me and Patrick. The following year it was Tho, Patrick, The (Tho's sister), Daniel, Matt, and me. The year after that, in 2006 we had enlarged the camp site to two and had Tho, Patrick, Matt, Kimmy, Delia, Kelly, Patrick and me. Last year, we had Tho, Bruce, Chris, Brian, Patrick, Delia, Kelly, Kathy, Will, Patrick and me go to Yosemite. For the past four years we had camped at Crane Flats. Unfortunately, because of my laziness and such, I forgot to make reservations at our usual place. So for 2008 Patrick ended up reserving three campsite at Hodgdon Meadows, which is why I had a random post with a Google Earth image. It's much closer to the western entrance of the park, and much much closer to Hetch Hetchy Dam and Tuolumne Meadows.
Despite the hectic planning, travel arrangements and providing directions each year I feel that there is nothing better than sitting around the campfire, eating, drinking, and being obnoxious. Letting go of the real world and submerging myself into a group of friends that enjoy these moments every bit as much as I do is the best feeling in the world. The only irritating thing is by the time we are done with our trip, the group always ends up with an excess amount of beer, and none of us want to take it home.
Since then Patrick and I had been back to Yosemite every year for Labor Day weekend. For me, this year will be the fifth time going back (I actually went with a few friends in August of 2003 after my skydiving adventure). It has been a sort of traditional between me, Patrick and our friends. Every year we have a few people that come back, but every year we also have new friends that join us. There hasn't been a time, despite my cranky behavior, that I didn't enjoy being at Yosemite for a few days, void of any sort of real communication. For me, I love the fact that cell phone reception is essentially non-existent.
In 2004 it was just me and Patrick. The following year it was Tho, Patrick, The (Tho's sister), Daniel, Matt, and me. The year after that, in 2006 we had enlarged the camp site to two and had Tho, Patrick, Matt, Kimmy, Delia, Kelly, Patrick and me. Last year, we had Tho, Bruce, Chris, Brian, Patrick, Delia, Kelly, Kathy, Will, Patrick and me go to Yosemite. For the past four years we had camped at Crane Flats. Unfortunately, because of my laziness and such, I forgot to make reservations at our usual place. So for 2008 Patrick ended up reserving three campsite at Hodgdon Meadows, which is why I had a random post with a Google Earth image. It's much closer to the western entrance of the park, and much much closer to Hetch Hetchy Dam and Tuolumne Meadows.
Despite the hectic planning, travel arrangements and providing directions each year I feel that there is nothing better than sitting around the campfire, eating, drinking, and being obnoxious. Letting go of the real world and submerging myself into a group of friends that enjoy these moments every bit as much as I do is the best feeling in the world. The only irritating thing is by the time we are done with our trip, the group always ends up with an excess amount of beer, and none of us want to take it home.
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