Howdy,
About camping, What if?—or, If only …
We’ve been exploring camping, and yesterday I said I’d mention more about our Fresno Dome hike. Our epic hike—that was idyllic in a lot of ways, though my wife may disagree with that.
Strongly disagree.
So, let’s have two “columns” in this post: idyllic and … not-so-idyllic—for our epic hike of Fresno Dome.
Under idyllic for the hike we can get in most of our other words from this series of camping posts: fascinating; outdoor; activity; expectations; anticipation (but not of relaxation); adventure; escape; junk food; experience; wilderness; epic.
Words under not-so-idyllic: not relaxation; not fictional—a fall would be quite real and harmful and deadly; not romantic (not to my wife); struggles; overcoming fear; “sweating hard for our escape and relaxation.”
Those have sort of been our words, but here’s more about the hike.
Idyllic:
A Saturday morning hike, after breakfast and percolated coffee … and gathering four families and all our combined kids, including our immediate family and our immediate three boys (as we worked hard not to be last and lagging and late and left behind—plus, I was on the fence about going with my bum-knee still somewhat recovering from my goofy infection at the beginning of July). Okay, so the gathering to go belongs below in the not-so-idyllic “column” but it’s just part of the deal and the wasn’t part of the hike, so I’ll leave it right here—since we did make it to the hike: success!
The drive from camp to the Fresno Dome trailhead was only like five or six miles (but took like 20-25 minutes). Elevation change from camp, including the drive and hike was approximately 5,500 to 7,500. You could taste the difference even at the trailhead, and the fresh smell become a noticeable difference in breathing once the hike was underway. The elevation increase is just something that is there, and you know it. It’s neat, and it can bring you to your knees. (Though our hike was not that dramatic—just a few heaving breaths that bring about the mental note: “I need to workout more when I get home,” but it’s okay because it’s the kind of noncommittal note you can forget in the runner’s high after a successful return. (At home, there are freezers. And in freezers, there’s ice cream.)
But let’s get a count of all those gathered happy campers unpiling out of three vehicles and off a dual sport dirt bike. (Tom, you totally should have taking the lead on that motorcycle to avoid the dust; we felt bad knowing you were getting dusted out on that bike.) So we had Tom and Mom; friends Jeremiah and Julie and their two girls and two boys; my brother Chris and his wife Bethany and their daughter; and Sarah and me and our three young sons. All the kids were young, I believe ages one to eight.
Speaking of eight, we had eight children and eight adults.
Not a bad ratio, once we did the math, but figuring it out came about more like this: we have eight kids on this hike! But at least we have quite a few adults to help with a hand to keep them on the path. Let’s see we have 2 … 4 … 6 … 8 adults. Wow, same number as climbing, clambering children. That doesn’t seem possible: eight and eight. One to one. Yep, got it covered.
We did that math when we got closer to the end of the first half of the hike: the climbing to the top. The climbing part. Climbing the rock to the top. Scrambling up the side with and without a path, going for the top, the top way up there.
But first the hike, and as I mentioned before a fascinating part about it to me (I had never done this hike before) was how the trek and elements of Fresno Dome struck me as such a microcosm of Half Dome and the hike to the top of that iconic adventurous achievement in the sky. Half Dome starting from the Mist Trail is about nine miles and Fresno Dome is only about one. But in that 9-to-1 if found much familiarity. Makes sense, the structures of the mountain and the paths and bald granite lids sharing foundational elements, but it stood out to me. From the start through a fairly level forest with a weaving path (as there is such a reprieve after the butt-kicking start up the mist-soaked, rock-cut “stairs” to Vernal Falls going to Half Dome) to some climbing through scattered rocks and trees to more of the base of the top where the sliding shale is super … shaly and takes some paying attention to not go surfing down the side of the mountain. Lost. The shale leads to more solid granite, the side of the dome, which is enticing for just going for it, for just climbing any which way, every which way, which is wonderful with eight kids. Eight kids on the side of a 7,500 foot high dome of rock in the mountains—while walking with your wife who may be wondering if what we are witnessing and working with is a wise way to go.
But we found more-or-less of a path again and worked our way up. One foot in front of another, a few Bible verses for focus mixed in.
At the top, it was beautiful. And we made the kids sit in one place. Then I took them around hand-in-hand for a little more exploring the range closer to the rim: not the actual rim, don’t worry—besides the boys weren’t pulling me toward the edge; they were pretty okay with leaning back against me and seeking reassurance before being all to excited to go any further with me. A striking experience up there. It’s great.
To be continued … (I’ve completed writing this 7-part series, but the last two parts grew to a combined 2,600 words, so Part 6 and Part 7 will each be scheduled with a Post A and a Post B. It looks like our 7-part series will have nine episodes: not perfect for the math people among us—but I threw them a bone with my talk of ratio above.)
—Billy
Reading. Writing. Living.
Word Count: 143,978 / On Pace: 152,350 / Year’s Goal: 200,000
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