Less Bear; More Brrrrr

We wandered around Yosemite yesterday, the park is a lot less busy in October than it was in May. Grabbed some lunch fixings from the village store and had lunch at the trailer before leaving Missy and heading for a hike along the first part of the Mist Trail.

"Moderate-to-strenuous": boy they weren't kidding. In my city-boy shoes and pants and flatlander leg muscles, I barely got to the bridge before saying "uncle" and having us turn around. Next time I'll come loaded for bear with better hiking gear and apparel. I was considering mugging a fellow traveler for their hiking pole.

Mr (or Ms) Bear made another appearance last night, even came up to our campsite, but we were comfortably in the trailer and didn't even suspect we had a visitor. Next-camp-neighbors saw the bear walk by the river and told us about it. For a big animal, they sure are sneaky.

The LP tank breathed its last sigh of propane last night leaving us without a LP refrigerator, heater or a stove. We knew it was getting low, but figured as little as we used propane, we could squeak by this trip without a refill. Almost did, too.

We broke out the portable, backup camping stove and warmed a can of soup for dinner, then later in the evening, rather than risk bear mauling outside, used the open flame of the camp stove to toast marshmallows for smores.

We discovered on waking up this morning that the refrigerator really keeps the trailer nice and toasty. Usually, we wake up to a comfortable temperature, I tend to start sleeping in layers and by the next morning, have shucked my socks and at least my sweater; but this morning without the LP refrigerator running and dumping waste heat in the t@b, we were freezing. Thank god we had the dog to keep our feet warm.