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.

Water Coloring and Star Gazing

Day: 4

Steps Taken: 16,254

Location: Yosemite National Park

Fun Fact: I am a terrible artist

My crappy painting of a leaf
Photo by Michael Garcia

And I ran, I ran so far away...
Today started off early. Gabby and I wasted no time in picking ourselves back up from a rough Tuesday. We headed to the Visitor's Center to start on my story on Junior Park Rangers around 0945. We got a tip that they meet in front of the Visitor's Center from a worker named Silvie. However, Silvie was wrong. We needed to be at the Nature Center, which was located on the opposite side. Gabby, Ashley and I rushed on over. We were roughly 30 min late. We found ourselves in a familiar situation. We began to look for the group in the Happy trail.

Everyone's an artist if it's Expressionism 
The gang met around 1300 for a nature journaling class, where we already happened to be at. We met with Dale, who was geeking over the fact that he saw a bear. We met with Lora Spielman, who was our instructor for the class. It was surprisingly therapeutic. I never sat for a long period while staring at nature. We even painted. Still a don't got it. After, I interviewed Lora for Jessica's class.

I just kept running
In order to make another Junior Park Ranger meeting, I had to run back to the Visitor's Center. I have lost some weight due to this trip. It was rather challenging having to film someone else's child while being a male, especially when you are as awkward as myself. I still couldn't land an interview. However, it wasn't a total waste of a day. I was able to interview the intern who ran the class earlier.

The Stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of California
We got a chance to star gaze around 2100. I realized that I love stars. The whole day was just what I needed, a chance to just sit for a moment. The whole trip has been us on the move. It was nice to slow down for a change. Looking up gave me a chance to be a kid and let my mind wander.

Tomorrow is the last day to get everything done. The pressure is on. But, I am use to this. This feeling of stress is what I call home.