Mirror Lake on Bikes

          With full stomachs we pointed our cruisers toward Mirror Lake and began pedaling.  We didn’t get very far, because once I noticed the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Village, I had to stop.  My usual browsing technique in this sort of place is to locate a piece that is not too expensive and not too large (for easy transport home).  I located a stack of unsigned, matted reproductions and began flipping through them, placing the ones I thought were the most beautiful in front. I had placed about ten in my review area, and after throwing out the ones I didn’t want to own, I had narrowed down to images of Half Dome and Mirror Lake. I made my purchase as I left the building, asking the man to hold it for me until I wasn’t touring the park on a bicycle, and now, I wanted to go and see Mirror Lake in person.

           We rode through the shade of the towering Sequoias, over the bridge near The Awhwanee, passed the North Pines backpacker’s camp, and onward in the direction of Mirror Lake, parking our bicycles when they were no longer allowed on the trail.  The bike rack was situated next to a crackling stream, and we began our hike on the paved trail toward the lake. By now it was fairly crowded, and kids were hooting and hollering as they waded in the cool water or climbed on the rocks that were positioned around and through the natural pools that flowed there.  My goal was to obtain a comparison photo of my new purchase, Mirror Lake and Mount Watkins, which was taken in 1935.

 I wasn’t extremely happy with my depiction, but thought I had made a good effort, keeping in mind my current philosophy: enjoy the place and have a lovely memory rather than waste a lot of time trying to get the perfect photo. 
          By now my leg was begging for a rest, and so we reluctantly worked our way back to the hotel.  Once inside, we realized there was a tour of the hotel we could attend, so we both got cleaned up, and went on the tour, where we learned a lot about The Ahwahnee, Steven Mather, and the history of our National Parks. The tour took about an hour and was an enjoyable break from the heat during midday.  After that, we stopped at the restaurant and devoured a late lunch just before the kitchen was closing, scoring what the hostess said was, “The best table in the room.”  The table was situated next to a massive picture window that faced what I believe was El Capitan, and was absolutely breathtaking, but try as I might, I could not capture its beauty. I did, however, get a decent pic of the dining room from the vantage point where all the actors sit during their Christmas dinner.