圈外閑人
Amazon專欄作家 http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Fu/e/B004Y218FQ
我說：
在文學城上看了夢娜湖（Mono Lake）的照片，一直想去看看那個魂飛夢繞的地方。於是我們做了計劃，從優勝美地的南門進入，再從東門出去，最後的目的地是夢娜湖。
我們的第一站是婚紗瀑布（Bridalveil Fall），這是一條很短的小徑，隻是瀑布水流飛濺，女兒的鞋子進了水，讓她羨煞了旁邊穿著拖鞋戲水的女孩。
我們來到了Olmsted Point，由於海拔很高，周圍都是冰雪，兒子與女兒興奮地打起了雪仗。站在高高的岩石上，俯視著由峭壁組成的Tenaya峽穀，以及峽穀中巍然聳立的半屏山，讓人感受到了氣吞山河的氣勢。回頭一看，一隻小鬆鼠悠閑地吃著，遠處是一線碧藍的Tenaya湖。
下一站是圖奧米草原（Tuolumne Meadows），好一片美麗的雪山草地。優勝美地的東門海拔9，995英尺，到處是冰天雪地的世界。
我們一路開下來，終於來到了目的地夢娜湖。酷日當頭，一望無際的沙漠，在華氏一百度的高溫下泛著白光，周圍一絲陰涼地也沒有。淺藍色的夢娜湖就在那遙遠的盡頭，我們驟然失去了走近她的鬥誌，在空調的夢娜湖中心消磨著剩餘的時光。
夢娜湖是一大失望，不過東門附近的優勝美地美若仙境，也算是不虛此行了吧。
兒子說：
Today is Friday, the 6th day of the vacation, also the last day we went to Yosemite. We went to Mono Lake as planned, a very long drive. Fortunately, the drive went mostly through Yosemite so we were treated to beautiful rock formations and waterfalls throughout. We had several stops before going to Mono Lake. First, we went to see the Bridalveil Fall. The fall was not as tall as the Yosemite Falls that we saw yesterday, but it was just as grand. The mist from the falls sprayed us from many feet away. We also stopped at Olmsted Point, a flat rock place that was a great safe vantage point to see the Tenaya Canyon and the distant Half Dome. Then, we drove off to Mono Lake. Mono Lake was a big beautiful lake. However, its specialty was mostly its qualities that could not be seen. The Mono Lake is 2.5 times as salty as the Pacific Ocean, has petrified springs throughout the lake, and its center island was actually an underwater volcano that was exposed after the lake shrunk. We then said good bye to Yosemite National Park.
女兒說：
Today I walked into riverbeds 5 times. Not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE TIMES. The first and second times were when we went to the Bridalveil Fall. This vista point supposedly shows a view of the waterfall.
On the way there, a creek flowed across the path. It wasn’t just a teeny tiny bit of the path. It flowed across a whole portion of the path, so at one point, everyone would have to step into it. The stream, though, was very shallow. Nonetheless, I still got my shoes wet going there and coming back.
When we got there, the first thing that I noticed was the mist. The mist completely blocked the waterfall. I could only see the top of it.
The third and fourth and fifth time was when we went to Olmstead point. From there, we could see Half-dome, but it looked like something much different from the famed dome that had been sliced in half by glaciers.
To get to another vista point, we had to walk along a trail that went over snow and stone. I slid more than once. On some of the path, a creek ran through it. I stepped in it twice, once going there and once coming back.
The fifth time I stepped into another river was when I stepped into a creek coming back. I only stepped in it once, because it was off the path and I just wanted to step into it once.
Oh, yeah, we also looked at Mono Lake. It may be an ecological marvel, but it’s also another long and tiring hike for hikers, or frustrations that the hike takes so long.
So, now my shoes are wet, my socks are wet, my feet are wet, and my toes are SOAKED! What a water-soaked day.
婚紗瀑布（Bridalveil Fall）
看見那圈彩虹嗎？
從不同角度看半屏丘（Half Dome）
Olmsted Point
Tenaya湖
Tenaya峽穀
圖奧米草原（Tuolumne Meadows）
夢娜湖（Mono Lake）
七月去的，因為很高，所以有雪。
五哥好！
很漂亮。
問好。
:)