Last Leg

Yeah, we got out of Portland a little late, but got out none the less. After so long of sitting in one place, it felt pretty good to just move. We drove east, along the lovely Columbia River, and just before turning south, we split north across a bridge and tagged Washington for our first times. Five minutes later, we were back in Oregon, moving south. We drove past Smith Rocks, a famous climbing area, waving as we went. I'll get back there sometime. And we ended the driving day trying to find out way through a dark thick snowstorm. We didn't want to have to set up the tent, so I figured I'd drive until there wasn't snow, and until I could see the sky again. That happened just north of the California border, and we pulled off and fell asleep under the stars. Then, in the middle of the night, we both woke up to fat wet snowflakes on our faces! In late April! Preposterous.

The next day, we just kept driving, putting down maybe the most miles in a day that we've done since Kansas. (I might have been a touch excited about the next destination.) That night, we slept right outside Yosemite, and I woke up to a beautiful morning and a strong feeling that our trip was almost over. As the sky changed from dark stained glass to airy soft blue, I pondered the process, how we'd gotten to this point, and what would happen next, and felt an overwhelming notion that everything is in it's place, playing out just like it's supposed to.

We went into Yosemite Valley, and Chelsea oogled all the gorgeous rock for the first time, while I oogled some of it like it was new, and some with the feeling of returning to some old friends. The Valley is an amazing place, just a few fruit trees short of most depictions of the Garden of Eden, when you look at it from above. We're hanging out with Ashley here, who we met in Joshua Tree earlier on the trip, and her boyfriend Alex, and just enjoying the area.

A final note: This trip, our trip, is scheduled to end one week from today.

Portland Wrap-Up

We came into Portland thinking we'd stay one night, maaaaaaybe two. I think it's been five now, and we just made an elaborate crepe brunch, it's 1pm, and we're still claiming that we're leaving today, "this morning" is what we say. We've been staying with Brady and Ian, who've been great hosts. While hanging out with them, we've gone to a killer dance party, met a lot of their great friends (including Tristan, Abe, Rose, and Wes, to name a few), went climbing at the local gym, watched an exciting Blazers basketball game (mostly exciting because of the amount of yelling coming from the couch-section), and eaten some darn good Vietnamese food. And while they were busy with their own lives, we got to enjoy the Outdoor Market, and Powell's City of Books (a used bookstore the size of a city block!!!)

It's been a really great time, and we've felt very welcomed and comfortable here, but, alas, the time has come. Today, the first day of real rain, we will slowly pack up, and start to head south again. The end of the trip is in sight, as Chelsea will meet up with Jordan near San Jose May 8th to head home. It seems so close!

Our last real stop will be Yosemite, where we will meet up with some friends we made in Joshua Tree a few weeks ago. I love Yosemite, and Chelsea's never been there, and we'll have a great crew to hang with, so it should be a blast. And after 3 months of hardly touching rock, I'm starting to get real fired up about the idea of granite. So, goodbye, Portland, and awesome Portland friends. Hello, Yosemite Valley, and new Yosemite friends (as well as old J-Tree friends).