Permitting

In order to backpack in Yosemite's back country one needs to have a permit. There are two ways to obtain these permits:

1. like a good person, apply early; or 
2. like the impromptu bum that I am, show up either the day of, or the day before and hope that they have open spots.

To be honest, showing up the day of is kind of a crap shoot because they could have handed out all the last minute permits the day before. Showing up the day before is kind of a pain in the butt because they won't give you a permit until 11, and (if you're a local) that's half your day lost driving up and back from the Park.

I, however, didn't realize that they had changed the day-before rule to be "after 11", so I had plotted my evil plans to get up early, get to the Park, get my permit, and head back for the race. Yes, if you're keeping track, I did this the day the Tour of California came through town.

I got up early and headed to Yosemite. I pulled into a permitting station at 8:15 am, to discover that they don't open until 8:30. With time to kill, I decided to head into the Valley. There's something about Yosemite Valley in the early hours of the morning—nature is the only thing awake. There is no traffic. No people. Nothing between you and the splendor. Two hours later, there is only traffic, people, and the splendor seems somehow cheapened.

No matter. I drove on towards the Valley. Then, I passed through the infamous Yosemite Tunnel which opens up into the most famous view of all of Yosemite: The Tunnel View (yeah, that's what the call it. Creative, eh?). I don't know why, but whenever I pass I feel compelled to stop and take a photo. In the early morning hours there is no light flooding the Park, and the shadows and fog make it somehow more mystical.  

I arrived at the Valley Wilderness Center at 9:15, walked in, and started chatting with a ranger about my plans. "Oh," she said, "tomorrow?" Then I learned that permits for tomorrow aren't given out until today at 11. I told her I had to be back in town by 1 and half pleaded for her to be lenient. She wasn't. Then, I asked if I could get the same permit a Wawona. Yup. Sure can. Wawona is an hour closer to town (allowing for traffic), so I got back in my car and headed out the way I came.

I got there at 10.

The ranger there, predictably at this point, wasn't going to help a sister out, either. Despite the fact that there was no line and no one clamoring for the permit I was after. I had to kill an hour, no two ways about it.

I wandered about on a little nature hike, but 20 minutes out realized that I had left my car unlocked. My car which was full of over a thousand dollars worth of backpacking equipment. I turned around. Then I had another 20 minutes to kill which I did by wandering around the visitors' center and, then, 5 minutes until the hour, I started begging the ranger to be a pal and start processing my permit early because I had somewhere to be.

As it turns out, begging (if done flirtatiously) will get a girl everywhere. Ranger Hard Ass started my permit 5 minutes before the hour. And, right at 11 he completed it. He printed it out and handed it to me, and I was on my way. Slowly heading back to town to watch the aforementioned bike race.