Sunset, Tuolomne Meadows

Late last night there was a terrific thunder and lightning storm, and all day today the sky offered fabulous displays. In the evenings we always make sure we are done with dinner and clean-up before the sun sets, and it's off to the meadow to watch the cloud show.

Tidying up before leaving camp is of primary importance; here in the mountains there is an ever-present chance of bears stealing your food, and there are very strict rules about storing anything edible or scented in a sealed metal bear-box that requires an opposable thumb to gain access. Each campsite has one of these containers bolted to the ground, and penalties for non-compliance are severe (not only might the bears break into and damage your vehicle and eat your food, there is a hefty fine involved). That said, we have never seen a bear, although there was evidence of one prowling the rest room and upending the trash container for four nights running. We see families of deer, marmots, chipmunks and ground squirrels, and the occasional coyote.