Returning to Bishop means returning to the Hostel California. Walking in here for the first time felt strangely like home; returning for the second time felt absolutely like home with nothing strange about it. There’s even a drink still in the fridge where I left it from last time.

As soon as I check in, I start catching up with familiar hikers from earlier. Rox is already here, he’s been a day ahead of me since Kearsage Pass. While we catch up about each of our weeks, we notice another hiker sitting outside the hostel. It takes a moment, but we realize it’s Trail Spice, by the time he gets in we’ve got a real reunion starting to happen.

Before long we have a group of 8 hikers around the hostel, catching up, sharing stories from the trail and discussing what comes next. A few of us head out to the local brewery, Mountain Rambler, for dinner and a beer. On the way there we bump into yet another familiar face on the street, Yotam. I’ve barely been here a few hours and I’m already surrounded by friends and familiar faces.

The next couple of days pass quickly. The rest is much needed, and so is all the good town food. Just as I’m beginning to get ready to head back to trail, Fortune Cookie has an idea for us. He’s been looking at permits for after he gets on trail to go camp in Yosemite, but mentions how complicated the process is. One thing leads to another and before we know it, we have a sidequest in front of us.

Rather than heading straight out to trail, Fortune Cookie has organized to rent a car and drive to Yosemite to visit Mariposa Grove where the giant sequoias live. Driving in and driving out makes it possible to visit without spending a night, bypassing the requirement for a wilderness permit. Splitting the cost among a group makes the whole adventure quite affordable. It’s an opportunity for a trip which we’re unlikely to get any other way, so Fortune Cookie, Star, Rox, Sarah and myself get organized for a road trip to Yosemite.