Welcome to Wild!

It’s 6 AM and still dark on the campus of Santa Clara University. A handful of students sprawl out on a mound of backpacks in front of the Mission Church. Picture a bunch of bullfrogs sitting around a pond croaking, but instead of frogs it’s students and instead of croaking they’re yawning. No talking, just yawning. Why so early? This adventurous group of college puke has decided to take on Yosemite for the weekend, with the Into The Wild outdoor club. The leaders wrangle up the remaining stragglers and the troop is off before the sunlight has penetrated the Silicon Valley.

Four hours later, Matt drums on the steering wheel to the beat of a soulful John Mayer number as the car rounds the bend into Yosemite Valley. Massive granite walls loom above, El Capitan and Half Dome strike a numb feeling of humility into our hearts, we are in awe of the majesty.

By mid-day the clan has meandered up to a lookout above the valley. Some hang out on big boulders and soak in the view while eating a frightening amount of dried mangoes. Others watch as a slack-liner traverses a gap with a 1000 foot drop. They pass the time finding all sorts of new ways to say “Holy shit I could never do that.” The sun is powerful. The sky is clear. There are no cars, no buildings and no grades.

It’s 9 PM and the ranger will come around soon to tell us to be quiet. The campfire is roaring and half the group tries to make sense of the dutch oven. That night, in the tents, nobody realizes that they will have to go right back to school in two days. For now, everyone rests in a blissful escape with nothing but crisp mountain air to breathe.