TIFO

Bob introduced me to a new term: TIFO. It means “try it and find out.” He provided a usage example…

Your three-year-old asks what will happen if she puts her finger in the electrical outlet. You reply, “You will get a painful shock, but if you don’t believe me, try it and find out.” TIFO is a way to learn about the world through your own experience. But the results might not be pleasant.

Bob has been struck with inspiration. He has discovered a route to Tuolomne Meadows that will avoid some of the pointless ups and downs (PUDS) present on this leg of our hike. There is a series of trails through the Hoover Wilderness that will also lead us to the Yosemite Valley.

He has maps. I remain skeptical. He contends that these new trails never dip below 8500 feet in elevation. He shows me a popular hiking destination along the route. Eventually, Bob wins me over. It will be an adventure. I was under the impression that this hike already was an adventure. I guess we are gonna take it to a new level.

Morning Hike

The skies are clear this morning. And there are several meadows along the trail.

I can’t look at one of these meadows without thinking about that evening along the trail in Washington four years ago when a herd of about 20 elk glided gracefully by me as I lay in my sleeping bag no more than 20 yards away. The elk had come down from the mountain and were gathering in the meadow.

Our first water stop is the West Fork Walker River. The water is flowing strong. So strong, in fact, that the water has cut groovers like water flumes in the granite. How many thousand years did this take?

Over the river is a damaged bridge. I wouldn’t ride a horse over it, but I believe it will hold a person. I make it across fine. So does Bob.

For my more literate readers, the broken bridge is a kind turns out later to have been a foreshadowing of the day.

When A Map Is Not

On the other side of the bridge, the trail splits. The PCT goes right and the West Fork Walker River Trail goes left. We leave the PCT. This trail is less travelled, but horses have walked it recently, so I follow the hoof prints. But the trail goes on longer than Bob thinks it should. His map shows that other trails intersect with this one. The trail signs are missing or broken. He asks me what the app on my phone says.

This is a pivotal moment. I showed Bob this app called Gaia last night. It uses GPS to show one’s position and orientation on the map of your area. Gaia showed our new trail and our location. Bob declared, “That’s cheating!” I put my phone away. I guess a GPS-based map is incompatible with “adventure.”

Now today Bob asks me to look at Gaia. For the record I let him know that he cheated first. We should have cheated more often. You see, we learned the hard way that Bob’s maps were out of date. When I checked the app, I learned we had been walking down the wrong trail for half a mile!

Bob says, “It’s not a real adventure if you don’t get lost at least once.” OK, this is officially an adventure.

This trail is lightly traveled. In fact, we lose the trail completely three times. How do we find it? Gaia. Bob admits that the app has been helpful.

What might also have been helpful are some elevation profiles of the trail. Topographical maps indicate roughly the steepness of a trail by how close the contour lines are and how often a trail crosses those lines. Bob doesn’t think this trail looks that bad on the map.

He is wrong.

This trail turns out to be brutally steep and difficult to navigate. It is washed out and rocky. By 2pm I am physically and mentally exhausted. For the first time in all our days together, Bob takes the lead. I follow like a chained zombie.

The top of the climb produced no emotion in me. The trail is invisible to my eyes.

We are finally going down. The canyon has a rugged beauty, so I am told.

Soft Landing

It’s 4;30 when we reach the intersection of our next non-PCT trail. There is a stream nearby. We sit and eat a snack. Bob is asking me not to murder him in his sleep. Not really. But he feels bad for how the hike turned out today. He is convinced that the tough hike was good training for the steep passes to come. I hope he is right.

Bob suggests we camp at the first available site. I don’t disagree. Within ten minutes we find one.

Bob still thinks we can make Tuolomne Meadows on time in 3 days. I still trust him, but tomorrow’s hike has many of the same uncertainties.

August 30, 2025

Miles hiked today? I have no idea.