California Trip Part 2

The next leg of our trip was Yosemite National Park located high in the Sierra Nevada range.
Us with Yosemite Valley in the background. El Capitan on the left, Half dome way back there in the center, and Bridal Veil Falls on the right.

Laura and I played in the boulders.

Half Dome from Glacier point.

Me with a fallen Sequoia.

Half Dome from Glacier point.

We stayed in Housekeeping camp, which is located in the middle of the valley. It turned out to be a great place to stay, within easy access to all the park’s trails and waterfalls. You got a little unit which was three cinderblock walls, a curtain for the fourth wall, a bed, a patio with a table, a fire ring, and a bear box. There were shared bathrooms and showers.

Laura eating strawberry smores.

A view of Yosemite Falls and our camp (the little white specks in the river bend) from Glacier point.

We hiked up the mist trail early Wednesday morning. It was about 5 miles out and back with a 1000 ft elevation gain and it went right past Vernal Falls. Vernal Falls is the Merced river plunging 317ft over a granite cliff. It is a spectacular sight and I recommend this hike to anyone who is going to Yosemite, but be warned that it is named the mist trail for a reason. You hike up a staircase carved in the cliff just opposite of the falls and get soaked from the mist from the waterfall. It is actually really fun.

A rainbow followed us on our decent.

We drove out of the park on Tioga road, a mountain pass through the Sierra Nevadas. The top of the pass was just under 10,000 ft and covered with snow.

Tenaya Lake

Laura playing in the snow.