Yosemite Weekend
We spent Saturday & Sunday this past weekend in Yosemite National Park. I'll share some quick thoughts from the trip now and followup with pictures in coming days.
Saturday morning we got a leisurely start from our halfway perch in Merced (see previous blog). Being able to sleep in a bit without feeling too guilty is always part of the plan with these halfway stays. Plus, the drive up the lower Merced canyon toward the park was much nicer in the morning sunlight than in the dark of night. The weather was great so we had the top down as we cruised along the serpentine ribbon of roadway beneath mountains that were surprisingly green thanks to Spring snowmelt.
Saturday afternoon we experienced the downside of having gotten too leisurely of a start in the morning. We arrive in Yosemite Valley midday and there was no parking anywhere near the major sites. The lots were full and crawling with spot vultures. We circled the valley and decided to wait it out with picnic lunch at one of the lesser appreciated areas, where we did manage to find spots open. The great thing about Yosemite is that even the "lesser appreciated areas" are still amazing. We stood at the banks of the Merced River looking up at Bridalveil Fall pouring water 617' over the canyon wall about 1/2 mile away.
Saturday late afternoon the crowds had thinned just enough for us to find parking at Half Dome Village, where we had rented a tent cabin for the night. We hopped a shuttle bus to the base of the Mist Trail and hiked from there partway up to Vernal Falls.
Saturday evening we had been thinking about driving out to other sites in the valley for short walks but traffic was awful so we decided to walk some of the trails near Half Dome Village. We wound up in an area we'd never been to before on paths we didn't know existed. Serendipity!
Sunday morning we packed up and drove over to Hetch Hetchy, another big canyon on the northwestern side of the park. As the day warmed up the weather was brilliant- sunny, clear, and pleasantly warm. Wapama Falls, about 6 miles roundtrip from the trailhead, was pumping pretty hard with snowmelt so it was an amazing site. Along the way and back we passed several smaller, seasonal falls that were pretty to see, too.
Sunday afternoon we finished up our hike at Hetch Hetchy and began the drive back home. From the trailhead we took an alternate route back out to the highway, skirting along the ridge of the Tuolumne River canyon. This area burned in a wildfire in 2013 and is recovering. Grasses and brush have grown back swiftly, covering the hillsides with lush green that's an uncommon site in California, while mature trees will take decades to recover. This made the drive both eerie and beautiful at the same time.
Saturday morning we got a leisurely start from our halfway perch in Merced (see previous blog). Being able to sleep in a bit without feeling too guilty is always part of the plan with these halfway stays. Plus, the drive up the lower Merced canyon toward the park was much nicer in the morning sunlight than in the dark of night. The weather was great so we had the top down as we cruised along the serpentine ribbon of roadway beneath mountains that were surprisingly green thanks to Spring snowmelt.
Saturday afternoon we experienced the downside of having gotten too leisurely of a start in the morning. We arrive in Yosemite Valley midday and there was no parking anywhere near the major sites. The lots were full and crawling with spot vultures. We circled the valley and decided to wait it out with picnic lunch at one of the lesser appreciated areas, where we did manage to find spots open. The great thing about Yosemite is that even the "lesser appreciated areas" are still amazing. We stood at the banks of the Merced River looking up at Bridalveil Fall pouring water 617' over the canyon wall about 1/2 mile away.
Saturday late afternoon the crowds had thinned just enough for us to find parking at Half Dome Village, where we had rented a tent cabin for the night. We hopped a shuttle bus to the base of the Mist Trail and hiked from there partway up to Vernal Falls.
Saturday evening we had been thinking about driving out to other sites in the valley for short walks but traffic was awful so we decided to walk some of the trails near Half Dome Village. We wound up in an area we'd never been to before on paths we didn't know existed. Serendipity!
Sunday morning we packed up and drove over to Hetch Hetchy, another big canyon on the northwestern side of the park. As the day warmed up the weather was brilliant- sunny, clear, and pleasantly warm. Wapama Falls, about 6 miles roundtrip from the trailhead, was pumping pretty hard with snowmelt so it was an amazing site. Along the way and back we passed several smaller, seasonal falls that were pretty to see, too.
Sunday afternoon we finished up our hike at Hetch Hetchy and began the drive back home. From the trailhead we took an alternate route back out to the highway, skirting along the ridge of the Tuolumne River canyon. This area burned in a wildfire in 2013 and is recovering. Grasses and brush have grown back swiftly, covering the hillsides with lush green that's an uncommon site in California, while mature trees will take decades to recover. This made the drive both eerie and beautiful at the same time.