Yosemite 2021

Tunnel View with our whole crew

This was the 2nd time I have been to Yosemite and the magic is still there. Arriving in the fall brought cool temperatures and a much less crowded park. I scheduled myself somewhat poorly with work so we drove up into the park in the dark. We stayed at a lovely place in Wawona right inside the park itself. But the park is huge and each day we drove about 1 hour to the Valley as well as some other hikes. Arriving in the fall made things feel much less hectic and free from traffic. I would certainly go back again after the summer rush subsides.

Day 1: Valley, Vernal Falls

Our group split in two, the dog group with Scott, Maggie, Obie, and Rishab and the Falls group with the rest of us. We took 2 cars down to the Valley and parted ways. The fall colors were out in force and our hike had the cool crisp air. We ascended into the mist and climbed the stairs toward Vernal Falls. Elise and I had done this hike on our last trip here but this time the number of people was far fewer. The hike was more enjoyable as I hit a rhythm up the steep stone steps.

Vernal Falls

We ascended all the way up to the top and eventually above the falls where we had a nice lunch on a flat granite slap. We ate next to nature’s water slide as the river rushed past us and over the falls. Several signs warned of impending doom if you were to go swimming here. The freezing water might get you or slipping over the falls would surely bring a quick demise. Needless to say, we didn’t go into the water.

Lunch

On the return back to the trail head, we went along a small section of the John Muir trail. The JMT was the reason we went to visit Yosemite the first time around because some of our friends hiked the trail in its entirety. So this time we got to say “we hiked the JMT”… just not very much of it. The whole hike reached over 10K and my legs were tired out by the end.

We returned to the main valley loop to meet back up with the dog crew and I took a long sit! My legs aren’t conditioned to hiking, only to spinning in circles on the bike.

Day 2: Mariposa Grove, Valley

Nearby our cabin and the south entrance to the park is a grove of Sequoia trees. We drove a short ways to the trailhead and went on a hike to find them. Far less strenuous and no stone steps on this one, just a nice trail through the forest to find these ancient trees.

Massive, no banana for scale

The tunnel tree

It takes more than us to hug this tree

The scale of these tress isn’t something easily (or at all) capturable in a photo. Their enormity can only be experienced there, at the base of the ancient guardian. Recent fires in Sequoia National Park make the scarcity and majesty of these trees all the more relevant. These trees have lived for centuries and will continue to preside over the forest for centuries more as long as we don’t completely destroy the environment by then.

The valley village in its autumn outfit

Walking through Yosemite Village was very transporting. I felt like I was on some east coast college campus and finals were surely right around the corner. Luckily, I had no studying to do and I could simply appreciate the ambiance. We had to stop once more by the village store to pick up some supplies before we made our way back out to Wawona.

Yosemite Falls

On our way out, we stopped by the valley floor beneath El Capitan, to search for climbers on the wall. We ended up seeing quite a few groups high up on the granite, making their way to the summit. Some appeared to be still climbing while others were on their camping ledges. Luckily, we had 1 pair of binoculars in our group which made observing much more exciting.

Our attention was mostly on the wall but just across the road we also saw a brown bear. Rather than react and move away from the area, many other visitors ran toward the bear, hoping to get the best photo I am sure. It seemed small enough to be a cub but we didn’t see mom anywhere nearby.

El Capitan makes even the mightest group look small

Yosemite is a magical place. I kept thinking about what it must have felt like as an early Pioneer crossing through the mountains and coming across this amazing place. I appreciate the foresight to protect this area because surely people would understand the value of this real-estate. Cliff side dwellings, fences, and private property would be abundant. This land should be seen in its mostly natural state and appreciated for its uniqueness.

What a privilege it is to live in California and get to visit somewhere like this.