Yosemite

Managed to get out to Yosemite this week for 3 days - it was my first time to visit the Park. Johnny and I spent time in Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, Glacier Point, and Mariposa Grove. We didn't make it to Tuolumne Meadows and we weren't camping or doing any strenuous, day-long hikes. The whole area was jam packed with tourists - it seemed at times like most were from other countries. It was also probably one of the hottest times of year to go to the Park. Click here to see all my photos of the trip.

The first day we headed straight for the valley and tried to familiarize ourselves with the area. There wasn't much time so we grabbed a trail map and headed for Vernal Fall. It was sometimes a steep climb but worth the effort. We found a rock under the fall and relaxed for an hour before heading back down.



That evening we rushed to Glacier Point to get a fantastic view of the valley at dusk.



On day 2 we went to Hetch Hetchy - the reservoir that provides drinking water for San Francisco. It has its own valley that is nearly as beautiful as Yosemite Valley. But it was even hotter and dryer. Plus the trail we took was mostly along the banks of the reservoir and exposed to the sun, making the walk back pretty miserable. We were trying to find Tueeulala and Wapama Falls. As far as we could tell, Tueeulala was completely dry and Wapama was only a trickle of water. Kind of disappointing but not a total bust.



Parched and worn out, we headed for the Merced River in Yosemite Valley - to an area where we had seen people swimming the day before. We relaxed on a rock and took a brief swim that was cut short by a snake attack. No one was hurt, but when I saw the thing swimming about a foot away from Johnny I shouted a warning and scurried out of the water onto a rock. Johnny froze. The snake shrugged - if that is possible - and swam away.



We dried off and consumed wine, cheese and bread under El Capitan. Took a little walk to see Bridalveil Fall and headed back to the hotel.



On the last day we drove to Wawona - which struck me as sort of the country club of Yosemite, including a 9 hole golf course. We checked out a restaurant, but the food seemed pricey and there was a tour bus of foreigners ahead of us. So instead we ate hot dogs and drank Guinness at the golf shop. Then we went on to nearby Mariposa Grove to see some giant sequoias before heading back to SF.