Day 9
Sunday August 23
Today, I decided to revisit a really tough hike to the top of Yosemite Falls. I did this years ago and it was gorgeous. Tough on the knees and back, but worth it.
I parked in the main visitor center lot and followed the signs.
Lower Yosemite Falls is a popular destination and there are plenty of signs pointing you in that direction. If you want to see the falls from above, it’s a bit of a walk just to the trailhead. From there it’s three and a half miles…up.
Most of the trail looks like this…
For long stretches it’s switchbacks, lots and lots of switchbacks. An added frill, four gnats decided they wanted to be my friend and escort me all the way up. Oddly, with my sunglasses on, they buzzed directly in front of me, occasionally taunting me by landing on my nose. The sunglasses up, they buzzed my ears.
The smoky valley below…
There’s stretch on the way up, where you’re actually hiking on a downslope. Great on the way upwards, not so much on the way back down the mountain. Near the bottom of the downslope is the best, wide open shot of Yosemite Falls. When I did this years ago, the water was prisming in full glory. This trip, not so much. That discolored area is where the water should be falling. A dry summer makes for a dry mountainside.
Time to keep heading…up. It’s not like it’s three and a half miles of stone stairs, they’re wildly uneven and make for careful footing. Going one way on the switchback and you see nothing but the big stone wall ahead. Funny how long it takes to even feel like you're making headway against it.
Once on the top, there’s a short trail out to an overlook, where you can see the water cascading over the falls, just not today. This really is the very top of the falls.
The overlook and the view...
At 3:30P, I decided I needed to start down. The trip down is just as precarious. Fortunately, the sun had just snuck behind the mountain. I’d be hiking down in the shade. This time the four gnats brought out their friends to escort me down. Based on the wild arm flailing of the other hikers, it wasn’t just me. There are no photos of the trip down. With the loose footing(I slipped a few times) I simply tucked the camera into my pack for safety.
In the end, it still took three hours for me to get back to the trailhead. I knew I wanted to get back to the car and call it a day. There were plenty of signs to Lower Yosemite Falls, just nothing else. So, I started walking in the general direction of the lot and somehow would up within the staff's residential community. Completely turned around and with the sky getting steadily darker, I flagged down a passing Park Service vehicle. They set me right and I drove out.
While the hike was still worth it, I was hurting by the time I drove out of the park. Considering breakfast was a banana and a Clif Bar, lunch was another Clif Bar, you’d think I’d be hungry. I just couldn’t face food. Yeah, I was that worn out. So, I did something I haven’t done in a very long time. Dinner was…a beer. I picked up a variety of local brews at the market up the street. Tonight’s selection, from Tioga Sequoia Brewing, Half Dome California Wheat. It hit the spot.
No comments:
Post a Comment