THE
VALLEY
On
our second day in the park, we bravely ventured into Yosemite Valley. We don’t like crowds, and Yosemite Valley is
the most popular part of one of the most popular National Parks in the country. On the other hand, Yosemite Valley features world-famous
scenery. Skipping it entirely would’ve
been a crime.
We
had an ambitious plan for our one day in the valley. Originally, I planned an elaborate hike with
some complicated logistics. Christy and
I would start our hike at Happy Isles, which is where the John Muir Trail
starts. We would hike together up the
Mist Trail past Vernal Falls and Nevada Fall on the Merced River. From there, we would continue up the Panorama
Trail to Glacier Point. Christy would
hang out there, while I hiked back down to the valley on the Four Mile
Trail. I’d get the car and drive back up
to Glacier Point to pick up Christy.
It
was a good plan, but Christy decided that she wasn’t ready for the full hike
from Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point.
Instead, from the base of Nevada Fall she would take a connector trail up
to the John Muir Trail, and follow the John Muir Trail back down to Happy
Isles. Then she would drive to Glacier
Point and pick me up.
In
hindsight, it’s good that we changed plans.
The hike to Glacier Point took a lot longer than I expected. That wasn’t due to the difficulty; rather, it
was because I spent so much time enjoying the scenery and taking photos.
We
got up at first light, ate breakfast, and stopped at the Tuolumne Meadows
ranger station to pick up a permit for a backpacking trip that would start the
next day. Then we did the long drive
from Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley.
We still arrived a little ahead of the crowds. We got one of the last spots in a dirt
parking lot near Happy Isles. I’m pretty
sure it was the same lot where we parked when we hiked the John Muir Trail in
2008.
Despite
the early start, it was mid-morning before we reached the beginning of the Mist
Trail at Happy Isles. The area was
swarming with people. We joined the herd
on the paved trail that climbs steeply along the Merced River. That initial stretch of trail passed above
some powerful cascades and small waterfalls.
As we climbed, views of the canyon walls opened up beyond us. This stretch also provided a brief view of Illilouette Falls high up in a side canyon.
The
pavement ended, the trail narrowed, and the crowd of hikers turned into a conga
line. The volume of people was obnoxious,
but at least there was some entertainment.
One overweight fellow was complaining to his family before we left sight
of the trailhead. I was afraid he might
have a heart attack. I don’t know how
far he made it.
The
Mist Trail took us right past the base of might Vernal Falls. Usually water levels drop by late July, but
the previous winter featured an unusually large amount of snow. As a result, the streams were running strong
long after they usually begin to dry up.
Vernal Falls was raging. The Mist
Trail lived up to its name, as we got a good soaking as we passed near the base
of the falls. Photography was basically
impossible due to the crowded trail and the spray. The moisture also made the trail
hazardous. This stretch is basically a
stone staircase, which was slick from all of the spray. I was glad that we were doing this stretch of
trail uphill. Between the slippery
footing and crowded trail, trying to do this downhill would be awful.
We
climbed to the brink of Vernal Falls, stopping a couple of times along the way
to take photos of the profile view of the waterfall. It was a bright sunny day, which created a
spectacular waterfall at the base of the falls.
From
there, we hiked upstream to the lovely but turbulent Emerald Pool at the base
of a long, sliding cascade, the Silver Apron.
The Emerald Pool is a short distance upstream from the brink of Vernal
Falls, and swimming is strictly prohibited.
We had lunch there before resuming the hike. We crossed a bridge over the Merced River at
the top of the Silver Apron. From there,
it was a short hike to the base of might Nevada Fall. The trail leads right to a great view of
falls a short distance downstream from the base. Surprisingly, this area wasn’t horribly
crowded.
Christy
and I hung out there for a bit. Then I
continued on, while Christy backtracked a bit to pick up the connecting trail
up to the John Muir Trail. I followed
the Mist Trail up switchbacks alongside the falls. This stretch offered great profile views of Nevada
Falls and spectacular vistas back down the valley.
More
great views waited for me at the top. Various
overlooks offer views of Yosemite Valley and top-down looks at Nevada
Fall. Just upstream from the brink are
some sandy pools. They attracted quite a
crowd, and I joined them to soak my feet in the icy water.
I
crossed the bridge over the Merced River and followed the John Muir Trail a short
distance to a junction with the Panorama Trail.
This trail offered a very different experience from the Mist Trail. Despite the spectacular scenery, I only saw a
few groups of people on my journey up to Glacier Point.
A
stout climb led to a bench above a long line of cliffs. The trail bypasses those cliffs, so I
explored off-trail down the slope. After
a few minutes I reached the brink of a cliff with a spectacular view across
Yosemite Valley to Half Dome, with Nevada Fall roaring below. I returned to the trail, which offered up
even more views. Some of the best were
of Yosemite Falls, which plunges over the escarpment on the far side of the
valley.
At
the corner leading into Illilouette Canyon I explored
off the trail once again. This time I
worked my way out to Panorama Point. The
Panorama Trail used to include Panorama Point, but it was rerouted away from
the cliffs some years ago. This overlook
provided some bonus views before I began the descent to Illilouette
Creek.
I
explored off-trail once again, in hopes of gaining a good view of the top of Illilouette Falls. I
quickly realized that the only good views would be from the other side of the
canyon. I returned to the trail, crossed
Illilouette Creek on a bridge, and took a short spur
trail to an overlook of Illilouette Falls. Although I was looking down on the falls, it
was still a great view. Getting to the
base would probably require rappelling, or a killer hike up Illilouette
Creek from Yosemite Valley.
From
there, I had one last steady climb up to Glacier Point. Near the top I was treated to many
spectacular views of Yosemite Valley.
The best featured Half Dome, Vernal Falls, and Nevada Fall. I could even see Happy Isles, where I started
my hike, far below.
I
found Christy at one of the Glacier Point overlooks. We drove back down to Yosemite Valley and
made a stop at the Tunnel Viewpoint for the classic view of the valley and
Bridal Veil Falls. We drove by the base
of El Capitan before heading back up the mountain on Tioga Road. We reached Tenaya Lake just in time for
sunset, and returned to our campsite well after dark. We finished off our day with a very late
dinner and cold beverages.
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