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| Half Dome from the Yosemite Valley |
21 years ago this summer I experienced my first National Park. After my high school graduation we packed up the mini van, filled the ice chest with carrot sticks and Cokes and headed up north. That summer, with the three of us kids piled into the van, plugged into our Walkmans, we headed thru Kansas and Nebraska into the Badlands of South Dakota (where we nearly ran out of gas) to Mount Rushmore…the first stop on our way to Yellowstone.
Mt. Rushmore was certainly a sight to behold. They had just
started the plans for the large sculpture of Crazy Horse (which is still under
construction). I was thrilled to finally see the ginormous head of my favorite
president, Teddy Roosevelt. As a kid I
always loved the stories of his Rough Rider days and his adventurous spirit. It
was that spirit, and a keen respect for nature, that led him to set up the National
Parks service and establish the first National Parks during his presidency.
Here we are, 100 years later, still enjoying the fruits of his foresight.
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| Yosemite Falls |
The drive from Fresno (apprx 3 hours) winds you through
small towns and groves upon groves of almond and fruit trees. (FYI – From my
experience, Fresno is a great place to get a cheap hotel while visiting Either
Yosemite or Sequoia…but not a place known for its fine dining or tourism
industry.) Be sure to bring cash as you’ll most likely want to stop at some of
the local fruit stands along the way. You begin to piece together the history
of the area through the names of the small towns you pass: Chinese Camp, Fish
Camp, etc. harken back to the age of the great race to finish the Pan American
railway.
Coming thru the southern gate of Yosemite you have about a 30 minute
drive amongst the redwoods before you pass through the tunnel blasted though
the granite mountains. Just about the time your eyes have adjusted to the dark
you come out the other side. As you hit the light you can’t help but gasp.
There laid out in full glory is the Yosemite Valley and straight ahead Half
Dome. The park service has done a marvelous job expecting visitors will want to
stop and take in this promontory point. So they’ve made it easy with a couple
of parking lots. IF you miss it coming into the park, don’t fret, you’ll have
another chance as you leave. And depending what time of day you come into the
park, the light might be better for your photos as you leave. We got there
EARLY in the morning and the position of the sun gave me way too much of a
glare because you’re looking directly east.
Proceeding through the valley all the trailheads are marked
well and Curry Village is a great place to stop for bathrooms, camping grounds,
general store, and advice on what to see and do based on the time you have in
the park. I met up with an old sorority sister of mine who drove up for the
weekend from LA. We wound up only having a full day on Sunday to really enjoy
the park. The park ranger I visited with was a wonderful wealth of knowledge
and had great suggestions for us based on what we wanted to see, our time, and
let’s be honest….our fitness level. Becky is a runner, I am not. And the
workout I thought I was getting for my legs during rowing proved to be
incompatible with the workout ahead of me.
Curry Village, named after one of the founding families of
Yosemite, has one of the largest parking lots for those visiting outside of the
park. Yosemite also had a wonderful tram service that runs to 20+ stops
throughout the park on about a 15 minute schedule. It’s a great way to see a
lot of the park without moving your car and wasting your legs walking from one
trailhead to another.
We decided to start our day with the Mist Hike up Vernal Falls. It came
highly recommended from an old Eagle Scout friend of mine. Perhaps the fact
that he was an Eagle Scout, and an overall outdoorsman, was what led him to
downplay the difficulty of the hike but I was expecting something slightly less
death defying. Mist Trail is about 3 miles round trip. Not bad sounding if it
was all flat. However, within those 3 miles you also ascend approximately 1000
feet…most of which is done clinging precariously to an iron railing while
clawing your way up “stairs” that I swear were chiseled into the side of the
mountain by the first indigenous people living there.
All of this would be hard
enough if it was all dry…but there is a reason why they call it the Mist Trail.
This mist from Vernal Falls envelopes you and clings to you as you make your
way towards the top. The whole experience is otherworldly. As you pause to
catch your breath, snap some pics, or simply regain your equilibrium you glance
around and have the distinct feeling that you’ve stumbled onto the set of “Game
of Thrones” or a Hobbit movie. And as tempting as it was to spare my
nearly-40-yr-old knees and turn around and go back…it’s worth every Aleve you
need to take to get to the top of the falls. Not only is the sense of
accomplishment overwhelming for a weekend-semi-athlete like me…but THE VIEWS.
Oh my GAWD!
After the hike up you get thaw/dry out a bit and mentally
prepare for the hike down. I highly suggest getting there early in the morning
to avoid the crowds. The number of people making their way towards the falls on
our way back down was shocking. Truly it had doubled at least. AND the later
you wait…the more idiot teenagers you’ll have to deal with on the way down.
Take your water and take a snack for the top. You’ll want to
spend some time relishing the views.
The rest of the day we spent hiking minor trails through the
valley, eating lunch (well-deserved greasy burgers) at the Village Grill, and
looking through the Ansel Adams gallery. Overall, the park was gorgeous. Well
taken care of and easy to navigate. The signage was dispersed well and I cannot
say enough nice things about the little shuttle. Beware, however, by
mid-afternoon…the shuttles are standing room only.
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| Yosemite Valley |
P.S. – You can purchase an annual National Parks Pass for
$80 at any of the national parks. The pass is good for an entire car full of
people and gets you in free at any of the 58 US National Parks. From what I’m
sure is our coldest park entirely located north of the Arctic Circle, Gates of the Arctic National Park, to our most tropical (and the only one located south
of the equator) National Park of the American Samoa…this pass is good. Do
yourself, and our national parks, some good and invest in one of these little
guys. If you’re anything like me, it will inspire you to get out and “stamp it”.
