Day 24: The Yosemite Valley

 Wednesday, June 5

We woke up at 6 AM at our boondocking spot outside the El Portal entrance and drove into the park, snagging a lucky parking space at the already full Curry Village parking lot. Here, we had some breakfast and used the WiFi to post yesterday's blog. 

Then we walked about a mile to Happy Isles Nature Center and began the hike to Vernal Falls footbridge, a relatively short hike from our recollection. Short it was (only 0.7 mi from the trailhead), but much steeper than we remember. It was thankfully a cool morning and we were still int he shade. I was disappointed that Vernal Falls was so far in the distance from the footbridge, so while Jessica waited, I hiked up the Mist Trail for a closer photo. It got too misty because the water is really flowing from the spring melt and I realized it would also be looking into the sun, so I turned back. Then a gentleman from the Yosemite Conservancy told me if I took the John Muir trail about a mile to Clark's Point, I would have a great view of the falls from the side. So I headed out on the much less traveled John Muir trail, doing switchback after switchback and telling myself I must almost be there. Surely that had to have been a mile! With every turn of the trail I was disappointed and also running out of water. I did run out of water before I made it, but the views were worth the effort. Then I hoofed it back down the trail to rejoin Jessica at the footbridge and refill my water bottle. 

When you are young, you always think that there is plenty of time left and you will probably come back to this place again. But for some reason today, I felt very reflective and nostalgic, and I wondered if I will ever come back to this place, the most beautiful place on earth in my opinion, again in this lifetime. And so I was soaking in the moment, aware of the awe around me, and ever present in my thoughts. After having lunch in the van (turkey wraps), we walked over to the visitor's center, got our brochure and postcard stamped per tradition, and then we explored the museum, the Ansel Adams Gallery, the Indian Village, and watched the film in the theater. We hopped on the free green shuttle bus around the valley loop before returning to our van. Then I drove us to near Sentinel Beach, where we got out our camp chairs with this amazing view of Upper Yosemite Falls across the Merced River, dipped our toes in the cold and very fast moving water, and watched the rafters go by, all the while with the distant thunder of the falls. It was very peaceful. 

We camped at the primitive Crane Flat campground near the northwest entrance to Yosemite, so that we can do the 215-mile trek back across Rt 108 to the eastern side tomorrow.