Yosemite 2007

Jeff and I had a great weekend! We went camping at Summerdale campground in Fish Camp about 2 miles south of Yosemite National Park. There were 10 of us all together. We got there on Friday evening and hung out around the fire. I didn't sleep well, as it got down to around 40 degrees or lower that night. It was a bit chilly! We left the campground Saturday morning to start our day at Yosemite. Our first stop was at a scenic overlook. We took a similar picture of this last year (and I believe we posted it on our blog). It was a little hazy that day, but the view is still amazing!!
We then drove to Bridalveil Fall. We only saw Bridalveil from the road last year, so it was great to walk up to the fall. It was a little chilly that morning and the mist from the fall didn't help much.

We then continued on to Yosemite Falls. It is the 5th tallest waterfall in the world and the tallest in the US! For more information on Yosemite Falls check out this page: http://www.yosemite.ca.us/yosemitefallsfacts.html

The hike was around 3.2 miles to the top of the falls. It was a tough hike for me and a couple others. I think it took around 2.5 hours to reach the top, but it was well worth it. Here are some pictures from the hike:

The trail was a little rough. It would be rocky at one point, sandy at another, and wet in other places. It was a pretty steady climb up with one section that flattened out for a while - I definitely needed that to catch my breath. This part of the trail was great for seeing the Upper Fall. The mist of the fall felt wonderful. The weather was great (probably no hotter than 80), but it was warm climbing up!

When we got to the top, we were pretty hungry, so we found a nice spot by the water to sit and eat our lunches. The water was very refreshing - a couple of us took our socks and shoes off to cool our feet! It was a great view for lunch.
After lunch we walked around to the scenic overlook. It was breath-taking; a little scarey, but beautiful!

Below is a picture of the group at the top: Catherine, Court, Jeff, Heidi, Toni, Outing, Josh, and Drew.

There was a "trail" that led down to an overlook from the top. It was a little nuts going down and up. Below is a picture of some people going up the "trail" and below is Jeff and I on the outlook.

The way down the trail was much easier, but a little rough on the knees. There were some great picture opportunities though. The one below is of a rainbow with the falls to the left. Half Dome is in the background. It is one of my favorite pictures!

After we made it to the bottom, we regrouped and decided to drive up to Glacier Point for some more great views. Below is a picture of the group: Jeff, Drew, Kara, Patrick, Outing, Josh, Toni, Heidi, and Catherine (not sure where Court was at this point).

The picture below is one I took after we got down from Yosemite Falls. I am amazed that I made it to the top!

We headed back to the camp after that. I was pretty dirty and sweaty and thought that it would be a good idea to bathe in the creek. It was super freezing, but it did feel amazing! We ended the night by eating our dinner and sitting by the fire. I was super exhausted and went to bed a little early and didn't wake up until 9am!! We packed all of our stuff and headed back to Yosemite for a smaller hike. We went to Mariposa Grove. There are tons of giant sequoias there and it was great to see. The picture below is of Grizzly Giant. It is gigantic! The picture under that one is of the group if front of the tree.

We had a great time and loved the sites. Our bodies our a little sore, but they will heal. I am sure we will sleep super well tonight!