On our way south we stopped to visit Yosemite National Park. We stayed in Chowchilla, off of Hwy 99 at The Lakes RV and Golf Resort. October 31st was a beautiful fall day to drive to Yosemite for a wonderful hike in the Park. When we headed up the Valley where we stopped to watch the climbers on El Capitan. The we headed further into the park and did the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls, a 3 mile hike featuring approximately 600 stone steps, some up to 1 foot high. The Mist Trail is one of the most popular short hikes in the Park following the Merced River, starting at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley, past Vernal Falls and Emerald Pool, to Nevada Falls, a 7 mile out and back hike. We hiked along the Merced River, a tumultuous mountain stream, with enormous boulders, some the size of a house. As we climbed the 600 stone steps we were awarded with fabulous views of Vernal Falls.
In the spring, hikers often become completely drenched from water sprayed off Vernal Fall, hence the name Mist Trail. At the top of Vernal Fall, the Merced River traverses a shelf of granite, where we stopped for a snack and to gaze at the beautiful color of the Emerald Pool. We continued up the trail to Nevada Falls, a waterfall that is twice the height of Vernal Fall. From here we had a great view of Liberty Cap, an impressive lump of granite in the distance, we couldn’t get enough pictures of this massive rock. Then we headed back down to the Valley where we stopped to watch the climbers on El Capitan. Spending only one day in Yosemite is not enough to explore all the beauty of this Park, so we will return. Click on thumbnail to view images
Yosemite NP
