Wow. Just wow.

North America » United States » California » Yosemite National Park
August 12th 2014

Published: July 28th 2017

Geo: 37.8772, -119.727

After what can only be described as a horrendous night's sleep, we woke to the nose of the camp beginning to stir at around 6am. Why the bad sleep? Well, at 1am I was awake, convinced that I could hear one of the dreaded and feared bears snuffling around the outside of the tent. Lying completely still and frozen to the spot, I listened to the rhythmic sound for a good five minutes before realising that it was simply one of our neighbours snoring. However, by this point it became apparent that the heat of the day had given way to much cooler temperatures at night and so spent time searching for my sleeping bag to combat the chill. Added to this, the excitement and trepidation about the next day's hike and the temptation to go and view the promised meteor shower just before dawn (I didn't!) meant that sleep was difficult to come by.
So, since we were awake, and had already made plans to leave fairly early, we decided to get ourselves ready for the long hike we had planned for the day. We had researched the hikes in Yosemite and had picked out The Mist trail as one which could not be missed. We had also had recommendations from our friends at home, as well as the friendly locals we met last night. So, reading the description of the "moderate to difficult 8.5 mile hike" and optimistically focusing in the modeswte over the difficult, we were struck by the lists of vistas we could expect to see. The route would take us up to the Vernal Falls, a 1.5 mile steep hike from the valley floor. From here, we could continue the 2.5 miles to the top of the Nevada Falls, the views from which were rumoured to be incredible, and then follow the scenic 4.5 mile John Muir trail back to the valley floor. 8.5 miles? No problem.
It is a problem when the entire first half of the hike is uphill. And I'm not talking Castle Hill here, actual, steep, mountainous terrain. We had been warned that it would be a steep climb and so took our time, steadily and slowly ascending with plenty of water breaks en route. The first part of the trail was child's play - a simple, well-paved path meandering up a gentle incline. "This is the strenuous hike?" we scoffed. And then, it began. The path took a sharp turn to the left, and in front of us, snaking away through the trees, we could see the trail climbing steeply ahead. There were a couple of chances to relax en route, with the path descending gently. However, we knew that when the path went downwards, there was only going to be a steeper uphill climb on the other side and so our relief and respite was short lived. However, we would still have classed it as a standard hike, rather than a moderate to strenuous one, and were feeling fairly smug about our fitness levels.
After a one mile uphill hike, we arrived at a bridge, with water cascading beneath it. Was this the promised Vernal Falls? If so, the much-anticipated and hyped strenuous hike and mesmerising views were severely lacking in our eyes. However, upon reading the map, we realised that we were merely at the halfway point and so began our climb again. It was at this point that the breathtaking scenery began to reveal itself. Although all of Yosemite is picture perfect, inviting you into a constant cycle of pause, be overwhelmed by beauty, take a snap.... Move on, be even more amazed, take another picture....move on...., this part of the trail afforded mind-boggling views down towards the valley floor from where we had just climbed. It also allowed us glimpses of our next destination - the shimmering curtain of water that cascaded from the edge of the ridge above our heads. As we climbed, we became more aware of the thundering of the falls as they crashed into the emerald green pool at their base. Despite this being the dry season, and many of the falls having been reduced to a trickle, we were still amazed by the power and height of the white water, falling like a veil from above.
Now the real climb began. To reach the next spectacular viewpoint, we had to hike along a very strenuous and precarious part of the trail. Roughly hewn steps led us higher and further away from the valley floor, with some of the steps being thigh-high. This was a test of our determination, as well as of our glutes, and we really had to grit our teeth and dig in at parts of the trail. Eventually though, we were rewarded with panoramic views from the very edge of the falls. Standing atop a mountain that I had just climbed, with the rushing water thundering under my feet, I was mesmerised, not only by the distance we had climbed, but by the sheer majesty of the place. Yosemite is beauty personified and super-sized. Everything here is gargantuan, from the towering redwoods that shelter the path from the sunshine, to the mountains looming on every side.
After resting at the summit of Vernal falls, we began the next stage of the climb towards Nevada falls. This was a two and a half mile trek along the remainder of the Mist Trail - so named for the shower of fine mist that drifts from both Vernal and Nevada Falls on the climb. Fortunately for us, this being a dry summer, we were only treated to occasional sprays when a particularly large gust of wind came our way. The trail starred off innocently enough, with a simple track of gentle switchbacks leading from the base, and spectacular glimpses through the pines of Nevada Falls rushing past on our right hand side. However, soon the trail began to become unmarked. Although it is a well-trodden route, there were sections that we could not believe were actually the trail. At points, we were scrambling over boulders and heaving ourselves up from one section to the next. Added to this, once we had climbed for about three quarters of an hour, the wind really began to gust. Although this made for a cooler, refreshing climb, it also brought its own perils and at times it was difficult to keep our balance on the slippery, uneven surfaces.
Eventually, we reached a series of steep switchbacks, dominated on one side by the sheer-sided monolith, Liberty Cap, and framed on the other by sweeping views of the pine-dotted valley below, with the mountains rising behind it. Climbing these and using the very last vestiges of our energy, we eventually arrived at the summit, an elevation of 5907ft, proud, exhausted and amazed at our achievement. We headed the short distance to the top of the Nevada Falls ready to find a scenic spot to enjoy our lunch. We were spoilt for choice. Nature and beauty abounded on all sides. Before settling down, we headed to the very edge of the falls, some sections edged by a rickety looking fence, other sections marked simply by a sheer drop down into the pools below. Gazing down into the rushing water, catching sight of rainbows dancing in the spray, we were enchanted by what lay before us. The spray here was gentle, but it still soaked us enough that it was easy to see how the raging waters of late spring could cause people to be drenched when gazing over the edge.
We settled on a spot by the upper pool of Nevada Falls, sheltered from the wind and resting our backs against a large slab of granite that had crashed from the mountains above in the far-distant history, providing a natural windbreak for us. In front of us, the water sparkled and gurgled as it made its way to the funnel feeding into the falls, and behind it rose the majestic Liberty Cap, with Half Dome peeking out from behind, enticing us to climb further. Lunchtime was shared with the bold squirrels that populate the trails around Yosemite. They didn't flinch, even when you attempted to startle them, and just waited patiently for the opportunity to grab whatever you were eating, whether it had been proffered or not. Stunningly plumaged blue jays also waited on the surrounding tree branches for their opportunity to steal any part of the picnic.
A few more photo opportunities at the top of the trail, and we were ready to make our descent down the John Muir trail, named for one of the USA's most famous and revered environmentalists. We knew that by hiking down this trail, we would be adding an extra two miles onto our journey but we were enticed by the promise of a more gentle and straightforward climb back down to the valley floor. At some point, these words must have become lost in translation, because this was a fairly difficult clamber back down the mountain, 4 miles of which took us nearly 3 hours to complete; it was a steep clamber over fairly rocky and rugged terrain, and because of the incredibly dry weather recently, the dust that has accumulated on the trail made for a pretty slippery descent. It was very hard on the knees and the bottom of the trail was met with a mixture of relief and sadness that the incredible hike was over.
We caught the shuttle bus back to our camp, where we spent the rest of the evening sitting on the veranda of the old clubhouse in rustic rocking chairs, taking in the sights and sounds as we approached dusk in the park. The surrounding mountains were illuminated a fiery red in the late afternoon sunshine and we spent time sharing stories with an Irish couple who were doing the same route as ours but in reverse. Pizza on the terrace finished our evening off perfectly, and we were ready for an early night, ready to be lulled to sleep by the sounds of Yosemite, ready for another day of incredible sights.
States added: Louisiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Idaho. New count, 37

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