The trip began with an early Saturday morning departure from SF. We (Andrew, Brian, Grant and I) arrived in the park and immediately hit the trail. Our target for the day: Mount Hoffmann. Here I am at our first landmark along the hike: May Lake.
After a bit more climbing, we got this lovely view looking back down towards May Lake.
Grant, Andrew & I continuing the ascent. I should've brought a hat.
After more elevation gain, we passed the tree line.
We stopped momentarily for a snack before pushing onward and after a few hours of vertical progress (which didn't feel like much progress at all no thanks to the high altitude), we got to an exposed area leading up to the final ascent.
Getting oh so close to the top! Looking back towards the valley, you can see how Mt. Hoffmann compares to the other major landmarks in the valley (Cloud's Rest left of center and Half Dome right of center).
We made it to the summit!
The nifty watch confirms that shortly after 1pm, we got to ~10,600 feet (or so). That sort of elevation really gets to your head!
Grant & Brian at the top (with Cloud's Rest and Half Dome in the background).
Shortly after we took that picture, we noticed this little critter running around. We spent a few minutes wondering whether it might be an "alpine squirrel" or something along those lines before a fellow hiker politely (and correctly) suggested it could be a Marmot.
After all the picture taking and marmot watching, we sat down and busted out lunch. Here you can see Brian cutting up some avocado to put onto our turkey sandwiches.
And then we rested a bit before our hike back down to the trailhead. Grant even stretched out for a brief nap.
When we got back down to the car, we drove into the valley and settled into our accommodations in Curry Village prior to seeking out dinner. We started out eating burgers, but that didn't quite satisfy our hunger. So, we ordered a pizza. We opted for a plain cheese pizza because toppings cost a whopping $2 each and we didn't deem it worth the high price. Instead, we cut up the leftover turkey from our lunch.
And we put it on the cheese pizza. Delicious.
We got a good night's sleep and then the next day, hit up the Mist Trail. The name of the trail (presumably) comes from the proximity to waterfalls (mainly Vernal Falls) which cause a great deal of water vapor (aka mist) to spray all over the trail. It not only helps to cool hikers along the grueling elevation gain, but also offers plenty of chances to see beautiful rainbows.
Vernal Falls in all its glory.
The squirrels aggressively approached hikers in search of food and many of them wandered close to us as we rested near Emerald Pool. Grant dared me to pet a squirrel and you can see me as I attempt to do so. I got as far as brushing its tail before it decided that it didn't really like that and bolted off.
After the Mist Trail, we packed our gear and headed on out of the park. Before we left the valley, we stopped briefly for this photo opportunity. You can see El Capitan on the left, Cathedral Rocks and Bridalveil Falls on the right and the Merced River flowing down the middle.
And there you have our brief but sweet trip to Yosemite! Definitely one of the best places in the state to visit and always a location that never disappoints. Thanks to my hiking buddies, Andrew, Brian and Grant for the pleasant company. Hopefully we'll get back out there sooner rather than later! Until next time, adieu!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment