Grandeur: Yosemite National Park (by Jim and Sunshine)

Awesomeness is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Yosemite. From massive granite domes and cliffs, to towering waterfalls. From sequoia groves to alpine habitats. The idea for national parks, preserving unique natural areas, began here at Yosemite. It was the first land set aside for public use… signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1864 in the midst of the Civil War. While Yosemite Valley itself is a smaller area crowded with visitors, the entire park itself is massive. A quick visit cannot do it justice. We were fortunate to have four full days to explore, but it still wasn’t enough to even scratch the surface of what the park has to offer.

Posing with Ranger Kate at Yosemite

We were also fortunate to have a talented friend who works at Yosemite as an interpretive ranger! Kate Gunsolus is a former student of Jim's at UW-Stevens Point, and she graciously offered to give us an insider's view of the park. This greatly enhanced our enjoyment and helped us to avoid at least some of the crazy crowds.

With Kate's assistance, we were able to make reservations in the Crane Flat campground, about 30 minutes away from Yosemite Valley, centrally located to access other areas of the park. Due to the sheer number of visitors to Yosemite, we needed to have reservations (usually we just try for first come-first serve). The campground was filled, with sites packed next to each other. Fortunately, we had some wonderful neighbors, who Walden made friends with quickly. Our campsite driveway had quite the slope, so it took some finesse with wooden blocks and jacks to get the Burro somewhat level.

Walden in a bear box at our campsite

Silly faces at Wapama Falls at Hetch Hetchy

The first day was a Saturday (May 30) and we knew to avoid Yosemite Valley which would be a gridlocked traffic jam for most of the day. We instead traveled the opposite way to Hetch Hetchy Valley, a beautiful valley that had been dammed in the 1923, much to the dismay of John Muir. We hiked across the O’Shaughnessy dam on the shores of the reservoir to Wapama Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in North America. The trail led through rainbow carpets of amazing flowers. At the bottom of the falls, the power of the water was incredible. We were blasted with mist, and six footbridges spanned different channels where the water roared underneath. That night we attended a wonderful campfire program on woodpeckers. Walden now knows how to say "Pileated Woodpecker"!

Playing in the Merced River

On the next day, May 31, we drove down to Yosemite Valley and went on the Valley Tram Tour led by Kate. We drove through the valley in an open-air tram, with incredible views of the river, cliffs, and waterfalls. It was an entertaining and inspiring program, where we discovered the history and geology of the park. We also walked a trail through Cook's Meadow, a beautiful meadow in the middle of the valley with views of the iconic rock faces. The trail led to the Merced River, and Walden played in the water with Yosemite Falls roaring in the background. That evening, we attended a Buffalo Solider program by Ranger Shelton Johnson, who is well known from the America's Best Idea documentary by Ken Burns.

Valley Tram tour with Yosemite Valley behind

Walking the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls

On June 1, we drove back to Yosemite Valley and hiked to Vernal Falls (3 miles). Vernal Falls is a 300-foot tall roaring waterfall that cuts through a lush green valley. The trail ascends steeply through the forest next to the cascading Merced River, and then turns into a series of steps that actually climb next to the waterfall itself! This portion of the trail is aptly named the Mist Trail, as you are constantly being soaked by the mist of the rushing water. As the sun shines through the mist, it creates constant shimmering rainbows.  At the top, a sheet of water flows over the stone into the Emerald Pool, filled with glowing green water. What a beautiful place! Despite the steep climb, the trail was crowded with people, reminiscent of Angels Landing in Zion. We also explored the Happy Isles Nature Center (not much to write home about) and the Happy Isles, small islands surrounded by the cascading Merced River. We had very expensive showers ($5 per person!) at Curry Village. And we ended our day hiking to the Lower Yosemite Falls, again crowded with people.

Rainbow on the Mist Trail

Throwing pine cones in Tenaya Lake

On June 2, Kate joined us to show us her favorite spots on Tioga Road, which leads to high elevation alpine areas of Yosemite, less visited than the valley. We stopped at overlooks strewn with glacial erratic boulders, threw pine cones into Tenaya Lake (to see which would float... Walden's idea!), and climbed Pothole Dome overlooking Tuolumne Meadows to eat lunch. Kate swore Walden in as an official Yosemite Junior Ranger. Then we hiked to Gaylor Lakes, one of Kate's favorite out-of-the-way hikes, to experience the alpine tundra up-close and personal. The trail climbed steeply up a rocky ridge, and then back down to two pristine alpine lakes. It was a different world, surrounded by snowy peaks, no trees able to grow at the high elevation, with still lakes partially covered by ice, and ground squirrels and marmots squeaking all around. Walden especially loved the snow fields, making Daddy stop at each one so he could throw snowballs (although, when Daddy threw a snowball at him, it resulted in tears). We also saw a massive snowshoe hare on our way back down the trail. What a day! We were going to have a singalong around the campfire when we returned to our campsite (Kate is a guitar player and songwriter extraordinaire), but Kate had an "interpretive emergency" she had to respond to... leading a full moon tram back in the valley. We still had a roaring campfire though to keep us warm!

Walden sworn in as a Junior Ranger by Kate

Hiking the Gaylor Lakes Trail with Kate

Yosemite has so many amazing and beautiful features it is unfortunately being loved too much. The hordes of people who visit Yosemite can make it unpleasant at times. Hiking shoulder to shoulder and waiting in line to see a view take away from the grandeur of the site. Getting stuck in traffic and having to search for parking make for a frustrating day. Luckily we avoided some of the crowds by visiting the more remote areas of the park on the busier days.

Campfire in Yosemite