I’ve had a dream for several years to visit Yosemite National Park and experience the surreal place portrayed by Ansel Adams in his stunning photographs from the 1930’s. And so last year I made the decision to make this dream happen in 2012. And so my family and I began planning our Family Vacation to Yosemite National Park. I even subscribed to Yosemite’s Channel on YouTube to get myself familiar with the area. One of my favorite videos was this one about Frazil Ice, a unique substance that occurs in the early spring in Yosemite.
And it was amazing! And way too short. I could have easily spent days or even weeks there wondering about and seeing (and photographing) all there is to see in Yosemite National Park. My husband even volunteered to quite his job, be my assistant and carry my gear around for me.
I drove all night to take my sleeping family to Yosemite. We arrived in the Valley just after sunrise. We were greeted by El Capitan and Brideveil Falls. Simply breathtaking! But our first stop was to be the Happy Isles Nature Center so that my son could partake in the Junior Ranger program as it was only happening on Sunday. Little did I know the magic moment that was about to happen. While on the hike with the Park Ranger we came across some bear skat. And not too long after that, we got to see our first bear up close. It was a yearling cub who actually decided to join us on the trail. This was not a planned event, he was just looking to graze up the grasses growing in The Fen. Talk about your Kodak Moment. And of course I was able to capture some video of this event as well.
Next up on our schedule, getting checked into Housekeeping Camp. We were blessed with a camping spot right along the Merced River with views of Upper Yosemite Falls and Half Dome. We could not have asked for a better camping spot for our first trip to Yosemite. And since the tent is permanent, all we had to do was move in and make our beds. Yes, I did say beds. Housekeeping Camp comes with double beds and bunk beds. Perfect for our family of four. And of course we had to secure all of our food in the Bear Locker.
But bears stealing our food was not an issue, it’s the squirrels you have to watch out for. One day as we returned from a rather long hike, I placed my backpack on the bed and ventured to the river to ice my weary feet. Came back to discover that the squirrels had managed to unzip my pack and scrambled off with a peanut butter sandwich and some trail mix. My bad!
So on Monday we made our way to Lower Yosemite Falls. I have to say that I was not all that impressed with the lower falls. It was really crowded there and not too many spots for the ideal photograph. So we didn’t stay long. And then we decided to hike 2.7 miles across the Valley floor to Mirror Lake. Made for a beautiful day with my family. Though you couldn’t tell that by the family photographs we captured when we stopped for our picnic lunch. My husband and son avoid my camera as much as possible. The only time I got any hint of a smile is when I did this:
Tuesday started out with a moderate hike to Vernal Fall which turned into a rather long and strenuous hike above and beyond Vernal Fall onto part of the John Muir Trail. As we climbed the steep rocky steps to the top of Vernal Fall, I seriously did not think I was going to make it. In fact, I almost told my husband to go on without me and I’d catch them on the way back down. But I fought with my conscious and made my way slowly to the top (no easy feat for a person with moderate asthma issues.) I am so glad I pushed myself on Tuesday. The view of the Valley as we made our way back to lower ground via the John Muir Trail was so worth the grueling 6 miles we hiked.
Sadly, Wednesday morning dawned and it was time to pack up and go home. We didn’t want to leave (or at least my husband and I didn’t want to!) We are so ready to trade in rural life for the even more remote life that nature has to offer. You can be sure that we will be venturing into Yosemite National Park sometime in the near future. There is nearly 1,200 more miles we have yet to discover in this National Treasure created in 1890.
When you get a chance, I hope you will take the time to plan a trip with your family to one of the 394 National Parks we have scattered through the United States. Until then, let me whet your appetite with some images and video from our trip to Yosemite National Park.