RoadTrip: Yosemite

We were staying at a cheap motel in Merced, CA which is one of the closest towns to Yosemite National Park's Yosemite Valley entrace.  We had arrived late and were only planning on sleeping a few hours because we were trying to get a campsite within the park.  We had read that there weren't many first come first serve camping spots in the park and all the ones outside the park were not nice.  We hadn't planned ahead of time in order to get a reserved campsite, which for the summer months sell out early like February early.  So we were left trying to arrive early enough to get one of the 280 sleeping spots available at Camp 4.


The Line for Camp 4



We left Merced at 4:45 and made the winding drive into Yosemite Valley as the sun was coming up.  We made it to the parking lot by 6:45 and the line was already sticking out from the check-in shack.  Technically, you are not allowed to line up until 6:30 a.m. and they don't start checking people in until 8. So we had some time to stand/sit in line.  We were 21st and 22nd in line.  We made some friends talking with the others around us and found out that our waking up at 4:45 was nothing compared to the group that left their home at 1 a.m. or the group that didn't sleep and got lost coming in to the park which added another hour to their drive.  



We all got spots to sleep as many people were checking-out being a Sunday morning.  At Camp 4 you share campsites with other groups to allow for maximum number of occupants, which is 8 people per campsite. You also have to carry in all your gear including every bit of food or toiletries because the bears are very prevalent within the park.  A little background on Camp 4: it is on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in the popularity of the sport of rock climbing, as after World War II many of the best rock climbers choose Yosemite Valley and Camp 4 as their unofficial base.



Yosemite Valley



So we had a place to stay, which was a great relief but because there were still people in our site, we couldn't set up camp which would have been nice to be able to take a nap.  Instead we headed to the Yosemite Lodge where we found some bagels, cream cheese, bananas, and milk.  After our breakfast we were feeling more energetic and decided it would be good way to see the valley by taking a tour.  The computer systems were down this morning but we were able to pay cash for 2 tickets on an open bus tour.



Amazing Views from the Valley Floor



Half Dome Peaking Out

Our tour was starting soon so we filled our water bottles and boarded the bus.  Our guide was from Chicago and gave a great tour of the valley which for all of its fame and glory, is not that large.  The valley makes up of only about 1% of Yosemite National Park.  The bus went to some of the best spots for views of the valley and the rock cliffs surrounding the valley.  El Capitan or El Cap had actually been climbed that morning in the record time of 2 hours and 23 minutes.  Alex Honnold and Hans Florine climbed the 2900 foot face using minimal gear (because gear would slow them down) breaking the old record by 13 minutes.

 

El Capitan

 After a few more stops along the road and multiple views well worth the visit the tour came to an end.  We decided we didn't want to nap quite yet since we don't get to Yosemite very often or ever.  At Yosemite Falls, a tall, wispy waterfall over one of the cliffs in the valley, we splashed our feet in the water and jumped around from boulder to boulder.  It was only a short walk back to the parking lot from the falls and we decided to walk a bit more over to Yosemite Village.  Here there was a small but great museum on the first European visitors to the valley and some incredible paintings of the many famous formations, El Cap, Half Dome, The Sentinel, Vernal Falls, Yosemite Falls, and the Merced River to name a few. 



Playing Beneath Yosemite Falls



Yosemite Falls from Across a Meadow



We had some salads and sandwiches from the deli before finally returning to set up camp.  There were three other tents in our site but the people were not around even though it was just about dinner time.  We decided to lay down with the hopes we would wake up and be able to make a trip out to see the stars from the valley floor.  We did wake up around 8:30 or 9 and after we ate the leftovers from our late lunch decided to stay in the warmth and comfort of our tent. 

We didn't fall back asleep very easily but that allowed me to read the Hunger Games book that I had just started the day prior.  As I was reading, a Park Ranger came rapping on our tent asking if we had a Red Jeep.  My initial thought was that a bear had broken the windows of my car because of all the horror stories we had been told about leaving even hand sanitizer in the car.  In fact they were telling us that even if the cooler was empty the bears might be smart enough to know that it is a cooler so I had to run to the car to cover it up so the bear couldn't see it.



Vernal Falls



Megan Enjoying the Mist from Vernal Falls

We slept in the next morning and after another breakfast at the food court, we were going to hike up to Vernal Falls.  It was a few miles up to the falls, with some parts being quite steep and there were so many people milling around everywhere.  Near the end of the hike, we were walking up stairs built into the wall directly next to the falls.  This was slow going because for the most part it was single file both directions and in some parts it was even slower, having to yield to those going the opposite direction.  Vernal Falls was gorgeous though and created a wonderfully colorful picture with deep green trees, water frothy water, bright blue skies and a rainbow from the mist.

Looking Over Vernal Falls



Natural Water Slide



We had a snack and a water break past the falls in a delightful spot that wasn't teaming with people.  Our spot was near what can only be described as a giant natural water slide.  I so desperately wanted to take a run up to it and slide down but I was afraid that I would not be able to get out before going over Vernal Falls.  On our way back down from Vernal Falls we noticed a few guys off of the trail taking pictures and realized that they had found the best spot to take pictures of the falls, so I scrambled out onto some rocks with my cheap camera and took a couple next to the guys with thousands of dollars worth of cameras.





From the Cameraman's Spot



When we made it back down to our car we wanted to do some relaxing and found that you can rent a raft and float down the Merced River.  This was the perfect afternoon activity  because it was becoming a very hot day.  We had some tuna salad before renting our raft, oars, and life jackets.  We had to do a short portage before reaching the river and a quick jog back to the car to bring the camera as we realized this wasn't going to be like whitewater rafting and the stuff in the boat wasn't going to get wet.



Floating Down the Merced River

We floated for a bit, enjoying the sun on our faces, the cool water on our feet and the amazing view of Yosemite Valley.  There was hardly any need for paddling as we were in no hurry and the river for the most part kept us inching our way downstream.  We stopped at a few places so I could jump in the water and swim around; Megan was too chicken to get in the cold water.  

Half Dome

At one of the small beaches along the river there was a section that had a relatively strong current that I enjoyed floating through like I was a log moving down some rapids.  At this spot an older gentleman got all the way in and before he realized his glasses had floated off of his face into the river.  The 10 or so people at this spot of the river all came over to help find them.  After a few minutes of searching where he jumped in, most started working their way down river but not me, I knew metal framed glasses wouldn't float down stream.  I stayed put and eventually succeeded by triumphantly finding the glasses.  I was then feeling the "finding mojo" as I spotted a glint in the water a bit farther down stream and pulled out a Yosemite keychain.

Views from the River

We reached the end of the rafting trip and dragged our boat up to the bus that took us back to the parking lot.  We stopped at the store to pick up some souvenirs, hot dogs, and chips and had ourselves a little grill out back at camp.  We went to bed early after reading some more in the tent as we were planning on getting up early and driving most of the day towards Jackson Hole, WY.