The endless traffic to enter Yosemite National Park. I didn’t make the connection until our campsite neighbor told us that this weekend was particularly packed because it was the weekend before July 4th. I was extremely turned off by how crowded the park was and we didn’t even get there yet!!!And then I laid my eyes on this beauty… I went from saying “I’m never coming back” to already making plans to return in the Fall. I totally feel like nature should be enjoyed without lines and traffic, but at the same time, maybe I’m just spoiled by instant gratification. Something this beautiful is worth the wait. There are times where I want solitude and would be willing to backpack to get this beauty, but there are other times where I want to share this with family and have the convenience of a resort. Yosemite is just that. A family friendly nature resort so come with the same expectations as you would if going to Disneyworld. It’s not necessarily a bad thing is you know what to expect.Quickly made camp with sounds of thunder roaring. Just chilln out in a hammock watching the lightning. It’s been wayyyyy too long since I’ve seen lightning!
Day 2: Earn that CHEEEZEBurger
Excited for some banana peanut butter oatmeal!!!We waited like 5 minutes at the shuttle bus and decided to walk to explore insteadI think walking was a great decision!We took many detours!And even more photos!Lower Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Falls consists of three sections Lower, Middle Cascades, and Upper. Its the 5th tallest in the world and completely fed from snow melt. We were lucky to see the waterfall raging due to the massive amount of snow this past winter. It typically dries up completely by the end of summer.A quick snack break by the waterLOVE tuna sandwichesWe kept exploring and passed by a TON of gnarly boulders. I had no idea Camp 4 existed until this day.Our trail finally met up with the Merced River againBeautiful flooded valley floorWhich made for a beautiful flooded trailSide note: we saw like 3-4 deer during this hike, even in areas with a ton of peopleTrying not to be freaked out by the potential bugs that might drop on my headIt got brutally hot! We were so eager to jump to cool off but had to find a good spot where the current wasn’t strong. After dipping my toes in, I almost chickened out. We both had to count down to work up the courage to take the plunge. It was freezing!!!Even in this shallow spot Corey had to fight the current to get out. Do not underestimate the waters!Hello, El Cap!Admiring pretty flowers before reaching a point where we had to turn back. The trail was flooded with waters past my hip, and although we could’ve taken a detour by going on the main road, I was wicked tired and had massive food cravings.So we used some cheeseburgers as our motivation to get back to the village! YUMMMMMMM!Topped that off with some quinoa chili, roasted red peppers, and broccoli cheddar Knorr rice. It tasted like the best chili mac and cheese ever!!!End then topped that off with some smores! Look at that concentration!
Day 3: Let’s Race the Sun
Glacier Point looked close to the campsite on a map, but the drive is actually over an hour! We packed up camp in the dark at 3:45am and raced the sun to Glacier Point. The sky was brightening up as we drove, but we still had plenty of time to enjoy the sunrise.The sun comes up directly behind Half Dome!Corey got this awesome shot of me snuggled in my blanketMy caveman!Impossible to take a bad photo here
Part 2: Taft Point
Before heading home we wanted to take a quick 2 mile hike to Taft PointWe were the only ones on the trail this early in the morning. The place was as eerie as it was beautiful!Great way to wake up!Entering the Forbidden ForestA fissure!!!Yosemite Falls from Taft PointThat’s me on Taft!I think we look pretty good without sleep, covered in dirt and sweat!Last stop… picking up our pup from doggy daycare!But not before a pit stop in Fresno for some pho!
