Yosemite - Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall

Rusted metal signs point the way to Vernal and Nevada Falls

For our third day in Yosemite, we began and ended our day with art (mosaic workshop at the Yosemite Art Center, and a John Muir performance).  But in the middle, we did a lot of walking and hiking, about 12.5 miles over nearly 5 hours.

After the art workshop and lunch, we began the main event of the day, which was our hike to Vernal Fall. Google Maps incorrectly identifies this body of water as "Vernal Falls."  But technically, Vernal has just one fall of water, not multiple falls over various obstructions.  The water descends in one straight shot 317 feet down, so it just a "fall" not a "falls."  It's also a "year round producer," unlike
Yosemite Falls, which dries up in the summer.

The easy part of the hike up to Vernal Fall

To get to Vernal Fall, you follow a fairly steep paved path with several hundred other hikers, plus one crazy runner and one crazy cyclist (there are always two in a crowd).  Then at a certain point, the paved path turns into a very long set of stone stairs, including a section along the side of a cliff.

The harder part of the hike up to Vernal Fall

Along the way you are rewarded with spectacular views of the wide expanse of Vernal Falls, and many rainbows.  Plus, if the first part of the hike has heated you up, you are treated to a fine misting from the fall.  That's why it's known as the "Mist Trail."

Getting wet along the Mist Trail

Then, after a wet and weary climb you reach the top, and with luck, some sunshine.  You can walk to the edge of the guardrail and watch the water fall.  Numerous signs are posted telling people to stay out of the water and behind the rail, but we watched one idiot do just that, with one hand on the rail and one hand with a selfie stick.  He climbed back over the rail safely, but not all are so lucky.

Samuel and Steven enjoy the view from the top of Vernal Fall

We decided to continue further up, because we wanted to see Nevada Fall, which is over 200 feet taller than Vernal Fall, with a 594 feet drop.  We didn't end up going to the top of Nevada Fall, as we had tickets for the Yosemite Theater that night and I was worried we'd cut it too close.  As it happened, I was right, but not for the reason you think.  We descended the trail fairly quickly.  What we didn't anticipate were the crowds waiting for shuttle buses that never seemed to come.  So after cooling our heels at Stop #16, we got up and walked the rest of the way back to our hotel.

Smaller but steeper Nevada Fal

*According to Google, on our third day at Yosemite, we walked and hiked 12.5 miles over 4 hours and 45 minutes.  We also spent 42 minutes on a shuttle bus that went a mere 5.1 miles.  How does Google know all this?  Google was tracking our route on Steven's Android phone.  It also sensed that we were on a bus because of the number of stops we made. I'll leave the Big  Brother aspects of this tracking to another post.

Google map of our wanderings on April 12, 2017.
The bright blue line is walking.  Dark blue is for the shuttle bus. 

Yosemite - John Muir: Conversations with a Tramp

Lee Stetson as John Muir

For 35 years actor Lee Stetson has been studying the celebrated naturalist John Muir.  For 34 years, he has run a one man show where he channels John Muir in a gently affecting live performance.  Lee Stetson at 76 is now just a few months older than Muir was when he died.  According to a recent interview of Stetson, he plans on continuing to play Muir until his voice and energy give out.  Stetson has become Muir in all ways that count.  He has perfected a Dunbar Scots accent (Muir immigrated to Wisconsin from Scotland as a youth), and has visited Muir's boyhood homes in both Wisconsin and Scotland. He has read everything Muir has every written.  He has also "sauntered" through all of Muir's haunts at Yosemite.

As we learned in Stetson's show tonight at Yosemite Theater, Muir detested the word "hike," as it implied a sweaty athletic event that did an injustice to the act of exploring nature. "Saunter" is Muir's preferred term.  Stetson sets his one act play on the exact day that Muir learns that his beloved Hetch Hetchy Valley will be filled with water to serve as a reservoir for the City of San Francisco.  Muir described it as a "water tank" designed by politicians to save money.  In fact, the reservoir still stands, one of Muir's few failures to preserve the "wildness" that every American needed to experience.

Stetson approaches his one hour play as a conversation with the audience, weaving in memories of his childhood with adventures in Yosemite Park.

If you visit Yosemite during high season (April - October) don't miss this living embodiment of Muir. Shows are Wednesday and Thursday nights at the theater attached to the Yosemite Valley Visitor's Center.  Only $10 per seat.  A bargain for such a treat.

Yosemite - The Majestic Hotel

Samuel and Steven walk toward the Majestic Hotel.
Mountains and waterfalls thrown in for free.

We're roughing it easy in Yosemite.  If you reserve a year in advance, you can get a room in the Majestic, or even better, in one of the adjacent cottages. Sure, it's not inexpensive, but look at the setting!  The Majestic first opened in 1927.  It was called the Ahwanee back then, before a trademark dispute a few years ago precipitated a name change. The Majestic has hosted royalty and presidents over the years.  And in fact, the porter helping us with our bags informed us the Obamas stayed in our very cottage in Summer 2016.  Samuel immediately quipped, “Well, if it’s good enough for the Obamas it’s good enough for us.”

Our famous cottage in the woods, previously occupied by the Obamas.

We didn't manage to get a reservation for dinner in the Majestic Hotel dining room, but a slot was open for breakfast.  Check out the architecture that one writer dubbed "parkitecture."  Despite the soaring ceilings, it's cozy as a bug, with Indian motifs painted on the walls and plenty of local timber.

Breakfast in the Majestic Hotel Dining Room

 p.s. Just learned we got off the wait list for a dinner table.  More pictures may follow! 

Yosemite Village and Yosemite Falls

Tunnel into Yosemite

It's Spring Break and we have finally managed to fit in a long overdue trip to Yosemite. We arrived at noon to a traffic jam.  Even in April, Yosemite is busy.  Everyone is jockeying for a position to see Half Dome and Yosemite Waterfall.  On the other hand, half of Yosemite is closed due to inclement weather and there is a lot of construction in the park.   Mariposa Grove, the home of the giant Sequoia, is closed for renovation as well.  Nonetheless, the park has a full roster of activity, centered mostly around Yosemite Valley.  Luckily, that was just where we were headed, as we’d reserved a cottage adjacent to the Majestic Hotel.  (Steven had the foresight to reserve our room a year in advance.)

Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. 

We wove our way past Yosemite Village to the Majestic Hotel, and managed to find one vacant parking spot.  Following appetizers in the Majestic’s lounge, we hoofed it up the road to the Village, where we dodged cyclists and hikers and found ourselves at the Village Store, a massive grocery store/souvenir shop.  It was sufficiently busy that we decided to keep exploring.  The village also has a medical clinic, post office, Ansel Adams Gallery, art center, visitor center, bookstore, museum, hair salon, and theater.  Oh, and a court.  The court is for all those people that speed in the park, I presume.  (Every year, 15 bears are struck by cars so it's no joking matter.) 

Steven admires a meadow near Majestic Hotel. Not pictured: deer in the distance.

We caught a movie before we left the Village, a 21-minute documentary by Ken Burns, the master of documentaries.  I learned that in the middle of the Civil War, Lincoln dedicated portions of Yosemite as a preserve.  Lincoln had never seen the land, but was inspired by photos and paintings of the iconic Half Dome and Hetch Hetchy Valley.  Subsequent presidents expanded the park,  most notably Teddy Roosevelt.  Teddy spent a few days camping with the naturalist John Muir, who viewed nature as a religion.  Muir founded the Sierra Club, and can be considered the father of the national parks movement.  But more on Muir later, after we attend the “Conversations with a Tramp” live presentation on John Muir in two days time.

See the upper and lower Yosemite Falls?
Also the location of John Muir's cabin.

On the way back from the Village we took our first hike, and easy mile through the woods and old snow to the lower Yosemite Falls.  The spray comes across in sheets as you cross the bridge at the foot of the falls.  Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America.  So tall in fact, that it is two levels, an upper and lower.  Partially buried in snow we also found the meadow where John Muir built a cabin in 1869.  He lived in the cabin for two years, waking up to awe inspiring view every morning.

The site of John Muir's cabin at the base of Yosemite Falls