Hiked Yosemite Falls Friday

GreenMachine · July 09, 2011, 10:31:17 AM

I needed to confirm whether or not Yosemite was having a Free day pass in September, so a friend and I met up for a day hike there. The Free day is confirmed.

Yosemite was glorious. All the falls are going full bore and temperatures were mild enough (mid-80s) that I rode with blue jeans and a mesh jacket. I've never seen so much water and greenery in Nevada & Yosemite. The upper Yosemite meadows are turning into a shallow lake and from what I overheard, rafting on the Merced River is forbidden due to water levels and low bridge clearance. I can't imagine anyone wanting to. The water flow is just diabolical!

Here are some of the pictures I took while hiking Yosemite Falls trail. The trail itself is said to have 132 switchbacks. I didn't get to all of them. My friend and I split up due to pace and I ended up turning back before reaching the upper falls summit. The trail above the mid-falls are meanders around the back side of the mountain, so there's little to see until you get up top. Other hikers said they'd completed the hike before and the lower section of the trail near the mist of the falls was the highlight of the hike. Which explains why so many people lounged around talking, eating lunch and picture taking, while the herd thinned noticeably above that point.

To top the day off, we had pizza and beer in Curry Village. Only about 80% of the typical weekend crowds, so lines and seating were manageable. It strikes me as odd that the majority of visitors to Yosemite are from other countries. It's in our back yard, yet very few of us ever go there. Uh-oh! I think I dropped my wallet.

youngster775 · July 09, 2011, 11:40:25 AM

That looks really nice! thanks.

n10sive · July 09, 2011, 12:41:55 PM

Quote from: youngster775 on July 09, 2011, 11:40:25 AM
That looks really nice! thanks.

yeah...the pictures of Yosemite too!

GreenMachine · July 09, 2011, 09:12:09 PM

The one gift was before the hike. That was when I was far away, but we caught back up. The views were amazing!

A DRAGON · July 10, 2011, 07:44:56 AM

So when is the free day? or did I miss it?

GreenMachine · July 10, 2011, 10:55:51 PM

Nah, you didn't miss it. It's coming up very late in the ride season though. See our last scheduled SSA group ride 09/24/11. The days will be much shorter by then, so we may have to leave exceptionally early or just satisfy ourselves with an abbreviated day hike. It was 9 hours of riding for me and I rode it like a semi driver would, nonstop to Curry Village, then two splash fuel stops to save a few pennies before the nonstop from Lee Vining home.

Got in 6 hours of hiking, which adds up to the perfectly matched set of daylight, 15 hours.

Rick Bay (BRA) · July 12, 2011, 12:39:20 AM

Nowadays I'm going to Yosemite almost every other day. But I never get tired of this.
I am a lucky man because I watch the changes of the scenery during the year. I mean, at the summer you se the ark different then winter and different at spring.
Gorgeous place

GreenMachine · July 13, 2011, 07:37:12 AM

Every other day? That was a mis-type right? That's a lot of traveling!

BTW, if anyone needs a motorcycle pass. I still have mine from Friday. It's good through midnight Thursday, if anyone wants it.

Rick Bay (BRA) · July 14, 2011, 09:40:48 PM

Quote from: GreenMachine on July 13, 2011, 07:37:12 AM
Every other day? That was a mis-type right? That's a lot of traveling!

BTW, if anyone needs a motorcycle pass. I still have mine from Friday. It's good through midnight Thursday, if anyone wants it.

Yeah Sir., I go there almost every other day. It is for me, 14 hours driving day when I go there. The reason I go there that often is because I am a bus driver/tour guide in San Francisco, every day I take people on the bus for different areas...

Rick Bay (BRA) · July 14, 2011, 09:41:53 PM

I never get tired of that beauty.