Yosemite NP, CA

We are spending a week near Yosemite NP and the weather has been unseasonably warm.  We were expecting cooler hiking temperatures but find ourselves hiking in temps close to 80!

Mike had never been to Yosemite before so our first trip into the park was to Yosemite Valley of course.  So we spent a day there but won't be going back as it was so crowded and far from where we are parked in Greeley Hill.  We are closer to the Yosemite back country which neither of us have explored and are having a good time doing some hiking up here.  Below is some of what we've done:

In front of Bridalveil Fall which had water flowing! This past summer many visitors found the falls dry due to the drought.  

El Capitan

Upper Yosemite Fall is one of the top 20 highest falls in the world at 1420ft

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

Vernal Fall is impressive and one of those falls that always has a rainbow.  We took the trail to the top of the falls which includes 600 rough cut granite stone steps and a free shower from the spray of the falls:)  In summer they say you get soaked on this trail, we got more of a pleasant mist.

Mike climbing some of the stairs close to the top of Vernal Fall

Arriving at the top of the stairs we had to walk back down to the top of the fall

Here we are at the top of Vernal Fall

What goes up must come down:)

 The Hetch Hetchy Valley is located in the northwest corner of Yosemite NP.  It houses the O'Shaughnessy Dam and Hetch Hetch Reservoir which supplies drinking water for the city of San Francisco.  We did the shoreline hike to Wampama Fall:

Mike heading down to cross the dam

view downstream from the dam

view of the reservoir from the trail

Wampama Fall

another view of the fall looking up at the beautiful clouds moving in

tree fungus with ladybugs

On the west edge of the park near the Big Oak Flat entrance, we did a nice forest trail that followed the  South Fork Tuolumne River to Carlon Falls:

My pic does not do Carlon falls justice.  This beautiful off set cascading, stair step falls with lush vegetation is awesome! 

inset of falls