Yosemite, What a Place!
From the very first minute I drove into the Yosemite park boundaries on my way to the historic Camp 4, I could tell Yosemite was a very special place. I was surrounded by these huge granite monoliths sticking up from a thick pine and cedar forest. Then Bridalveil Falls is on my right and the astounding El Capitan is on the left. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. I just pulled over and stared at everything, it was amazing.
The first day at Yosemite I got there in the early evening so I just drove straight to Camp 4. Camp 4 is well known for being the hangout/ base camp for climbers during the golden age of Yosemite climbing from the 1950's through the 70's. It's a walk-in campground with no driveways to the sites so I had to park in the parking lot and carry all my gear to the site. Everything in the campground was completely coated with snow and mud so camping that day was pretty uncomfortable. For the next two nights, I transferred over to a hostel, it just got a little too cold and wet.
The next day, I first went to the Visitor Center to ask about trail conditions and hikes I shouldn't miss. The volunteer I spoke with was very friendly and helpful, and together, we made a plan for my visit in Yosemite Valley. I recommend always talking to the rangers and volunteers at the Visitor Centers. Trails or other areas, especially in winter, can be closed and they can let you know the current conditions. Also, you can learn of any Ranger programs going on, which I also recommend participating in. After that, I headed to the Upper Yosemite Falls trails. This trail was very strenuous. It starts at the bottom of the valley and switchbacks up and up until eventually I was at the top of Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in the U.S.. As I got higher and higher, the snow got deeper and deeper. The trail was just following others footsteps in the snow. Some steps I would step down and my leg would disappear into the snow. It was very exhausting hiking uphill in the snow like that. At the end of the trail the view was amazing so I sat and enjoyed for a while. The hike back down was just as hard because I had to keep myself from slipping too much. Many times I just ended up on my butt (intentionally and non-intentionally) and just slid down. By the end, my body was aching and I was all wet but I was very glad I finished the trail. There were a few times when I just wanted to turn around because going uphill in the snow was pretty frustrating.
The following day, I took the shuttle bus up to the Badger Pass skiing area. Yes, Yosemite has its own ski slopes. It was really nice riding a shuttle up to Badger Pass, I could just look at the beautiful scenery through the windows. Yosemite has the shuttle system to Badger Pass and also one for throughout the Valley. This was super convenient because the parking lots at trailheads and points of interest can be packed, especially in peak season. I went to Badger Pass to participate in the Ranger guided snowshoe hike. I had some time before the hike so I just watched the skiers. There was a class of Yosemite school children there taking lessons, which was really cute. I guess if you go to school in Yosemite, your P.E. class is skiing. The snowshoe hike went through a subalpine forest of aspen, fir, and pine trees. The Ranger pointed out mosses that live on the trees and claw marks on the aspens from bears filing their nails. The hike lead to a great spot where we could view the Yosemite Valley skyline. There, she showed us furs of animals that live in Yosemite and she told us how Yosemite was created. Contrary to popular belief, Yosemite was a protected area many years before Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir's famous camping trip. President Lincoln actually signed the Yosemite Grant in 1864 to protect the land for future generations. Yosemite was the first tract of land to be protected in this way, making it the first national park. It didn't have the title of "national park" but it was land, in Lincoln's words,"for the benefit and enjoyment of the people". Teddy Roosevelt visiting the park with John Muir is what got Yosemite its National Park title. Yosemite was so inspiring to Roosevelt, he quit his big game hunting ways and became the greatest conservationist president in history. After the shuttle brought me back down to the valley, I hopped on the valley shuttle to the Mirror Lake trailhead. I hiked through the dense forest along a stream to Mirror Lake and saw exactly where the name comes from. The lake water was making a perfect reflection of the granite monoliths surrounding the valley. It was unbelievable.
My last day at Yosemite I spent exploring the village. Yosemite Valley is its own little town with a school, post office, court room, houses, and a grocery store even. It was surprising, no other park I had been to had had a village in the center of it like that. I went back to the Visitor Center and took my time to walk through the museum exhibits. I learned how the all the granite is what remains of glaciers and how fire and water shape a healthy ecosystem. An interesting fact about the park is that that for a long time, the park's belief was that fire was bad. The instant a wildfire would start in the park it would instantly be put out. Then the Rangers and scientists starting noticing the overgrowth and unhealthiness of the forests. They also learned many plants needed fire-touched soil to germinate. So in recent years, Yosemite has adopted a new fire policy to keep the park healthy. Then, I watched the park movie. Every National Park has a little theatre and a park movie that gives an overview of the history, geography, and geology of the park. The movie I watched at Yosemite was directed by Ken Burns and was about the "Yosemite Spirit," how Yosemite causes such dramatic reactions of its visitors because of its beauty and wonder. The last thing I did before tearing myself away from the park was walk through Cook's Meadow. This is an area in the center of the valley that once was a livestock pasture. Now, it provides spectacular views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Sentinel Rock. I saw tons of birds there too. It was my first time seeing Steller's Jays and they were so pretty. They were the brightest blue I have ever seen on a living being and they were all throughout the meadow. So I took one final moment in Yosemite to take it all in before I headed out of the park. It was really hard to go.
So, Yosemite was amazing. It was definitely my favorite park so far. When I first got there and while I was walking on the trails, I kept texting my family saying "this is the most beautiful place I have ever seen!" I did so much at the park, but there are so many other trails I didn't do. I didn't get to do the famous trek up Half Dome, and I didn't get to hike up to Glacier Point, John Muir's favorite spot. Both of these trails were closed for the winter. Yosemite also has the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias I didn't get to see due to some renovation work. I really understand why Yosemite left such a strong impression on John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt. Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant without even seeing the land because of how enthusiastically and passionately all of the proponents were talking about it. I totally understand that and Teddy Roosevelt's quote after camping with John Muir in the Sequoia Grove, "This has been the grandest day of my life!"
For further reading, check out Roosevelt's speech at the California capitol building after his Yosemite trip. He does a great job explaining how important conservation is for the nation.
All of my pictures from Yosemite and other parks are in the Gallery.
